Home improvement photos

[jasejase]

I think the clay tile (house built in the 40s) has collapsed somewhere along the back wall of the house.

 

The property slopes from the backyard towards the front so unless I re-grade the entire backyard, it'll slope towards the front of the house no matter what I do. I can change it a little near the house (flower beds along house), but not a whole lot. That's the plan.

 

Original curtain drains almost always fail. A basement waterproof company can do an interior drain, but its not cheap. It cost me like $40+ per foot IIRC.

 

You can also make sure your gutters are functioning and your downspouts 'full release' a good 4-6 feet from your foundation. Grading is another thing, but sometimes your hands are tied here.

 

You can have the curtain drains exposed and repaired too... You can also have the soil removed from the foundation walls and tarred and rubberized... Both options also being costly.

 

As someone already mentioned, DryLoc is a bad idea to stop water. Its great for limiting moisture, etc... But it wont, nor should it, stop water penetration. Fix the source of the water, or mitigate the result... But don't try to seal it out.

[baconbits]

As someone already mentioned, DryLoc is a bad idea to stop water. Its great for limiting moisture, etc... But it wont, nor should it, stop water penetration. Fix the source of the water, or mitigate the result... But don't try to seal it out.

 

Just going to use it for limiting moisture... I'm more worried about the humidity in the air than I am about small puddle when we get a torrential downpour once or twice a summer. I can mop up the puddle and it's done, or I can constantly run the dehumidifier on high and throw a lot of money at the electric company.

 

Using it as a waterproofing thing like tarring the exterior of the basement walls is not the intention.

[baconbits]

Pic 1: My craigslist spoils. They needed some parts but are working just fine now aside from the 15ga angled finish nailer... replaced half the seals and it still leaks air through to the exhaust. I'm thinking it's the valve actuated by the trigger. Great piece though... super light because it's magnesium. Came with a hard case and manual.

 

Everything aside from the angled nailer came from one seller... all work perfectly. Compressor's a 6 gallon, 2hp. 16ga straight finish nailer, 18ga brad nailer, 18ga stapler, canvas bag, 3/8x50 rubber hose, air chuck and an air nozzle. I'm using the straight finish nailer for now while I'm short on time to take it to their repair center near work and to put it through its paces before selling it to a friend for what I paid for it.

 

Pic 2: Put two doors' worth of trim up tonight. I left the plinth blocks off the bottom because I'm going to be sanding and poly'ing the floors the week of 4th of July. I have 9 more doors to go. Ignore the trim in the closet... haven't pounded out the nails and cut it down for the garbage men yet.

 

Pic 3: Old house has crooked door frames so ignore the gap between the door slab and the frame.

 

I can't wait til this main floor is done and I can coast/recover for a couple months while I save up for new windows and entry doors.

[BarManBean]

Looks good man. If you don't already have some, look at a product called "painter's putty", comes in a red can. You can just grab a ball in your hand and patch nail holes really easily. Works even better if you mix it with just a bit of drywall compound (powder stuff) until it stops sticking to your fingers completely.

 

Seriously though, great work--seems like you've been busting your ass.

[baconbits]

Thanks. I've got some wood filler but it's almost like chocolate mousse consistency. Worked fine to patch the crown molding albeit needed a bit of sanding afterwards.

 

I'm pumped with how the doors came out (and how you guys can't see the cracks I have to caulk ) so I'm pretty motivated to get the other room done tonight. I'd finish the hallway but I need to sand my drywall patches from rewiring the light before I can paint.

 

I can't wait until the rest of the brown shag is out of my life... keeping it in the living room and hallway for now because it's functioning as a free drop cloth so I'll pull it up when I'm done painting.

[jasejase]

I love power washing. So gratifying.

 

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/06/26/e9ydana4.jpg

[baconbits]

Got the last of the carpet pulled up on the main floor. All of the transition strips (between hallway and kitchen/bathroom and front entry) are up too. All base board is off where I'm going to refinish the hardwood. I painted the ceiling in the living room a couple days ago and we've had a couple days of torrential rain which has caused water spots in a couple spots on my freshly painted ceiling.

 

You bet your collective asses I'm calling the roofers who re-roofed the house last September and I'm going to collect on that 15 year warranty.

 

Stopped at Home Depot yesterday to check out the floor sanders and get a cost idea together. Roughly $125 to rent the sander for two days, $5-6 per sheet for sand paper, $5 pad, couple rolls of painter's tape to seal off ducts, couple drop cloths to seal off doors. I've got all next week off so I was planning on starting sanding Monday morning and hopefully laying down poly Wednesday.

 

Anyone have any recommendations on WATER based floor polyurethane? There are a couple out there and was curious if someone's had good or bad experiences.

[jasejase]

That 15 yr warranty is going to be for material failure only. Unless it's a non-industry standard warranty.

 

You should be able to have them repair it under simple workmanship failure.

 

Any reason why you want to use a water based poly?

[baconbits]

Maybe it was 15 year materials but I definitely have a workmanship warranty that lasts longer than 9 months.

 

Water over oil based poly:

1. Fumes
   
2. Dry time - 1-3 hours for re-coat with water makes a big difference when I want 4-5 coats (pets) when oil based needs 24 hours. I also need to be able to use the house (hallway leading to only full bathroom) so dry time is key.
   
3. Color - From what I've read, oil based poly has a yellowish hue to it (either out of the can or over time) while water based is virtually colorless. The floors now have an orange-ish hue to them which I'm not a fan of really... I want the natural white oak color with no stain or poly hue.
   

 

Water costs a bit more ($25 for oil versus $40 for water) but I think the pros far outweigh the cons. I hear oil is a bit more durable but that's still up for debate. I figure 4-5 coats and call it good for durability. Most places I've been reading say no matter what you do, you'll have to screen it in 7-10 years (assuming no wear to bare wood) and recoat anyway.

[jasejase]

If you screen your floors in 7 ys due to light scratching, you're more type a than I am. And that says something.

 

Lol

 

I'll ask my buddy who's a gc and see what he says for ya.

 

What color are you staining it?

Edited June 26, 2014 by jasejase

[baconbits]

No stain. I want the floors light.

 

I'm hoping this is where I'll be with no stain... yes no?

 

http://hardwoodflooringdeals.com/image/cache/data/Wite_Oak_Room-503x329.jpg

 

Edit: After more googling, whomever put this picture up says it's his new oak floor with no stain... looks far too light to be red oak so that leaves white. This is exactly what I'm going for.

 

http://1stavenuehardwoodfloors.com/mediac/400_0/media/478f5e443048d22affff821dffffe904.jpg

Edited June 26, 2014 by baconbits

[jasejase]

Looks good.

 

I have an email into my buddy for you about the water-based poly. I'll keep you posted

[baconbits]

http://creativetraction.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/you_like_this_facebook_tumbs_up_bumper_sticker-p128127724679874290trl0_400.jpg

[jasejase]

He pretty much said that the water based isn't (obviously) going to smell as much, is easy to clean, and has less VOC's. He said he uses oil based for general long term durability however, and that's the only thing his flooring sub uses.

 

I have dark floors, and they were finished 8 years ago. I have a dog, and a kid, and you can see a couple scratches I guess, but it's the gouges that you really see... and that has nothing to do with the poly used! (large heavy things have been dropped lol). The people who did the floors did a shitty job too, but I still don't think its near the point where I would screen them.

 

as far as the color your shooting for, you're not going to see swirls and scratches all over the floor under reasonably normal light and distance. Especially in comparison to a darker finish. You will however notice them as you get closer. I'd go with oil personally, as its treated us well and it comes recommended from someone I trust.

 

edit - if you're going to be living in the house throughout the project... I'd likely go water.

[jj808]

Anyone have any alternative energy sources installed at their house? Solar? Geothermal? Wind? Tell me about them! I am very interested in them for my house and want to hear about your good or bad issues with them.

[baconbits]

My boss had geothermal heat/cooling installed a couple years ago. ROI for what he paid is like 12 years or something. Hasn't complained of any issues and is planning on adding solar panels to his 4 car garage at some point.

[jasejase]

It's all about ROI. also, the lease/rental options are often better. You should really only consider this an option on a home you're planning on staying in for a while. It also doesn't (usually) do much in terms of adding value to your house.

 

2 good friends of mine are currently weighing out the options. I think one is going to do it if they can fit all the panels on the rear roof slope. I thinks he's going the rental/lump sum approach if he does too.

[baconbits]

I should mention that his propane (lives in the country) usage dropped by like 90%... he also had new windows and insulation blown in the walls when the geothermal was being installed so those played a role too.

 

He told me the only stuff he really uses propane for now are the hot water heater and his stove... house heat is almost all geothermal now.

[thefultonhow]

Have you tried to identify the source on the exterior? Sometimes rerouting a downspout is all it takes to keep the water from getting inside.

 

Yep, the (fairly minor) moisture in our basement was mostly fixed by putting in PVC drain pipe to route the downspouts away from the house.

 

The property slopes from the backyard towards the front so unless I re-grade the entire backyard, it'll slope towards the front of the house no matter what I do.

 

My parents had a similar problem -- their property slopes from one side to the other (probably a 30-degree slope... substantial drop from one side of the property to the other... the high side of the property is probably above most of their roofline). They had an addition that was built before the bought the house where the walls were rotting out at the bottom due to all the water flowing down the slope and onto the slab. When they had the addition redone, a landscaping company dug down a bit and put in a bunch of riverjack stone. They had the advantage of having the addition built on a concrete slab, but that may still work for you if you can figure out how to pipe the water that drains into the riverjack to the front of the house.

 

I have some photos I need to post of our basement. It was a wide open space when we bought the house, probably about 1400 square feet with a tiny utility closet in the middle (just big enough for the HVAC and water heater and a little bit of room in front of them to service them). I have built two finished rooms, some unfinished storage space next to the utility closet, and am working on a third finished room now. I'm also planning on walling off a corner as a walk-in closet. I've done framing, electrical, drywall, taping/mudding/painting, and drop ceiling. Eventually, I'm going to redo most of the floors with laminate, too. For now I just cut the carpet where the walls went in.

[eckseleven]

Coworker is leasing solar panels. We've run the numbers and after 15 years he might break even...

 

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

[jasejase]

My buddy breaks even just after 6 years.

[ehsnils]

It all depends on the energy prices - current and future when you actually will break even.

[eckseleven]

Also depends on how many sunny days you typically get in a year and how directly the panels point towards the sun (adjustable angle is nice, too). Mounting on a roof, you don't really have much of a choice sometimes.

I don't know what company he is leasing from, but I know they will pay back the difference if the system doesn't pay itself off by the end of the lease term. He has admitted it's something he is doing to be green, not save money.

[jasejase]

I'm sure the solar ppl will start selling a sun producing machine next.

[Spun Muffler Bearings]

Currently use solar at the vacation cottage. Previously wind powered, and maybe again someday. No local grid to connect to. Changed from wind to solar due to the maintenance requirements in a beach/marine environment.

 

The panels charge a bank of batteries in the basement, and an inverter supplies regular AC power to the house from there. Our oldest panels are 26 years old and still supply useful power. On the other hand, inverters haven't been so reliable and batteries require periodic replacement even in the best of circumstances.