Home Buyin/Maintenance Thread - Where most of us are 30ish but act 47. Oh, and fuck home inspectors

Discussion in 'The Mainboard' started by Swim Cantore, May 4, 2015.

  1. Jax Teller

    Jax Teller Well-Known Member
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    Those pictures are huge.

    I'm going to have to get someone to the house to help me level the washing machine, that's going to be fun.

    Also when I eventually sell, unless I have new stuff that shit is definitely going with the house. No way I'm lugging those beasts down the stairs.
     
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  2. Rabid

    Rabid Fan of: DQ Treats
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    I guess that is why I usually use Photobucket instead of uploading as attachment. I think I'll adjust that.
     
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  3. Jax Teller

    Jax Teller Well-Known Member
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    I'll allow the big pictures if I can move in to the basement.
     
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  4. buy_dont_lease

    buy_dont_lease Ha ha ha. What a story, Mark.
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    Sorry, I've already promised dump's mom I'd have him moved out and into Rabid's basement by the end of the week.
     
  5. Lip

    Lip Well-Known Member
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    What does a runner like that cost with install? I could use one going to my second floor.
     
    #5755 Lip, Jul 18, 2016
    Last edited: Jul 18, 2016
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  6. Rabid

    Rabid Fan of: DQ Treats
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    Good question. It was included in the overall price of the remodel so I don't have a breakout of just the runner/installation cost. My best guess is $1000 for an average quality carpet/pad. Here is one site that helps for estimating. http://www.ehow.com/info_12151999_much-install-stair-runner.html
     
    #5756 Rabid, Jul 18, 2016
    Last edited: Jul 18, 2016
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  7. Baby Boy

    Baby Boy Well-Known Member
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    Somebody talk to me about Sonos dome foam I saw you purchased a few things recently. I was talking to Rabid last night about it but he suggested I hit up the thread and ask.

    I'm not looking to blow out the house or anything as I have a 9 month old and another on the way in January....I know.

    Do people in here recommend the Play Bar? I know it's pricy but if you're going Sonos with Play 1s in various places in the house is that the best way to go and go straight Sonos? Any suggestions on how many Play 1s to start with in various places around a house or even a bonus room?

    I have a 75" Samsung in my bonus room and 55" in my living room. At my previous house we had speakers wired in the ceiling etc but we just moved this week and now all I have are the TV speakers so I've gotta do something. Halllllllp.
     
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  8. texasraider

    texasraider thanks
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    I don't have any personal experience with surround sound using sonos, but I've heard nothing but great things about the soundbar and sub.

    I have a play 5 in my office, a play three in my master bath, in ceiling speakers in my master bedroom, kitchen, game room, patio and living room all powered by sonos amps.
     
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  9. Volholic16

    Volholic16 Well-Known Member
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    Quartz counters got installed yesterday. Went with quartz cause the granite we liked was essentially the same price. The guy cracked a little piece of trim so I think that is being repaired today or tomorrow.

    Electrician is finishing up some minor stuff today and then the plumber is coming to connect everything. We're out of town this weekend so we'll prob move in next week sometime.
     
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  10. ~ taylor ~

    ~ taylor ~ Well-Known Member
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    So it is virtually impossible to schedule a skilled tradesman these days. They're all super busy in Metro Detroit. For better or worse. I need an HVAC guy to come out to run a gas line, run a checkup on the AC and maybe put in a cold air return in the basement, and he's hoping he can come out "sometime next week."
     
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  11. lechnerd

    lechnerd They say Monaco is a sunny place for shady people
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    Buzz when I get to my computer at home I'll try and shed some more light on sonos. I have the sound bar and sub personally and highly recommend.
     
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  12. je ne suis pas ici

    je ne suis pas ici Well-Known Member
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    question. friends got concrete counters. they nice. he said they cost more than fucking granite? he sucks with numbers but my wife confirmed.

    the fuck?
     
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  13. Rabid

    Rabid Fan of: DQ Treats
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    We started with a Sonos Connect on our amplifier (tv surround) and two Play 1's. We are now up to 4 Play 1's--Master, nursery, kitchen, office. I may add one in the master bathroom and we would add them to bedrooms if/when we have additional children. They are great for closed off rooms that aren't large (bedrooms in particular). I also have a play 5 that doesn't have a permanent location but rather moves around to outside, the garage, tailgating, etc.

    Depending on the size of your Bonus room, you may want a Play 3 or 5. I don't have the playbar though so if you do that with the tv in the Bonus room, I have no idea if a Play 1 (or a couple for surround) are adequate with the Playbar.
     
    #5763 Rabid, Jul 19, 2016
    Last edited: Jul 19, 2016
  14. Volholic16

    Volholic16 Well-Known Member
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    Whats the consensus on tankless water heaters? Any particular brands?
     
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  15. High Cotton

    High Cotton Where does this fall in our Christian walk?
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    ~$5k for residential
    http://goredesignco.com/

    Went to hs with this guy, he's a few years older. Was on a Spike TV show with Common, makes some really cool stuff.
     
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  16. je ne suis pas ici

    je ne suis pas ici Well-Known Member
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    [​IMG]

    2g aint terrible i guess
     
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  17. Boo MFer!

    Boo MFer! No longer a cog in some powerhouse machine
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    Question for the group:

    A few weeks ago I smelled what kind of smelled like sulphur coming from one of the faucets in our master bath. I had just cleaned out the drain, removing years and years of hair and other vile shit (we've been in this house less than a year, but this shit had been collecting for a while). I assumed the smell was from that and just kept forgetting to dump something down there to get rid of the scent. The smell has kind of come and gone but I've only noticed it either just before work or before bed, so I never poured anything down there. Fast forward to yesterday and I smelled it again, this time in the guest bath tub.

    Wife called plumber and the city today and both came out. I know it's non-harmful bacteria in the water, but the question is, does my water heater or softener need replaced? We suggested draining the water heater and plumber said it wouldn't work and not to waste the money. The water softener is old (maybe 7-8 years) and is not maintained. I didn't even know it was plugged in, but it apparently is, though it's clearly not functioning properly.

    Plumber says water heater needs replaced, city water worker says the softener needs replaced. No idea what to do next.
     
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  18. tmbrules

    tmbrules Make America Great Again!
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    I have the Sonos Sound Bar and then Connect Amps for the speakers that are pre-wired in my house. If I am watching a game it makes it easy to broadcast the sound throughout the whole house, which I really like.

    Its a bit pricey, but when I priced it out it was about the same or cheaper than my other options. I would recommend Sonos. We like and use it often.
     
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  19. tmbrules

    tmbrules Make America Great Again!
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    Did they say that would definitely fix the smell problem?
     
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  20. ~ taylor ~

    ~ taylor ~ Well-Known Member
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    Do you mean the plumber is saying that it is the fault of the water heater and the water heat needs to be replaced, while the city water guy is saying it is the fault of the water softener and the water softener needs to be replaced? Or they agree it is a bacteria in the water from the city water, but disagree as to which appliances have been ruined by it.

    Does the water softener have bypass valves? We have city water and a water softener, and where the water comes in we can choose to route it through the water softener or bypass it. That would seem like an easy way to see if it is the water softener.
     
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  21. Boo MFer!

    Boo MFer! No longer a cog in some powerhouse machine
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    Neither could guarantee either would fix it. They quoted $2,200 for a tankless water heater and $2,000 for the softener.
     
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  22. Boo MFer!

    Boo MFer! No longer a cog in some powerhouse machine
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    Wife talked to them so I'm getting second hand info. I think both acknowledged its bacteria but disagreed through which appliance the bacteria is getting in (plumber says water heater, city guy says softener)

    I'm not sure. I'm assuming one of them would have tried that to test it. The plumbers have helped us before and are about as honest as it gets.
     
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  23. ~ taylor ~

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    Makes sense. I would assume the plumber would walk down to the water softener and see if there is a bypass, but you might want to see if there are valves on the pipes going in and coming out and bypass pipe. I literally learned about this 9 days ago.
     
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  24. Boo MFer!

    Boo MFer! No longer a cog in some powerhouse machine
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    I'm just really frustrated and have no idea what to do next. I don't want to buy both and would prefer the water heater over the softener, but what the fuck do I know?
     
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  25. tmbrules

    tmbrules Make America Great Again!
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    Maybe take some more time and try to figure out a solution to your original problem. If those aren't the cause of the smell maybe you can get a little more mileage out of them.
     
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  26. ~ taylor ~

    ~ taylor ~ Well-Known Member
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    That's shitty. I would: (1) check to see if there is a bypass and, if so, bypass the water softener for a few days to see if the smell goes away, and (2) google "water testing" for your county and your state to see if they can send somebody out to test the water coming out of each appliance and the tap.

    Also, the internet tells me sulfur smell in the water is a water heater issue, not a water softener issue. And since you're heating your water after it is softened, I'd work backwards from the tap and replace the water heater first if I was just replacing something. Also, that means you'd be trusting your plumber, rather than a city worker.
     
  27. Boo MFer!

    Boo MFer! No longer a cog in some powerhouse machine
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    The water heater was my initial thought too, but the water has the same smell regardless of temperature (not sure if this matters).
     
  28. texasraider

    texasraider thanks
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    is the water softener hooked up to your water spigot outside? I'd start there to make sure the problem isn't the water from the city first. Then try to bypass the softener.

    In the end I'd guess it's your water heater.
     
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  29. ~ taylor ~

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    I don't know whether that matters. Another issue could be the magnesium or aluminum anode rod in the water heater, which can be replaced with a zinc anode rod - maybe call the number on the water heater as a start. I found this useful: http://www.smellywater.com/
     
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  30. Boo MFer!

    Boo MFer! No longer a cog in some powerhouse machine
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    Assuming the water heater needs replaced, is a tankless unit a must? And if so, is $2,200 reasonable for the unit (gas) and installation?
     
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  31. Rabid

    Rabid Fan of: DQ Treats
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    Tankless is a nice to have but it is not a must. It is the lowest annual energy cost but it also has negatives. For me, it wasn't even an option because our contractor and plumber said it would struggle to keep up with water demands (4100 sq ft, 4 bath) which would result in low water pressure. A high efficiency gas unit with a tank was a better option because it would pull the hot water from the tank and could replenish it about as quickly as a tankless would so we're assured of never running out of hot water or having the pressure cut so it can keep up. The high efficiency tank unit will have a slightly higher annual operating cost (because you're paying to keep a tank of water warm) but the up front was much lower too.
     
  32. DollarBillHokie

    DollarBillHokie Usher is the worst
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  33. je ne suis pas ici

    je ne suis pas ici Well-Known Member
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    Gas water heater master race. I leave that bitch one click above vacay and for just me and my wife its fine and ='s 18-22$ a month in the non-heat months
     
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  34. Russellin4885

    Russellin4885 Well-Known Member
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    ditto here. Had to replace mine as part of my reno and went this route cause really couldn't justify the up front cost of the tankless.
     
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  35. Baron

    Baron Well-Known Member
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    Guys, simple question -- what do you guys find best to unclog drains (minus a snake)? any drain cleaner you swear by that works every time? My wife and daughter somehow manage to clog the shit out of all drains in my house.
     
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  36. gilstein21

    gilstein21 Tight Rip 26 Seal Right
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    Shave their heads
     
  37. je ne suis pas ici

    je ne suis pas ici Well-Known Member
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    they generally are all pretty the same, you can also use hydrogen peroxide and hot water.

    but if that fails
     
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  38. slogan119

    slogan119 Her?
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    I like the Zep stuff. For the reasons listed, I use a gallon every two months or so to unclog the drains.

    I think it's mostly my wife's shaving cream that causes it.
     
  39. lechnerd

    lechnerd They say Monaco is a sunny place for shady people
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    So I've got different sound systems in different rooms of our house. We are family of 5 and not everyone is as enamored with my favorite college football team as I am nor I am with their nickelodeon shows.

    With regards to Sonos I have the sound bar and wireless sub in my living room and I love them:

    [​IMG]

    https://www.amazon.com/SONOS-PLAYBAR-Wireless-Streaming-Speaker/dp/B00AEMGGU2/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1469055193&sr=1-1&keywords=sonos sound bar


    https://www.amazon.com/Sonos-SUBGBUS1-SONOS-Wireless-Subwoofer/dp/B00834SIO0/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1469055237&sr=1-1&keywords=sonos sub

    My living room has 25 foot ceiling and is wide open and just these 2 items fill everything appropriately and then some. I was very intent on adding Sonos surround sound and the house is pre-wired for it but after I hooked up just the bar and sub I was blown away. Its very powerful, especially the sub. I control everything from my phone via wifi. For the vast majority of locales in the house the soundbar + sub is all you need. If you change your mind and you want surround sound you can add it after the fact no problem but start with just the two items first and I think you will be impressed.

    I know what a higher end sound system is like as I've got one in my theater room. Those higher prices compared to my Sonos only provide slightly better quality. If you are interested I posted the links to that setup here (sub was replaced with a higher end sub but the rest is accurate) and there are pics a few posts prior:


     
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  40. colonel_forbin

    colonel_forbin Well-Known Member
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    The termite inspector that was coming out to inspect the house I'm buying was too fucking fat to fit through all of the crawlspace. Now I'm scrambling to get someone else as I should close next Wednesday.

    You have to wonder how often that happens to him. At least he didn't get stuck down there.
     
  41. lechnerd

    lechnerd They say Monaco is a sunny place for shady people
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    My favorite is the asshole who shows up without their necessary tools/equipment.

    Paint guy came to fix some stupid builder mistakes...I open the door and first thing he says "Do you have the paint?". No asshole. You're the painter, YOU bring the paint. Same thing happened with the tile guy who shows up with no tile. I understand sometimes the builder will leave some extras of different items but thats fairly presumptuous to assume the homeowner is going to have what you need.
     
  42. Rabid

    Rabid Fan of: DQ Treats
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    It actually seems really odd to me that the builder didn't leave those behind. I've done 3 builds and/or remodels and each time they left the grout, extra tiles, paint, etc.
     
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  43. lechnerd

    lechnerd They say Monaco is a sunny place for shady people
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    My builder is the potato of builders.
     
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  44. MoJo

    MoJo It bees that way sometimes...
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    Updates as they are available please...
     
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  45. ~ taylor ~

    ~ taylor ~ Well-Known Member
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    Climbed into the attic today to see where my roof was leaking. The rubber boot around the vent pipe is shredded and there are holes in it, which is where the leak is coming from. Should be an easy fix, and no mold up there. Thank god.
     
  46. DollarBillHokie

    DollarBillHokie Usher is the worst
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    I ran into a testing issue. The window cleaners cleaned my windows today so I can't tell what is causing the lack of spiders.
     
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  47. ~ taylor ~

    ~ taylor ~ Well-Known Member
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    Also, I fixed the microwave door issue by loosening a screw by a half turn. I'm a handyman genius.
     
  48. GoodForAnother

    GoodForAnother I lost my heart to a Galway girl
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    I had three doors installed and paid a pretty decent amount of money to have them painted. Painter called me on the way to the house and was like hey I'll be there in a bit, do you have the paint? I'm like uhhhh no, isn't that your responsibility

    until now I assumed that was an isolated incident
     
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  49. BayouMafia

    BayouMafia Thought Leader in Posting
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    when we got our roof redone due to hail damage this spring we also got the house repainted (same color). Painters showed up two days late and the first question was "what color do you want?"
     
  50. The Banks

    The Banks TMB's Alaskan
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    Did you guys inform the painters of the exact color ahead of time?
     
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