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Official Pit Home Improvement/DIY thread

What is the goal of the AC? Does the area get warm? Do you want to turn the air over to keep it fresh?

Our old house had a basement with no hvac drops. I found that the area never got super warm or cold. If anything a little baseboard heat like you have would have been more than enough. The bigger issue was humid air which we managed with a dehumidifier. Seemed to work well overall and also kept the air moving. Is the ceiling tall enough to flush mount a fan?

I suspect you are considering a mini-split system. They are very versatile. Look can be a little obtrusive. You could also consider a window unit AC. Without knowing your climate I still wonder if you need an AC.

Good luck
 
BacktoBack said:
What is the goal of the AC? Does the area get warm? Do you want to turn the air over to keep it fresh?

Our old house had a basement with no hvac drops. I found that the area never got super warm or cold. If anything a little baseboard heat like you have would have been more than enough. The bigger issue was humid air which we managed with a dehumidifier. Seemed to work well overall and also kept the air moving. Is the ceiling tall enough to flush mount a fan?

I suspect you are considering a mini-split system. They are very versatile. Look can be a little obtrusive. You could also consider a window unit AC. Without knowing your climate I still wonder if you need an AC.

Good luck
Click to expand...

We're in Vienna, VA. The dehumidifier we have does a really good job, especially considering before we got it, we had mildew all over everything when we got back from vacation once. But in my opinion it's not enough circulation and it still feel a bit stuffy sometimes. It does get a little warm in the summer too, and I wonder if adding electronics and more walls and flooring that could hold heat would make it worse. I'm not sure how much ceiling would be required for a flush mounted ceiling fan though.

And yeah, I didn't know they were called mini-splits, but that is kind of what I was thinking. Not a window unit, but the long skinny wall mounted units.
 
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If you've got 8' ceilings down there you could mount a fan and maybe that solves the issue? But if not then I'd say a mini split is the way to go. Ductwork is sure to decrease ceiling height and i agree it may overtax your current unit.
 
BacktoBack said:
If you've got 8' ceilings down there you could mount a fan and maybe that solves the issue? But if not then I'd say a mini split is the way to go. Ductwork is sure to decrease ceiling height and i agree it may overtax your current unit.
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8' up to the current joists, or 8' after finishing the ceiling?
 
Well really it's your own comfort. Either way would technically work. I'm 6'3" so it would need to be after the ceiling is finished for it to be totally comfortable for me. But to each their own. One other basement tip, put a drop ceiling. It allows junction boxes for electrical and also makes access to the electrical and plumbing for the floor above really easy. And if something above leaks you can access it easily to repair and change the tile out without fooling with drywall. There are some very nice drop ceilings these days that don't look like an office building
 
BacktoBack said:
Well really it's your own comfort. Either way would technically work. I'm 6'3" so it would need to be after the ceiling is finished for it to be totally comfortable for me. But to each their own. One other basement tip, put a drop ceiling. It allows junction boxes for electrical and also makes access to the electrical and plumbing for the floor above really easy. And if something above leaks you can access it easily to repair and change the tile out without fooling with drywall. There are some very nice drop ceilings these days that don't look like an office building
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Yeah I've read that. Not my ideal choice, but you're right, looking around, there are some really nice looking options. And considering I'm only 5'9" and my wife is 5'2", height probably won't be too much of a worry. One "room" down there will be a pool table room too, so it would be easy enough to at least get 1 ceiling fan in.
 
BacktoBack said:
Well really it's your own comfort. Either way would technically work. I'm 6'3" so it would need to be after the ceiling is finished for it to be totally comfortable for me. But to each their own. One other basement tip, put a drop ceiling. It allows junction boxes for electrical and also makes access to the electrical and plumbing for the floor above really easy. And if something above leaks you can access it easily to repair and change the tile out without fooling with drywall. There are some very nice drop ceilings these days that don't look like an office building
Click to expand...

Yeah, I like my finished basement, but wish the prior owner had chosen a drop ceiling. I have one hole in the drywall that a plumber had to cut for a leak, and both an electrician and the HVAC guys installing my new heat pump said things would have been easier with the access a drop ceiling provides.
 
Maybe not the right thread, but can anyone recommend a roofer in Raleigh or Eastern NC. Need some work done in the Wilson area.

Thanks.
 
spiffylubes said:
We're in Vienna, VA. The dehumidifier we have does a really good job, especially considering before we got it, we had mildew all over everything when we got back from vacation once. But in my opinion it's not enough circulation and it still feel a bit stuffy sometimes. It does get a little warm in the summer too, and I wonder if adding electronics and more walls and flooring that could hold heat would make it worse. I'm not sure how much ceiling would be required for a flush mounted ceiling fan though.

And yeah, I didn't know they were called mini-splits, but that is kind of what I was thinking. Not a window unit, but the long skinny wall mounted units.
Click to expand...

Another choice might be adding a small heat pump. That would get you A/C (and dehumidification) all summer and also some heat during most of the winter. In addition, you get more air movement. Depending on the final configuration of your finished basement, you could run some minimal duct work from it to spread the air around. This would be most useful if you plan to split the basement into two or more rooms when you finish it. However, heat pump is probably the expensive solution.

When you finish the exterior wall, try to get as much insulation in them as you can. The cost and effort to insulate will be paid back when you don't need to heat and cool as much. Foam board gives more R value per inch of thickness, but costs more than fiberglass.

Might want to figure out where the moisture is coming from to produce your mold. Is it a non-vented dryer? Moisture coming through the walls and/or floor? (No, concrete does not stop moisture from getting through.) If the walls are letting in moisture from the soil outside, may want to consider a concrete wall sealer before you finish the space.
 
Deaconblue said:
Another choice might be adding a small heat pump. That would get you A/C (and dehumidification) all summer and also some heat during most of the winter. In addition, you get more air movement. Depending on the final configuration of your finished basement, you could run some minimal duct work from it to spread the air around. This would be most useful if you plan to split the basement into two or more rooms when you finish it. However, heat pump is probably the expensive solution.

When you finish the exterior wall, try to get as much insulation in them as you can. The cost and effort to insulate will be paid back when you don't need to heat and cool as much. Foam board gives more R value per inch of thickness, but costs more than fiberglass.

Might want to figure out where the moisture is coming from to produce your mold. Is it a non-vented dryer? Moisture coming through the walls and/or floor? (No, concrete does not stop moisture from getting through.) If the walls are letting in moisture from the soil outside, may want to consider a concrete wall sealer before you finish the space.
Click to expand...

Also a good idea! If I have my way, it wouldn't require much duct work at all. We'll definitely insulate really well, we already pumped all of the exterior walls of our house with foam last year. House is 10 degrees warmer in the winter because of it. And at the very least I'll have the walls painted with that sealer. I'll also see if there's anything else that can be done on top of that. We've also found a couple snakes recently, so we need everything sealed up to stop them from getting in too. Just little garder snakes, but still annoying.
 
So my oven stopped igniting. I thought it was just the ignitor, but the broiler still works fine, just wont work when I put it on bake. Gas is clearly flowing, and it clicks just like it does when the broiler starts, but no dice. Any ideas?
 
tiltdeac said:
So my oven stopped igniting. I thought it was just the ignitor, but the broiler still works fine, just wont work when I put it on bake. Gas is clearly flowing, and it clicks just like it does when the broiler starts, but no dice. Any ideas?
Click to expand...

Unless you have one of those ovens where the broiler is in the bottom drawer, you probably have separate ignitors for the upper broiler burner and the lower oven burner. I had to replace the oven ignitor in our old one twice.
 
i need a new toilet. i dont want the best toilet, but i dont want the worst toilet. Anybody got recs?
 
MHBDemon said:
i need a new toilet. i dont want the best toilet, but i dont want the worst toilet. Anybody got recs?
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Consumer Reports has toilet ratings in March 2015 and September 2015 issues. Not in the annual buyers guide. Visit your local library if you don't subscribe. Their sweet spot is a Glacier Bay model for $100 (Home Depot) four points behind the highest rated, but 1/4 the price.

I recently replaced one of mine with a Kohler middle of the road model (cost a little under $200) based on CR ratings in 2013 or 2014. I'll see if I can find the paperwork with model info later. It was one of the "comfort height" models that is a few inches taller than your standard toilet. These are ADA compliant, something you can advertise if you ever sell the house. Good if you have just adults, not so good for small ones. Also take a look at the elongated front toilets. some like them, some don't. Some have bathrooms where they won't fit.

Need to decide if "eco flush" is for you. Two flush modes, one of which uses less water than the other. Also, are you good with gravity flush, or do you want the satisfying "woosh" of a pressure assisted flush? Some of these questions are best answered in the privacy of one's home.

Now for some unsolicited advice.
One thing to watch: the distance from the wall to the bolts on the floor. Most are 12 inches, but some are 8 inches. If you try to put a toilet with a 12 inch distance in place of an 8, it might not fit. If you do the other, the toilet will be several inches away from the wall. Not usually a good situation if somebody leans back.

Two piece toilets are easier to handle from a DIY install. Put in the bowl, then add the tank, rather than wrestling both of them as one unit. Toilets are heavy and awkward to handle.
 
Anyone have any recs for a smaller compressor for the garage? I'll be using it mostly to fill tires and impact wrench on the cars/mowers/etc. If i can rig it up for my workbench i may get some other tools.
 
This may be bigger than you want, but it works great for me. It'll fit underneath the work bench and handle all of the jobs I've ever needed it for with the exception of sandblasting. It didnt have enough capacity, but anything less it does great.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Porter-Cable-6-Gal-150-PSI-Portable-Air-Compressor-C2002/203162815

c88a4c85-db84-4c65-942a-1ec9e0b18743_400.jpg
 
Deaconblue said:
Consumer Reports has toilet ratings in March 2015 and September 2015 issues. Not in the annual buyers guide. Visit your local library if you don't subscribe. Their sweet spot is a Glacier Bay model for $100 (Home Depot) four points behind the highest rated, but 1/4 the price.

I recently replaced one of mine with a Kohler middle of the road model (cost a little under $200) based on CR ratings in 2013 or 2014. I'll see if I can find the paperwork with model info later. It was one of the "comfort height" models that is a few inches taller than your standard toilet. These are ADA compliant, something you can advertise if you ever sell the house. Good if you have just adults, not so good for small ones. Also take a look at the elongated front toilets. some like them, some don't. Some have bathrooms where they won't fit.

Need to decide if "eco flush" is for you. Two flush modes, one of which uses less water than the other. Also, are you good with gravity flush, or do you want the satisfying "woosh" of a pressure assisted flush? Some of these questions are best answered in the privacy of one's home.

Now for some unsolicited advice.
One thing to watch: the distance from the wall to the bolts on the floor. Most are 12 inches, but some are 8 inches. If you try to put a toilet with a 12 inch distance in place of an 8, it might not fit. If you do the other, the toilet will be several inches away from the wall. Not usually a good situation if somebody leans back.

Two piece toilets are easier to handle from a DIY install. Put in the bowl, then add the tank, rather than wrestling both of them as one unit. Toilets are heavy and awkward to handle.
Click to expand...

We have a Kohler (I think) eco flush and it is the biggest crock of shit (no pun intended) that I've ever seen. If you take a piss it is fine in either mode, but if you drop any sort of reasonable deuce you have to flush it like 3 or 4 times to get everything down, even on the "solid" setting. I end up pressing both buttons at the same time, but even that usually takes 2 flushes. I've basically given up on it and will only use it take a leak, and go to one of the traditional heads in one of the other bathrooms to let one fly. That is one of the worst things I've ever purchased, I despise it. The $50 contractor-grade toilet that we had in that bathroom previously was much, much better. I of course blame the wife for choosing this piece of garbage.
 
oh, if anyone is looking at getting a new tub do not get a Kohler Tea-For-Two

the drain assembly is fucking garbage
 
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