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Official Pit Home Improvement/DIY thread

DeaconCav06 said:
Somebody on the CT mentioned whole home generators. Does anybody have any experience with this? Our house already has a natural gas line.
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I've done a little research, but haven't pulled the trigger. A few things I've learned.

Natural gas de-rates the power output by about 20% from nameplate rating.

Are there restrictions, legal or practical, on where you can locate it?

Will you need an enclosure for noise, vandalism, theft, zoning, HOA etc?

If you are in hurricane prone areas, a hurricane rated base slab might be a good idea. Proper mounting to it also makes it less likely that your generator "sprouts legs" and walks away.

Calculate your actual electric load properly. Do you need everything on under generator power conditions that you use under normal conditions? The bigger the generator, the more costly. Some stuff is obvious. Refrigerator, freezer, HVAC, well pump, sump pump... Include at least one TV plus your outside signal source. Emergency info will come through TV.
Do you need washer/dryer powered, or can laundry pile up for a while? What do you need for cooking?

Manual or automatic cutover switch?
Make sure the electrician who installs the cutover switch is experienced in doing this.

Autostart or manual? Do you want to be doing manual start at 3 AM during a thunderstorm or heavy snowstorm?

Do you need/want instant on, or is some delay (3 minutes, 5, 30 etc.) OK?

Automatic test or are you willing to turn it on to test manually at the recommended test interval?

If you get it, hope you never have to use it for real.
 
Deaconblue said:
Realtors sell. Contractors build. Sounds like both are staying on message and in their respective lanes. As you noted the sell this and buy that is a matter of finances. Finance bros on here can better advise you on that.

The build more here option has a lot of "it depends."

What functional areas do you want in the new space? Bedroom(s)? bath(s)? Kitchen? Recreation room/common space? Is your current house design such that it would be reasonable to get functional traffic flow to the addition? I'm guessing that your biggest need for space is more bedrooms, like going from three to four or five with one or two or three more bathrooms. Some DIY design work will clarify your space needs. Also, a rough design will make discussions with architects, builders and structural engineers much more productive.

Do you currently have a basement? Do you want one under the new construction? Even if you don't have a basement under the existing, it could be put under the new space. Can it be done where you are?

I would download a freeby CAD software package, draw up your current house footprint and then draw up a bunch of possible additions. If you're old fashioned, use graph paper and pencil.

Do you have enough buildable space on your lot? Take some rope or garden hose and lay out the space next to your house. 30 x 40 rectangle or something like that to get the 1200. Is there anything (like septic system, well, sewer etc) in that rectangle? Is it flat enough, or can it be made flat enough for building? Are there legal restrictions on size of house on your piece of ground? Setback requirements?

In some neighborhoods near me, people have bought houses, ripped off the back wall completely and then build an addition that is as big to 3 times bigger than the original house. These houses were unoccupied during construction. Do you have alternative living space for times when your house or at least significant parts of it are unoccupied?

Could you go up instead of out? That is, literally raise the roof and put on a second story, either full or partial? A structural engineer would need to evaluate the condition of your current house with respect to its ability to support construction of additional occupied space above. or possible combination. Add partial second story with a two story addition to get the necessary space.

Are you willing and able to put up with massive disruption of your house for a year (less if you're lucky.)

Do you plan to do the general contractor part yourself, or do you plan to hire a GC and have the GC find all the necessary subcontractors, deal with scheduling, permitting, fees etc.?

Paying for new construction is yet another consideration. Short term construction loans rarely come cheap. Then they need to be covered eventually by a long term mortgage. (HELOC available to you?) $130 - $160 per square foot plus etceteras is construction cost near me, so $150,000to $200,000 for your 1200 sq ft addition. Figure you might need to cover $250,000. It is rare that construction comes in on or under budget. How would that work as an addition to your house cost in your neighborhood? There are websites that allow you to do ball park construction cost estimates based on your location.
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Thanks for the response. I think HELOC on a 30x40 addition is the best financial move because $250k at 8% interest rate is better than new home at 8% interest rate (of course finances is just one part of it). No luck on going down (crawl space) or up. We’d probably just rent a place for a year, that’s a huge ask of someone to take us in. I’ve heard it is best to get an architect first and send the plans to good GCs to bid rather than going with a GC / architect combo.
 
We're finishing up new construction. Last place we lived we paid a company to epoxy the garage. I've previouly done it myself too- didn't love the final product. Clearly I'm not a pro. But I don't think it's that hard to do. Anyone recommend a good DIY epoxy set? Or is this a hire a pro job? We're looking to try and save a few bucks everywhere we can at this point in the building process. But. It's a nice home and we aren't looking for it to be janky.
 
BacktoBack said:
We're finishing up new construction. Last place we lived we paid a company to epoxy the garage. I've previouly done it myself too- didn't love the final product. Clearly I'm not a pro. But I don't think it's that hard to do. Anyone recommend a good DIY epoxy set? Or is this a hire a pro job? We're looking to try and save a few bucks everywhere we can at this point in the building process. But. It's a nice home and we aren't looking for it to be janky.
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I agree it’s right on the line of DIY vs. pay someone. There are plenty of DIY kits with great reviews. I’d get some quotes and ask how their services compare to the kits.

I’d get a quote from these guys - One of my former coworkers is now a branch owner in the Midwest. He hated corporate life and he’d always ask me about Wake hoops.
https://granitegaragefloors.com/
 
5478ec06d2f04168d9be476669230cc9.jpg

Summer project is complete. I’m lucky my FIL is local as I quickly found myself out of my league on this one. His help was invaluable.

Kids (6 & 7) are stoked and that makes it all worth it.

Needs a few minor finishes but it’s otherwise ready to go!
 
leftcoastdeac said:
5478ec06d2f04168d9be476669230cc9.jpg

Summer project is complete. I’m lucky my FIL is local as I quickly found myself out of my league on this one. His help was invaluable.

Kids (6 & 7) are stoked and that makes it all worth it.

Needs a few minor finishes but it’s otherwise ready to go!
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Nice work.
 
Props for going through with it. Every time we drive out of my neighborhood we have to pass some monster two level tree mansion that someone must have paid a pro an arm and a leg for. So of course every time my kids start up with the when are you building us a treehouse like that one.
 
So just moved into a new house with a lot more storage options (including a garage) and I'm thinking about getting some new power tools that I never got before because I didn't really have a great space for stuff like that. I know that Lowes and HD have various sets that you can get, but I don't know anything about anything. Is there any real difference between DeWalt, Ryobi, Milwaukee, Craftsman, Bosch, Metabo, or Flex (the brands that pop right up)? I don't necessarily want the cheapest but I'm also not looking for a rolls royce or anything. Also, I'm not sure what I should pick up, just to have. Does one really need both a drill and an impact driver driver? They seem sort of similar and perhaps duplicative for someone like me. And what are the some other things that you handy folks find that you use relatively often? A sawzall or some other kind of cutting tool?
 
That’s a question up blues alley but I probably wouldn’t buy most of that stuff like an impact driver or sawzall until you actually need it. Kind of rare use cases for general home maintenance depending on your level of handiness or what you’re intending to do.

Def get a cordless drill though as well as a set of bits that cover the basic driver types. I don’t remember the full hierarchy of brands anymore but prob no need to go straight to contractor grade Milwaukee for just general home stuff. Craftsman is probably adequate although its not your dad’s craftsman anymore.

I use wrenches, screwdrivers and pliers more than any power tools though but I assume you have those.
 
The tools you get should be determined by what you want or need to do. Basic household maintenence and small projects ( picture hanging, installing shelves etc.)? Furniture building? Hobby woodworking? Yard and lawn care? Automobile repair? Metal fabrication?

Before spending a lot on power tools, make sure you have a good set of basic hand tools. Screwdrivers, hammer, wrenches, pliers.

Kobalt (Lowes house brand), Black & Decker (corporate sibling to DeWalt); Hercules (high end) and Bauer (low end) are brands sold by Harbor Freight. Hart is sold by Walmart. These are additional brands you will see out there.

Beware batteries are not interchangeable between brands, even if the brands are part of the same company. Also, tools require specific battery voltage and again, no interchangeability.

Battery voltage is generally indicative of motor torque. Battery capacity (amp-hours) is indicative of how much run time you will get between charges. Higher Amp hour batteries are physically larger and heavier.

Brushless motors are preferable to brushed motors because they are more efficient. Longer run time on a charge and more torque at equal voltage.

There are internet sites that review and evaluate these kinds of tools. Find them and do some research.

Impact drivers provide more instantaneous torque for loosening stubborn bolts. ETA: I don't own one. Only wished I had one a few times.

Cordless drill with 3/8 chuck size is the starting point. It is the most useful and versatile tool. Get a set of drill bits (1/16
through 1/4) and a variety of driver bits.Flat, in a few widths; #1,2,3 phillips; Torx (star) sizes 10-30. Robertson (square) #0-3. Many times these are available as kits or sets, sometimes with a manual drive handle, especially on sale. Bits are interchangeable.
 
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Some unsolicited advice: get or build storage stuff (racks, shelves) before your garage is full of stuff strewn everywhere.

You should have 25 pounds of hand tools before you get more than a power drill, unless you have a specific use.
Get a good tool box.
 
@wfudkn - I've found that Ryobi tools work perfectly well for DIY stuff. Ryobi has a lot of different tools and the price is right for my needs. Plus the ease/availability at the local Home Depot is a plus for me. Someone else already said it, but a basic set of hand tools (including a hammer) and a cordless drill will go a long way; buy the other stuff as the need presents itself.
 
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The short answer, and this applies to many people, is get an 18-24 volt cordless drill with charger and battery in the middle class price range. Get drill bits and driver bits. That may be all you ever need for power tools.

Get others as you have need for them.
 
not power tools but also have a good sized level. And stud finder. Not just so you can hang pictures well but also so you can do a dad joke every time you use it and make it beep when it points to you. Never gets old (to you).
 
JuiceCrewAllStar said:
man, what a great rule of thumb

sounds like you need a tool scale, @wfudkn
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That is my short hand for saying that a good selection of hand tools will be more useful to many than a collection of power tools.
Hammer-16 ounce claw
#0,1,2,3 plus stubby #2 Phillips screwdrivers.
Flat blade screwdrivers-1/8,1/4, 3/8, stubby 1/4.
Flat pry bar.
Slip joint pliers
Locking pliers (aka "Vice Grips)
Putty knife/scraper (metal and plastic blades)
Channel Lock pliers
Adjustable wrench
Open end/box end wrench set. 1/4 inch through 1 inch.
Metric wrench set 7 mm - 24 mm
Ratchet 3/8 drive.
Sockets 3/16 through 1 inch
Metric sockets 5 mm - 25 mm
Allen wrenches, inch fraction and Metric sizes.
Ratchet screwdriver with multitude of bit types and sizes. Flat, Phillips, Torx, Robertson, Allen.
Nail sets
Level
Stud finder
C clamps.
 
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