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[Homeowner/House] Thread. How long is it going to take? Two weeks!

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Posts

  • MegaMan001MegaMan001 CRNA Rochester, MNRegistered User regular
    Gilgaron wrote: »
    iud0ig6h.jpg

    So I needed to remove an old hose that had been installed on an outdoor faucet for? Michigan winters and that had welded on. WD40 and channel locks or a pipe wrench were a no go.

    In spite of my heeding a warning not to cut too far and damage the threads, and my physical attempt, I rolled a 1 and cut the threads on this outdoor faucet

    I don't have another hose to test right now, but before I go to home depot for other things, is there anything to buy to help fill that score and hope the new hose stays watertight?

    If the gasket and teflon don't do it, I'd consider bondo and a needle file or triangular file to clean the grooves back out, although it'll be a little fussy. If repair fails, depending on if you can get to the other side of the pipe or not it may be fairly simple to replace, and SharkBite does have hose bibs.

    Get some silicone thread lubricant, which you should have anyway, put it on the threads and it'll seal just fine.

    I am in the business of saving lives.
  • Trajan45Trajan45 Registered User regular
    Cauld wrote: »
    zagdrob wrote: »
    We have the over-range microwave and only the recirculating filter vent instead of actually venting to the outside.

    I haven't run into many situations where I've thought 'damn, I wish I had a real professional vent hood'. I'm sure its great for a lot of people but shitty hood has been totally satisfactory for me.

    Really? I run into it all the time. Basically any time I sear or fry anything. Even something like making bacon makes my apt smell all day. And then the cabinets above the microwave will slowly have an oily residue build up.

    Edit to say "to each their own" and all that jazz. I'll admit that cooking is more important to me than it is to a lot of people I know.

    Our apartment only has recirculating microwaves and it sucks. Thankfully we can open the large windows to the side and use my vornado to blow the air out. Of course now it's blowing stuff off our counter lol. And we're not the only ones with issues. We've had multiple false alarm fire alarms from folks cooking and the amount of smoke sets them off for the floor.

    I'm really looking forward to having a vent in our townhome. Initially it'll just be the microwave till we remodel the kitchen. Ideally I'd love a Viking professional hood or something. At my old home we had an older professional hood that sucked everything up. The downside is it had no filters. The ideal of being able to throw the grease baffles in the dishwasher seems great.

    Origin ID\ Steam ID: Warder45
  • Trajan45Trajan45 Registered User regular
    Mugsley wrote: »
    You guys can tag me, it's okay. Part of the reason I threw those pics up was to get some more input.

    Details:

    * We have an unfinished basement under the kitchen. Moving the plumbing and electrical is relatively trivial for me. I'm confident enough to do it myself. My FIL is also an electrician for Habitat and is more than willing to help. We would hire an electrician if we need to do any tie-ins at the panel or add breakers (unlikely)

    * The cabinets currently above the stove are completely empty. In part because, yes, it vents outside (above and to the left of the sink window; more or less). Most range hoods with the "chimney" are just flashing over top of a flexible vent outside. So I see it as a zero-sum change.

    * Sink will be larger, and we're still doing the jigsaw with the dishwasher. You're right in that there's no easy answer. The current dishwasher blocks our most frequently used drawer (silverware) when it's being loaded or unloaded.

    @Mugsley The mockup looks great. The dishwasher location seems fine. With it open, it'll be close enough to the sink to quickly put stuff in. I can't see it in any other location.

    What brand cabinets are you looking at? I'm trying to do research into brands that have good options for storage. We'd love those tall skinny pull out shelves for oils and such. Also storage container organization and pots/lids organization is high on my list.

    Origin ID\ Steam ID: Warder45
  • StraygatsbyStraygatsby Registered User regular
    edited July 2021
    Time to really get to the heart of the home: toilet replacement and the adjacent issue of the flooring, pipes, and everything else under the porcelain god you've just deposed.

    Here we go.

    Straygatsby on
  • MugsleyMugsley DelawareRegistered User regular
    edited July 2021
    @Trajan45 we are looking at Ready To Assemble options. The designer is checking a few stores, but this one seems to have the most of what we'd want

    https://www.thertastore.com/

    Mugsley on
  • ArtereisArtereis Registered User regular
    I had a Kucht island fan installed to replace the older fan that was already there, and that machine moves some air. The only downside is that this one is installed at the proper height, which is several inches shorter than the fan that was there previously and I still haven't stopped hitting it with my head. I had to put corner guards on it because I kept opening up my scalp.

  • Trajan45Trajan45 Registered User regular
    Mugsley wrote: »
    @Trajan45 we are looking at Ready To Assemble options. The designer is checking a few stores, but this one seems to have the most of what we'd want

    https://www.thertastore.com/

    Cost looks good. Didn't see much in the way of organizational stuff. I was looking at a newer company called Form Cabinets. They're a direct to order, no idea the cost though. But they have tons of options.

    Origin ID\ Steam ID: Warder45
  • CorvusCorvus . VancouverRegistered User regular
    edited July 2021
    a
    Corvus wrote: »
    Personally I don't care for the stove hood with chimney look. Having cabinets above the stove hood is valuable storage space in my kitchen.

    Depending on the geometry of the house they may have no choice for venting besides going straight up from the hood. If that's the case then any cabinets above the hood are going to have a big ass duct going through them anyway and not capable of much storage. More than zero storage, sure, but not, like, plates or cookware or anything. There's currently a 3 season room opening off the wall to the left of the stove, so presumably venting directly out the wall behind the hood wouldn't be possible.

    Oh that’s exactly the situation with ducting inside the cabinet above the stove hood I have but I still like the cabinets.

    Edit: agree with the comments on getting a good hood fan. We spent over $600,on ours because I wanted something that would exhaust well and not be so damn loud we wouldn’t want to use it. We have a Broan, and while it works well now, it literally needed to be repaired within a week of it being installed. It was fixed and all but it does make you question the quality somewhat.

    Corvus on
    :so_raven:
  • zagdrobzagdrob Registered User regular
    Ok, guess we're getting a new furnace and A/C unit. They were going to charge it but from the pressures they think there is a blockage and it would cost almost as much to fix as to just replace the unit.

    So $7000 out the door which really doesn't seem bad at all. I was expecting a floor of $10k, and probably more in the $12-15k range so I'm not too upset. The old units were 25 years old and due, even if we could have gotten a few more years out of them the efficiency gains will more than make up for it.

  • matt has a problemmatt has a problem Points to 'off' Points to 'on'Registered User regular
    Wow, $7000 is a gift basically. We got quotes for replacing ours with a 4-ton system and the lowest one was $14,000.

    nibXTE7.png
  • CptHamiltonCptHamilton Registered User regular
    Well, it's official. I am a house-seller. Got the check via fedex and the deed is recorded is somebody else's name so I definitely do not own that house anymore. Yay!

    PSN,Steam,Live | CptHamiltonian
  • BrodyBrody The Watch The First ShoreRegistered User regular
    Wow, $7000 is a gift basically. We got quotes for replacing ours with a 4-ton system and the lowest one was $14,000.

    Please stop, I am so scared reading that...

    "I will write your name in the ruin of them. I will paint you across history in the color of their blood."

    The Monster Baru Cormorant - Seth Dickinson

    Steam: Korvalain
  • Trajan45Trajan45 Registered User regular
    zagdrob wrote: »
    Ok, guess we're getting a new furnace and A/C unit. They were going to charge it but from the pressures they think there is a blockage and it would cost almost as much to fix as to just replace the unit.

    So $7000 out the door which really doesn't seem bad at all. I was expecting a floor of $10k, and probably more in the $12-15k range so I'm not too upset. The old units were 25 years old and due, even if we could have gotten a few more years out of them the efficiency gains will more than make up for it.

    Plus you'll get all the benefits of a modern system. At my old house, I went with a 18 SEER model and the savings on the electric bill were significant. Also it was quieter.

    Origin ID\ Steam ID: Warder45
  • zagdrobzagdrob Registered User regular
    Wow, $7000 is a gift basically. We got quotes for replacing ours with a 4-ton system and the lowest one was $14,000.

    Yeah, when he gave the price it was a no-shit, let's do it. He was originally recommending charging it (for $300) since everything else seemed good to see if that gets us a ways, but once it looked like there was a more involved issue that was his recommendation.

    Just replacing the AC unit would have run $3000 and was tempting, but better to not have to worry about a mismatched unit or furnace issues a few years down the line. Plus the efficiency gains in winter should pay for themselves.

    Probably a bit of friends and family discount since our dads are best friends - they went through their GM apprenticeships together back in the 70's and worked together until my dad retired, and his dad opened the HVAC company when he retired and then handed it off to his son.

    We're going with a 3.5 ton system because with our climate zone and square footage too large a unit would cool the house down too fast and cycle off until it gets warm where a 3.5 runs longer (but more efficiently) and you get the dehumidification benefits too. Although who knows what climate zone Michigan will be by the time we're in the market for our next unit...

  • matt has a problemmatt has a problem Points to 'off' Points to 'on'Registered User regular
    Brody wrote: »
    Wow, $7000 is a gift basically. We got quotes for replacing ours with a 4-ton system and the lowest one was $14,000.

    Please stop, I am so scared reading that...

    On a lark, I looked up the local community college's HVAC training, two courses over 3 months, successful completion means you're fully trained to be an HVAC technician, it costs under 2 grand. I could literally buy the unit myself, and go to HVAC school for less than it cost to pay someone to install it.

    nibXTE7.png
  • schussschuss Registered User regular
    I'm getting a new roof today! Well, hopefully, they're in the middle of it and we get rain tonight...

  • TomantaTomanta Registered User regular
    On his second trip out, my HVAC guy hopefully fixed our leak.

    Our downstairs unit's primary drain had the wrong type of pipe (I was told this right after we moved in and had someone out, but never had it fixed) and was warped, causing it to back up, causing the unit itself to drip a lot into the drain pan. The water in the drain pan plus heat in the attic caused the underside of the drain pan to condensate and drip onto the ceiling below, then making its way to a vent for the upstairs unit.

    Definitely not surprising he didn't find it the first time, when there wasn't really any water damage to look at and the unit had been off for a couple of days so everything was dry. Pictures and video of it happening helped the second time.

  • BrodyBrody The Watch The First ShoreRegistered User regular
    Brody wrote: »
    Wow, $7000 is a gift basically. We got quotes for replacing ours with a 4-ton system and the lowest one was $14,000.

    Please stop, I am so scared reading that...

    On a lark, I looked up the local community college's HVAC training, two courses over 3 months, successful completion means you're fully trained to be an HVAC technician, it costs under 2 grand. I could literally buy the unit myself, and go to HVAC school for less than it cost to pay someone to install it.

    I assume a large part of the cost, as with a lot of these things, also comes with covering any potential liability concerns.

    "I will write your name in the ruin of them. I will paint you across history in the color of their blood."

    The Monster Baru Cormorant - Seth Dickinson

    Steam: Korvalain
  • Trajan45Trajan45 Registered User regular
    schuss wrote: »
    I'm getting a new roof today! Well, hopefully, they're in the middle of it and we get rain tonight...

    I'm pretty sure fate decrees that when you get a new roof the forecast calls for rain ha.

    Origin ID\ Steam ID: Warder45
  • CorvusCorvus . VancouverRegistered User regular
    @Mugsley I looked at your concept pictures again. I don't see lighting on the ceiling, but I assume you will be redoing the lighting? You'll want to consider the lighting over your worksurfaces, convert existing lights to LED if they aren't already, and also this is your opportunity to add or move electrical outlets so you can plug in small appliances where you will use them.

    This is certainly a personal taste issue, but I'd consider doing something bolder with the tile for the backsplash. We have a similar colour palette for cabinets and counters, but went with a more colourful backsplash. In our case we were knocking out a wall and making the kitchen open to a living room so we wanted to break up all the white and pale colours. We did this big honking 8 by 24 tile in green. However, that might not be as re-sale friendly if that's a consideration for you.

    :so_raven:
  • schussschuss Registered User regular
    Trajan45 wrote: »
    schuss wrote: »
    I'm getting a new roof today! Well, hopefully, they're in the middle of it and we get rain tonight...

    I'm pretty sure fate decrees that when you get a new roof the forecast calls for rain ha.

    And it's unfinished and rained on. Ugh. Fortunately, went up in the attic and no water intrusion as they got all the underlayments etc. in

  • zepherinzepherin Russian warship, go fuck yourself Registered User regular
    Yeah A/C replacement is so expensive. 5 ton condensers are twice as expensive as 2019. I was like fucking hell I do not want to spend 4500 for a condenser.

  • AngelHedgieAngelHedgie Registered User regular
    Finally, after 2 years of dithering, flaking contractors, and the hellscape that is the construction market - our paver patio is FINALLY going in. The poor pup is struggling with "no, you can't go run around in the construction site", because he's usually allowed out in the side yard for potty breaks.

    Thankfully, tomorrow is his puppy daycare day.

    So can't wait to get my grill out on the patio.

    XBL: Nox Aeternum / PSN: NoxAeternum / NN:NoxAeternum / Steam: noxaeternum
  • SatanIsMyMotorSatanIsMyMotor Fuck Warren Ellis Registered User regular
    There must be something in the water because after waiting about 2 months we finally have new stairs being put on our back deck.

    Legend has it that one more homeowner will be contacted by their contractor before they all dematerialize into the aether, not returning calls or emails for another 7 months.

  • ThawmusThawmus +Jackface Registered User regular
    We have 4 different contractors working on our house so I hope it's me!

    Twitch: Thawmus83
  • notyanotya Registered User regular
    Thawmus wrote: »
    We have 4 different contractors working on our house so I hope it's me!

    question from noobie homeowner. What's the pros/cons of finding a bunch of contractors vs just one that can manage the whole situation?

  • ThawmusThawmus +Jackface Registered User regular
    I'm also a newbie homeowner so I can't answer that completely.

    I can tell you that one of the cons I'm running into currently is that my wife and I are having to keep track of who is coming when to do things because some things can interfere with others, while at the same time, contractors come whenever the fuck they can/want, and you want to get them in ASAP or else you're waiting another couple weeks for them to be available.

    For example:

    Contractor #1: working on our hardwood floors and cabinets
    Contractor #2: Doing a shit-ton of drywall patching. It's honestly disturbing how many openings there are in the walls.
    Contractor #3: baseboards and installing doors/trim. It's honestly disturbing how much weird bullshit I've seen. Like a tiny door frame inserted into a standard door frame with a tiny door inside and a bunch of loose boards between the frames and pretending that's a door.
    Contractor #4: pouring concrete stairs for the front porch

    A lot of these guys are using the front door to get their stuff in and out, and don't mind scaling the porch sans stairs for now, but as soon as the guy shows up to pour concrete, that'll cut off that access. There are other ways into the house but it's annoying for them. Also the guy working on the floors, at some point, is going to sand them down and put clear-coat on them, and that's gonna need to dry for at least 24 hours before other people walk on it.

    But we never really know when people will show up so trying to figure out if either scenario is about to occur while #2 and #3 are trying to do their jobs is such a fucking stressful hassle.

    Twitch: Thawmus83
  • CptHamiltonCptHamilton Registered User regular
    notya wrote: »
    Thawmus wrote: »
    We have 4 different contractors working on our house so I hope it's me!

    question from noobie homeowner. What's the pros/cons of finding a bunch of contractors vs just one that can manage the whole situation?

    Depending on what you need done you'll just need different people for different things. My kitchen, for example:
    * Electricians to replace the wiring to my old, broken single wall oven with heavier gauge to support a double oven
    * Cabinet maker to rebuild the oven cabinetry to hold a double oven
    * Random handyman from the internet to cut a hole in my wall and install a duct for my vent hood
    * Plumber to run a water and drain line for an under-counter ice maker

    The hanyman could probably do the plumbing but the electrical requires a certified electrician and I want someone who does cabinets for a living to make sure they don't fuck up my cabinetry.

    You could get a general contractor who subcontracts to professionals for each specialized job but then you're paying overhead for someone to do that for you and all of those contractors are going to cost more than you want them to in the first place.

    PSN,Steam,Live | CptHamiltonian
  • electricitylikesmeelectricitylikesme Registered User regular
    Well, got the new Lilly Pilly hedge in at the front. We were going to redo the fence first, but I realized I'd much rather get the hedge established then hope I'll get to that anytime soon.

  • GilgaronGilgaron Registered User regular
    Hire contractors?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V64BDBfsIK4

    (but seriously the drywall in my basement is going to get hung by contractors next week because while I can do all the other stuff I've sworn off hanging drywall ever again)

  • electricitylikesmeelectricitylikesme Registered User regular
    Gilgaron wrote: »
    Hire contractors?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V64BDBfsIK4

    (but seriously the drywall in my basement is going to get hung by contractors next week because while I can do all the other stuff I've sworn off hanging drywall ever again)

    ...I should get an acetylene torch.

  • Trajan45Trajan45 Registered User regular
    notya wrote: »
    Thawmus wrote: »
    We have 4 different contractors working on our house so I hope it's me!

    question from noobie homeowner. What's the pros/cons of finding a bunch of contractors vs just one that can manage the whole situation?

    Depending on what you need done you'll just need different people for different things. My kitchen, for example:
    * Electricians to replace the wiring to my old, broken single wall oven with heavier gauge to support a double oven
    * Cabinet maker to rebuild the oven cabinetry to hold a double oven
    * Random handyman from the internet to cut a hole in my wall and install a duct for my vent hood
    * Plumber to run a water and drain line for an under-counter ice maker

    The hanyman could probably do the plumbing but the electrical requires a certified electrician and I want someone who does cabinets for a living to make sure they don't fuck up my cabinetry.

    You could get a general contractor who subcontracts to professionals for each specialized job but then you're paying overhead for someone to do that for you and all of those contractors are going to cost more than you want them to in the first place.

    Also I'll add, finding a good general contractor can be tough. Sometimes it's just easier to find the specialists you need yourself.

    Origin ID\ Steam ID: Warder45
  • MugsleyMugsley DelawareRegistered User regular
    FWIW, as a homeowner, you're typically focusing on small/specific projects. So the situation @Thawmus is dealing with is rare.

  • notyanotya Registered User regular
    Mugsley wrote: »
    FWIW, as a homeowner, you're typically focusing on small/specific projects. So the situation Thawmus is dealing with is rare.

    Yeah but unfortunately I wanna redo my kitchen in a big way so it's either I get someone to manage it all or my unknowledgeable self gets to try and manage it.

  • CptHamiltonCptHamilton Registered User regular
    notya wrote: »
    Mugsley wrote: »
    FWIW, as a homeowner, you're typically focusing on small/specific projects. So the situation Thawmus is dealing with is rare.

    Yeah but unfortunately I wanna redo my kitchen in a big way so it's either I get someone to manage it all or my unknowledgeable self gets to try and manage it.

    For big ticket but common stuff like "I want to redo my kitchen" there are companies/contractors who focus on that and will have either employees for all the needed tasks or subcontractors with whom they work regularly. Just google for kitchen remodeling in your area.

    PSN,Steam,Live | CptHamiltonian
  • CorvusCorvus . VancouverRegistered User regular
    notya wrote: »
    Mugsley wrote: »
    FWIW, as a homeowner, you're typically focusing on small/specific projects. So the situation Thawmus is dealing with is rare.

    Yeah but unfortunately I wanna redo my kitchen in a big way so it's either I get someone to manage it all or my unknowledgeable self gets to try and manage it.

    For big ticket but common stuff like "I want to redo my kitchen" there are companies/contractors who focus on that and will have either employees for all the needed tasks or subcontractors with whom they work regularly. Just google for kitchen remodeling in your area.

    Yeah this is true. Or hire a general contractor, who will either have tradespeople on staff or hire subcontractors as required. We renovated our entire house, but just the kitchen alone had drywall, insulation, electrical, plumbing, windows, tile, flooring, painting, cabinets and counters. That's a lot of different trades to coordinate if you are to do it yourself.

    :so_raven:
  • AngelHedgieAngelHedgie Registered User regular
    So, the patio is finished, and it looks wonderful. Me and my wife hauled the grill out of the garage to its new location by the patio doors, and I used it to make tonight's dinner - grilled pork loin, steamed broccoli in butter, mac and cheese prepped on the side burner, and flathead cherries.

    So good.

    XBL: Nox Aeternum / PSN: NoxAeternum / NN:NoxAeternum / Steam: noxaeternum
  • MegaMan001MegaMan001 CRNA Rochester, MNRegistered User regular
    I'm a huge fan of finding a quality general contractor, usually through references from friends it colleagues, and then use them for everything. If someone has a positive reputation I think it's unlikely they're trying to gouge you.

    Playing traffic cop to a half dozen subs sounds like a real fucking nightmare.

    I am in the business of saving lives.
  • zepherinzepherin Russian warship, go fuck yourself Registered User regular
    edited July 2021
    Do not manage your own subs, get a reputable GC. I’ve been managing subs for a decade, and for any project where I don’t know all the steps or a project with more than 2 subs get a GC. Nobody will flake faster than a subcontractor. They will leave a job for a bigger job in a heartbeat. Also GCs generally have better prices on materials than sub contractors. I used a GC (friends company) discount to buy paint for my house and it was 40% off. Most subs and even the company I work for only get 25% off.

    And what you are buying with the 15% GC markup is time. GCs have the relationships with the subs already. They also have relationships with the permitting folks so that’s much easier. And they’ll have someone crazy call the sub until they pickup and maybe bail them out of jail for a job (literally an issue that came up on a job I was working).

    zepherin on
  • electricitylikesmeelectricitylikesme Registered User regular
    Cut half the side off the fir tree at the front today, since the possums would sit in it overnight, and poop constantly onto the drive way and I didn't want to have to power wash that area basically every single day.

This discussion has been closed.