Home Improvement - 2013-05-16

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lsiunsuex

12:16

@Aaron be careful - "If you’re upgrading from a version before 1.9, we recommend that you use the jQuery Migrate plugin and read the jQuery 1.9 Upgrade Guide, since there have been a lot of changes. It’s easy to use the plugin, just include it in your HTML file after jQuery and open your browser console to see the messages it generates:"

sometimes, change is a bad thing (especially when you have a lot of pennies in your pocket and they make that annoying sound)

1 hour later…

Chris Cudmore

13:19

@lsiunsuex Which is why we've eliminated the penny up here.

2 hours later…

BMitch

14:50

@Tester101 I prefer tinfoil for my hat material, much lighter, easier to shape into cool designs.

smart-arse mod alert:

0

A: Is it possible to have a room protected from outside GSM microwave radiation?

All you need is a Faraday cage, with the proper size holes. The Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) operates at 2100, 1900, 1800, 900, 850, or less commonly 450 or 400MHz. The diameter of the openings in a Faraday cage, should be 1/10th the wavelength of the wave you want to block. Wa...

lsiunsuex

they do have cell phone jammers / blockers - their illegal in the USA - but they are obtainable

Tester101

I hope no physicists or mathematician read that answer.

lsiunsuex

"Jamming is seen as property theft, because a private company has purchased the rights to the radio spectrum, and jamming the spectrum is akin to stealing the property the company has purchased. It also represents a safety hazard because jamming blocks all calls in the area, not just the annoying ones. Jamming a signal could block the call of a babysitter frantically trying to contact a parent or a someone trying to call for an ambulance."

Chris Cudmore

@tester101 I think they've wired HOT - light - BLACK - switch - White-White - panel.

So BLACKs should pass through the box, and the light should be powered on the switched white.

Tester101

Or there is more than one light fixture, in series.

Chris Cudmore

15:07

I don't think so. Why would both blacks be hot with the switch off?

Tester101

@ChrisCudmore I think you're right.

lsiunsuex

15:46

"I wish I had enough money to run Oracle instead of Postgres." "Why do you want to do that?" "I don't, I just wish I had enough money to."

haha

lsiunsuex

16:32

kickstarter.com/projects/806146824/…

interesting

lsiunsuex

17:22

user image

wtf. $300 is $300 (mandalay compared to bellagio) but i'm gonna stay there 3 times in a row? to save $300 ?

Aaron

17:38

So how often do people think unpermitted water work is done by master plumbers?

lsiunsuex

99% of the time

Aaron

Can't the homeowner go to the permitting agency and narc on them, though?

lsiunsuex

you (the homeowner) allowed it to happen - you'd be fined also i think

Aaron

if they're replacing, say, a electric water heater though, it's not obvious to a homeowner that a permit should be required...?

Chris Cudmore

One could claim that the homeowner is not competent to make the decision, and relied on the advice of a licensed professional to make the appropriate decisions re: permits. I don't think the homeowner would be fined.

The city of Toronto lists this as needing a permit: New or altered plumbing

Aaron

17:42

yeah, what is 'altered'?

Chris Cudmore

Does that mean I need a permit to swap out a faucet? Or does "plumbing" just refer to rough in?

Aaron

like, if the new water heater is taller, and you need to cut off some of the copper piping to make it fit, and the work is being done by a licensed individual, does that need a permit ?

Chris Cudmore

@Aaron For that matter, what is "plumbing"?

Aaron

@ChrisCudmore it depends on what the definition of 'is' is

or swapping out a disposal?

(garburator for you .ca people)

Tester101

18:02

What about attaching a garden hose? That alters the plumbing, and it might be new.

Chris Cudmore

Hell, technically, turn on a faucet alters the plumbing.

Tester101

In Anne Arundel county, MD. You need a plumbing permit to replace a toilet. Source

Aaron

Toilet - replace or install if roughed-in

so if it's not roughed-in, you don't need a permit?

that is far from clear

BMitch

18:47

0

Q: How do I maximize the value of my home for an upcoming appraisal?

Our home is a 1972 modular that was in terrible shape when we purchased it. I have put quite a bit of blood, sweat, and tears into fixing the place up. For the most part, the main level feels like a brand new home, and now has various features such as a mud room, open great room/kitchen layout,...

renovation appraisal value

NARQ, overly broad?

Chris Cudmore

I'd say off topic. We tell you how to do the renovation, not what renovation you should do.

Tester101

Are there places where appraisers actually come to the house?

When I bought my house, the pictures in the appraisal were clipped from google maps, and the listing.

lsiunsuex

my parents had their house appraised for insurance / mortgage reasons

its common for them to come out

Chris Cudmore

0

Q: Water drips from new large shower head

Water drips from new large shower head for a while after shutoff. Is that normal?

plumbing shower

Tester101

Insurance companies are different. They come out looking for "pre-existing conditions".

Chris Cudmore

18:58

Terrible question. But not worth closing.

BMitch

@Tester101 my dad's an appraiser, goes out to every one.

Chris Cudmore

I was denied coverage by several companies as we had a fusebox. One rep told me he'd cover me, and send an inspector out in one month to verify that we had replaced the fusebox with breakers. Never showed up.

BMitch

that said, he's losing his work to others that cut corners

Ok, lets kick this thing off...

Welcome to Project Update Thursday

Tester101

@BMitch A Bank appraiser?

Chris Cudmore

Although, they may have checked records with the local utility and seen the shut off order.

shirlock homes

19:01

what a bunch of old grumpies, closing that poor guy's question!!! lamo

BMitch

@Tester101 realestate appraiser, a lot of stuff for VA loans because they have higher standards

Chris Cudmore

Off Topic, but I laid sod on the front lawn last saturday.

Tester101

0

Q: Can I remove a wall stud to install a pet door?

We only have one option for a wall that the pet door would go in. After measuring we found that the door would have to go right in the middle of a stud. Is it safe to cut through the stud?

lsiunsuex

when we bought the house we had fuses - only 1 insurance company would insure me - first thing i did was have an electrician redo the whole thing with proper breakers - that insurance company is still the cheapest for some reason

shirlock homes

Who is sod??? lol

Chris Cudmore

19:02

It's a pretty easy job. Green Side Up.

shirlock homes

the house won't fall down with one stud gone. cut the damn thing off!!!

Aaron

@Tester101 sometimes they do drive-bys for appraisals sometiems

shirlock homes

if it is a full appraisal they will walk through the house and take pics. for refi's they often do a drive by appraisal, and base on tax records and square footage

any pressing issues today boys??? gonna go out and play on my tractor for awhile..

Chris Cudmore

None.

@shirlockhomes Enjoy your hawg time.

BMitch

19:18

@shirlockhomes so did Aarthi run off to go cruising on the black pearl with you?

Nothing pressing from me, planning stages of a kitchen gut/remodel

lsiunsuex

more stone to move tonight

Chris Cudmore

It says PUT ends in 9 min. Are we down to half an hour?

lsiunsuex

you guys are all lazy f's - nothing to talk about

Aaron

we're having the bathroom redone

Chris Cudmore

I'm busy fighting with the wife.

Aaron

19:23

he took out ~hundred pounds of concrete that the tile floor was set in

Chris Cudmore

Need to replace my front porch railings. I want vinyl clad or aluminum. She wants wood.

Aaron

I'm a big proponent of no outside wood

lsiunsuex

tell her wood requires maintenance == more money == less purses / shoes for her

Chris Cudmore

But If I go with wood, I've got to sand, prime, paint ......

Each and every stile.

Sorry, my wife remembers Poland in the 80's. She doesn't spend if she doesn't have to.

My dad and I are both "blessed" with frugal wives. Real pain in the ass sometimes.

I'm a cheap bastard myself, but I do appreciate quality, and am willing to pay for it.

lsiunsuex

yeah no - she finds deals and if theres a coupon and we don't use it, she flips her shit - but she can spend it faster than i can make it

Chris Cudmore

19:27

That's why I'm a cheap bastard... so I can afford quality.

back in a bit.

Tester101

"But if I spend $500, I get 10% off!".

lsiunsuex

@Tester101 that.

Tester101

<wife> "If I buy 3, I get one free!".

<me> "But... You only need 1?"

lsiunsuex

i'm assuming you shop at BJ's or Sam's club often @Tester101

f' 3 pack of axe deodorant - 1 of them expired before i got through 2 of them

Tester101

I plan to start. I've never needed that much of anything at one time, but I'm going to be needing lots of diapers soon.

lsiunsuex

19:36

diapers and stuff is good there (not that i have kids) but like 5lb of french roast starbucks coffee - sorry, i'll vomit if i have french roast everyday for the next 6 months

can't beat 5lb of mike & ike candy or licorice. surprised i'm not a diabetic sometimes...

Tester101

Yes, I do need 60oz of mustard.

user image

lsiunsuex

oh oh - 2 Lays (doritios, tostitos, sun chips, etc...) for the price of 1 - solid

Aaron

@lsiunsuex who cares if deodorant expires?

BMitch

@Aaron I don't like the taste of expired deodorant.

Aaron

19:52

user image

^does not taste like a buttery nipple

Tester101

user image

Could probably use this in bulk too.

@RoryAlsop Do you guys have retail warehouse clubs in the UK?

Rory Alsop

@Tester101 not sure what you mean - like Costco?

if so, then yes

Tester101

Or is it only fat Americans who like to buy large quantities of things?

Rory Alsop

We have Costco, Makro etc etc etc

They make membership annoying though - I am only a member of Costco because my wife qualifies by being a nurse

Tester101

Ah yes, I forgot about Costco.

Rory Alsop

20:03

@Tester101 I like buying large quantities of things, but I am neither fat nor American :-)

HerrBag

20:17

my PUT has been a hip resurface. Just got ok from dr to be full weight bearing.

Chris Cudmore

Apparently their entire corporate profit is memberships. All operating profit goes to running the business.

Aaron

20:43

Is the water company responsibility typically to the water meter or is it to the property line?

Chris Cudmore

Here, it's to the cut-off, buried somewhere in your front lawn.

Aaron

are the water meter and cutoff typically co-located?

BMitch

I believe so, it's usually in the public right of way near the street, under a small manhole cover

Chris Cudmore

No. The meter is in my basement. But they have some sort of call home technology, so no one ever reads it any more.

BMitch

older homes had the meters in the house

and that may also have to do with living further north where there's a lot of snow

Chris Cudmore

20:47

Could be. You want water lines at -4' here.

BMitch

Yeah, when they opened up the covers to work on them here, it was maybe 2' down, long reach, but we don't get a crazy canadian winter.

Chris Cudmore

Hey. @Tester101 and @lsiunsuex get much worse winters than I do. And we're not even talking about the north-west states.

BMitch

All I know is that my Canadian friends were talking about snow a month ago while I'm in shorts and a t-shirt right now. :)

Thanks for joining us for this week's PUT

Project Update Thursday - 2013/05/16

2 hours ago, 1 hour 59 minutes total – 75 messages, 8 users, 3 stars

Bookmarked 6 secs ago by BMitch

Chris Cudmore

21:02

It's a big country. Covers a diverse range of climates.

BMitch

^ true story

The one I hear the most from used to live in DC and loves snow boarding, so he's getting what he deserves. I have no sympathy when he complains about snow. :)

2 hours later…

shirlock homes

23:09

@BMitch Oh ya!! the fun begins... have a ball.... BTW, yes Aarthi and I snuck off on the Pearl tonight.... lol

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