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Official Pit Home Improvement/DIY thread

Eh, I've done it with a 6x6 on top of a 5-ton hydraulic truck floor jack and it is easy enough for one person to do it. Definitely have your procedure planned out first and all supplies on hand because once you start it there isn't much going back, but I wouldn't be too worried about it solo.

i have done it before...still don't recommend doing it solo, especially if you have not done it before.
 
I've been helping a friend work on a foreclosure he purchased at Kure Beach throughout the summer and I laid ceramic tile in the kitchen and grouted it (the next day) about a month ago. I've been pretty busy the past few weeks so I haven't been down to the house at all since grouting. Well, I went this weekend to find a large section of the kitchen has some pretty severe grout haze going on. Most of the products I see online suggest use within 10 days of the grouting. Any ideas on what my options may be to clean the tile up?
 
My tub is way beyond dripping, just badly leaking hot water all day long. I haven't been able to find any way to turn the water off (like I can't find the cut-off to the shower and also apparently don't even know where the cut-off to all the water in my house is) so this is a big pain, a waste of water, and a lot of extra work for my water heater.

I really need to figure out how to turn the water off and try to fix this. Plus it would be a good thing to know how to turn off the water anyway. I'm nervous to take apart the knobs without knowing if I can fix it, but I can't buy anything to fix it without taking the knobs off and bringing the knob guts to the hardware store to find a matching repair piece. Argh.

Lotta time the reason you can't find a cutoff valve for a tub or shower is that it doesn't exist, as in the original builder never put it in. They could have, but tubs and showers rarely have them.

Yes you should know where your main household water cutoff valve is, and how to use it. Make sure you cut power to the water heater when you cut off the water. dry water heater dies fast and makes a mess.

Actually doing the repair isn't that hard, as you noted. If it has two handles the hardest part may be extracting the stem. Usually just the faucet washer on the end of the stem has gone bad. Shouldn't need to replace the whole stem. Just pull it by unscrewing) , replace the washer and screw on the end, then screw the stem back in. Do yourself a favor and put a little plumber grease on it before you put it back. That will make using the shower valve easier.
 
Lotta time the reason you can't find a cutoff valve for a tub or shower is that it doesn't exist, as in the original builder never put it in. They could have, but tubs and showers rarely have them.

Yes you should know where your main household water cutoff valve is, and how to use it. Make sure you cut power to the water heater when you cut off the water. dry water heater dies fast and makes a mess.

Actually doing the repair isn't that hard, as you noted. If it has two handles the hardest part may be extracting the stem. Usually just the faucet washer on the end of the stem has gone bad. Shouldn't need to replace the whole stem. Just pull it by unscrewing) , replace the washer and screw on the end, then screw the stem back in. Do yourself a favor and put a little plumber grease on it before you put it back. That will make using the shower valve easier.

thanks. I ended up calling a plumber. Might ask if he can add a shower cutoff just because it seems like it would be nice to have. I'll keep looking around the house for a whole house cutoff though I worry it might just be at the street. Good tip on the water heater - my electric panel is not well labeled so I'll have to try to figure out which one that is. Then I can label it!
 
A couple weeks ago, I installed a new garbage disposal. It wasn't a bad job and took less than an hour.
 
most of the whole house cut off is at the street (in case you stop paying for water :)). that is what the big metal (two foot long) wrench is for that most houses have sitting around.

having said that, some houses, mostly older, will have some sort of cut off in the house but they are hard to find and sometimes hard to move (older houses again). be careful with the hot water heater as explained above...i have heard that they can explode if running dry, but no experience with that.
 
I found my water cutoff, hiding inconveniently behind another big pipe. Very hard to turn both due to location and dire need of WD40, so I was not able to actually turn it off.

And I did check my fuse box and the water heater is labeled. I've turned that off so at least I'm not wasting hot water.

14kw2fd.jpg
 
I found my water cutoff, hiding inconveniently behind another big pipe. Very hard to turn both due to location and dire need of WD40, so I was not able to actually turn it off.

And I did check my fuse box and the water heater is labeled. I've turned that off so at least I'm not wasting hot water.

14kw2fd.jpg

Not surprising that your water cutoff is in an inconvenient location. WD 40 and Liquid Wrench are homeowners friends, and just about a necessity for older homes.

Glad to hear your water heater breaker was labeled. When you have time, make sure at least the rest of the big (more than 20 Amps) breakers are labelled THe 15's and 20's are good to do also especially ones you have electronics plugged into.

If you go the shower cutoff valve route, probably should do one on each of hot and cold water feed lines.

Additional tip to loosen the valve, use a wrench to slightly (about 1/8 turn) loosen the nut under the valve handle. It may drip some when you do this. Just gently tighten the nut so it stops leaking.
 
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Alright yall. I just went under contract for a house that is going to need a ton of work and I'm trying to price out as many improvements as possible and make my priority list so I can hit the ground running when I close in a month. I will then have about a month between closing and moving in, during which time I hope to make the place liveable. The house is currently covered in an olive green carpet (probably from the 1970s) that must be replaced before I move in. All 2400ish square feet of it.

What are everybody's suggestions for most cost effective flooring? I am pretty much set on doing hardwoods on the first floor and carpeting on the second floor, although I would be okay with carpeting in the two downstairs bedrooms and tile in the kitchen if it were the only way I could afford it all. From looking online at places like lumber liquidators, it looks like I can find hardwoods at a decent price per square foot, but then installation adds another $2.00 per square foot. Does anybody have a suggestion for how I can keep the costs down? I am a single female with no real handy skills, so I really don't think I should be attempting to install myself, although I would do at least part of it if I were capable of doing a good job. Would it be better to order the wood from a place like lumber liquidators, home depot, etc., and then find a contractor to install them for me? Where can I find the best prices on flooring?
 
Alright yall. I just went under contract for a house that is going to need a ton of work and I'm trying to price out as many improvements as possible and make my priority list so I can hit the ground running when I close in a month. I will then have about a month between closing and moving in, during which time I hope to make the place liveable. The house is currently covered in an olive green carpet (probably from the 1970s) that must be replaced before I move in. All 2400ish square feet of it.

What are everybody's suggestions for most cost effective flooring? I am pretty much set on doing hardwoods on the first floor and carpeting on the second floor, although I would be okay with carpeting in the two downstairs bedrooms and tile in the kitchen if it were the only way I could afford it all. From looking online at places like lumber liquidators, it looks like I can find hardwoods at a decent price per square foot, but then installation adds another $2.00 per square foot. Does anybody have a suggestion for how I can keep the costs down? I am a single female with no real handy skills, so I really don't think I should be attempting to install myself, although I would do at least part of it if I were capable of doing a good job. Would it be better to order the wood from a place like lumber liquidators, home depot, etc., and then find a contractor to install them for me? Where can I find the best prices on flooring?

Congrats on the about to be new house. I trust you had a good home inspection for this "fixer-upper" However, home inspectors don't always find everything.

Good plan to price stuff out ahead of time. Make sure all the hidden stuff is sound before you start on the stuff you can see. Electric wiring, plumbing, etc. Do you need/want to run wires for cable TV and/or computer? Then do walls/ ceilings, then floors.

Places like Lumber Liquidators are good if they have something you like at a good price. The harder part, as you already noted, is finding a contractor who will install the floor you got from LL , do a good job and not kill you on price. A sound subfloor and good quality installation are keys to having a hardwood floor that will last. Check the internet and (gasp) the yellow pages phone book for hardwood floor installers in your area. Find one who is willing to work with you on the floor choice you make and then just put it in. $2.00 SF for installation is not a terrible price. You may be able to find someone who will have some hardwood for about that price installed - but with a very limited selection of wood type, finish etc. My location based internet gives me at least a start on local installers. Yours should too.

There are multiple different types of hardwood floor materials and finishes. True solid wood boards, planed and milled and finished or unfinished. These need to be nailed or glued down. Not usually recommended for slab on grade installation. Unfinished will need to be sanded, stained and protected after installation. Engineered wood floors use small pieces of wood with a plastic binder, that are then made into floor strips or blocks. The surface can be anything from a finished wood veneer to a plastic laminate that looks like wood. This is what the click together floating floors are, as well as thicker boards. Not all types will do well in all parts of your house.

Lowes has a pretty good basic description of all this here: http://www.lowes.com/projects/build-and-remodel/hardwood-flooring-buying-guide/article


2400 SF of carpet is a lot of tearing out, its a hard, but not complex job. Friends, beer, box cutters, someplace to dump the old stuff.

Good luck with the projects!
 
Congrats on the about to be new house. I trust you had a good home inspection for this "fixer-upper" However, home inspectors don't always find everything.

Good plan to price stuff out ahead of time. Make sure all the hidden stuff is sound before you start on the stuff you can see. Electric wiring, plumbing, etc. Do you need/want to run wires for cable TV and/or computer? Then do walls/ ceilings, then floors.

Places like Lumber Liquidators are good if they have something you like at a good price. The harder part, as you already noted, is finding a contractor who will install the floor you got from LL , do a good job and not kill you on price. A sound subfloor and good quality installation are keys to having a hardwood floor that will last. Check the internet and (gasp) the yellow pages phone book for hardwood floor installers in your area. Find one who is willing to work with you on the floor choice you make and then just put it in. $2.00 SF for installation is not a terrible price. You may be able to find someone who will have some hardwood for about that price installed - but with a very limited selection of wood type, finish etc. My location based internet gives me at least a start on local installers. Yours should too.

There are multiple different types of hardwood floor materials and finishes. True solid wood boards, planed and milled and finished or unfinished. These need to be nailed or glued down. Not usually recommended for slab on grade installation. Unfinished will need to be sanded, stained and protected after installation. Engineered wood floors use small pieces of wood with a plastic binder, that are then made into floor strips or blocks. The surface can be anything from a finished wood veneer to a plastic laminate that looks like wood. This is what the click together floating floors are, as well as thicker boards. Not all types will do well in all parts of your house.

Lowes has a pretty good basic description of all this here: http://www.lowes.com/projects/build-and-remodel/hardwood-flooring-buying-guide/article


2400 SF of carpet is a lot of tearing out, its a hard, but not complex job. Friends, beer, box cutters, someplace to dump the old stuff.

Good luck with the projects!

Thanks! The seller had an inspection before they put it on the market that I looked at before I offered, so I have an idea of what I'm getting myself into. My inspection is Friday and I plan on getting a contractor and an electrician in there during my due diligence period so I can get the best idea possible of what my expenses will be. I realize that there will be electrical expenses and others that need to be done to get some things up to code, and I will obviously tackle those important things before I worry about aesthetics. Flooring and appliances are the only things that I really "need" before I move in and then I can accomplish the other projects over time. I just really hope that there isn't a bunch of mold or some huge hidden expense. If so, I hope I can uncover it before the due diligence period is up so I can back out without losing anything other than the inspection costs.
 
Thanks! The seller had an inspection before they put it on the market that I looked at before I offered, so I have an idea of what I'm getting myself into. My inspection is Friday and I plan on getting a contractor and an electrician in there during my due diligence period so I can get the best idea possible of what my expenses will be. I realize that there will be electrical expenses and others that need to be done to get some things up to code, and I will obviously tackle those important things before I worry about aesthetics. Flooring and appliances are the only things that I really "need" before I move in and then I can accomplish the other projects over time. I just really hope that there isn't a bunch of mold or some huge hidden expense. If so, I hope I can uncover it before the due diligence period is up so I can back out without losing anything other than the inspection costs.

Good for you. As long as you know what you are getting yourself into. Contracting everything makes it more expensive, and in some cases more difficult to get stuff done.

Spend some of your own time with the inspector, hold his hand so to speak, and learn what he is looking for and take notes if you want to. Sometimes inspectors will see something and say something if you are there that doesn't make the official report. This is also a good time to find the main water cutoff (see posts above), gas shutoff and learn how they work. Not all shutoff valves work alike. Also learn the location of the electric box, and how well (or not) it is labelled.

You can also spend some time poking into areas and looking for mold, particularly if you think there are reasons it might be there. Mold is the worst.
 
Thanks! The seller had an inspection before they put it on the market that I looked at before I offered, so I have an idea of what I'm getting myself into. My inspection is Friday and I plan on getting a contractor and an electrician in there during my due diligence period so I can get the best idea possible of what my expenses will be. I realize that there will be electrical expenses and others that need to be done to get some things up to code, and I will obviously tackle those important things before I worry about aesthetics. Flooring and appliances are the only things that I really "need" before I move in and then I can accomplish the other projects over time. I just really hope that there isn't a bunch of mold or some huge hidden expense. If so, I hope I can uncover it before the due diligence period is up so I can back out without losing anything other than the inspection costs.

Inspectors at time can be less that stellar, especially if recommended by the seller (may get kick backs from selling agents). It is highly recommended you walk around with the inspector and ask a lot of questions and take notes. They are getting paid by the job and not by the hour...this is your time to make sure they are as through as possible.
 
Installed a new outdoor sink complete with cutoffs today. It was my first time working quite a bit with pex and a crimper. Much easier and quicker than brass.

I used the sink for a while for the first time yesterday afternoon. I wish I'd done this much sooner. Its a commercial, 3 basin, deep well sink. A little large, but I was able to wash all of my beer brewing supplies and dry them with ease. Best part of all, it was free, minus my costs in running the plumbing. Its a huge difference having hot water readily available outside as opposed to the garden hose I had previously. It'll make tailgate cleanup a breeze, plus having a boom sprayer, if need be I could take a quick shower before heading into the house after a messy day of doing yardwork. This is essentially what I'm working with.

md_161707.jpg
 
Wow! That's quite an item for your house. How did you get it for free?
 
Wow! That's quite an item for your house. How did you get it for free?
A buddy's work breakroom was getting a reno and they were getting rid of the old items. His work donated it to our FD, so I went and picked it up and stored it until it was to be used. The board changed their original plans and a sink that size was no longer needed. I asked and was allowed to keep the sink. I was shocked to see the price of them when I looked up used restaurant equipment. I had to replace some gaskets, but other than that, everything else is original. I got a steal with this one.
 
Today I hung this Rubbermaid Fast Track for holding our bikes and another for our ladder and hose and stuff. It involved pilot holes and drywall anchors and finding studs and using a level and a ladder.

GF came out and asked if I felt like I was doing manly things.

"What do you mean 'feel like'? That's what I'm doing."

After that I hung our ceiling fan and was able to use separate switches for the fan and the lights. It was my first time ever doing anything involving wiring and I was intimidated.

Now as I sit under the cool breeze of my fan I feel invincible.
 
Congrats on getting it done and working. Obviously the wiring passed the "smoke test!"
 
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