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peanut posted:Our architect said that Japan just doesn't do insulation in internal walls. Idk is that a thing or what? Interior walls don't get insulated for seemingly obvious reasons (they aren't part of the building envelope). Or are you saying they don't insulate in voids of external walls, preferring to use rigid foam or other insulation outside of the structural elements?
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# ¿ Mar 29, 2016 14:37 |
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# ¿ Apr 28, 2024 21:51 |
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peanut posted:Japan has usually just used foam boards up to now but the younger generation of architects uses the fluffy stuff. I really love how these trends work. It's legit funny to me.
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# ¿ Mar 30, 2016 04:58 |
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peanut posted:Teach me about insulation, sempai~ (please) It's not so much that I'm saying one is better that the other (depends on the exact usage), it's that in this part of the US fiberglass is cheap and has been used for decades. The new hotness in ultra-efficient homes is to use lots foam board, which is quite a bit more expensive. Many use a hybrid approach of fiberglass (or similar) batts in the stud space with rigid foam outside under the insulation. Your comment makes it sound as if the opposite trend is happening in Japan now.
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# ¿ Apr 5, 2016 16:15 |
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Is labor that cheap that pump trucks aren't a thing there? Or is there some reason a pump truck wouldn't fit?
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# ¿ Apr 8, 2016 14:43 |
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Shampoo posted:Do you want to touch and use the cabinets after? I've never seen a painted cabinet that doesn't wear away to the color underneath in a few months. I painted my cabinets a couple years ago. No wear issues at all, including where they need to be repeatedly wiped down from hand prints. Paint staying where it's supposed to is 95% about prep work. Do a crappy job and it will turn out crappy.
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# ¿ Jun 24, 2016 22:37 |
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kid sinister posted:This much. That rules.
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# ¿ Aug 8, 2016 15:09 |
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Rnr posted:No pros around here wants to touch the stuff, what's your reasoning? Where are you that it's the case? It's fairly common around here (northeast US) and it's actually code in parts of Europe. This is not some new fangled thing. And to be clear, we're talking low-expansion foam....the proper thing to put windows and doors in with. It's far superior as an air barrier and similar in insulation in almost all cases to shoving in rock wool or whatever else.
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# ¿ Sep 16, 2016 02:16 |
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Rnr posted:I'm in Scandinavia. The workers I talked to cited its tendency to 1) damage structure with expansion and 2) to absorb and keep moisture and 3) make a big mess where ever it is used - it the easy amateurish solution according to them. I can't talk to what is better, or if they're right, but its not a fit for the scenario I am in, so I'm leaving in the wool. 1.) means they don't know what they're doing and used the wrong product 2.) means they don't know what they're talking about - it's far more closed cell than rock wool 3.) means they don't know how to apply the product (and/or refer back to #1) Either way, you did fine and what you installed will work fine just as it has for decades in other places. Just letting you know it's considered outdated in many places and by academics and professionals who study building performance and energy efficiency.
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# ¿ Sep 16, 2016 17:15 |
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Bibendum posted:the requirement for unmodified thinset complicates things a bit. That is the worst part about Kerdi. But drat it goes up quick and works really, really well.
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# ¿ Jan 6, 2017 21:19 |
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Wait......you put those straight on dirt? And how exactly do you plan to retain the sides?
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# ¿ Jan 30, 2017 02:42 |
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Omne posted:I've got a section of my very small lawn that previous owners used as a flower bed....except the flower bed contained a fire hydrant, water company line access cover, and a tree stump. This area is 4'x6' in size, so not huge. We want to remove all the old much and siding and just make it grass so it goes with the grass all around it. I've got a guy coming to do the stump removal, but I'm wondering what to do to get the grass growing. I'm in Memphis, TN, so zone 8 and I believe we are in a good time to put some down Fall is really the best time, but spring works too. It's such a small area there's just not going to be much to it. Find a local place preferably and bring in some of your grass. Like just grab a few pieces. Ask them to ID it and for enough seed to cover your area. Put it down as directed by the package and water the hell out of it every day for at least 4 days. A whole week is even better. It should germinate in a few days, and then just keep off of it and water it a couple times weekly if you aren't getting sufficient rain. You should be good to go in 4-6 weeks for your first mowing depending on temperature and variety.
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# ¿ Apr 12, 2017 22:41 |
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Assuming this is an exterior wall that was properly insulated the wall is now full of wet insulation. Or moldy insulation. It's a sheet of drywall and an afternoon. I'd suggest you do it right.
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# ¿ Aug 20, 2017 15:17 |
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Ghostnuke posted:You have to have a gently caress off huge compressor though, like one of those trailer mounted ones you see at construction sites lol, no you don't. I've been blowing out irrigation with a 20 gallon compressor for quite literally my entire adult life which includes a decade of professional landscaping. Just make up something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Winterize-Sp...ressor+air+hose Let the tank fill all the way, crank the air line open and let it go for a while. Once the steady stream of water is out close it, let the tank fill and crank it open with a full tank a few times until you get the all the water out of the low spots.
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# ¿ Oct 19, 2017 16:04 |
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Crotch Fruit posted:Assuming that's what he needs, here is a cheaper option: Menards $6 Well, that's like - one piece of it. And I should have been clear I don't actually think anyone should buy that overpriced one from Amazon - you can totally build that with a trip through the hardware store for 1/2 of what they are charging.
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# ¿ Oct 19, 2017 20:27 |
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Abel Wingnut posted:so i'm looking for a humidifier. i live in a loft in a converted brooklyn warehouse, and winters are so dry and i have a lot of musical instruments that i don't want to ruin. Every humidifier I've seen that isn't legit part of the HVAC system is a dumpster fire of poor performance and high maintenance. If anyone has any new ideas on this I'd be very interested to hear them.
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# ¿ Oct 23, 2017 00:16 |
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H110Hawk posted:Inspections and permits are there for your safety and land value. Make friends with your inspector and it will go a long way towards easy inspections. Many of you know I used to be code enforcement. H110Hawk's advice is absolutely, positively spot on no matter where you live. Start out with getting the right permits. Do good work. Call for inspections at the right times. You'll find that very soon you only get a cursory lookover if anything at all for most of the inspections if you consistently demonstrate up to code quality work on your own home. (You've got an open permit on commercial and/or life safety/fire protection stuff and you'll be getting inspected closely no matter what - but you'd be surprised how happy an inspector will be to just drop by if you have a question/want a pre-inspection before the official one to make things easier)
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# ¿ Dec 3, 2017 21:25 |
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Inspector 34 posted:I was more just thinking about things like moving a power outlet or other minor things like that Depends on jurisdiction. And if we're being honest.....even if yours requires a permit will anyone know? Probably not. Inspector 34 posted:I guess there are probably guidelines for what projects require permits and which ones don't and I assume that anything that requires a permit will need to be inspected. Of course there are. Go (in person) to your local municipality and talk to someone in general terms about what you want to do. They should be able to give you a good idea abotu what is permitted and what doesn't need to be. (if you can't see it happening from the outside and it doesn't materially change the dwelling nobody can do poo poo.......so don't ask your buddy who does electrical/construction/plumbing to help you if he's gonna park his marked van in your driveway that's visible from the street while it's happening)
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# ¿ Dec 3, 2017 23:12 |
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Subjunctive posted:If I have a variable-speed HVAC setup, how invasive is it to get multi-zone set up? There's a pretty big difference between basement and top floor, and I'm thinking about dealing with it. The answer depends entirely on your supply (and somewhat return) ducting setup. If everything is nice a separate right at or near the air handler (it won't be) the worst part of it will be running the wire for a the new zone's thermostat - which could be done with a wireless one. If instead you have one or more supply ducts going to the first floor with one or more of them continuing on to the second with no returns at all on the second floor (much more typical) it's gonna be a pain in the rear end.
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# ¿ Jun 13, 2018 17:33 |
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life is killing me posted:You mean fiber to take the place of ethernet? I'm not sure what you're suggesting. I don't know if their equipment is even set up to connect to fiber lines. Fiber is just another media that ethernet can be run over. And you can get media converters for one or both ends that converts it into copper UTP. The biggest benefits of that are lightning protection, followed by ground potential differences when making runs like that (ask me about the time I got electrocuted when the shielding of an STP came off of an 8-floor run when the back of my hand brushed against it).
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# ¿ Jun 13, 2018 17:36 |
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Sab0921 posted:Hah - how did you run your cables through? You're gonna need to make some test holes. Behind where the TV will be is a good spot. Also, you get to cheat if there is an outlet below that. Basically you need to figure out where there is a stud bay, and a stud finder ain't gonna help. If there is an outlet it's either to the right or left of the stud, so you PROBABLY have 16" between it. That's where you want to install your low volt rings for the cable brush plates or whatever you plan on using. I like these a lot: https://www.amazon.com/PowerBridge-...+extension+cord
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# ¿ Jun 25, 2018 02:50 |
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wandler20 posted:Been in my house for 6 years an all the sudden my garage fridge started tripping the GFI outlet in my garage. I ran an extension cord to my laundry room and it does the same thing to that circuit. Anyone know what might cause this? Compressor is hosed. I mean, sure....try to clean the coils and stuff. But the compressor is hosed.
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# ¿ Jul 12, 2018 02:17 |
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peanut posted:What's a good filler? A new plank.
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# ¿ Nov 1, 2018 00:51 |
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mutata posted:I have a shutoff valve inside, but it shuts off water to the whole house.. And yeah, I know I'm supposed to have it blown out, but ehhhhhh There is a shutoff valve for just the irrigation somewhere. You need to find it, or hire someone to do that while they blow out the lines. If you don't blow out the lines it will not work next year. If you don't find that valve and don't blow out the lines it's likely you will have a leak that requires you to turn off the water to your entire house. If you're not interested in maintaining the system have it winterized properly and just don't turn it on again next year. But maintaining it to this level for this year is simply not optional.
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# ¿ Nov 5, 2018 00:11 |
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That Works posted:Hi if this is not the right thread for my question could someone point me in the right direction? https://www.amazon.com/d/RV-Portabl...+fuel+generator That's got a knock off of a Honda motor in it. Some goon who I won't out here works for them in an engineering capacity. I have a gas only one and it works great. I would not choose this for an off the grid/construction site. But for an occasional power outage it's fine. Last time I had to use it I was out of power for 3 days, and it was shut down when we went to sleep and for refueling......and that one time when I hit the hours for an oil change (yes, you should do this if you want your stuff to last). Still running great.
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# ¿ Nov 5, 2018 16:09 |
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Baronash posted:Has anyone done a deep clean of a barn? My work just acquired an old storage barn, and I’m trying to carve out some space for a workbench inside of it. I deal with moderate dust, mold, and hay allergies, and currently the barn is a pretty lovely place to be for more than 20 minutes. I’d like to clean it out, but I don’t even know where to begin on something this size. Barn are covered in dust everywhere. Pressure washing, etc is going to be the only reasonable solution, and it's going to come right back if it has dirt floors or is used for barn things like hay or straw. The standard "clean room in a barn" thing around here is to literally build a room inside the barn, potentially with an entryway from the outside if it's really filthy/you need the room really clean. We did this for a lab in a circa 1700s barn that was being used for "collection" (racehorse spunk).
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# ¿ Nov 6, 2018 15:55 |
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keep it down up there! posted:My shower faucets been leaking a bit while turned off. Through the spout so no risk of damage, just wasting water. Find the brand name and/or model on your valve, or match it up online. Could be very easy, could be moderately difficult depending. A lot of them have a drop in cartridge these days and they're pretty simple.
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# ¿ Nov 9, 2018 20:32 |
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keep it down up there! posted:It went well! If anyone cares. In the realm of "things that could go wrong" you done good. Congrats. You are now a more qualified plumber than most handymen you'll find on craigslist.
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# ¿ Nov 12, 2018 02:21 |
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just another posted:
The contractor is right. No part of that aside from the roof looks salvageable. As soon as you start disassembling you're going to find a lot more problems and end up having to demo the whole thing. So you may as well start out knowing that.
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# ¿ Nov 21, 2018 16:25 |
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just another posted:In terms of bracing the roof, does that make sense or is there a better way I haven't found/thought of? It depends on the soil, the weather, how long it's going to be like that, the construction of the roof itself........ They will need to be attached to the roof structure very well and in a structurally appropriate place after the roofing structure has been thoroughly inspected and found to be sufficient. With the condition that place appears to be in I would not suggest doing this yourself with nothing more than internet advice.
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# ¿ Nov 21, 2018 19:33 |
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just another posted:ugh just enable me please No. I'd prefer you don't end up hurt and/or with the front of your house ripped off. Secondary concerns are starting a project you aren't equipped to finish.
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# ¿ Nov 22, 2018 01:16 |
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willroc7 posted:I hope that doesn't get below 40F or you shouldn't be storing summer rubber in there. That's only a thing with super soft high performance summers.
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# ¿ Nov 22, 2018 19:02 |
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willroc7 posted:Well he said summer tires. Is there even such a thing as non super soft summers? Every summer tire I've owned has explicitly said to avoid storing it under 40F. Yes, there is. Non extreme-performance summer tires that are made more for length of wear than stickiness. Those are just called "tires" in the south/other areas where it's warm all year around. The manufacturer will tell you about storage and/or driving temperatures for the particular tire.
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# ¿ Nov 23, 2018 16:49 |
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wandler20 posted:Anyone familiar with Aprilaire humidifiers? I have one installed (600 series I believe). I'm not very satisfied, I recently installed a Nest thermostat so I'm finally getting a reading and I can't get my house above 30%. Any suggestions? They are pretty top notch units. You already got good advice, but to restate some of it in a different way: your unit, if it it running properly, is undersized. This is very common. You can decrease the load factor (air sealing) or increase the unit size. Or some of both.
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# ¿ Nov 29, 2018 23:46 |
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wandler20 posted:I'll look into a bigger unit. I had it professionally installed so you'd think they would know what size I'd need but apparently not. They could know that, but it takes actual work and testing. Manual J, manual S plus a door fan test. No one actually does this in residential. But they should.
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# ¿ Dec 1, 2018 22:28 |
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Ghostnuke posted:Yeah, my Bosch is fuckin sweet. It actually has a laser it shines on the floor so you know it's running. What a simple solution to this stupid "no visible buttons" trend. I need that.
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# ¿ Dec 5, 2018 16:21 |
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Sir Lemming posted:Does anyone have tips/experience regarding drafty double French doors? Last year around this time we put duct tape over the cracks (mostly the middle, but also some on the sides) and that made a noticeable difference, especially to our thermostat. Over the summer we had someone come and adjust the doors a little -- they were slightly crooked and didn't press up against the middle bar properly, to the point where you could actually see daylight. He also replaced the weather stripping. Of course, the middle bar can only be weather-stripped so much -- it does have some, but it's hard to see how it could really be made air tight. Let's start with what you mean by "double french doors". Are you talking about two doors that close in the middle, or are you talking about something like this with more points of movement/closure: And in any case, without pictures the real answer if you want to keep the doors operational and airtight is likely to be "replace them." Pictures would help.
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# ¿ Dec 9, 2018 03:57 |
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Sir Lemming posted:Sorry, thought that was a less ambiguous term. It's these guys: So "french doors". Are they level? As in, is the gap between the two doors the same size all the way from top to bottom? You said they were already "adjusted" once. If they are level, is the gap excessive (i.e., are the doors too far apart)? Is the "bar" you are talking about like this? As in, it's attached to the exterior of one of the doors? If not, that isn't an exterior door. In the end, the fact that they have a couple of slide bolts installed and you've already had someone presumably halfway competent to adjust them and attempt to weather strip again indicates they are past their prime and due for replacement.
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# ¿ Dec 12, 2018 19:10 |
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couldcareless posted:Are there any smart outside soffit LED systems out there? Or is my best bet to get some regular fixtures installed and spring for some hue or other smart bulbs that are outdoor rated? Why would you want "smart" individual bulbs for soffit lighting. I'm just being really judgy here, but have you heard of structural electrical wiring? You can even run that to a zwave compatible switch if you want to control it with home automation. I'm not sure in what circumstance you would need to individually change the color temperature of your soffit lights on the fly from your smartphone.
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# ¿ Jan 10, 2019 03:15 |
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Javid posted:I'm in an apartment Do you own the apartment? If not the answer is to call your landlord or property management.
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# ¿ Feb 2, 2019 05:26 |
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# ¿ Apr 28, 2024 21:51 |
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extravadanza posted:
Not optimal to have the pipe exposed, but painted wall color it's barely noticeable. And TOTALLY worth it to have a real vent. Good job. Nice looking hood too. Zephyr?
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# ¿ Feb 3, 2019 18:04 |