Home Improvement

2:06 PM

@SteveJackson Wow I don't like that cap design at all

and you've got that booster fan on it already... surprising that lint is falling down to the vent...

@TheEvilGreebo I didn't give it much thought when I installed it, but it does seem to be a problem now :)

@TheEvilGreebo Yeah my dad said the same thing. My wife also got a new washer and dryer last year. My dad's suggestion was that it might have been old lint and the new one should be better at collecting all of it.

How powerful is that booster fan?

It's the fantech dbf110. I think its 110 CFM, but I'm looking it up.

Yep 110

I dunno for sure but I think it's over-pressurizing - possibly too close to the exit port?

which means air has to escape through that gap, taking lint with it

Huh.

2:19 PM

Have you watched it while the dryer was running? Is the fan adjustable?

Nope, it's got a pressure switch to detect when the dryer comes on and starts up full blast.

I'll have to think about this. There's not much I can do placement wise. The fan is as close to the dryer as I can get it (and therefore as far from the roof as possible). It's possible I don't really need the fan with the newer dryer as well.

To repeat my answer, I theorize that if you can force the lent to get to the "top" of the vent you'll be ok

I do like the baffle idea. And I saw the plastic vent while looking for mine- I'm not sure why I went with the metal monstrosity initially.

Masochistic tendencies?

@TheEvilGreebo Probably. Why would I get the weak plastic looking thing when I can have this ginormous metal phallus on my roof?

I'm really not excited about getting on the roof again though. That pitch is insane.

2:29 PM

Yeah 12-12 - no snow buildup for you...

Always a concern where I live :) I have a valley where garage and house meet on the side of my house. It's literally drilling a hole in the ground when it rains (no gutter there yet).

Here's another discussion.

amazon.com/Homax-4099-Popcorn-Ceilings-14-Ounce/dp/B001FY7MQU

This apparently sucks. However, using a hopper gun also sucks.

This guy seemed to get good results

ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/repair/msg032034252114.html

At this point I'm down to 1) Trying the spray(there's no way this will match my existing ceiling), 2) Leaving it primed, hanging the light and calling in a pro . 3) Leaving it primed, hang the light, and start a household standoff over redoing the ceiling altogether (I hate popcorn, wife prefers it).

What does your ceiling look like?

is it popcorn or some other texture?

and that stuff DOES suck, you get about 10 seconds of spray from it

2:45 PM

Popcorn. Probably 30 years old.

yep thats painted popcorn allright

try the spray, after about 4 coats of paint it'll probably look like the rest

That's more or less where I landed too.

My father-in-law thinks it's not painted, it's just old and grungy. Which might be true because the part that was under the light is still white.

former smoker in the house - discolored the paint that was exposed

So I'm thinking I'll try the spray tomorrow, and probably leave it off color for now. From there we can decide if we want to paint the patch or paint the whole ceiling. If the spray goes horribly wrong we can also look at scraping the ceiling - or I'm attracted to trying to glue on tin tiles if it means I don't have to scrape (and can do it without selling a kidney).

3:06 PM

heheh

3:17 PM

I think you're going to end up painting the whole ceiling. T&P (Thoughts & Prayers)...

Popcorn is evil

Wait no - POPCORN is awesome. Popcorn CEILINGS are evil.

Yeah.

BTW, I've been slammed at work this morning. What I came in here to say is that I'll get accounts for the blog sent out in a few hours...

Haven't had a chance to do anything detailed so far today.

@KarlKatzke It seems inevitable. Curse you ginormous kitchen-dining area!

The wonders of open-plan architecture... I've been facing the same thing. Took me a year to renovate a big area like that.

3:46 PM

I don't remember - can answers be deleted/closed if they don't fit the scope here? Or do bad ones just stay forever?

They can be closed by high enough users, but they're still linkable (just no more answers). Mods can delete them altogether.

not questions, answers

i know Q's can be closed

Answers can be deleted. Flag them for mod attention.

Did

duh of course they can, why flag em otherwise lol

/me is getting stupid due to low blood sugar. off to find fud

Tester101

4:06 PM

@SteveJackson my step father used a similar product to patch a popcorn ceiling, it turned out OK but boy did it make a mess! Wear Goggles, and cover everything you don't want popcorn on!

I think it's designed to only have 10% of the stuff stick, the rest falls back on you. It's a cruel joke played by the manufacturers.

like i said you'll get about 10 seconds out of it...

make it worth while

4:22 PM

@Tester101 Awesome!

I figure I'll buy a half-dozen cans and return whatever I don't use. I saw one guy used a cardboard box to contain the spray.

I saw these in the rockler catalog last night. I wonder if I can build a hazmat type plastic box hanging from the ceiling.

rockler.com/product.cfm?page=25190

The mess is most of my argument against renting a hopper gun. I only used one once, but it got EVERYWHERE. I really hate the clean up part of diy projects.

@SteveJackson That's why I love helping other people with DIY projects. I can show up, make a mess, get a pat on the back and a sixpack of beer in exchange for my help, and then I can go home and leave the mess to them.

4:38 PM

@KarlKatzke I think you're on to something. I saw the nearby Habitat has a deconstruction crew. I'm signing up as soon as I find some free time (2025 I'm thinking). Demo is a ton of fun if you don't have to clean up afterwards :)

@SteveJackson, I don't think our local chapter ever has problems finding people for demo day, or rough framing. They started insulating recently, and even I've been avoiding the job site for that.

@TheEvilGreebo, was the deleting answer regarding LED's post? I had been going on a smack down against "plumbing supplies" every time that ID posted some nonsensical gibberish. I think ChrisF handles most of the flags on these. Hoping a few more of us make mod soon to lighten his load.

Heh. What, don't like itching for three weeks?

@BMitch Ugh. Yeah. I did insulation installation for about six weeks one summer. I took hour long lukewarm showers afterwards.

@KarlKatzke, the best house leaders direct the volunteers and then stay back at least 5' to give direction.

Yeah, keep those showers cold, don't want the fiberglass getting in the pores.

@SteveJackson I had to re-insulate a 600 sq ft room with a vaulted ceiling last winter right around xmas, just before that bad cold snap that dropped temps down to 18 degrees or so. My entire house was covered in itchy stuff for months.

4:52 PM

we keep insulating in the summer, fortunately management's plans to insulate in July were foiled by delays on this proj, but it was still too hot for long sleeves.

@KarlKatzke Yuck. My wife and brother-in-law are allergic to fiberglass insulation. I have to be very careful. I remember that cold snap - I asked a question about fireplaces afterwards. Gas heat is all well and good until you don't have power to run the blower.

Hah. That's gotta make the volunteers scream "WHYYYYY"

@BMitch HoH has pointy-haired bosses too?

politics in non-profits are as bad, if not worse than for-profits

especially near DC

@SteveJackson In that kind of cold, you actually don't want to run a fireplace, it'll cool the rest of your house down too much unless you sleep right in front of the fireplace. Better to either get a generator (which is what we did in Oregon) or for everyone to just bundle into the same bed.

We got caught by a 3-day ice storm in Oregon once. Dad had a friend of his drive a generator up to our house, but we didn't have a patch panel. So we disconnected the gas furnace from the house power, stripped an extension cord and wired it up, and plugged it in to the front panel of the generator.

4:56 PM

@KarlKatzke That makes sense, never thought about it. We didn't have a real fireplace growing up (in Ohio) and I think they're stupid in Houston - every house we looked at had one though.

Yeah, I think they're stupid in Houston too.

I was born in Chicago and lived in CT for a few years, so I know cold... :-P

@KarlKatzke I had 3 extension cords hanging out of my breaker box when I moved in. I'm still not sure what they were for.

shudder Is it bad if I don't want to know?

@BMitch Yeah, his little environmentalist rant that didn't answer the question asked

I kinda sorta want to run a new branch circuit to my living room but I'm afraid of what I'll find on the way.

5:01 PM

peeks in

any blog questions I can answer?

Hi @RebeccaChernoff

hey @RebeccaChernoff, it still stays "sample page" and where is the login button/link?

@BMitch That's because I'm a slacker

Also, do we get a "blog" link at the top of diy.stackexchange.com

I've been too busy with work today to have time to log in over there.

5:04 PM

@KarlKatzke, does the login creds come with a login link?

@BMitch dammit. I forget this every, single, damn time. @jin always has to remind me. ):

@BMitch Yes, they come with a login link.

there is no login link. bookmark diy.blogoverflow.com/wp-admin

@RebeccaChernoff Can you wait a day until we have some content up there?

and it'll get linked up to the main site and twitter when there is a post up

5:05 PM

@KarlKatzke, ok, I thought there would be a login button somewhere on the site

@KarlKatzke wait a day for what?

@RebeccaChernoff To put the blog link at the top of the diy.se page ... until we have a post or two up on the blog.

@RebeccaChernoff will tactfully not point out that he mentioned the missing links yesterday... ;)

I'm sick with some sort of likely-fatal flu virus, and we're down two guys at work and it's my 24x7 on-call week.

2 mins ago, by Rebecca Chernoff

and it'll get linked up to the main site and twitter when there is a post up

5:08 PM

Saw that. Thanks. :)

@BMitch yes it appears we've messed up a bit. I'll delete the duplicate. Also the first two PUTs were too long for a bookmark, so....I cheated. the two messages are the quoted opening and closing, so they appear as the "beginning" and "end," and a user can click the message to get to the full transcript of the session.

@RebeccaChernoff perfect, just making sure.

Sent out blog accounts to @BMitch @NiallC and @Tester101 r

If you haven't received an email back regarding a blog account, I haven't gotten your request.

I indicated in the meta question that I would be willing to contribute.

was that not the right place?

@AarthiDevanathanΨ ok, I was confused by what other steps I was missing to close out the session, I thought all I was missing was the bold on the opening message :)

Q: We've got a blog! Would you like to contribute to it?

5:18 PM

7

First off, we've got a blog! Would you like to contribute to it? You'll need to contact an administrator for an account. We need to know your username here on diy.stackexchange.com, and we'll need to know your email address -- or at least, the one you want to be associated with on the blog. Ple...

A: Who will contribute to and edit the blog?

1

I definitely will have stories to tell as the years go by. I own and/or operate 3 rental properties (6 units) plus we have major projects planned in our own house and long term plan to acquire more real estate and do a lot of the work ourselves. I take lots of pictures too. :)

@BMitch nope we're good.

also: wtf i come in here and there's all this conversation and shit, wtf.

WTF!!!

@AarthiDevanathan sorry, we'll all stop talking now

@AarthiDevanathan, and where the heck have you been young lady!? taps his foot

@TheEvilGreebo wait no i was KIDDING.

@BMitch MEETINGS. ALL MORNING.

5:19 PM

@AarthiDevanathanΨ No, no, you were clear, no misunderstanding. We're all shutting up now

pics or it didn't happen ;oP

ok, pages updated

make sure you edit the about page to taste. I just tossed some boiler plate stuff in

@RebeccaChernoff Will do this weekend unless someone else volunteers. I'm probably going to create a "Home Improvement Blog Contributors" chat room that we can all leave messages for each other in.

@BMitch GUESS IT DIDN'T HAPPEN, THEN. jk ask rchern to ask hedgemage and she'll confirm. chaos will also confirm these meetings.

@TheEvilGreebo Yeah, but you need to follow my instructions in the most recent post (basically, email me with your email address) to get an account.

5:23 PM

@AarthiDevanathanΨ I'm not sure I trust chaos, I prefer organization myself.

Yeah saw that after I posted the link - and I will do so once my project work resumes (currently in "accrue enough capital" phase at present)

@BMitch sorry sorry -- chaos TEAM.

I also want to see what others write about - make sure I'll have something equally valuable (or moreso ;) )

@AarthiDevanathanΨ are you trying to call it organized chaos? I still don't trust it. ;oP

hahaha

5:25 PM

@TheEvilGreebo OK, sounds good. I'm going to put some stuff up this weekend.

@KarlKatzke, lmao, my user name cannot be changed. I guess that rant will never be forgotten now. :)

@BMitch Muahahahahahahahahahaha

@BMitch you can have the site show your "nickname" or real name though.. which I suggest, as it hides user logins. No one but blog contributors have to see it. :)

weren't we supposed to get a benevolent dictator?

@KarlKatzke yup, already done

What the hell is the fun of being a dictator if you have to be benevolent?!?!?!

@RebeccaChernoff I don't know if you can see into our DIY blog account listing, but check out @BMitch's login name.

SRSLY - wtf is my name the EVIL Greebo do you think???

5:30 PM

I wonder what trait home improvement aficionados have in common that makes us think that way -- desire for control of surroundings? love of destruction?

what way? Benevolent?

No, dictators.

Or evil.

I don't think it's about the desire to do home improvement but the desire to do site administration

Yeah, but most home improvement people would also make excellent evil dictators.

<-- says the guy who's been administering one site or another since 1986sh

5:32 PM

Not entirely unrelated side note: Did anyone see this month's Fine Woodworking?

Can't say I agree with that assessment. Been watching too much "Renovation Realities"

/afk

@KarlKatzke is that a mag?

Renovation Realities is like Jersey Housewives.

@KarlKatzke No it isn't. Renovation Realities has power tools. :D

5:33 PM

@TheEvilGreebo Yeah, it is. Do you watch Parks and Recreation?

@KarlKatzke no - pilot turned me off, never went back

@TheEvilGreebo Renovation Realities is to real home improvement as Jersey Housewives is to reality television

@TheEvilGreebo Ron Swanson is on the cover of this month's Fine Woodworking.

<-- Ignorant

Turns out that Nick Offerman (guy who plays Ron Swanson) really is a serious woodworker.

Ron Swanson must be from P&R

5:36 PM

That's funny. I wasn't aware Fine Woodworking had cover models :)

cbs.com/late_night/late_show/video/…

I had a vague plan of organizing my drywall pictures into a blog post. It will mostly be funny as: 1) patching drywall isn't very exciting, 2) I don't feel I'm expert enough to write the definitive "How-to patch drywall" blog post. So I'm wondering if just project updates fits the theme we're looking for on the blog, or if we're looking for expert-level "This is how you do this" kind of blog entires.

My take is along the lines that the main site is for definitive things and the blog is more for community building. But I want to make sure that matches what everyone else is thinking.

Do blogs have to be expert?

@TheEvilGreebo NO. The best ones aren't. ;)

I would think blogs should be more just community storytelling

5:40 PM

@SteveJackson Yeah, more community stories than anything definitive.

Most of my blog posts are going to be worthy of "pointing and laughing at the fat dummy."

Excellent. Me too. I also think that's a pretty good way to learn anyway. Why learn from your own mistakes if you can learn from someone else's?

Just posed the question because the first few entries will probably set the tone. Since I have content I don't want to hold it back waiting for the perfect entry.

funny vid

@KarlKatzke that was I mean

I've definitely got pictures to make several blog entries on what not to do, courtesy of the idiot... er... Harry Homeowner who had this place before me

one of my favorites right here:

thats the water main shutoff the previous owner closed in with drywall

speechless

Oh it gets better

That's the exit door from my basement

See that's what I need! It'd be really easy to put a lint trap in there!

5:46 PM

LOL

THIS is where that dryer vent comes out:

those were the steps to the basement. he covered em over with a platform to make a storage area

Nice of him to leave you all that useful stuff too :)

no thats mine - i used it as storage too until I got the shed built

:)

Harry did this to the main beam ... love this...

With a chisel?

5:49 PM

i suppose

I know probably it's structurally ok but my stomach still turns at the idea of a long notch in the MAIN HOUSE BEAM

Oh you've definitely got a good blog post there. You can open it up to comments and they can try to figure out what Harry was trying to do.

Wow. That's Holmes Inspection quality. :-P

That "storage area" - here's the platform, partially dismantled

afact thats 18, 20, 24 and 13" o/c

and you can see the dryer vent coming out of the door

Where o/c means "off center", right?

absolutely :)

5:52 PM

OK, I need to go pick up the rest of my tile. I'll be back in a bit.

your pearl tile?

/me ducks

/me kicks

Ah - here's how Harry Homeowner hangs a sink:

That is special. I think it could use one more screw

Oh and another great one - you recall the w/d at the basement door --- ask me how I know they installed those before building the nearby walls...

hint, we had to cut a hole in the wall to remove the old washer when it died

5:56 PM

I'm looking forward to the same thing when my furnace dies. We can cut the old one out, but I don't know if a new one will go in :)

7:16 PM

@SteveJackson Not to mention that they're drywall screws, which have very to little strength.

@KarlKatzke And it's wood trim that was being used to hold up the bathroom sink...cause wood behind the sink NEVER gets exposed to water that would cause it to rot...

@TheEvilGreebo That too, but I figured the rest of the house might fall down before it actually rotted.

7:37 PM

Keep in mind that WP has multiple permission levels. Feel free to use them! I'm not sure everyone as an admin makes sense. (: Or maybe just add more people, it looks weird to see everyone as an admin.

@RebeccaChernoff We'll get there. We're sort of a DIY crowd that likes having all the tools at hand; we'll pare down to what we need for the job later.

@KarlKatzke Perhaps - burn down more likely if you saw the electrical

@KarlKatzke Mmmmm tools

Yeah, if risks were really as high as the electrical code makes them seem, I think half the houses I've been in down here in TX would've burnt down by now.

Back on the other hand, that doesn't make it a good idea to ignore code. Considering how many toasted wire nuts I've snipped off of overloaded or improperly wired circuits.

@KarlKatzke or burnt out cfls....well, ime.

No, I don't mean overloads (tho we've got those too)

7:46 PM

@AarthiDevanathanΨ Yeah. Bad electric (bad switches, improper Al/Co junctions, among many other things) will play havoc with the ballasts in CFLs. I've only recently found a digital timer that will let me put CFLs in my front porch lights.

Alright, I'm sicker 'n a dog, I'm gonna hit the sack for a nap.

TTYL

I thought you were a dog

i saw your picture

@KarlKatzke just weird looking at it and seeing everyone at admin (:

I'm off too, headin home early

have a great weekend everyone /waves

Q: Did you know that we have flyers?

8:24 PM

0

So, I talked to our wonderful and amazing designer, Jin, and he was kind enough to whip up a flyer for me to post up here so that you all can use it! Check it out: (Full size here.) These are European A4 sized, which print nicely on North American paper sizes as well. You'll need Adobe Reader...

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