Well TIL you’re not supposed to touch the halogen bulbs. I think Amazon lost a few cents on their shares when I replaced anything with halogen because I ordered frequently in bulk. Now I know I’m sitting here calculating what I’ve wasted in money because I never heard or read this in my life.
yeah hi bought our first home Aug 2020. It’s old asf. It’s drafty and the windows all suck. Wasn’t a big issue for me and bff but now we have a baby. i know the issue is likely windows and insulation but I want to be sure. I also don’t want to be ripped off (lmao). Curious about these energy efficiency home tests. anyway what do I do? Bonus points if you live in Westchester county NY
I couldn't find one in texas that wasn't from the seller of things (insulation company would say you need insulation, etc), but a lot of places have independent services that will let you just pay for their assessment. Some cities will even subsidize it. From my research, those indy groups are the way to go
I can’t find a subsidy (income based) but the few places I have called all charge crazy assessment fees. Need to do more research obviously.
I’m fully aware that I have no idea what the fuck I’m doing but when I was in a similar position this was my weapon.
Honestly mine was most effective when it was cold as shit here. Talking like near zero temps. Cold air just flows right in. I was able to identify a few easy fixes and a few not so easy fixes that I passed on.
follow-up post: replaced the 2 burnt out 60w halogen G9 with LED’s. good decision - easy install - light looks the same in the bathroom. related note: This week for the first time ever I purchased both light bulbs and fridge water/air filters on AMAZON, rather than the usual smaller online stores or local stores I’ve bought from in the past. And I actually subscribed to the easy “auto ship every 6 months” feature with the filters. Amazon continues to dominate.
That reminds me that my fridge uses some rfid tag in the filter so I can't use generics. They're $50 and it burns my butt so bad I get mad every time I think about it.
If you really want to get weird Also with old homes (especially in the MW and NE) they tended to use a framing technique in framing called balloon framing. Basically the house is framed so that between floors there isn't any wood (aka top plate) between floors in the outside walls that will stop cold air from a basement or crawlspace from reaching all the way up to your roofline. Basically, if you have a old home and a basement there is a possibility that the cold basement air is coming in through the walls into your living space. It would be best for you to figure out the source of your drafts and then address those. Last thing you want to do is spend $20k on new windows only to have it be something different entirely.
This is good learnings. Thanks dude. My goal is to find the source, not just slap wild bandaids everywhere.
Also some electric and gas utilities will do these assessments for free. In my area both the gas and electric utilities will do them and depending on situation pay/reimburse you for the fixes.
Anyone have an electric wood chipper? I see a bunch between $100-$200. I defiantly have enough brush and branches that I’d get good use out of it but was looking for any feedback. I have a sunjoe power washer that I like and was going to give this a shot. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Sun-Joe...Silent-Wood-Chipper-Shredder-CJ603E/304600750
Man I have never seen an electric wood chipper being used, but I would sure want to try one before buying it
Haven’t, but after hanging my living room tv twice I’d rather have somebody do it right the first time. Hung it too high, now it’s a little too low/close to our entertainment center. Also too many holes in the wall to hide the wires, lol.
New flooring has been delivered. Now I have to carry ~80 boxes from my garage to the basement. Annoying to spend $8k and it’s not a complete service.
I paid $300 for two TVs last year. I think that included some other stuff too though and it was supposed to be $125 a piece.
I am considering having a guy come install a plug behind the tv in both living areas and hide the wires. I mounted them myself but didn’t hide the wires and it bothers me every day.
Bought a new house recently with a decent sized yard (for a subdivision anyway) and a pretty big driveway. So, of course, the first thing I did was buy a used Deere lawn tractor and plow attachment from the local dealership that is probably way overkill for what I need. Spent this morning changing the oil, oil filter, air filter, fuel filter, and spark plugs. Meanwhile, there is an ice storm going on and it’s probably another month or so before I need to mow anything. I feel about 65 years old at the moment.
Congrats! It was mid 60s here yesterday and I thought about my mower. Then I did my perimeter walk this morning and saw a gaggle of weeds and got pissed. I’ll show them, but seriously like the first day/night it didn’t get below freezing and those fuckers are already back?
Having a polarized electrostatic air filter and UV sanitizer added to my HVAC system next Tuesday. I am excited. Going to circle back next year and add the HEPA filtration. Don’t tell me I am lighting money on fire.
I have a guy if you need it. Getting both UV (with ozone) and electrostatic filter installed for under $1500.
Contractors, what's a round estimate for tearing out and replacing 2,600 sq/ft of the roof, including underlayment, and ~25 joists? I realize it can vary widely, just trying to get a round figure. $20k? $30k? $40k?
This is worth it. Paying someone to mount it? Come on guys. Mounting it yourself (several times) while creating 8+ additional holes in the wall is part of the fun. TV hides it anyway so drill away! Actually mounted one in about 20 minutes this weekend with only two extra holes
I'm not trying to create a covered claim; just trying to get a round figure for estimated remodel purposes.
Welp, here is to moving and finding another house to live in a different town where there is 0 inventory! This will be fine.