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. bigred77

    bigred77 Well-Known Member
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    That's an off road forklift, not a boom lift

    This is a boom lift

    [​IMG]
     
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  2. The Banks

    The Banks TMB's Alaskan
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    Add another name to the list.

    And that’s called a man lift around these parts.

    A scissor lift is called a scissor lift.
     
  3. bigred77

    bigred77 Well-Known Member
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    Skytrack is what most people around here refer to the off road forklift as
     
  4. Struggler

    Struggler Well-Known Member
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    These are fun days at work. Called a Knuckle Boom in N Cali. Used a 90’ boom lift to paint the steel beams of 101 California’s atrium twenty years ago. Fully extended the basket would sway 3-4’ if you moved.
     
  5. Funshot Residue

    Funshot Residue Mammoth Stabber
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    Here it's a Lull
     
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  6. Funshot Residue

    Funshot Residue Mammoth Stabber
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    19 year old me took a 120' stick straight up. I would say on a calm day it had 8 feet of lateral travel. Holy shit man.
     
  7. The Banks

    The Banks TMB's Alaskan
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    Was in a 180 genie lift this summer. Im not scared of heights but mother fuck that if theres a slight breeze.
     
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  8. goblue31602

    goblue31602 Well-Known Member
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    Reminds me of this video of a guy cutting a huge palm tree down.
     
  9. bigred77

    bigred77 Well-Known Member
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    Yea, I've never been afraid of heights at all. But being up in an 80' boom lift all the way extended and that several feet of sway each little movement makes my stomach turn
     
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  10. 49ers169

    49ers169 Administrator
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    Did they wind up migrating out? Recently was up in the attic the past month as we have some things stored up there. 4 weeks ago didn't see anything and then my wife was up there last week and noticed some type of droppings. The first thought it was mice but after doing some research came to the conclusion it was bats.

    Had a first contractor come out, because as you alluded to the guano is pretty dangerous. He quoted like $4,500 which just seems asinine. Our roof definitely has a lot of opportunities for them to get in so they would install a one-way door just to be sure, doesn't seem like they are hibernating as they weren't hanging, and seal all of the vulnerable spots to not allow any further entry. Additionally, do all the remediation work where the urine and poop are given the harmful bacteria that can come about. Getting a second and third option on Monday and Thursday of next week but doing other research may be the range we wind up paying with to do the full repair.

    The only hesitation both ways is we may sell sometime next year so not really wanting to drop a few thousand unnecessarily. However, if we don't seal it up they may just get back next summer, and then we could have inspection problems.

    Wife unsurprisingly just wants to drop the cash.
     
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  11. bigred77

    bigred77 Well-Known Member
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    I'm over here considering putting up a bat house to attract them
     
  12. Duck70

    Duck70 Let's just do it and be legends, man
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    Any tips for doing subway tile backsplash?
     
  13. comrade static

    comrade static i love french fries
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    Ive been contemplating the same for a couple of years now. I’m tired of getting eaten alive by skeeters in the summer
     
  14. Funshot Residue

    Funshot Residue Mammoth Stabber
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    Pick a size that doesn't leave a small rip at the top.
    Protect the countertops well.
    Mats go faster, but cutting receps is a PITA.
    Grouting behind the faucet can suck.
    Use termination trim (metal) at perimeter.
    Mastic over drywall is okay for "dry" locations.
    Leave a small joint at bottoms and inside corners for premium sealant.
    I like to start in the inside corners and work out, if applicable.
     
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  15. leroi

    leroi -
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    I have never purchased nor hung nor measured for a set of blinds in my life, and I'm about to do 11 of them

    The inside seems simple enough based on the fact that I can order them from Wayfair in 0.5-inch increments

    However I need some outdoor blinds/shades with variable sizes, though : 39; 53; 54; 87; 87; 83; 94 inches. Any ideas how to do this?
     
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  16. leroi

    leroi -
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    in other news
    -after calling 6 plumbers i found one that answers the phone, and i'm getting one of those tankless water heaters installed, probably a Rinnai

    -looking for the perfect cultivar of virginia juniper to block the neighbors house in the winter, if i could have one that looks just like this, I would, but a bunch of them look like this or this or this or this

    -i figured out where the water flows during a flash flood, which is step 1 of the long and brutal war i am waging against the mosquitos
     
    #25666 leroi, Nov 28, 2020
    Last edited: Nov 28, 2020
  17. Bruce Bowen

    Bruce Bowen Well-Known Member
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    Have recommended selectblinds.com before, they’re great. Ordered some early covid and shipping did take awhile.
     
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  18. goblue31602

    goblue31602 Well-Known Member
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    House update with a question. Apparently our water is going to be super hard. Has anyone installed a pelican whole home water filter with natural softener as opposed to just a straight up water softener? Trying to decide what to use once we move in which is scheduled for Dec 23rd. Apologies if the 2nd pic is sideways. No idea why.

    B7676BDE-DD9F-427C-A699-CB32392BD0D1.jpeg
    83361463-D696-4AF7-8B43-131F612662B1.jpeg
     
  19. fish

    fish Impossible, Germany
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    That's a lot of house. Gonna look great. Mind my asking what area of the country and a ballpark price?
     
  20. goblue31602

    goblue31602 Well-Known Member
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    Haha it is. My wife is a self described square footage whore. We're right at 4k Sq ft above ground. House is in suburban Cincinnati. Homes in this neighborhood sell for 550-800k with a few outliers above and below those numbers.
     
  21. IrishLAX2

    IrishLAX2 So you’re telling me there’s a chance
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    Love the coffered ceiling in the family room.

    About to start our build and want to do something similar in our dining room.
     
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  22. goblue31602

    goblue31602 Well-Known Member
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    The wife and I have always loved them. It wasn't a cheap upgrade but would have been more expensive had we done it later. Glad we just had it done with the house.
     
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  23. THF

    THF BITE THE NUTS, THUMB IN THE ASS!
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    Figured this could go here.

     
  24. NineteenNine

    NineteenNine Divers are, in fact, wankers. It's science.
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  25. Bruce Bowen

    Bruce Bowen Well-Known Member
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    Sure enough it was there and enabled. Good looking out.
     
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  26. goblue31602

    goblue31602 Well-Known Member
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  27. The Blackfish

    The Blackfish The Fish in Black
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    Joe Biden's socialist agenda strikes again!
     
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  28. Bruce Bowen

    Bruce Bowen Well-Known Member
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  29. Snakes

    Snakes clumsy interloper
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    Well, they showed back up a day or two later even with the light on so. So I sealed the whole thing up with mesh gutter guard. Just stapled them up there while they were out for their nightly hunt. That proved more challenging than expected because they don't really go out for long. They leave at dusk and are back in 45 minutes or so. That was in July and they haven't been back since.

    No way I would pay $4 grand to get them out. that's insane. I would get some wire mesh and staple over any entrance. then use bleach to clean up the guano.
     
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  30. theregionsitter

    theregionsitter Well-Known Member
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    The shortage of windows right now is fun, so many new build homes stuck in limbo because they can't get windows

    I guess black windows are even worse
     
  31. a.tramp

    a.tramp Insubordinate and churlish
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    Have been dealing with supply chain issues all summer.

    Me - “okay, will get that pool heater installed as soon as one is available, probably 4-6 weeks”

    Customer - “that is ridiculous, you told us it would be next day”

    Me - “that was last year when I bid to replace that piece of shit, this is this year with a global pandemic having shut down factories & warehouse”

    Customer - “What can I do to get one now?”

    Me - “hop in your time machine and not be a cheapass 12 months ago”
     
  32. theregionsitter

    theregionsitter Well-Known Member
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    Generac standby units are currently estimated to ship in April if your order today, that's with Generac running 3 shifts in Wisconsin. Just nuts

    Demand is just insane right now for anything to do with home improvement or new build construction
     
  33. Marbles

    Marbles Trudging the road to happy destiny
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    Gotta replace my water heater. Found a deal for a tankless water heater with 0% financing and 6 months no pay. I’m leaning more towards Egan instead of buying a tanked one and having my FIL helping me install it. Are tankless a good bet? I kind of feel like I’m paying for more not having to deal and feel indebted to him.
     
  34. goblue31602

    goblue31602 Well-Known Member
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    It delayed our framing a few weeks but I've heard way worse stories than that. Weird time to build, that's for sure.
     
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  35. WillySaliba

    WillySaliba Well-Known Member
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    We ordered one over the summer, I think late June. ETA is Feb as of right now.
     
  36. Beachy Toast

    Beachy Toast He wants you too, Malachi.
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    Thoughts on Ecobee vs Nest?
     
  37. bigred77

    bigred77 Well-Known Member
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    Ecobee
     
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  38. kentucky_dawg

    kentucky_dawg Fan of: Georgia
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    Ecobee if you want to integrate with Apple HomeKit, Nest if you want to integrate with Google's suite of products
     
  39. Snakes

    Snakes clumsy interloper
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    I would be interested in following this since my water heater looks to be close to my age.

    Seems like tankless is preferred in this thread. Though my mom's partner who has built several houses and generally very handy he thinks tankless is a waste of money unless it's a vacation house that isn't occupied very often.
     
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  40. buy_dont_lease

    buy_dont_lease Ha ha ha. What a story, Mark.
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    The ecosystem point (Google and Nest) is probably valid. I recently installed ecobee and am very happy, though it's early so I can't say much about energy savings. Room sensors are great and the app works very well. bigred77 has professional experience with HVAC so I trusted his prior recommendation of ecobee quite a bit.


    Having recently bought a house with two tankless heaters, it is very nice to have unlimited hot water. Especially if you have kids who take baths, etc. I was planning to convert the old house to tankless before we decided to move. Don't think I'd ever go back. I can't imagine the monthly expense is much different, though gas tankless ought to be a little cheaper than a gas tank. The install cost is higher and you may not recover it in energy savings, but I do think it adds resale value, so that's probably a wash too.
     
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  41. THF

    THF BITE THE NUTS, THUMB IN THE ASS!
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    Anyone repaired Christmas lights before? My wife has a tree she has had for years which have the lights pre-strung. It looks like the plug for the light has disintegrated and came off in pieces. Now I have two exposed leads and the top half of the tree lights are out.

    Any one ever just put a green wire nut (connector) on the leads and call it a day?
     
  42. Duck70

    Duck70 Let's just do it and be legends, man
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    Thanks for the tips. Unfortunately the boss already decided on a tile she liked so the rip is going to need to happen. I have a great tile saw though.

    Behind the sink wasn't too terrible, just back buttered those.
    With level horizontal lines, I realized my actual window was installed unlevel. Add it to the list for the reasons why I hate the previous owners.
    I should have cut more against the wall side so I don't have those sliver pieces next to the window, oh well
    Pro-tip: buy enough tile so you dont run out at 9pm on a sunday.

    IMG_8765.JPG

    Before
    Screen Shot 2016-05-29 at 7.01.25 PM.png
     
    #25692 Duck70, Nov 30, 2020
    Last edited: Nov 30, 2020
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  43. ButchCassidy

    ButchCassidy Well-Known Member
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    Looks way better. Really like your cabinets. The 3 colors look good together.
     
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  44. Duck70

    Duck70 Let's just do it and be legends, man
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    Thanks.

    Yeah we knew that if we wanted to get top dollar when we go to sell this house, he had to remodel the kitchen. We are about $10k into it at this point and I think it will net us $30-40k more when we go to sell.
     
  45. Funshot Residue

    Funshot Residue Mammoth Stabber
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    It's a shitshow. Just for a case in point, one of our suppliers is 80 houses behind on shingle orders, in one color of shingles alone.. Another, you ask? 2x6x16 is $32.75. This is a $15 stick of lumber, maybe less. And yet, I've never seen demand like there is right now. We're booked out through next June. I can't make sense of it, but am glad for the work.
     
  46. goblue31602

    goblue31602 Well-Known Member
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    Our exterior walls are 2x6. Asked our construction manager if they were feeling the burn from the lumber pricing and he just started laughing. Then shook his head and said it's outrageous.

    We bought in late June. By October if you wanted to buy our model, our base price went from 520 to 548k and it didn't include anything extra. :ohholkyfuck:
     
  47. Snakes

    Snakes clumsy interloper
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    I work in steel and we are experiencing a similar surge in pricing. It's not as drastic as lumber, but pricing has still jumped almost 30% on some products with limited demand. Basically it's a result of a supply shortage from the shutdowns last spring. It's finally caught up with the mills and there's a shortage. I would guess that is the reasoning behind the lumber as well.
     
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  48. Funshot Residue

    Funshot Residue Mammoth Stabber
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    7/16" OSB went up 300%. $7------->$29. I'd guess the average house has between 100 and 200 sheets. Bulk buyers probably got a small grace period, but that increase alone would screw your profit margin if you were under contract. Some of this is COVID related. OSB also fluctuates a lot with hurricanes, so we kinda got double dicked. Helluva year boys.
     
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  49. Chumbolone

    Chumbolone Wigglin’ my toes on a mink rug…
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    cherry picker
     
  50. dblplay1212

    dblplay1212 Well-Known Member
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    Update on this. We have a fridge and microwave, but that's it. Both sides are pointing fingers and I'm in the middle shrugging my shoulders. I've been l aid back and chill about but I'm fed up at this point. Sent this email earlier and copied every single person I've dealt with at the builder and then cc'd the owner, who I dealt with a little upfront. Just over it. This isn't my fucking job.

    Hey guys, hope y’all had a good holiday.

    We have First Coast Supply coming back out on Wednesday to try to install the range, steam oven, and dishwasher. I know some things still need to be adjusted for each of them to work though. Can we have the gas guy and an electrician there that morning and both sides can just figure it out? I really don’t like being in the middle of it. One side says this needs to get done, then the other side says that can’t be done, and I’m clueless in the middle and we’re going in circles. It’s just not what I do. I paid a lot for a custom builder and just want it done. We closed 21 days ago. We moved in 10 days ago. We still don’t have an oven. We only have a fridge bc I paid an electrician $300 to come on a Sunday and move the plug to the right spot. I had to pay another $500 to First Coast to install the items bc they thought you guys were installing them and didn’t charge me for it. I’m tired of eating fast food. If I knew it was all going to get dumped on me, I never would have agreed to pay for it all outside the mortgage. Please just get with them and get it worked out.


    Thanks.
     
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