There's what sounds like a smoke alarm chirping in our garage somewhere, but we don't know what it is and can't find it. There is an "attic" crawlspace above the garage...would someone put an alarm up there??
Most probably wouldn't but it's not like a fire couldn't start up there and if it did you'd want to know about it as soon possible so maybe. But I'm by no means knowledgeable when it comes to fire safety. Let's call marcus and see.
Just went under contract on my first house. Likely overpaying a bit but my local market has decided coronavirus and recessions are imaginary.
where do i go to get a mortgage? A few online lenders have given me extremely good rates that i don't suspect brick and mortar places can match but my realtor is pushing a local lender. Jorts
My drainage under my backyard out to the street is clogged, probably from buildup from leaves and dirt but possibly obstructed by a root. The first quote I got to powerblast it out was $1200. They said a snake wouldnt do the trick because of the type of pipe we’re dealing with. Does that sound excessive?
boA will match most online sites. All they needed from me was a screenshot and a signed note saying I was quoted this rate somewhere.
Have a large raised deck, overlooking a greenbelt creek, that is sided by 1x1s. I don't like the look and have had issues with skunks, coons, and possums trying to nest under there after pulling a board loose. Cheeky bastards. I'm thinking of something like this as a replacement. Anybody have experience on what wiring this is or tips? I'll be doing it myself and thinking maybe tractor supply or something?
It’s hogwire, comes in a couple different sizes that are categorized by the size of the gaps. Often used to pen sheep, goats, obviously pigs, etc... basically any animal too small to be held by barb wire fence. Think of it as a intermediate step between chicken wire and barb wire. We’re considering fencing our lot and priced some out this winter. I don’t remember the exact quote, but it was the cheapest option for a fence that would hold our dogs. If I find the number I’ll let you know (it’ll be lower for you anyway as our location pays a premium on materials)
I did that to my front fence about 5 years ago, love it. I was pretty broke at the time (just bought the house w/ a lot down) so my reasoning for using this method was to save $ as it was much cheaper than building with wood. I believe I bought 16' unfinished sheep panels at a local farm store for $60. But it turned out great and now I have Star Jasmine growing along it and filling it in. I had access to a table saw and dado blade. I cut out to the width of the panelling, about 1/2" deep, on the top and bottom redwood 2x4's and then cut a strip of cedar and used stainless nails to sandwich the panel in tight on the sides. There are other methods that people do that use much more wood (thus more costly) but mine worked pretty well. Also now that this is a rather popular way of fencing, home stores are charging a bunch for painted and finished versions. Do some research and price out some different options and decide if it's worth it to do a more finished look. Pictures Spoiler
This refi with Better has turned into a nightmare. Communication has been awful and they never respond to emails. They called me today saying they couldn’t approve it because of my DTI. Turns out, they didn’t take into account my business salary (they only used my distributions) and are calculating my student loans wrong. Heading back into underwriting.
Literally have had a family of BATS living under my deck for the past week and a half. My basement door opens up under my deck and last week i noticed a pile of (what i thought at the time) was rodent waste. So I got some rat traps and set 2 of them out right where the poop was, and each morning I would go out and was surprised to see the traps untriggered and poop coming back. I looked up thinking that a rat was on the top of the deck but didn't see anything. A few days later I noticed the poop was all over the traps and even onto the bait. No way a rodent could touch those things without them going off. So I got a flashlight and looked into a tight little crevice in the deck and saw a brown mound tucked in a corner. I got up there and sure enough I saw one of them open their little beady eyes. There had to be at least a dozen bats all tucked up in my deck sleeping during the day. Anyways I googled and there was a variety of options to get rid of them. Simplest was leaving a light on. So I did that Saturday evening and they haven't come back since. I have a pest control contract and bats are covered so the dude is coming out tomorrow But not sure what all he can do. I have considered covering up the cracks with mesh to keep them from coming. but so far the light is doing it. And it's a LED outdoor light that probably should be on anyways for security. So I'm good with this solution. I was pretty excited about the bats all weekend but my wife was more (rightly) disgusted and horrified.
I’d cover the cracks. Those fuckers are persistent when they hone in on a spot they like, and leaving a light on every night into infinity sounds like a waste of resources (even for a high efficiency bulb) and a bit of a nuisance.
True. I'll see what the pest control guy says tomorrow. My neighbor behind me told me the guy that had the house before us (we moved in 3 weeks ago) kept that light on every night no matter what. So I'm thinking this wasn't the first time they showed up. Too bad that dude doesn't return phone calls or texts.
Because they shit all over my patio and it smells horrible. Not to mention the fungus that comes from it is dangerous for my kids to be around. I don't want to kill the little bastards but they need to find a new place to live.
They’re the #1 rabies risk in the nation. They do a lot of good and provide an important niche, but you don’t want them in or around your house.
I would contact some wildlife rescues in your area as well Owsley I’m sure they know people who can rehome them
They’re extremely hard to rehome. Whenever they find a roost that suits them, they’ll return to the same spot year after year even after traveling hundreds of miles on their seasonal migrations. You have to make the roost unattractive to them or they’ll just keep coming back. My grandparents have been fighting successive generations of a small colony that took a liking to their front porch for 50 years. They’re little winged terminators.
So I have been digging a huge hole for a drainage basin (4' wide) for my sump to drain into for the last week. Been doing it in a random corner of my lot as to avoid underground pipes and get the water far away from my basement walls. The hole needs to be deep, at least 4' and closer to 5-6' as to get good seepage. On saturday I passed the 4' mark and started making good progress into softer soil... then I hear a crunch with my shovel. Fucking broke the fuck outta my sewer line that for some reason zigzags across my yard. Meanwhile I have an entire kitchen renovation coming up in a few weeks. Fuck me.
FYI - I do not believe bat colonies can legally be removed or relocated. You’ll need to install an exclusion door once any young present are old enough to fly (they should be getting close now) then seal any gaps to prevent their return. https://www.batcon.org/about-bats/bats-in-homes-buildings/ https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5097513.pdf
If you want to try a different lender (which you might not since you're this far along already) then DM me and I can put you in touch with someone that will communicate much better and make everything way easier.
thanks. I thought this would be a simple refi but apparently not. Supposedly they will have it done now by the end of the week but if it doesn’t happen I’ll let you know. I’ll also keep it in mind for when we buy next.
They haven’t showed back up since Saturday so I will probably seal the gap and leave the light on til September and they begin their migration pattern l.
G’dam who do you call for that!? A regular plumber, or do you have to ask King Nebuchadnezzar to send one of his quarrymen?
What is the best and least expensive way to counteract erosion under a chain link fence? I live near the bottom of a hill and have a chain link fence in the middle of the property that has a drop on the other side of it to the remainder of my backyard (as in, the hill continues but has a fairly steep drop off and then “flattens out”). When I bought the place 12 months ago, there wasn’t much of a gap under the fence, but now there is a noticeable gap between dirt and chain link, which is clearly due to erosion attributable to rain. We’re thinking of getting a dog soon and at a minimum I’d like to fill the gap. Re-directing the water is obvious, but what about the already eroded dirt? To re-direct the water, a sandbag would probably work, but I don’t think it’d look that great and would prefer something more permanent. I was thinking of building a small curb at the end of the drive way (~7 feet away from the fence) and forcing the water to the sides of the curb. I’d post a picture, but, because I have no idea WTF to do, I’ve neglected the backyard lately and it is embarrassing, so if necessary it’ll be a few days.
Rent a bobcat and get a ton of dirt or pay somebody to do it. Find where the water is coming off of to cause the erosion and build a drain system. They’re an absolute bitch and some of the worst manual labor I’ve ever done.
Tight. Seems like I’ve underestimated what I’m up against. Any idea how much it’d cost to pay someone to do it?
Hill at the bottom is so steep that leveling is not an option. So I guess a French drain is the best option plus the bobcat