Octopus Overlords

Sometimes it is pure dumb luck (and a *shitty previous owner*). I had put aside $5K for unexpected maintenance when I bought the house 4 years ago. 2 months later Sandy emptied that contingency fund and a little more. Gas fireplace issue that Winter - $1K. Then early the next year the roof that was expected to be replaced in 5-7 years failed (likely Sandy related but insurance wouldn't cover it) and I was out of pocket almost $10K. Then in that summer we found out the previous owner likely concealed a serious pool issue from us - $5k more out of pocket. 2013 - dishwasher failed - I replaced it myself. 2014 - semi-discretionary window replacements ($8K about 40% was non--discretionary). About 2 months ago the water heater failed. Due to code changes in NJ the water heater replacement is pushing $5k for installation of chimney liners at this point. If the furnace/AC fails I will need an additional $4k for that project for an additional chimney liner. Tons of other DIY investments - meaning I replaced nearly 3/4 of the electical outlets and re-wired jury rigged electrical work - blessedly nearly free.

Total "investment" so far: About $8K/year. Hurray staycations!

Open issues:
- wood rot on front porch columns and masonry damage - estimate $2K but might need total replacement of front porch at $5k.
- lighting mechanisms on gas range failed about 6 months after purchase. Lighting by hand still.
- electrical issues for pool lighting/backyard electrical that are estimated at ~$1k.
- back porch wood rot - probably a total rip and replace within 2-3 years. No estimate at this time. Might just build a deck.

We had a fun thing happen last night where even though the AC was on the house kept getting warmer and warmer. I went downstairs to discover the furnace was on at the same time the AC was on.

I turned everything off at the switch at the furnace, gave it a few minutes and turned it back on. Same deal, AC compressor running at the same time as the furnace.

I disconnected the thermostat (a one-month old Nest) and turned it all back on, same deal. So the furnace will run even without a thermostat controlling it.

I decided I would deal with it this morning. I just got up, opened the kitchen window blinds and, Oh look! A giant branch broke off our willow tree. Gonna have to pay someone to chop that up and haul it away...

I really hate home ownership.

I did some troubleshooting with an on-call HVAC dude over the phone and we determined that the base plate of the Nest is shorting the furnace heat wire. Once I disconnected that (white) wire the AC came back on. So the 90-degree days coming later this week aren't so terrifying now.

I then had to deal with Nest tech support but I convinced them pretty quickly. I do warranty repairs and part returns for a living so I know how to talk the talk. They are sending out a new base plate tomorrow.


Still gotta pay someone to haul the tree limb out of the yard but at least I'll now be able to watch them do that from within an air-conditioned home.

Saws-all and a patio firepit?

Though maybe not during 90+ degree weather...

It's green wood, it'll be a while before it will burn. That's an idea though...

$200 later, and the pool now has a brand new skimmer and return line. The refilling process has begun, and will probably need to go all day. Then we see if that actually fixed the problem. Lord, I hope so, because if there's still a leak, fixing it is gonna be a much bigger pain, and have a much bigger price attached.

Chaz wrote:fixing it is gonna be a much bigger pain, and have a much bigger price attached.

This has been my general home ownership mantra now for almost a decade.

Pool's refilled, I turned off the hose two hours ago. Just went out to check the new fittings for leaks, and looked at the water level. I think it's at the same level I left it at, but I can't tell for certain. This is driving me nuts because I want to know for sure that the leak is now fixed!

Do what my parents did with their booze...mark the liquid level with a Sharpie.

I just did that with some duct tape.

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A few weeks ago we embarked on a project to redo our kitchen cabinets. We never liked them, and once we got hardwood floors they didn't match. However, between the time and money it wasn't a priority. My wife finally had enough and put me to work. We wound up painting all the cabinets, adding hardware, stripping wallpaper border, and repainting the walls. If I had known the amount of work it would take going in, I probably would have never started, but I've been extremely pleased with the results:

Before:


After:


We plan on replacing that dingy stove hood as well with a steel one to match the stove/fridge.

Whatever you painted the microwave with it really blends in. Really looks good....nice work.

Daehawk wrote:Whatever you painted the microwave with it really blends in. Really looks good....nice work.

I will second that it looks really nice. And looks like it probably took way too much effort!

Pool water level dropped overnight. Now to get a squirt bottle and some food dye and go hunting for a leak. I know there's one suspicious divot in the floor.

Not a home project exactly, but I would like to state for the record that yellow jackets can eat a dick. That is all.

Kelric wrote:The ants have invaded the interior in greater numbers than ever before, and I have no idea if the ant killing chemicals killed any ants.

There must be a food source inside the house or else they would not waste the effort.

TheMix wrote:Not a home project exactly, but I would like to state for the record that yellow jackets can eat a dick. That is all.

I love being able to knock flying assholes like that from 20+ feet away with the spray can.

Bought some caulk and scrapers to re-do the bottom of the toilet in the master bath, as the backside looks like illness-causing crap.

Money came through for the first part of the roof. Given that I'm sure I'll have to give receipts to the insurance company for the depreciation reimbursement, I have no negotiating incentive to get the number to anything below what their cap is. I'll be out my full deductible regardless of the final price.

As much as I hate to paint wood, I think that kitchen came out really nice. ...and even painted wood is better than MDF or particle board.

In 2011 the tornado killed our roof. We saved money by furnishing all the nails and such our self so the installer didn't charge as much.

Changed the water filter media today and managed to wrench my back and neck in a way that's making me miserable. I wish I could understand why the filtration canister is installed in such a way as to make it ergonomically impossible to maintain. It's like they want me to call a plumber every 6 months to swap this stupid thing, though it's *slightly* easier than changing a headlight on my 2003 Subaru. Slightly.

ImLawBoy wrote:Had granite counters installed in the kitchen yesterday, so the next step is a backsplash. I want to go quick and cheap, but still have something that will look nice to prospective buyers. For ease, I'm looking at peel-and-stick mosaic tiles. These will go on drywall (some painted, some not) and will of course be subjected to things like heat from the stove/oven and water from the sink. I see that some peel-and-stick tile still needs grout, while some does not.

Does anyone have any experience with this? Will the peel and stick hold up? Any real difference between grout and grout-free?

No thanks to you people ( ), I put up the backsplash this weekend. I went with a DIY kit from Mineral Tiles, which is peel-and-stick mosaic tile that requires grout. I didn't like the look of the grout-free kind - it's basically vinyl decals that go on the wall. This stuff as the benefit of being the same type of glass mosaic tile you'd get for a regular backsplash, but instead of having to mix and apply cement to the wall first, you just unpeel the back and attach it. I went with a plain square pattern (12"x12" sheets, each tile was about an inch) instead of doing the offset tiles. I figured it'd be easier to cut out outlet holes and have clean edges if I didn't have to worry about lining up tiles and cutting down edges. The pattern looks like this:



Each kit comes with 15 tile sheets, a grout float, sponge, utility knife, and rubber gloves. You have to supply your own grout (I bought a pre-mixed tub from Home Depot) and glass nippers to cut tiles where needed. I got two kits to cover my area - the site has a calculator that tells you how much you need.

Putting up the tile wasn't as easy as I had hoped. It's very slow work for me to get things to line up as neatly as possible, and the adhesive is crazy sticky, which made adjustments challenging. I did that on Saturday afternoon/night, and got things looking pretty good. I did the grout on Sunday - much messier than I expected. After doing one section and getting grout everywhere, I re-thought my approach. I liberally used painter's tape on all edges and tarped up the countertop. This made things much easier going forward. Apply grout, rinse, change water bucket, repeat. About three hours later, I was done! I think it looks really nice, but I have to do the final cleanup tonight, and then I need to use some silicon caulk around the edges to make things look neater and such.

For a guy who doesn't do much home improvement, I was quite impressed with my own work!

I think your QR code is busted.

I don't know what a QR code is.

[edit]Never mind - I get the joke now. I thought you were saying I screwed up my image somehow.[/edit]

Wiki

QR code (abbreviated from Quick Response Code) is the trademark for a type of matrix barcode (or two-dimensional barcode)

Nice job on the kitchen, YK. Really brightens the place up.

I see a sailboat.

Congrats, ILB.

I have never messed with tile. But I was around when my contractor did my bathroom. If it makes you feel better, it took him a LONG time. Of course, he's also a bit of a perfectionist. But even for pros it takes a while.

Can we put car projects in this thread too?

I'd start a new thread for car stuff. Seems distinct enough that it could support its own thread.

Low estimate on the roof came in ~$250 over the adjuster's amounts. Have e-mails out to both for tomorrow morning to see if we can get that resolved. There's the option to go with architectural shingles that's about $600 more than the 3-tab asphalt. If we can close the gap and bring the arch. down by the same amount, I'll probably go that route for the heavier shingle, which should help with future wind storms. But I'd prefer not to be out $850 for the privilege. Also, we'll probably move to a tan color over the current dark grey.

The Meal wrote:I've had a Hue system in place here in our home for more than a year. Hit me up with any Q's. It was expensive (less-so once I started going with refurb and scratch-and-dent parts from Amazon), but very enjoyable.

Philips announced a motion sensor to be available come October. Depending on how well it works (there are some low-rated third-party options out there right now) it could be a pretty big game changer. Right now I've got our timers set for anticipated room usage throughout the typical weekday and weekend night, but it'd be great to switch over to pure motion detecting.

TheMix wrote:Congrats, ILB.

I have never messed with tile. But I was around when my contractor did my bathroom. If it makes you feel better, it took him a LONG time. Of course, he's also a bit of a perfectionist. But even for pros it takes a while.

I have friends who have done their own tile work, and I watched as my wife's cousin did our bathroom. I lack the patience to do that kind of work. I am better with demo than the re-build.

Good news. Roto-Rooter has an online form you can fill out and just set up an appointment. Spent two hours trying to troubleshoot clogged double-sink in the kitchen and after aggressive plunging and eventual P-trap removal, the clog is deep (so deep) down the main line somewhere. Awesome. Remember kids - jam a rag into the other sink before you start plunging or your in for a real treat (no it didn't happen to me, but I figured I'd mention it since people are here for tips and not to just read me venting my spleen).

Over and over again I have Dave Chappelle's image in my head "F this house...f this house..." so that's nice.

Isgrimnur wrote:There's the option to go with architectural shingles that's about $600 more than the 3-tab asphalt. If we can close the gap and bring the arch. down by the same amount, I'll probably go that route for the heavier shingle, which should help with future wind storms.

...and they're much more pleasant to look at. Just from the look I'd say they quadruple the look of quality on any roof.

em2nought wrote:

Isgrimnur wrote:There's the option to go with architectural shingles that's about $600 more than the 3-tab asphalt. If we can close the gap and bring the arch. down by the same amount, I'll probably go that route for the heavier shingle, which should help with future wind storms.

...and they're much more pleasant to look at. Just from the look I'd say they quadruple the look of quality on any roof.

+1

Well, that's not good.

Epic quote from plumber that has been running an auger down my kitchen sink for the last hour.

Smoove_B wrote:

Well, that's not good.

Epic quote from plumber that has been running an auger down my kitchen sink for the last hour.

That's a hard-core manner to deal with gnats.