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Post by Pedantic Editor Type on Jul 31, 2019 10:20:49 GMT -5
Diagnosis: bad capacitor. Easy fix, $200 with labor. It's lovely outside today but we have our working AC back, whoohoo.
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Post by Dr. Rumak on Aug 7, 2019 21:13:54 GMT -5
We finally have a working overhead light and fan in our master bedroom. There was no power to the box that was there, so we had to have an electrician come fix that. Well worth the $100. For some reason, that means the switch that controlled one of the outlets no longer does (the outlet is instead permanently on, which is fine).
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Post by Pedantic Editor Type on Aug 8, 2019 8:05:56 GMT -5
A few years ago a lightning strike nearby killed our TV and PlayStation and did something wonky to our garage door opener, so it still works, but the light doesn't come on. Someday we'll just replace the whole opener, but in the meantime, I replaced the separate overhead light in our garage with a motion-sensor bulb. It's worked fairly well as a stop-gap but I noticed it wasn't coming on the other night even after I waved my arms around like a loony.
So, I went searching on Amazon and found a reasonably priced two-pack of LED bulbs with motion sensors, which will be delivered today.
Naturally, this morning I walked into the garage and the light came on.
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Post by ganews on Aug 9, 2019 8:35:34 GMT -5
I have been unhappy with the basement for so long. It's been 6 months since we had the new French drains laid and I tacked the carpet back down, and I'm only now collecting quotes to get the drywall fixed. I didn't want to pay to paint it, but the contractor we like best is pretty adamant and his bid is still under the others, so I've found myself thinking, "Good point, I *am* ready to be done with this crap."
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Post by Pedantic Editor Type on Aug 26, 2019 9:53:32 GMT -5
Today in adulting, I made an appointment to have a guy come look at our front door and give us a quote to replace it. Our house is 25 years old, the door is also 25 years old, the weather stripping is partly gone so it's drafty, the latch sticks, it just kinda sucks and we need to replace it.
And I got a rec from my FIL, because the guy knows a guy for everything, and then dropped his name. The door company guy told me they "take care" of friends and family, so if this goes well maybe we'll have them do more down the road.
(My FIL owns a glass and shower door company so he is known in that area and also makes friends with everyone.)
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Post by ganews on Aug 26, 2019 10:13:34 GMT -5
Today in adulting, I made an appointment to have a guy come look at our front door and give us a quote to replace it. Our house is 25 years old, the door is also 25 years old, the weather stripping is partly gone so it's drafty, the latch sticks, it just kinda sucks and we need to replace it. And I got a rec from my FIL, because the guy knows a guy for everything, and then dropped his name. The door company guy told me they "take care" of friends and family, so if this goes well maybe we'll have them do more down the road. (My FIL owns a glass and shower door company so he is known in that area and also makes friends with everyone.) This is on my list too, let me know what your quote is. |
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Post by Pedantic Editor Type on Aug 26, 2019 10:18:52 GMT -5
Today in adulting, I made an appointment to have a guy come look at our front door and give us a quote to replace it. Our house is 25 years old, the door is also 25 years old, the weather stripping is partly gone so it's drafty, the latch sticks, it just kinda sucks and we need to replace it. And I got a rec from my FIL, because the guy knows a guy for everything, and then dropped his name. The door company guy told me they "take care" of friends and family, so if this goes well maybe we'll have them do more down the road. (My FIL owns a glass and shower door company so he is known in that area and also makes friends with everyone.) This is on my list too, let me know what your quote is. Will do. It's funny, a rough estimate online is anywhere from $600-$1000, one of my coworkers said hers was $3k -- but then she noted that they had a side window that also needed to be dealt with so it counted as custom. Ours is very basic, and has to match everyone else in the HOA, so I'm hoping it's on the lower end of that. |
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Post by Pedantic Editor Type on Aug 31, 2019 11:10:27 GMT -5
ganews so the door guy was just here, a higher quality (but not, like, burglar proof) door with install and everything will run us about $2200. A bit more than I expected but he said it’s a great door with a lifetime warranty whereas a big box version is likely to warp within 6-7 years. Also he’s giving us a bit of a discount.
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Baron von Costume
TI Forumite
Like an iron maiden made of pillows... the punishment is decadence!
Posts: 4,684 
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Post by Baron von Costume on Sept 4, 2019 16:06:17 GMT -5
I need to replace both my doors and ugh, the thought of paying that much * 2 is galling even if I can throw them on a hydro loan.
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Post by ganews on Sept 24, 2019 21:33:02 GMT -5
It's 10:30 on a Tuesday night now, and one of the houses one street over is still blasting music for the backyard kiddie party. I wouldn't call the city until midnight in any event, but I actually do have to be up quite early to catch a train, I was inspired to look up the town's noise ordinance. Ah here it is in the online town code, written for 10 pm to 7 am...hm, right next the prohibition against spitting in public.
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Trurl
Shoutbox Elitist 
Posts: 7,699
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Post by Trurl on Sept 30, 2019 18:20:06 GMT -5
It's 10:30 on a Tuesday night now, and one of the houses one street over is still blasting music for the backyard kiddie party. I wouldn't call the city until midnight in any event, but I actually do have to be up quite early to catch a train, I was inspired to look up the town's noise ordinance. Ah here it is in the online town code, written for 10 pm to 7 am...hm, right next the prohibition against spitting in public. Is it illegal to put squirrels down your pants for the purposes of gambling? |
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Baron von Costume
TI Forumite
Like an iron maiden made of pillows... the punishment is decadence!
Posts: 4,684
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Post by Baron von Costume on Oct 1, 2019 14:59:27 GMT -5
Small leak in my front windowframe (I think coming through a shingle and down under the siding. Frustrating but it's the one flat roofed portion of the house, guess I'd better get up there with some tar and see if that solves it.
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Post by Pedantic Editor Type on Oct 2, 2019 20:31:34 GMT -5
Argh can’t get the old water filter out of the fridge. Also suspect that’s what we get for using the knockoff version, but damn the Samsung ones are $$$. Not that it matters if we can’t get the old one out.
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Post by Dr. Rumak on Oct 4, 2019 8:30:31 GMT -5
Argh can’t get the old water filter out of the fridge. Also suspect that’s what we get for using the knockoff version, but damn the Samsung ones are $$$. Not that it matters if we can’t get the old one out. We paid a repair person to come remove one from the fridge in our old house before we moved out. Same issue, I guess, as it was a knockoff version. |
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Post by Pedantic Editor Type on Oct 4, 2019 8:56:30 GMT -5
Argh can’t get the old water filter out of the fridge. Also suspect that’s what we get for using the knockoff version, but damn the Samsung ones are $$$. Not that it matters if we can’t get the old one out. We paid a repair person to come remove one from the fridge in our old house before we moved out. Same issue, I guess, as it was a knockoff version. It's weird because when we bought the fridge we got two extra filters, and of course those were no problem, then we bought the knockoffs and I swear the first few replacements were no problem. The one that's currently in there, I did have some trouble getting to stay in, but my husband eventually got it. Now I kinda wonder if something got jammed in there or ... who knows. I'm gonna try a few more things but I suspect it ain't coming out. |
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Baron von Costume
TI Forumite
Like an iron maiden made of pillows... the punishment is decadence!
Posts: 4,684
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Post by Baron von Costume on Oct 18, 2019 15:36:59 GMT -5
So I sealed the crap out of my front roof that seems to have infrequently leaking (I'm actually not convinced it isn't the window edge sealing under the siding, but the roof needed the TLC anyway.) Subquently we got 2 feet of snow last friday that has completely melted away by the way and no sign of leakage so... yay me and my way overkill roof tarring?
At whatever point I get the main roof redone I'd like to spend a bit extra and get this tiny section over the front of the house (originally a porch converted probably 50y ago) slanted a bit better but as a stopgap I am a happy camper.
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Post by Floyd Dinnertime Barber on Nov 7, 2019 22:25:20 GMT -5
I know it's a little late for Halloween, but come sit around the campfire and I'll tell you a homeowner horror story that will give you nightmares for weeks.
I have been dealing with my present insurance agent for maybe 25 years now. Auto, business liability, workman's comp, homeowners, and farm insurance, they have handled it all, searching out the best available deals on the coverage we need, and when we needed them after a fire, they stood by us all the way, even when the company that issued that policy tried to screw us. Our policies are set up to automatically renew unless we or the carrier requested changes, and to be paid by automatic withdraw, so we rarely had to deal with paperwork, and we didn't have to worry about missing a payment (this is important).
So, a couple of days ago my dear wife called the agency to ask a question about our farm coverage, which has our farmhouse listed (my other location and building, my former home, office, and warehouse is covered bundled with my general business and liability insurance policy). The agent she spoke with said they would need to check with an underwriter for clarification. No problem, they would call us the next day. That day came and went with no callback, so the following day, she called the agency again. The person she spoke to then looked our coverage up. Then they said:
"We show no coverage on the house and property, only vehicle insurance." "Wait, which property isn't showing coverage?" she asked. "Neither is showing coverage at this time." was the reply. "Well, when did the coverage lapse?" she asked, feeling the rage and panic welling up.
"Errr...you haven't been covered since twenty-thirteen."
I wasn't present when this phone conversation took place, and I don't know exactly what dear wife said, but I know it wasn't pleasant. My reaction upon hearing this was:
"Jesus fucking Christ, you mean we haven't had insurance in six fucking years? ? How the fuck did this happen??"
We met with our agent today. He was visibly shaken and apologized profusely. He had looked up the records, and apparently when our home and farm policies were up for renewal in 2013, the insurer sent some questions for us to answer before issuing the policy. Either those questions weren't forwarded to us, or we got them, forgot them, and never replied. It could be either case. Either way, somebody dropped the ball. The policies were never renewed, and nobody noticed. For six years.
Our (still, for the moment, anyway) agent had written and bound coverage, effective yesterday. He is getting current quotes for us. In the meantime, we have met with other agents, and are getting other quotes. We will look over all quotes when we get them, and will decide on our coverage ongoing. Till then, we are covered, but not committed to a contract. If we go with another agent, and don't have to file any claims, we won't be charged.
I like our agent. He didn't try to bullshit us or dodge the issue, and he took immediate action to restore our coverage. If his quote is competitive, we will likely stay with that agency, but if not, we will go elsewhere, no hard feelings.
This has been a gut twisting nightmare. My worst fear as a homeowner is getting screwed by an insurance company in case of a claim, and and then I find out that at any time in the last six years, had we tried to file a claim, we would have discovered that we were just SOL. The dubious upside of not having made any payments all those years doesn't begin to balance out the ongoing existential horror of knowing that at any moment during that time, we could have been wiped out.
Check your coverage.
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Post by Pedantic Editor Type on Nov 8, 2019 23:20:03 GMT -5
I’m kind of irritated, we planned our door replacement in early sept., the guy said 4-6 weeks, it’s been 10 and no new door nor is it scheduled. And because our weather is stupid it’s gonna be in the teens next week. I fear it may be too late and I really wanted it done before winter.
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Post by ganews on Nov 9, 2019 15:27:03 GMT -5
One consequence of the water seepage we had repaired last winter was that it got into two bi-fold sliding closet doors in the basement, discoloring them and swelling them around the cheap Masonite so they are difficult to close. (Also I had to repair the mount base of the one by the wall where it got taken out in the cut-open slab.) These things cost about $100 from Home Depot, so that's pretty annoying.
Then about two months ago, Wifemate and I finally got around to checking out the Community Forklift, a warehouse in the area that is essentially a thrift store version of a home supply store. You can get loose lumber, old tools, half cans of paint, some very nice reclaimed wood interior, tile, appliances, everything. Well in October they were having a sale on doors, so a few weeks ago I went over with my tape measure and found two dusty bi-fold doors in otherwise good condition for $25 total, not bad.
Today I finally go to put the doors on the sliding tracks and damned if they aren't a half-inch too long. And then god-damned if they aren't the proper size after all - all the bi-fold doors upstairs are the standard 79" length. It's just the 5 bi-fold doors in the basement at 78.5". A standard 79" door literally wouldn't fit in a basement closet frame. I don't know how the hell the person who finished my basement made needlessly short closet cuts, or where they found factory-made 78.5" bi-fold doors, but I sure was cursing them as I hand-sawed 0.5" lengths of the bottoms of my new doors. At least it's done now. I would have been even more pissed if I had bought new doors that mad to be modified instead of a thrift store bargain.
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Post by Pedantic Editor Type on Nov 24, 2019 19:40:17 GMT -5
Good news: door is in early and ready to install. Bad news: the guy randomly texted me this afternoon to ask if tomorrow would work to install. I need advanced notice, dude, we both work! I suggested Saturday or next Monday (I already have it off) and he said he’d have to get back to me... also the dude’s texting skills are crap. Is it so hard to schedule this a week or two in advance?
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Post by ganews on Nov 24, 2019 20:39:08 GMT -5
Good news: door is in early and ready to install. Bad news: the guy randomly texted me this afternoon to ask if tomorrow would work to install. I need advanced notice, dude, we both work! I suggested Saturday or next Monday (I already have it off) and he said he’d have to get back to me... also the dude’s texting skills are crap. Is it so hard to schedule this a week or two in advance? Based on my experience texting contractors, the answer is yes. They are no better at texting than anyone else, either. |
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Post by Floyd Dinnertime Barber on Nov 26, 2019 18:40:22 GMT -5
Our dryer stopped heating last summer. I replaced the heating element, and it ran about five minutes and died again. Our washer crapped out last week, and the fridge is on its last legs. So, we took advantage of Black Friday sales and bought major appliances. New ones. At retail. They will be delivered over the next couple of weeks.
This is uncharted territory for me. I don't think I've ever bought a new major appliance in my life.
We've been cleaning out the basement to make room for these and for the new wood burning furnace. We got all the old stuff out and stored or hauled away yesterday. That was a long day.
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Post by Pedantic Editor Type on Nov 30, 2019 16:47:16 GMT -5
Now the door guy can come this Monday. Of course I need to transfer money to checking to pay for it and that’ll take 3 days so uh I hope he’ll accept a post dated check cause otherwise it’ll basically wipe out our checking account temporarily.
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Post by Pedantic Editor Type on Dec 2, 2019 13:41:14 GMT -5
The door guy is here. The old door and frame are gone. New door frame currently going in. It’s thankfully fairly mild today for December but there is indeed plenty of cold air coming in.
update: the door is in, it’s a lovely shade of blue... but the old door was tan and the HOA said it has to be the same color. So I emailed the service manager, hopefully we can get this fixed soon. Oh and we need privacy clings at least because it’s a six-pane glass top.
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Post by Pedantic Editor Type on Dec 3, 2019 11:26:32 GMT -5
I emailed our property manager guy to let the HOA board know about the snafu and that we would get it fixed.
Actual emails between us:
ME:
We got our replacement front door installed today per the approval we received in October. Unfortunately there was a mixup and the door is currently light blue instead of the tan the old door was. I wanted you to be aware that we know this is the incorrect color and we are working with Excel to get it painted. We appreciate the board's patience, especially over the busy holiday season.
HIM:
Thank you for the notice, we will pass it along to the Board. Please note that the doors must all match in the building, so if all the other units have blue doors, you must also have a blue door.
ME:
Thank you -- Yes, our building neighbors have tan doors and our old door was tan, but as I said, there was a mixup and a blue door was installed. We will correct it as soon as possible.
HIM:
Ok thank you then your door, will need to be tan, there is no need for additional approval for the door.
YES I KNOW IT HAS TO BE TAN THAT'S WHY I EMAILED YOU
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Post by nowimnothing on Dec 3, 2019 12:31:19 GMT -5
I emailed our property manager guy to let the HOA board know about the snafu and that we would get it fixed. Actual emails between us: ME: We got our replacement front door installed today per the approval we received in October. Unfortunately there was a mixup and the door is currently light blue instead of the tan the old door was. I wanted you to be aware that we know this is the incorrect color and we are working with Excel to get it painted. We appreciate the board's patience, especially over the busy holiday season. HIM: Thank you for the notice, we will pass it along to the Board. Please note that the doors must all match in the building, so if all the other units have blue doors, you must also have a blue door. ME: Thank you -- Yes, our building neighbors have tan doors and our old door was tan, but as I said, there was a mixup and a blue door was installed. We will correct it as soon as possible. HIM: Ok thank you then your door, will need to be tan, there is no need for additional approval for the door. YES I KNOW IT HAS TO BE TAN THAT'S WHY I EMAILED YOU I probably hate your HOA more than you do just based on your comments about them. I got lucky with our last (and first HOA) in that it was only $90/year and they really didn't care about much. The existence of a HOA will probably automatically disqualify any future houses we look to buy. In the meantime, I may paint some polka dots on my house just because I can. |
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Post by Pedantic Editor Type on Dec 3, 2019 12:56:56 GMT -5
I emailed our property manager guy to let the HOA board know about the snafu and that we would get it fixed. Actual emails between us: ME: We got our replacement front door installed today per the approval we received in October. Unfortunately there was a mixup and the door is currently light blue instead of the tan the old door was. I wanted you to be aware that we know this is the incorrect color and we are working with Excel to get it painted. We appreciate the board's patience, especially over the busy holiday season. HIM: Thank you for the notice, we will pass it along to the Board. Please note that the doors must all match in the building, so if all the other units have blue doors, you must also have a blue door. ME: Thank you -- Yes, our building neighbors have tan doors and our old door was tan, but as I said, there was a mixup and a blue door was installed. We will correct it as soon as possible. HIM: Ok thank you then your door, will need to be tan, there is no need for additional approval for the door. YES I KNOW IT HAS TO BE TAN THAT'S WHY I EMAILED YOU I probably hate your HOA more than you do just based on your comments about them. I got lucky with our last (and first HOA) in that it was only $90/year and they really didn't care about much. The existence of a HOA will probably automatically disqualify any future houses we look to buy. In the meantime, I may paint some polka dots on my house just because I can. Honestly, the benefits outweigh the inconveniences most of the time - they cover all exterior maintenance (landscaping, lawn mowing, snow removal), they replaced our driveway this year and our roof last year, and our homeowners insurance costs are really low because they have a policy for exterior damage. This isn't even that big of a deal, just the hassle of getting the door painted. The only thing I've ever been truly aggravated about is a whole Thing about a loose cable running alongside our house last year that they tried to fine us for, but I fought back long enough they eventually dropped it. If it were just for vanity and aggravation I'd likely feel different, I know a lot of HOAs can be a giant pain in the ass, but it's worth it at this point. |
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Post by Dr. Rumak on Dec 3, 2019 21:00:42 GMT -5
I probably hate your HOA more than you do just based on your comments about them. I got lucky with our last (and first HOA) in that it was only $90/year and they really didn't care about much. The existence of a HOA will probably automatically disqualify any future houses we look to buy. In the meantime, I may paint some polka dots on my house just because I can. My in-laws lived next to a house whose owners had painted a giant mural of the Dolphin's logo on it. |
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Post by ganews on Dec 6, 2019 14:24:54 GMT -5
After scouring listicles reviewing the ability of vacuum models to pick up long hair, I finally made a purchase. I tested it last night and am so happy now.
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Post by Dr. Rumak on Dec 13, 2019 13:28:49 GMT -5
Our Christmas lights/decorations must have tripped a breaker, and none of our outside outlets work now, and neither does our garage door opener. There must be an outlet with a GFCI breaker on the outlet itself that we cannot find, because the breaker is not off at the breaker box. Undoubtedly its in the garage hidden behind tons of stuff. I need an outlet detector, but alas, googling “electrical outlet detector” returns only testers, and those would only help if I knew where the outlet was.
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? How the fuck did this happen?