Just use a small pry bar and a hammer. Don't worry about messing them up as they're pretty cheap to replace. You'll probably want to replace them anyway if they're older and have a few coats of paint on them already.

12/7/2009 11:33:25 AM

Where can I get them replaced?

12/7/2009 12:14:08 PM

The polyurethane I put on my floor over the summer is coming up along the edges of some planks. It's only happening in in areas that are directly in front of heat vents, and where planks are loose-ish (like, ever-so-slightly loose-- nothing noticeable)

Do ya'll think this is a floor problem or a crappy urethane application problem?

12/7/2009 12:22:01 PM

probably a floor problem

it sounds to me like the urethane is chipping away due to movement in the floorboards. this may be accentuated to the fact that the ones near the register are subject to greater temperature variations (heating/cooling).

it is simple expansion and contraction. if the nails are exposed in the flooring already, i would add more nails to the problem areas to secure them from moving and re-apply the urethane.

if they are not exposed and it is bothering you, i would take up the boards, refinish them, and reinstall them with more attention to nail spacing to prevent them from moving.

12/7/2009 1:58:38 PM

Quote :

"Just use a small pry bar and a hammer. Don't worry about messing them up as they're pretty cheap to replace. You'll probably want to replace them anyway if they're older and have a few coats of paint on them already."

What he said. Also, replacing them is easy...most flooring stores will have it. I think Lowe's has it as well, but I'm not sure if it's contractor-ordered or not. Is cheap, though. If you have shoe molding, that's cheap, too. So is quarter-round if that is more like what you want...

OH...and I use a small block of wood in between the wall and the prybar to try and not mess up the wall/sheetrock. Having to mud divots and stuff is just another step you don't need.

[Edited on December 7, 2009 at 2:30 PM. Reason : ]

12/7/2009 2:22:13 PM

^ Oh yeah...forgot about the wood. I did that too.

I got my baseboards at Lowes. You'll want a mitre saw to cut them quickly. Keep in mind that very few of your corners will be exactly 90 degrees, but you can guesstimate it pretty well if you have one of those right angle tools to figure out if it is > or < 90 degrees. They don't have to be perfect.

A finishing nailer makes it go so much quicker too.

12/7/2009 2:57:50 PM

And if you're putting on new baseboards, be sure to caulk between the top and the wall. Don't want those gaps.

12/7/2009 5:19:02 PM

Yeah, and smear some caulk or putty over all the corners and nail holes before painting. It'll look so much better than if you just paint.

12/7/2009 6:04:38 PM

Or you can just hire us ^ to do it.

12/7/2009 7:00:53 PM

when you refinance, what's the process with the appraisal?

really, what im wondering is if it'll matter that much if i make the house look nice, or just not bother.

12/8/2009 8:56:05 AM

That's entirely up to what you need it to appraise for.

If you're trying to get a home equity loan I'd probably do all the little things to make it look nice and finish any unfinished projects. If you're just trying to make sure it appraises for more than you owe and the market hasn't taken a dive since you bought the place I wouldn't worry about it too much.

BB&T allowed me to skip the appraisal and save a couple hundred bucks because my tax value was way more than I owe. Another lender said I'd have to get the appraisal done. You may want to check to see if that is an option for you.

[Edited on December 8, 2009 at 10:42 AM. Reason : l]

12/8/2009 10:39:41 AM

Quote :

"Or you can just hire us ^ to do it."

?

12/8/2009 11:30:43 AM

I was just messin...as he and were bouncing back and forth with little things we kept remembering.

12/8/2009 12:08:05 PM

Quote :

"If you're just trying to make sure it appraises for more than you owe and the market hasn't taken a dive since you bought the place I wouldn't worry about it too much. "

cool.

this is the point.

at this time, with only like 18 months of payments on a 95% loan, i dont have a ton of equity. however, the market hasn't entirely collapsed where I'm at, and refinancing to knock off 1.5% makes sense.

What i wouldnt want though is the new appraised value to be lower than the equity + rolled costs for refinancing.

In a strange circumstance, the house hasnt been assessed for tax value since the early 80s. So the tax value is remarkably low. which is sweet.

So, I guess I'll just clean up well and do those paining touchups i'd been meaning to do.

Thanks!

12/8/2009 12:56:34 PM

Got a question that makes me feel like a complete n00b, but I can't seem to get the wording right in Google to find my answer

Can you lengthen a power cord?

We have a Dyson Vacuum cleaner, and I swear that thing has a shorter cord than normal. Instead of plugging in an extension cord every time I just wanted to length the cord. Is it as simple as buying a replacement cord, and splicing it together? Or could I buy a longer cord, then try and connect where the cord is connecting to the vacuum?

12/11/2009 8:19:25 AM

just use an extension cord.

12/11/2009 9:02:08 AM

The ghetto way would be to cut the cord off another device, cut the plug off the vac cord, twist the wires together and electrical tape them. This would make your expensive vacuum look like shit though and I wouldn't recommend it.

The proper way would be to open up the vacuum, disconnect the current cord which is probably soldered on, and solder in a replacement.

But, the cord on that vac is probably made to fit whatever cord holder is built onto it and the replacement cord might not really fit/wrap properly. I'd just use an extension cord. It's more trouble than it's worth to swap it.

12/11/2009 9:39:30 AM

extension cord + duct tape

12/11/2009 9:47:50 AM

It is possible to splice (probably the word you were missing) a section of power cord to add length but I'm not sure how well that will hold up over time, especially on something like a vacuum (moving cord, gets pulled tight sometimes, splice might get run over with vacuum, etc). A better option to buy a 120VAC power supply cord to length you need and completely replace the old cord, but you'd have to take apart the vaccum apart to find and connect the cord to the terminals. (It's probably about $1/ft for the cord you need and you also have to make sure the amperage rating is higher than what the vaccum draws).



The best/easiest option is to just buy an extension and always keep the vacuum plugged into the extension and treat the extension as part of the regular cord.

[Edited on December 11, 2009 at 9:57 AM. Reason : basically what everybody else already said]

12/11/2009 9:50:48 AM

For all of the "extension cord" suggestions, I normally do. However, the wife goes crazy with christmas decorations, and I actually use up every extension cord I have to light all the decorations she has. I normally have about 6-7 spare extension cords lying around

It doesn't bother her when she vacuums, and she just moves the plug around. It really bugs the crap out of me though.

Thanks for the help, I guess I'll just stick to the extra cord. Maybe i'll buy another one for this time of year.

12/11/2009 11:01:47 AM

^ buy another one...

12/14/2009 11:18:43 AM

I have a one-piece shower in my master bath. The tub is 72" x 36" and the sides go up 6'. It must've been installed before the house had walls. House is about 15 years old.

The damn thing just cracked down the middle. If you stand in it while the water's on, water will pour through the bottom of the tub. Time to replace it.

I have a feeling this is going to involve a Sawz-all, a circular saw, and $$$.

Might as well redo the entire bathroom, I guess.

[Edited on December 14, 2009 at 12:58 PM. Reason : ft]

12/14/2009 12:57:45 PM

rebath?

12/14/2009 2:21:23 PM

It'll be way cheaper to do it "myself," by which i mean myself and other family members. The tub will be a pain to tear out, and a new one is at least $600. That's gonna be the biggest pain in terms of both labor and cost. I want to tile the floor, and the shower walls, but that won't cost much. Probably have to re-drywall everything behind the current shower, oh well.

[Edited on December 14, 2009 at 2:44 PM. Reason : -]

12/14/2009 2:42:32 PM

the cheapest solution is to use the other bathroom

good luck.

[Edited on December 14, 2009 at 6:10 PM. Reason : .]

12/14/2009 6:10:00 PM

so im renting a room in my townhouse and im fucking sick and tired of no shows!!

you set up an appointment with someone and they dont show up no call no next no email fucking flakes

12/14/2009 6:45:46 PM

Not sure I'd trust some stranger living in my house.

12/14/2009 7:12:21 PM

its hit or miss, if you're good at getting a vibe on people then you just trust your gut

worst case scenario i have insurance and a security deposit

12/14/2009 7:41:16 PM

fuck wrong thread

[Edited on December 14, 2009 at 10:43 PM. Reason : a]

12/14/2009 10:43:37 PM

Worst case scenario, they chop you up into little pieces while you sleep.

12/14/2009 11:04:43 PM

um thats likely to be a tendency of a serial killer which makes up 1% or less of the population and since im only taking female roommies, even more unlikely

in all honesty the thing you really have to worry about is the people they associate with

[Edited on December 15, 2009 at 12:04 AM. Reason : sdfdjf]

12/15/2009 12:04:34 AM

No,
There are creepy fucks on Craigslist.
Maybe they're not serial killers, but they are the type that will sniff panties from your laundry bin and roll around in your sheets while you are gone.

Tons of them.

[Edited on December 16, 2009 at 10:54 PM. Reason : l]

12/16/2009 10:53:53 PM

^ LOLOL

well i got my current roommate from there and shes uber religious but overall a great roommate.

12/17/2009 10:29:28 AM

Forgot to keep track of my heating oil.

Ran out over right.

12/21/2009 7:07:27 AM

I've got to call for a fill up shortly

We have a husky. He's lovely. Except for tearing down the gutters, chewing the handle off the hose spray nozzle, chewing up a $$$ rope swing, and muddying up the yard something fierce.

He wears trails in the grass very, very fast. It'll go from not there to noticeable within a day, and pure mud in another two days. We need a non-permanent way (i.e., not stepping/paving stones) to keep him from ruining the yard, and to let the grass rehabilitate itself. We're not lawn nazis, so labor-intensive shit that's all about making it pretty...no. We just want the grass to grow over his trails. Right now, managing his "routes" is the best we can come up with: moving his dog house around the yard. There are a few trails we don't mind, and actually want to keep their location, to encourage him to stick to those.

Is mulch/incomplete compost the best way to cover these trails to protect them from further damage until spring? Any other ideas? $rhodeisland is a primary consideration, so sod is out.

[Edited on January 3, 2010 at 8:15 PM. Reason : sdf]

1/3/2010 8:14:46 PM

looks like the temp/pressure relief valve on my water heater needs replacing. damnit

1/3/2010 9:36:59 PM

^very painless as far as plumbing repairs go. what leads you to believe it needs to be replaced? just curious, it's not terribly common for one to fail.

1/3/2010 11:28:10 PM

Quote :

"so im renting a room in my townhouse and im fucking sick and tired of no shows!! you set up an appointment with someone and they dont show up no call no next no email fucking flakes"

I hear ya. It was practically a done deal and someone just disappeared on me.

Whenever I'm in bed I've noticed a low, humming noise when the heat comes on. I was worried about it until I realized it goes away when I open the bedroom door

1/3/2010 11:44:48 PM

install a transfer vent above the door ftw.

1/4/2010 11:53:35 PM

i tend to not screw around with fixing safety/backup systems like a pressure relief valve, plus I have a home warranty through May so I had them set me up an appointment with a plumber for this afternoon. turns out my home water pressure is at 150psi, so that's why the pressure relief valve was leaking. looks like I'm needing to replace the cold water pressure regulator, not under warranty (of course) and the dumbasses that built the house 13 years ago, put the pressure regulator behind the hot water heater, so that needs to come out to access the regulator.

1/5/2010 12:27:05 AM

^I've had two things go wrong with my house since I bought it, both of which weren't covered under the warranty that I had when I bought it. It really makes me wonder what the fuck is covered by these damn things.

1/5/2010 9:34:24 AM

home warranties are usually pretty worthless in my experience. you pay the service charge for the contractor to come out, then have to pay it again if they dont fix the problem first time around.

if you suffer a catastrophic failure of some kind, you may get your value. although they will try duct taping your shit back together first, with a service charge of course.




a couple of weeks ago, I noticed it was colder in the house than normal and chalked it up to the outside temp and HVAC not being able to catch up. turns out the furnace has not been putting out hot air. damn thing is only 18 months old.

the solution was (it is a water source heat pump) that air had gotten into the lines while it was dormant over the summer and the internal pump had lost pressure when an air pocket cycled through. easy fix (luckily) was the bleed the lines out ~3 gallons. works fine now.

1/5/2010 9:40:24 AM

after three or so hours crawling under the house, i just finished running coaxial and speaker wires for the home theater

i am really glad that is finished and I won't have to go back under there for a while

1/5/2010 9:44:32 AM

^How big is your crawl space? Mine is like 3 feet high so unless you are a hobbit, you really do have to crawl. It's a pain.

1/5/2010 11:32:43 AM

My parent's place is the same way. There are lots of wires running underneath the house and one just stopped working. What kind of cables should he use when running them under the house?

1/5/2010 11:35:17 AM

if its dry I think you can pretty much use whatever you want, although I am sure- there are some outdoor-rated cables that will perform a little better

1/5/2010 2:43:34 PM

Well he claims the cable is still in tact and isn't working and the speaker works fine so I assume some liquid got in it.

1/5/2010 3:09:58 PM

I used RG-6 for the RCA cable and regular 16/2 double jacketed speaker wire for the runs I HAD to make. The house was pre-wired for surround, but I didn't like where the front two satellites were supposed to go, so I put them where I wanted them. The RCA was for getting video signal from my receiver (at the back of the room) to the TV at the front. I only needed 3 cables (video in to the TV, audio out to the receiver), but I pulled 4 extras for the convenience of running component video without having to do it all again once I get some nicer electronics and I left one cable curled up in the crawl space for once I get a powered sub.

My crawl space is about 3' tall too, but, I am much, much taller than that. The biggest problem I had was with the air ducts crisscrossing the space. Thank goodness for vapor barrier, or I would have looked like a dirt creature. Also, if anyone is building a house, I highly recommend using masonry sand as cushion under the house. My builder did this and it makes crawling around on your hands and knees almost bearable

^ I would recommend some double jacketed wire. It doesn't necessarily have to be outdoor.

If anyone needs a coaxial stripper or a compression clamp for the end connector, I can rent them to you. Them damn things were a necessary, expensive evil.

[Edited on January 5, 2010 at 3:28 PM. Reason : .]

1/5/2010 3:26:58 PM

Quote :

"home warranties are usually pretty worthless in my experience. you pay the service charge for the contractor to come out, then have to pay it again if they dont fix the problem first time around. if you suffer a catastrophic failure of some kind, you may get your value. although they will try duct taping your shit back together first, with a service charge of course. "

I've had one experience with my home warranty company and so far, it has gone a lot better than expected. We have been having wide fluctuations in our hot water temperature ever since we moved in and decided to have the plumber look at that when they came out for our sewer line being clogged. They guy who they sent out fixed the clog but didn't work on our brand of water heater and they didn't have anyone else in their network that did either so they let us find our own company. The company that came out told them that it was improperly installed and they would have to install it to properly before they could tell if the unit itself was ok. The home warranty company is paying to go ahead and replace the unit in addition to installing it to code. The estimate from the plumbing company is that the home warranty company is going to pay about 1400 while we have to pay about $400 for "Code Upgrades" since our policy only covers $200 worth of code upgrades annually.

The plumber was supposed to come install the new water heater tomorrow but my wife got a call as she was getting home saying the new heater hadn't come in yet. This is of course after she had already taken the day off.


Now if only I can get my furnace and AC to crap out before the warranty runs out and get AHS to pay for that too.

1/5/2010 9:13:52 PM

My gas stove is leaking, or the connection to it is leaking somewhere,

Any advice.

1/7/2010 3:23:53 PM