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

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Posts

  • HappylilElfHappylilElf Registered User regular
    Had slit seeding done today on a big section of my lawn that's mostly dirt and scattered weeds. I'm supposed to water daily but with current watering restrictions I can only water every other day. Will that be sufficient?

    I tried calling the city to get a watering permit for new seed and they said they are only doing that for new sod, but not for new seed. Hoping I'm not shit out of luck here.

    Does your city have any enforcement mechanism behind the restriction?

    I ask because I was surprised to find out ours doesn't (and it explicitly says that in the restriction details) so it's more of a "Hey, don't be an asshole about watering right now" guideline than an actual restriction.

    If your city has the same thing I'd say go ahead and water just the newly seeded section on off days because at this point it's not so much being an asshole as it is trying to ensure you didn't just waste a bunch of money.

  • AbsoluteZeroAbsoluteZero The new film by Quentin Koopantino Registered User regular
    I'm not entirely sure, the city code says it will be enforced but who knows what they are actually doing. I think I may try to sneak my watering before sunrise so hopefully nobody notices anyway. Trying to get the second watering done in the afternoon will be trickier. The penalties are fines and jail time though, so I don't want to fuck around too much.

    cs6f034fsffl.jpg
  • That_GuyThat_Guy I don't wanna be that guy Registered User regular
    Are you allowed to capture and use rainwater? Alternatively, landscaping fabric and gravel look lovely this time of year.

  • zepherinzepherin Russian warship, go fuck yourself Registered User regular
    edited September 2021
    I'm not entirely sure, the city code says it will be enforced but who knows what they are actually doing. I think I may try to sneak my watering before sunrise so hopefully nobody notices anyway. Trying to get the second watering done in the afternoon will be trickier. The penalties are fines and jail time though, so I don't want to fuck around too much.

    One of your neighbors will rat you out. Be careful.

    zepherin on
  • ShadowfireShadowfire Vermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered User regular
    That_Guy wrote: »
    Most electricians will run Cat5 instead of Cat3 for internal phone wiring. However they'll typically daisy chain the pairs together so you don't get home runs back to your demark.

    Newer construction is more likely to have home runs, since electricians are willing to future proof the layout.

    But if the electrician ran it to a phone line, they likely threw a regular phone punchdown somewhere so you'll need to cut everything free there and put a proper ethernet punchdown in. Not a big deal.

    WiiU: Windrunner ; Guild Wars 2: Shadowfire.3940 ; PSN: Bradcopter
  • schussschuss Registered User regular
    Had slit seeding done today on a big section of my lawn that's mostly dirt and scattered weeds. I'm supposed to water daily but with current watering restrictions I can only water every other day. Will that be sufficient?

    I tried calling the city to get a watering permit for new seed and they said they are only doing that for new sod, but not for new seed. Hoping I'm not shit out of luck here.

    Does your city have any enforcement mechanism behind the restriction?

    I ask because I was surprised to find out ours doesn't (and it explicitly says that in the restriction details) so it's more of a "Hey, don't be an asshole about watering right now" guideline than an actual restriction.

    If your city has the same thing I'd say go ahead and water just the newly seeded section on off days because at this point it's not so much being an asshole as it is trying to ensure you didn't just waste a bunch of money.

    Enforcement is usually owned by town leadership and it's up to them (partially) on how to implement enforcement. So they CAN command the police to enforce, but there's a cost to that and as they own the budget as well, well let's just say some things are more "advisories" in general practice.

  • notyanotya Registered User regular
    edited September 2021
    As I'm looking into contractors to remodel my kitchen, one of them has said they can just do the whole thing without permits and save me a few grand and some time. How much will this bite me in the ass a decade from now when I sell? People seem to buy anything regardless of unpermitted work where I live but what do i know.

    It seems like most people do little things like installing a new water heater without getting a permit, but that's the sort of thing you need a permit to do.

    notya on
  • That_GuyThat_Guy I don't wanna be that guy Registered User regular
    notya wrote: »
    As I'm looking into contractors to remodel my kitchen, one of them has said they can just do the whole thing without permits and save me a few grand and some time. How much will this bite me in the ass a decade from now when I sell? People seem to buy anything regardless of unpermitted work where I live but what do i know.

    It seems like most people do little things like installing a new water heater without getting a permit, but that's the sort of thing you need a permit to do.

    I am not a lawyer and laws can vary based on location but generally "DIY" work doesn't need a permit unless you're doing major remolding. Like replumbing a house or taking out load bearing walls. IDK if I would trust a dude offering to skirk permitting regulations. What else is he letting slide? Is he even licensed and insured?

  • UrsusUrsus Registered User regular
    Did not expect to take my dryer apart today. But the idler pulley is bad and there is no access panel in the back. Good thing I did cos one of the guide wheels was bad too.

    Now let’s wait until Sunday for the new parts to see if I can put it all back again

  • zepherinzepherin Russian warship, go fuck yourself Registered User regular
    edited September 2021
    Generally non-permitted work won’t effect a sale unless walls are moved or space is added, then it’s a problem. Electrical, you should get that work permitted, because permitted means inspected in most jurisdictions.

    zepherin on
  • webguy20webguy20 I spend too much time on the Internet Registered User regular
    Yea it really depends on the remodel. If its just slapping in or updating new cabinets, flooring, appliances and a repaint I doubt it would need permitting.

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  • notyanotya Registered User regular
    edited September 2021
    webguy20 wrote: »
    Yea it really depends on the remodel. If its just slapping in or updating new cabinets, flooring, appliances and a repaint I doubt it would need permitting.

    New electrical panel, so new wiring into the kitchen. Moving a water heater so a bit of plumbing. New floors new cabinets.

    I don't really feel worried about the contractor being a poor builder based on offering to do things without a permit. He's been doing this stuff for decades. He licensed, insured and bonded. Not at all a super cheap contractor and I got in touch with him through a referral.

    And I asked some friends if they got some of their stuff permitted (including removing a wall) and they laughed and said no. That no one will ever know for interior stuff.

    notya on
  • electricitylikesmeelectricitylikesme Registered User regular
    Honestly in the current housing market who is ever going to care?

  • notyanotya Registered User regular
    Honestly in the current housing market who is ever going to care?

    Yeah but I'm worried about the housing market in 10 years after the next great catastrophe that ruins everyone's life.

  • AiouaAioua Ora Occidens Ora OptimaRegistered User regular
    The thing I would want to know is why not getting permits is thousands less. Are permits stupid expensive where you live? (Like for me the city charges like, $30 for a permit)
    Is the process onerous so there are large delays that increase costs?

    The thing I'd be worried about is the savings being in cutting corners around code since inspections are no longer needed.

    life's a game that you're bound to lose / like using a hammer to pound in screws
    fuck up once and you break your thumb / if you're happy at all then you're god damn dumb
    that's right we're on a fucked up cruise / God is dead but at least we have booze
    bad things happen, no one knows why / the sun burns out and everyone dies
  • AbsoluteZeroAbsoluteZero The new film by Quentin Koopantino Registered User regular
    I would be on the side of getting a permit for electrical work. Anything that could burn down your house is worth an inspection.

    cs6f034fsffl.jpg
  • zepherinzepherin Russian warship, go fuck yourself Registered User regular
    Aioua wrote: »
    The thing I would want to know is why not getting permits is thousands less. Are permits stupid expensive where you live? (Like for me the city charges like, $30 for a permit)
    Is the process onerous so there are large delays that increase costs?

    The thing I'd be worried about is the savings being in cutting corners around code since inspections are no longer needed.
    In some areas each permit is a percentage of the total Reno cost. So in DC the elevator permits cost about 1.2% of the total cost and the electrical cost another 0.5% and the general construction also cost 1.5%.

    So it can add up depending on the municipality.

  • Trajan45Trajan45 Registered User regular
    I would be on the side of getting a permit for electrical work. Anything that could burn down your house is worth an inspection.

    Same here, not only do I want piece of mind with that kind of work, but also think about how you'd feel if it caught fire after you sold it. Plumbing you can roll the dice with if you want, a water leak will cost but it won't take your house or the people in it.

    Origin ID\ Steam ID: Warder45
  • notyanotya Registered User regular
    edited September 2021
    For permit cost - I was told 800-1500 for the permit itself. And another 1500 for the work that goes into submitting, inspections, etc where the contractor is just taking care of the process. I'm in California btw.

    I did have another thought though, let's say a fire does start (or some other damage happens)? I have a suspicion my home insurance company will use a lack of permit against me... I'm probably just gonna pay the extra. Sigh. Costs.

    notya on
  • zepherinzepherin Russian warship, go fuck yourself Registered User regular
    notya wrote: »
    For permit cost - I was told 800-1500 for the permit itself. And another 1500 for the work that goes into submitting, inspections, etc where the contractor is just taking care of the process. I'm in California btw.

    I did have another thought though, let's say a fire does start (or some other damage happens)? I have a suspicion my home insurance company will use a lack of permit against me... I'm probably just gonna pay the extra. Sigh. Costs.
    So yeah, they won’t know about the renovation, and if there is a fire, they will replace it at the value of the original kitchen. So if your kitchen is 20 years old. That’s going to be taken into account with depreciation.

  • SatanIsMyMotorSatanIsMyMotor Fuck Warren Ellis Registered User regular
    Someone put something in my hole.
    6ixm3itd1pah.jpg
    It's also now getting cold so we're likely gonna open this thing and shut it down for the winter the next day. #nailedit

  • SummaryJudgmentSummaryJudgment Grab the hottest iron you can find, stride in the Tower’s front door Registered User regular
    I just spent two hours powerwashing my garage and driveway and I'm not sure it did anything

    *stares off into the middle distance*

    Some days Blue wonders why anyone ever bothered making numbers so small; other days she supposes even infinity needs to start somewhere.
  • SummaryJudgmentSummaryJudgment Grab the hottest iron you can find, stride in the Tower’s front door Registered User regular
    The garage, I wanted the oil spots gone so I can paint and the driveway I wanted the rust. I'd be washing and you'd have the appearance of dirt moving, but I think I was just washing surface dirt from one square to the next. I used Zep concrete detergent with acid, diluted correctly.

    I don't know, maybe I pulled more grease out than I'm imagining. There was a filthy puddle of water at the end of the driveway once I was finished.

    Some days Blue wonders why anyone ever bothered making numbers so small; other days she supposes even infinity needs to start somewhere.
  • ThawmusThawmus +Jackface Registered User regular
    Moved my brother out of his apartment yesterday, took everything and put it in the moving truck, bug bombed the truck, didn't open the door for 4 hours (fogger said 2 hours). We opened the door for an hour, and then moved everything into the other side of my house.

    We started unboxing everything, and literally everything that is cardboard is being thrown away.

    Today, he's finishing up on unboxing, and he sees 2 cockroaches scurrying across the floor.


    So I guess I'm setting my home on fire today and getting a new house where I don't have bugs and he's just gonna have to figure this shit out on his own because I can't fucking even anymore.

    Twitch: Thawmus83
  • MillMill Registered User regular
    Well fun times were had at my residence tonight. The piping to the dishwasher sprung a leak and knocked landlord/roommate on their ass. Luckily, our neighbor across the street is a professional plumber. So about an hour later, two gallons of water in a mop and the entire linen closet later. Leak was fixed. Fun, fun times.

  • AngelHedgieAngelHedgie Registered User regular
    I just spent two hours powerwashing my garage and driveway and I'm not sure it did anything

    *stares off into the middle distance*

    We did this as well, but I'm sure it did something, as there was a caked on patch of dirt and grime from the car on the epoxy coat.

    (Let me just say that getting your floor epoxy coated is so worth it - the floor is so much easier to keep clean.)

    XBL: Nox Aeternum / PSN: NoxAeternum / NN:NoxAeternum / Steam: noxaeternum
  • notyanotya Registered User regular
    Thawmus wrote: »
    Moved my brother out of his apartment yesterday, took everything and put it in the moving truck, bug bombed the truck, didn't open the door for 4 hours (fogger said 2 hours). We opened the door for an hour, and then moved everything into the other side of my house.

    We started unboxing everything, and literally everything that is cardboard is being thrown away.

    Today, he's finishing up on unboxing, and he sees 2 cockroaches scurrying across the floor.


    So I guess I'm setting my home on fire today and getting a new house where I don't have bugs and he's just gonna have to figure this shit out on his own because I can't fucking even anymore.

    a couple roaches may have survived but the bug beds are DEFINITELY dead. They're weak and frail, unlike the mighty apex predator, the cockroach.

    Also roaches can be dealt with in a home.

  • zepherinzepherin Russian warship, go fuck yourself Registered User regular
    notya wrote: »
    Thawmus wrote: »
    Moved my brother out of his apartment yesterday, took everything and put it in the moving truck, bug bombed the truck, didn't open the door for 4 hours (fogger said 2 hours). We opened the door for an hour, and then moved everything into the other side of my house.

    We started unboxing everything, and literally everything that is cardboard is being thrown away.

    Today, he's finishing up on unboxing, and he sees 2 cockroaches scurrying across the floor.


    So I guess I'm setting my home on fire today and getting a new house where I don't have bugs and he's just gonna have to figure this shit out on his own because I can't fucking even anymore.

    a couple roaches may have survived but the bug beds are DEFINITELY dead. They're weak and frail, unlike the mighty apex predator, the cockroach.

    Also roaches can be dealt with in a home.
    I worked in a retirement home that had a bedbug outbreak, and it took me establishing a bedbug protocol and SOP to get rid of them.

    Afterwards a pest control complaint came through I was like fuck, and then I read that it was roaches, and was excited. I have never in my life been more excited about cockroaches in a room.

  • ThawmusThawmus +Jackface Registered User regular
    notya wrote: »
    Thawmus wrote: »
    Moved my brother out of his apartment yesterday, took everything and put it in the moving truck, bug bombed the truck, didn't open the door for 4 hours (fogger said 2 hours). We opened the door for an hour, and then moved everything into the other side of my house.

    We started unboxing everything, and literally everything that is cardboard is being thrown away.

    Today, he's finishing up on unboxing, and he sees 2 cockroaches scurrying across the floor.


    So I guess I'm setting my home on fire today and getting a new house where I don't have bugs and he's just gonna have to figure this shit out on his own because I can't fucking even anymore.

    a couple roaches may have survived but the bug beds are DEFINITELY dead. They're weak and frail, unlike the mighty apex predator, the cockroach.

    Also roaches can be dealt with in a home.

    Well he had a roach problem at his apartment, that was why we did the bug bombing. We've had some ant problems in our house but never roaches or bed bugs in the 8 years I've lived here (and the ants had a lot to do with what was planted way too fucking close to the house, can't remember what they were called but ants love them).

    I'm hoping that the 2 he spotted are all that was left but my wife and I are taking no chances and Orkin's already coming out tomorrow because I'm not fucking around, bugs gross me out so fucking much.

    My brother feels this is overkill but I'm like, no dude, you don't understand, these things are not allowed to live here, I hate them.

    Twitch: Thawmus83
  • AbsoluteZeroAbsoluteZero The new film by Quentin Koopantino Registered User regular
    Yeah no don't let those 2 cockroaches turn into 2 million cockroaches. Fuck those things. I would go nuclear on their roach asses. I lived in a dirty ass apartment building once with dirty ass neighbors, but my apartment always seemed to be roach free. Then one morning I picked a knife up off the counter and like 30 little baby cockroaches that were hiding under it scurried off in every direction. So. Gross. That really motivated me to buy my own house.

    cs6f034fsffl.jpg
  • ThawmusThawmus +Jackface Registered User regular
    Yeah the roaches were the main reason my brother wanted to move. My FiL is/was his landlord and didn't take them seriously at all and they were all coming from downstairs somewhere, crawling across open piping into the wall in the kitchen where the counters aren't even properly mounted.

    So my wife and I were like, no dude come live with us and give us money instead and it'll be nice and not shitty.

    Twitch: Thawmus83
  • Trajan45Trajan45 Registered User regular
    Anyone have any curtain recommendations? We need 120" length which seems to be tough to find these days. Additionally 50" width works for some windows others we'll need 70"+ width. Kind of screws over the options from Wayfair and such. Pottery Barn only has a couple colors in stock (white and beige). The Shade Store will sell you anything but it's $1,300 a panel... Right now we're ordering samples from Etsy, but I'm wondering if anyone has any other ideas we might be overlooking.

    Origin ID\ Steam ID: Warder45
  • AiouaAioua Ora Occidens Ora OptimaRegistered User regular
    I had good luck finding curtains at JCPenney's online shop, of all places, but that was a few years back and I was looking for extra short instead of long... but they did have the best selection at non-premium prices that I found.

    life's a game that you're bound to lose / like using a hammer to pound in screws
    fuck up once and you break your thumb / if you're happy at all then you're god damn dumb
    that's right we're on a fucked up cruise / God is dead but at least we have booze
    bad things happen, no one knows why / the sun burns out and everyone dies
  • rndmherorndmhero Registered User regular
    We got nice blackout curtains from JCPenney's as well. We had a weirdly-sized door we were trying to cover. You can use double-sided hemming tape and an iron to easily buy curtains longer than you need and hem them to size.

  • abotkinabotkin Registered User regular
    Trajan45 wrote: »
    Anyone have any curtain recommendations? We need 120" length which seems to be tough to find these days. Additionally 50" width works for some windows others we'll need 70"+ width. Kind of screws over the options from Wayfair and such. Pottery Barn only has a couple colors in stock (white and beige). The Shade Store will sell you anything but it's $1,300 a panel... Right now we're ordering samples from Etsy, but I'm wondering if anyone has any other ideas we might be overlooking.

    If you have/know someone who has a sewing machine, curtains are basically as simple as it gets for making your own. And then you have access to all the fabric under the sun to choose from. Plus then you can decide exactly how thick you want them, so you can easily get anything from full blackout curtains to ones that will still let in diffuse light.

    Honestly if you have the time and even the tiniest bit of inclination, you might come out ahead even if you have to buy a cheap sewing machine, depending on how many curtains you're looking at.

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  • ArtereisArtereis Registered User regular
    Etsy has custom curtain shops that do pretty good work.

  • Romantic UndeadRomantic Undead Registered User regular
    Welp, just had a plumber come over to do a camera inspection. It is as we feared. Our sewer line is made of an outdated lateral material that was installed in the 70s and has started to warp and bubble. We're going to need to get the whole house intake replaced. Hooray. That's gonna be at least 5 grand plus a torn up front lawn and deck. Will likely need to tear out our cold storage in the basement too, as it's under the front deck in between the foundation and where the sewer line comes in.

    Sigh.

    3DS FC: 1547-5210-6531
  • Romantic UndeadRomantic Undead Registered User regular
    Welp, just had a plumber come over to do a camera inspection. It is as we feared. Our sewer line is made of an outdated lateral material that was installed in the 70s and has started to warp and bubble. We're going to need to get the whole house intake replaced. Hooray. That's gonna be at least 5 grand plus a torn up front lawn and deck. Will likely need to tear out our cold storage in the basement too, as it's under the front deck in between the foundation and where the sewer line comes in.

    Sigh.

    Edit: our realter warned us about this, and advised us the get an inspection before making an offer, but due to the state of the market, we had already lost 3 bids to folks who were buying without inspections, so we swallowed the bitter pill and did the same. Can't say I'm surprised, but still, what a bummer.

    3DS FC: 1547-5210-6531
  • AngelHedgieAngelHedgie Registered User regular
    Welp, just had a plumber come over to do a camera inspection. It is as we feared. Our sewer line is made of an outdated lateral material that was installed in the 70s and has started to warp and bubble. We're going to need to get the whole house intake replaced. Hooray. That's gonna be at least 5 grand plus a torn up front lawn and deck. Will likely need to tear out our cold storage in the basement too, as it's under the front deck in between the foundation and where the sewer line comes in.

    Sigh.

    Too late to sleeve the line?

    XBL: Nox Aeternum / PSN: NoxAeternum / NN:NoxAeternum / Steam: noxaeternum
  • Romantic UndeadRomantic Undead Registered User regular
    Welp, just had a plumber come over to do a camera inspection. It is as we feared. Our sewer line is made of an outdated lateral material that was installed in the 70s and has started to warp and bubble. We're going to need to get the whole house intake replaced. Hooray. That's gonna be at least 5 grand plus a torn up front lawn and deck. Will likely need to tear out our cold storage in the basement too, as it's under the front deck in between the foundation and where the sewer line comes in.

    Sigh.

    Too late to sleeve the line?

    Not familiar with that process. What does that involve? The original installation is from the 70s, and I saw the camera feed myself. There are parts of the line that are half-closed due to the material blistering on the inside.

    The good news is that the blisters in question seem to be relatively smooth, so stuff hasn't been getting caught on them, but it's just a matter of time before the line gets fully blocked up.

    3DS FC: 1547-5210-6531
This discussion has been closed.