The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

[BassAle]

Re: The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

My current house is my first experience with well water. In the spring I have so much water it gushes our the top of my well around the cap!

New construction 2014.

My well tested safe with no filtering/treatment, but I’m considering adding a sediment filter, since we do get some drilling debris (small gravel/sand) that we need to remove be from faucet aerators and appliance filters. If the lead is coming from the well, you’ll need a filtering system. The lead could come from plumbing as well depending on age of the home. Contact a company that specializes in this. Filtering lead should be straightforward.

Have it tested yearly

[dxmnkd316]

Re: The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

I ah e zero experience with residential water.

But I agree on annual testing. RO systems are the gold standard but as was mentioned they aren’t terribly efficient. Wisko mentioned install costs but I also know upkeep/membrane costs can be very high as well.

[joecct]

Re: The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

LG gas oven throws an F11 code now and then. Found a guide and ran a test and it tells me I need a new igniter. Medium effort to replace.

Ordered the part from Amazon ($68+) and it arrives Tuesday. If you hear of a large gas explosion in Maryland later this week, blame me.

[bostonewe]

Re: The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

Fridge died last weekend, so I got to upgrade from a usable but boring white Maytag to a stainless steel French Door with bottom freezer. Very pretty. Some of the challenge was finding one to fit the footprint - we only have. 31.5 inch slot to put the fridge. Very happy with the upgrade.

Repainted our bedroom today. We had painted it when we moved in (Valspar Rare Wine, it's eggplant), but had used a semi-gloss finish. We were worried that the dark paint would absorb the light and not give the richness we were looking for. WRONG! The sheen bounced light everywhere and looked ridiculous. Repainted today with an eggshell finish and it looks exactly like I hoped - warm, inviting, and luscious. Was most definitely worth the effort. I still like the semi-gloss finish on our walls downstairs (we have light gray and blue) because it reflects light well and brightens up the smaller living spaces.

We also changed out all the outlets, switches, and other plates from almond to white (I'll put the plates up tomorrow once the paint has 24 hours to dry, but the outlets and switches are in).


Now - finishing building cornice boxes to hang black out curtains (and regular curtains).

[aparch]

Re: The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

Installed Nest Hello over the weekend. It's both creepy with its surveillance and alerts, and yet fun to watch.

I've learned that my subdivision is boring even during the days I'm not home.

The wife and I are also thinking of getting cameras for the back yard and the front yard as well. We had some footprints last winter after a fresh snow around the driveway like someone was trying to snoop through the neighborhood cars.

[joecct]

Re: The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

Ok, if you read of my travails in The List thread about appliances in our new used home, here's an update:

1. Icemaker. GE WR30X10150. Seems to be a popular brand. Bought itoff Amazon for ~$90. Installation was a snap, just two 1/4" screws and a clip, and it was producing ice by that evening.

2. Dishwasher soap dispenser. Kitchenaide DW. Part bought on Amazon for ~$55. Video looks simple on the repair sites. Just undo 10 screws and the door lifts right off.

Bullhockey! The 10 screws were a piece of cake. The $^=÷ door, which supposedly just slides right off, does not.

Anyone have hints or know a good appliance guy in 20832?

[joecct]

Re: The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

Ahh more fun with the new house. This time with the master closet.

First - my wife has clothes. Lots of clothes. Some are heavy. The new master closet is larger than the old master closet which means I got more space to hang my stuff.

At 4AM this morning there was a crash sound in the master closet. I got up to investigate and the whole closet rod system which was holding the majority of mybwife's clothes along one wall had collapsed. Took the 1x4s that the brackets were attached to right down. Made a hole in the wall when one of the brackets fell.

Second - took a look this AM - after we took the clothes off (the clothes rod, you perverts!). The wooden 1x4 was secured to the studs with a 1.5" finishing nails. In other words, the 1x4 was held to the wall, but not secured.

Solution- attach the 1x4 to the studs with 3" screws. Will go around the closet later today, after lunch, and secure all the 1x4s to the studs with 3" #10 screws. They're not going anywhere!!

Word of advice - take a look on how your clothing rods are secured in your closets, particularly if you're hanging heavy stuff. If in doubt, a screw into each stud (wood studs, mookie!) should hold them securely.

[burd]

Re: The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

Ahh more fun with the new house. This time with the master closet.

First - my wife has clothes. Lots of clothes. Some are heavy. The new master closet is larger than the old master closet which means I got more space to hang my stuff.

At 4AM this morning there was a crash sound in the master closet. I got up to investigate and the whole closet rod system which was holding the majority of mybwife's clothes along one wall had collapsed. Took the 1x4s that the brackets were attached to right down. Made a hole in the wall when one of the brackets fell.

Second - took a look this AM - after we took the clothes off (the clothes rod, you perverts!). The wooden 1x4 was secured to the studs with a 1.5" finishing nails. In other words, the 1x4 was held to the wall, but not secured.

Solution- attach the 1x4 to the studs with 3" screws. Will go around the closet later today, after lunch, and secure all the 1x4s to the studs with 3" #10 screws. They're not going anywhere!!

Word of advice - take a look on how your clothing rods are secured in your closets, particularly if you're hanging heavy stuff. If in doubt, a screw into each stud (wood studs, mookie!) should hold them securely.

I can't imagine anyone using finish nails to secure closet support cleats. Those nails penetrated the studs by about 1/4 inch. Had to have been the owner. Check other hanging items, including cabinets. Also if they used pole sockets, switch out any light plastic ones with heavier ones or add a supporting bracket or two along the back wall, because those light plastic sockets will fail under a lot of weight.

Most important: Next time something like this happens there's nothing wrong with trying to convince Mrs. joe that you both need to take your clothes off while you inspect and fix. This is especially true for damaged lawn sprinklers.

[joecct]

I can't imagine anyone using finish nails to secure closet support cleats. Those nails penetrated the studs by about 1/4 inch. Had to have been the owner. Check other hanging items, including cabinets. Also if they used pole sockets, switch out any light plastic ones with heavier ones or add a supporting bracket or two along the back wall, because those light plastic sockets will fail under a lot of weight.

Most important: Next time something like this happens there's nothing wrong with trying to convince Mrs. joe that you both need to take your clothes off while you inspect and fix. This is especially true for damaged lawn sprinklers.

Maybe. Some of the supports were screwed to the cleat which was nailed in - to the drywall with no wood behind the nails.

The previous owner did not strike me as the brightest bulb on Home Improvement. He started to finish the basement - put the studs in (a mixture of wood and steel ) and stopped.

But these nails were gunned in - which makes me think it was the builder/contractor. Plus the closet walls were spray painted.

The kitchen, however, was professionally done, even though I never would have picked the appliances.

[burd]

Re: The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

Maybe. Some of the supports were screwed to the cleat which was nailed in - to the drywall with no wood behind the nails.

The previous owner did not strike me as the brightest bulb on Home Improvement. He started to finish the basement - put the studs in (a mixture of wood and steel ) and stopped.

But these nails were gunned in - which makes me think it was the builder/contractor. Plus the closet walls were spray painted.

The kitchen, however, was professionally done, even though I never would have picked the appliances.

Yeah, I figured the kitchen would have been professionally done or you would not have purchased the house.

[walrus]

Re: The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

I can't imagine anyone using finish nails to secure closet support cleats. Those nails penetrated the studs by about 1/4 inch. Had to have been the owner. .

Low bid wins every time. Let me guess spec house in some new development?

[burd]

Re: The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

Low bid wins every time. Let me guess spec house in some new development?

I doubt that's the kind of house joe would choose. I'm thinking it's a home owner, not a contractor. It doesn't take much to locate the cleats on studs.

[joecct]

Low bid wins every time. Let me guess spec house in some new development?

House was built in 1999. Good structure, new roof, yard is small (11K, but in good shape). Trees and shrubs need trimming.

Very happy with it, but will probably need to replace the washer/dryer in a year or so (we knew that going in).

Great neighbors and one next door neighbor loves hockey and the other is from NJ (same county as me).

[burd]

Re: The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

House was built in 1999. Good structure, new roof, yard is small (11K, but in good shape). Trees and shrubs need trimming.

Very happy with it, but will probably need to replace the washer/dryer in a year or so (we knew that going in).

Great neighbors and one next door neighbor loves hockey and the other is from NJ (same county as me).

Sounds more like what I pictured.

[Deutsche Gopher Fan]

I doubt that's the kind of house joe would choose. I'm thinking it's a home owner, not a contractor. It doesn't take much to locate the cleats on studs.

Yeah I just found the same in my 1960 house. Previous owner did some odd things.