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Homeowner/House Thread: It's going to cost how much, now?

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    DevoutlyApatheticDevoutlyApathetic Registered User regular
    Unsurprisingly there are like actual answers and it involves just how hard your wood is:
    https://www.fastenermart.com/lag-bolts.html

    Though I'd agree if you just used like a 3/16th you'd probably be fine.

    Nod. Get treat. PSN: Quippish
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    The WolfmanThe Wolfman Registered User regular
    You mean you're not supposed to just drill the screw itself into the wood? :)

    I have spent too much time being asked to put screws in various places around the house... by friggin' hand. The happiest day of my life was when we finally bought a cordless drill.

    "The sausage of Green Earth explodes with flavor like the cannon of culinary delight."
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    CorvusCorvus . VancouverRegistered User regular
    Unsurprisingly there are like actual answers and it involves just how hard your wood is:
    https://www.fastenermart.com/lag-bolts.html

    Though I'd agree if you just used like a 3/16th you'd probably be fine.

    Hey-o!

    :so_raven:
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    MichaelLCMichaelLC In what furnace was thy brain? ChicagoRegistered User regular
    Unsurprisingly there are like actual answers and it involves just how hard your wood is:
    https://www.fastenermart.com/lag-bolts.html

    Though I'd agree if you just used like a 3/16th you'd probably be fine.

    That's a fiesty site; "We have what they don't." I like it.
    Reminds me of Binnys Beverage Depot; "If you can’t find it at Binny’s, it’s probably not worth drinking"

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    SyngyneSyngyne Registered User regular
    You mean you're not supposed to just drill the screw itself into the wood? :)

    I have spent too much time being asked to put screws in various places around the house... by friggin' hand. The happiest day of my life was when we finally bought a cordless drill.

    I’m paranoid about splitting the stud. :p

    5gsowHm.png
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    ShadowfireShadowfire Vermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered User regular
    Syngyne wrote: »
    You mean you're not supposed to just drill the screw itself into the wood? :)

    I have spent too much time being asked to put screws in various places around the house... by friggin' hand. The happiest day of my life was when we finally bought a cordless drill.

    I’m paranoid about splitting the stud. :p

    If you split the stud I'll give you ten bucks. I've never seen it happen. Throw an eighth inch bit in and send the lag bolt chasing after it. Just make sure you have a good stud finder. My work one is crap, I've been making do with a magnet lately while I hunt for a decent replacement.

    WiiU: Windrunner ; Guild Wars 2: Shadowfire.3940 ; PSN: Bradcopter
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    AngelHedgieAngelHedgie Registered User regular
    Shadowfire wrote: »
    Syngyne wrote: »
    You mean you're not supposed to just drill the screw itself into the wood? :)

    I have spent too much time being asked to put screws in various places around the house... by friggin' hand. The happiest day of my life was when we finally bought a cordless drill.

    I’m paranoid about splitting the stud. :p

    If you split the stud I'll give you ten bucks. I've never seen it happen. Throw an eighth inch bit in and send the lag bolt chasing after it. Just make sure you have a good stud finder. My work one is crap, I've been making do with a magnet lately while I hunt for a decent replacement.

    I really like the Walabot DIY - it's a scanner that hooks into your smartphone, and uses radar to scan the interior of the wall.

    XBL: Nox Aeternum / PSN: NoxAeternum / NN:NoxAeternum / Steam: noxaeternum
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    ShadowfireShadowfire Vermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered User regular
    Shadowfire wrote: »
    Syngyne wrote: »
    You mean you're not supposed to just drill the screw itself into the wood? :)

    I have spent too much time being asked to put screws in various places around the house... by friggin' hand. The happiest day of my life was when we finally bought a cordless drill.

    I’m paranoid about splitting the stud. :p

    If you split the stud I'll give you ten bucks. I've never seen it happen. Throw an eighth inch bit in and send the lag bolt chasing after it. Just make sure you have a good stud finder. My work one is crap, I've been making do with a magnet lately while I hunt for a decent replacement.

    I really like the Walabot DIY - it's a scanner that hooks into your smartphone, and uses radar to scan the interior of the wall.

    Ew.

    WiiU: Windrunner ; Guild Wars 2: Shadowfire.3940 ; PSN: Bradcopter
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    OptyOpty Registered User regular
    My rule of thumb for predrilling holes has been half the bolt size, so 1/8" for a 1/4" bolt, for example. Sounds like that might be too small in most cases based on that chart.

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    DelzhandDelzhand Hard to miss. Registered User regular
    Shadowfire wrote: »
    Shadowfire wrote: »
    Syngyne wrote: »
    You mean you're not supposed to just drill the screw itself into the wood? :)

    I have spent too much time being asked to put screws in various places around the house... by friggin' hand. The happiest day of my life was when we finally bought a cordless drill.

    I’m paranoid about splitting the stud. :p

    If you split the stud I'll give you ten bucks. I've never seen it happen. Throw an eighth inch bit in and send the lag bolt chasing after it. Just make sure you have a good stud finder. My work one is crap, I've been making do with a magnet lately while I hunt for a decent replacement.

    I really like the Walabot DIY - it's a scanner that hooks into your smartphone, and uses radar to scan the interior of the wall.

    Ew.

    I dunno, I see the appeal of a device which saves the cost of a built in high res screen given that most of us walk around with high res screens in our pockets all day.

    My stud finder just has 3 LEDs and it sucks ass trying to interpret what it's telling me.

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    Jebus314Jebus314 Registered User regular
    Delzhand wrote: »
    Shadowfire wrote: »
    Shadowfire wrote: »
    Syngyne wrote: »
    You mean you're not supposed to just drill the screw itself into the wood? :)

    I have spent too much time being asked to put screws in various places around the house... by friggin' hand. The happiest day of my life was when we finally bought a cordless drill.

    I’m paranoid about splitting the stud. :p

    If you split the stud I'll give you ten bucks. I've never seen it happen. Throw an eighth inch bit in and send the lag bolt chasing after it. Just make sure you have a good stud finder. My work one is crap, I've been making do with a magnet lately while I hunt for a decent replacement.

    I really like the Walabot DIY - it's a scanner that hooks into your smartphone, and uses radar to scan the interior of the wall.

    Ew.

    I dunno, I see the appeal of a device which saves the cost of a built in high res screen given that most of us walk around with high res screens in our pockets all day.

    My stud finder just has 3 LEDs and it sucks ass trying to interpret what it's telling me.

    Look, finding an actual STUD is a tough job. I mean I guess you can just go off of how HARD it is, but that just doesn't seem reliable these days. I think we all know the only real method is to just DRILL everything in sight, until you find something that FEELS GOOD.

    "The world is a mess, and I just need to rule it" - Dr Horrible
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    ShadowfireShadowfire Vermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered User regular
    Jebus314 wrote: »
    Delzhand wrote: »
    Shadowfire wrote: »
    Shadowfire wrote: »
    Syngyne wrote: »
    You mean you're not supposed to just drill the screw itself into the wood? :)

    I have spent too much time being asked to put screws in various places around the house... by friggin' hand. The happiest day of my life was when we finally bought a cordless drill.

    I’m paranoid about splitting the stud. :p

    If you split the stud I'll give you ten bucks. I've never seen it happen. Throw an eighth inch bit in and send the lag bolt chasing after it. Just make sure you have a good stud finder. My work one is crap, I've been making do with a magnet lately while I hunt for a decent replacement.

    I really like the Walabot DIY - it's a scanner that hooks into your smartphone, and uses radar to scan the interior of the wall.

    Ew.

    I dunno, I see the appeal of a device which saves the cost of a built in high res screen given that most of us walk around with high res screens in our pockets all day.

    My stud finder just has 3 LEDs and it sucks ass trying to interpret what it's telling me.

    Look, finding an actual STUD is a tough job. I mean I guess you can just go off of how HARD it is, but that just doesn't seem reliable these days. I think we all know the only real method is to just DRILL everything in sight, until you find something that FEELS GOOD.

    I've been training a guy, and the first time we mounted a TV together I put my stud finder on my own chest, hit the button and said "oh hey, found a stud."

    But then the damn thing didn't turn on and I was sad. My partner had to go out to the van because he was laughing so hard.

    WiiU: Windrunner ; Guild Wars 2: Shadowfire.3940 ; PSN: Bradcopter
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    MugsleyMugsley DelawareRegistered User regular
    edited February 2020
    @Shadowfire I was going to PM you but this is probably good general info. I got a soundbar for my LG TV. Do you recommend a specific brand of mounting bracket so I can hang it with my TV? The TV is already on the wall and I don't want to drill more holes.

    I found some generic stuff on Amazon but wasn't sure if I should just go with that.

    Mugsley on
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    SimpsoniaSimpsonia Registered User regular
    Look at all of you with your fancy high tech stud finders, or magnets, or knocking and listening for hollow spaces. In my house (110 years old) I have plaster and both wood and metal lathe. So I essentially have no way of detecting studs whatsoever beyond drilling pilot holes and sticking a piece of wire in and hope I hit something. At least I know my studs are 16" OC. Some of these old places played fast and loose and went non-standard 18" or 24".

    I mostly really just try not to hang things on the wall at this point.

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    MugsleyMugsley DelawareRegistered User regular
    You've got wood and metal lathe, so the only thing you hang that should need a stud would be a TV. (yes I'm being facetious)

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    ShadowfireShadowfire Vermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered User regular
    edited February 2020
    Mugsley wrote: »
    Shadowfire I was going to PM you but this is probably good general info. I got a soundbar for my LG TV. Do you recommend a specific brand of mounting bracket so I can hang it with my TV? The TV is already on the wall and I don't want to drill more holes.

    I found some generic stuff on Amazon but wasn't sure if I should just go with that.

    You're either taking the TV off the wall to hang a bracket from the mount, or you're punching a couple holes in the wall. Either is fine, just depends on the amount of work you want to do.

    If you're talking the TV off and using a soundbar bracket I highly recommend the one from rocketfish. I use it all the time and since it was redesigned I've never had a problem with one slipping or keeping centered. They're only like $40.

    Quick note, I work for Best Buy so it's one of the company's products. But I don't make commission and could care less where you buy your stuff. I just find them easy to work with.

    Edit: I just realized the old one is still floating around out there. You want this one.

    https://www.bestbuy.com/site/rocketfish-universal-soundbar-mounting-system-black/6354301.p?skuId=6354301

    Shadowfire on
    WiiU: Windrunner ; Guild Wars 2: Shadowfire.3940 ; PSN: Bradcopter
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    ShadowfireShadowfire Vermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered User regular
    Mugsley wrote: »
    You've got wood and metal lathe, so the only thing you hang that should need a stud would be a TV. (yes I'm being facetious)

    Honestly, it's not wrong. If you're hanging pictures, a decent picture hanger into the lathe is all you really need. Heavier stuff should use anchors and I find the zinc ones work really well.

    That said, half decent stud finders will have a deep scan mode that should be able to tell the difference between lathe and studs.

    WiiU: Windrunner ; Guild Wars 2: Shadowfire.3940 ; PSN: Bradcopter
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    OneAngryPossumOneAngryPossum Registered User regular
    The half-finished basement has been an incredible lab for testing what my stud finder thinks is going on inside my walls.

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    Captain InertiaCaptain Inertia Registered User regular
    Fack!

    Got home from visiting SoCal and I hate my house:
    Cat missed us and acts out by peeing on the dog bed
    Little dog missed us and acts out by dribbling pee on the carpet
    Shower head missed us and acts out by just breaking and leaking everywhere

    So getting a new dog bed, new bath fixtures and maybe also new carpet

    I guess it’s a sign to pull the trigger and just move to SoCal to start over with a fresh house

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    ShadowfireShadowfire Vermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered User regular
    Probably a fresh dog and cat too.

    WiiU: Windrunner ; Guild Wars 2: Shadowfire.3940 ; PSN: Bradcopter
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    webguy20webguy20 I spend too much time on the Internet Registered User regular
    Shadowfire wrote: »
    Probably a fresh dog and cat too.

    At least try dry cleaning first.

    Steam ID: Webguy20
    Origin ID: Discgolfer27
    Untappd ID: Discgolfer1981
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    MugsleyMugsley DelawareRegistered User regular
    webguy20 wrote: »
    Shadowfire wrote: »
    Probably a fresh dog and cat too.

    At least try dry cleaning first.

    They charge extra for animals

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    MugsleyMugsley DelawareRegistered User regular
    Shadowfire wrote: »
    Mugsley wrote: »
    Shadowfire I was going to PM you but this is probably good general info. I got a soundbar for my LG TV. Do you recommend a specific brand of mounting bracket so I can hang it with my TV? The TV is already on the wall and I don't want to drill more holes.

    I found some generic stuff on Amazon but wasn't sure if I should just go with that.

    You're either taking the TV off the wall to hang a bracket from the mount, or you're punching a couple holes in the wall. Either is fine, just depends on the amount of work you want to do.

    If you're talking the TV off and using a soundbar bracket I highly recommend the one from rocketfish. I use it all the time and since it was redesigned I've never had a problem with one slipping or keeping centered. They're only like $40.

    Quick note, I work for Best Buy so it's one of the company's products. But I don't make commission and could care less where you buy your stuff. I just find them easy to work with.

    Edit: I just realized the old one is still floating around out there. You want this one.

    https://www.bestbuy.com/site/rocketfish-universal-soundbar-mounting-system-black/6354301.p?skuId=6354301

    I initially had my eye on this:
    https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01DW1XOCY/

    I'm assuming your link is probably more robust since it actually has the soundbar sitting on something.

    And, yes, the plan is to take the tv off the wall bracket and have the sound bar mounted to the tv (at least that's the plan so far)

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    ShadowfireShadowfire Vermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered User regular
    I just used one of those! They're... fine. The one thing that I've found about them is that over time the soundbar can start to sag on one side or both. Use some zip ties to snug the arms into place so they can't droop over time and you should be fine.

    WiiU: Windrunner ; Guild Wars 2: Shadowfire.3940 ; PSN: Bradcopter
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    SimpsoniaSimpsonia Registered User regular
    Shadowfire wrote: »
    Mugsley wrote: »
    You've got wood and metal lathe, so the only thing you hang that should need a stud would be a TV. (yes I'm being facetious)

    Honestly, it's not wrong. If you're hanging pictures, a decent picture hanger into the lathe is all you really need. Heavier stuff should use anchors and I find the zinc ones work really well.

    That said, half decent stud finders will have a deep scan mode that should be able to tell the difference between lathe and studs.

    Yeah, pretty much everything has been fine so far. We don't have a fireplace, but the wife is really missing a mantel for her knicknacks in the living room so I've been tasked with creating a faux mantel shelf, which is definitely gonna require studs.

    And before I knew that I had metal lathe, I bought a top of the line Zircon stud finder, hoping to use either deep scan or metal scanning (for nails). Neither work at all. My outside walls might as well be a brick wall for all that thing can sense. It also doesn't help that in some rooms instead of tearing down the plaster they just threw 3/8" drywall over the plaster.

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    That_GuyThat_Guy I don't wanna be that guy Registered User regular
    I came home today and started making dinner. I had bought a nice looking pork chop at the grocery store yesterday. As I'm seasoning the meat I hear a dripping noise. It's raining but the sound is not coming from outside. It's coming from the fridge. I look around and find a puddle on the floor, mostly under the fridge and a dripping coming from my ice dispenser.

    Flashback 24 hours. I am having to use my foot to press the water filter in farther because for some reason this one doesn't go back quite far enough. I wanted to find a real solution so I turn the fridge off, pull it out, unplug it and take the water filter caddy out from the bottom of the freezer. After fiddling around for a little while I determined that I could duck tape a bit of foil to a part of the filter and it will sit back further in the holder. Content with my fix I plug the fridge back in, push it back and go about my day.

    Flash forward to dinner. I press the ice paddle and water comes spilling out, all over me. Then it dawns on me. I never turned the fridge back on. The lights were coming on but the power wasn't. First the good news. Everything in my freezer was saved. the massive icebox on the door of the freezer had only half melted and everything but the stuff on the top shelf was still totally frozen. Even the stuff on the top shelf was mostly frozen and still cold. That's mostly where I keep my booze so everything was fine, really. Now the bad news. The coldest thing in my fridge was 53f. I threw most stuff away including the delicious 1 lb pork chop I had set aside for dinner tonight. I think the veggies, butter and the saltiest of my sauces will be fine but I gotta throw basically everything else away.

    I have a sealed package of uncooked bacon that I think will be OK. I think the butter will be OK too since it's salted. Milk, eggs, meats, yogurts, mayo, it all had to go. Le sigh.

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    A duck!A duck! Moderator, ClubPA mod
    It's too late now, but cultured dairy products can sit out for a long time before going off, and do so slowly. Like, butter can be out for several days (covered) before it becomes an issue.

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    Jebus314Jebus314 Registered User regular
    Eggs are also weird. Lots of countries don't even put them in the fridge. But lets be honest. If my fridge went out I am tossing basically everything. Not worth the risk.

    "The world is a mess, and I just need to rule it" - Dr Horrible
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    AngelHedgieAngelHedgie Registered User regular
    Jebus314 wrote: »
    Eggs are also weird. Lots of countries don't even put them in the fridge. But lets be honest. If my fridge went out I am tossing basically everything. Not worth the risk.

    This is because most countries don't wash their eggs like we do in the US.

    XBL: Nox Aeternum / PSN: NoxAeternum / NN:NoxAeternum / Steam: noxaeternum
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    StarZapperStarZapper Vermont, Bizzaro world.Registered User regular
    A duck! wrote: »
    It's too late now, but cultured dairy products can sit out for a long time before going off, and do so slowly. Like, butter can be out for several days (covered) before it becomes an issue.

    Several days? I leave my butter out for a couple monthes and it's totally fine. Only in the summertime when it's so hot it actually melts and resolidifies is it an issue. Lard and other fats are the same way, you don't need to refrigerate oils/fats really. Or things like ketchup. There's a lot of things people refrigerate unnecessarily actually.

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    The WolfmanThe Wolfman Registered User regular
    I feel like a good rule of thumb is that if you bought the thing off a room temperature shelf, it probably doesn't need to be refrigerated. Or at the very least, nothing's going to happen to it if you left it out for a day, and it wasn't in like blazing sunlight for multiple hours. Most of the stuff in bottles is going to be fine. Especially if one of the ingredients is vinegar.

    "The sausage of Green Earth explodes with flavor like the cannon of culinary delight."
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    webguy20webguy20 I spend too much time on the Internet Registered User regular
    I feel like a good rule of thumb is that if you bought the thing off a room temperature shelf, it probably doesn't need to be refrigerated. Or at the very least, nothing's going to happen to it if you left it out for a day, and it wasn't in like blazing sunlight for multiple hours. Most of the stuff in bottles is going to be fine. Especially if one of the ingredients is vinegar.

    I mean, Mayo is the great big caveat to this. Once the seal is broken it is not room temp safe.

    Steam ID: Webguy20
    Origin ID: Discgolfer27
    Untappd ID: Discgolfer1981
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    Stabbity StyleStabbity Style He/Him | Warning: Mothership Reporting Kennewick, WARegistered User regular
    webguy20 wrote: »
    I feel like a good rule of thumb is that if you bought the thing off a room temperature shelf, it probably doesn't need to be refrigerated. Or at the very least, nothing's going to happen to it if you left it out for a day, and it wasn't in like blazing sunlight for multiple hours. Most of the stuff in bottles is going to be fine. Especially if one of the ingredients is vinegar.

    I mean, Mayo is the great big caveat to this. Once the seal is broken it is not room temp safe.

    Yeah, but I think pretty much anything that needs to be refrigerated after opening says so on the package, so it's not like, ambiguous or anything.

    Stabbity_Style.png
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    KruiteKruite Registered User regular
    Yes, definitely smaller. The nominal size is the size of the shank before they cut the threads into it. If you drill a 1/4" pilot you won't have any material into the threads. You'd have a slip fit safe mount.

    For load bearing you should pre-drill a hole for a screw to 3/4 of the screw diameter

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    Captain InertiaCaptain Inertia Registered User regular
    FYI if you’re in position to refi and take advantage, mortgage rates are at 8-year lows, not far from all-time lows

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    ApogeeApogee Lancks In Every Game Ever Registered User regular
    That_Guy wrote: »
    I came home today and started making dinner. I had bought a nice looking pork chop at the grocery store yesterday. As I'm seasoning the meat I hear a dripping noise. It's raining but the sound is not coming from outside. It's coming from the fridge. I look around and find a puddle on the floor, mostly under the fridge and a dripping coming from my ice dispenser.

    Flashback 24 hours. I am having to use my foot to press the water filter in farther because for some reason this one doesn't go back quite far enough. I wanted to find a real solution so I turn the fridge off, pull it out, unplug it and take the water filter caddy out from the bottom of the freezer. After fiddling around for a little while I determined that I could duck tape a bit of foil to a part of the filter and it will sit back further in the holder. Content with my fix I plug the fridge back in, push it back and go about my day.

    Flash forward to dinner. I press the ice paddle and water comes spilling out, all over me. Then it dawns on me. I never turned the fridge back on. The lights were coming on but the power wasn't. First the good news. Everything in my freezer was saved. the massive icebox on the door of the freezer had only half melted and everything but the stuff on the top shelf was still totally frozen. Even the stuff on the top shelf was mostly frozen and still cold. That's mostly where I keep my booze so everything was fine, really. Now the bad news. The coldest thing in my fridge was 53f. I threw most stuff away including the delicious 1 lb pork chop I had set aside for dinner tonight. I think the veggies, butter and the saltiest of my sauces will be fine but I gotta throw basically everything else away.

    I have a sealed package of uncooked bacon that I think will be OK. I think the butter will be OK too since it's salted. Milk, eggs, meats, yogurts, mayo, it all had to go. Le sigh.

    Having a battery backup for the interior light but not a 'shits not plugged in' warning of some sort is a really awful bit of engineering.

    8R7BtLw.png
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    Stabbity StyleStabbity Style He/Him | Warning: Mothership Reporting Kennewick, WARegistered User regular
    FYI if you’re in position to refi and take advantage, mortgage rates are at 8-year lows, not far from all-time lows

    Man, I should've waited like 2 months :|

    Stabbity_Style.png
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    CauldCauld Registered User regular
    Back when I was looking at buying ~2yrs ago all the real estate agents kept talking about how rates were only going up. My general skepticism of all salespeople paid off that time!

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    Captain InertiaCaptain Inertia Registered User regular
    Cauld wrote: »
    Back when I was looking at buying ~2yrs ago all the real estate agents kept talking about how rates were only going up. My general skepticism of all salespeople paid off that time!

    To be fair, history was on their side

    I think people are coming around more and more to 4% being the new 7% though

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    CauldCauld Registered User regular
    Cauld wrote: »
    Back when I was looking at buying ~2yrs ago all the real estate agents kept talking about how rates were only going up. My general skepticism of all salespeople paid off that time!

    To be fair, history was on their side

    I think people are coming around more and more to 4% being the new 7% though

    Sure, but I've never heard a real estate agent say, "Now's not a great time to buy, rates are going down!". A few agents also tried to talk about tax savings, but ignored the effects of the new tax laws, which in my area were significant.

This discussion has been closed.