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Post by Pedantic Editor Type on Jul 1, 2020 10:09:34 GMT -5
Stupid door updates: Got a call from a guy who wants to come paint the door. Only we don't know exactly what color it should be. Apparently "beige" isn't quite good enough. The HOA service manager is looking into it, I guess? If that doesn't work I'll just take a photo of a neighbor's door and compare it to Benjamin Williams paint samples or something  So then I contacted the door company (the painter is a separate contractor) to ask if the glass replacement was still happening and why the door is a little crooked and they said they'd talk to the door manufacturer (?!) and get back to me so ... who knows, I might hear something in another month. |
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Post by Pedantic Editor Type on Jul 8, 2020 14:59:11 GMT -5
In theory a guy is coming out soon to take a look at the crooked door and see what might be wrong, and they'll get the door all fixed up. I'll eagerly await his call.
Meanwhile the HOA is still trying to figure out if anyone knows exactly what shade of cream/beige/off-white/tan it should be painted.
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Post by Floyd Dinnertime Barber on Jul 9, 2020 0:17:27 GMT -5
In theory a guy is coming out soon to take a look at the crooked door and see what might be wrong, and they'll get the door all fixed up. I'll eagerly await his call. Meanwhile the HOA is still trying to figure out if anyone knows exactly what shade of cream/beige/off-white/tan it should be painted. I have made piece with the fact that living in the boonies half an hour from anywhere means I'll probably be deader than a hammer before the ambulance arrives if I ever have a heart attack, but I am comforted by the fact that I don't have to consult anybody but Mrs Floyd as to what color to paint the door.  |
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Post by Pedantic Editor Type on Jul 9, 2020 7:23:34 GMT -5
In theory a guy is coming out soon to take a look at the crooked door and see what might be wrong, and they'll get the door all fixed up. I'll eagerly await his call. Meanwhile the HOA is still trying to figure out if anyone knows exactly what shade of cream/beige/off-white/tan it should be painted. I have made piece with the fact that living in the boonies half an hour from anywhere means I'll probably be deader than a hammer before the ambulance arrives if I ever have a heart attack, but I am comforted by the fact that I don't have to consult anybody but Mrs Floyd as to what color to paint the door. My biggest takeaway from all of this is that I should have just pretended I somehow didn't notice the door was the wrong color, because the HOA might never have noticed if I hadn't said something. Honestly, they do not have their shit together. That said, the door /is/ crooked and does need to be fixed, so... |
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Post by Floyd Dinnertime Barber on Jul 12, 2020 0:11:48 GMT -5
We spent the last week cleaning out as much of the basement as possible.
We have an outfit coming next week to jackhammer up part of the basement floor, drill holes in the walls, and install braces, drains, and a new sump pump system, with the goals of not only keeping the basement walls (and ultimately the entire house) from collapsing, but also of making the basement dry again.
Whee!
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Post by Gumbercules' Jugband Christmas on Jul 15, 2020 6:34:47 GMT -5
Anyone know the general cost of replacing fascia boards, without needing any roof repair? We had the gutters cleaned on Monday. They notified us that one of the boards is just completely rotted away and there's squirrels nesting there. I had a roofer come by and give us a quote yesterday but he said they don't just do fascia boards; it would be done along with a roof, and our roof is in good shape for at least another 5 years, so he doesn't recommend using his services. Not sure who to call (we contacted a siding company, but we may just be looking for a carpenter).
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Post by Dr. Rumak on Jul 15, 2020 8:35:15 GMT -5
Anyone know the general cost of replacing fascia boards, without needing any roof repair? We had the gutters cleaned on Monday. They notified us that one of the boards is just completely rotted away and there's squirrels nesting there. I had a roofer come by and give us a quote yesterday but he said they don't just do fascia boards; it would be done along with a roof, and our roof is in good shape for at least another 5 years, so he doesn't recommend using his services. Not sure who to call (we contacted a siding company, but we may just be looking for a carpenter). At our previous-previous house, I had mine done by a house painter, but I don't remember the specific cost. We had all the fascia boards painted at the same time, and they fixed the ones the squirrels ate through. I do remember that the actual painter was cheaper than the handyman we also got a quote from. |
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Post by Pedantic Editor Type on Jul 15, 2020 9:56:01 GMT -5
The Door Saga continues, but in the meantime, we have a plumber coming tomorrow to go over new toilet options, so we can just get replacing our two main toilets over with. (We have two full bathrooms and a powder room, but the second full bath/guest bath doesn't get used much, so not much need to replace that one.)
It feels like by the time we eventually move out of this place we'll have replaced all of the fairly boring stuff (appliances, door, roof, hvac, etc) and none of the shiny things like countertops or floors. (I really really want new flooring, especially in our kitchen/front entry way, but it's purely cosmetic so it keeps getting shuttled off...)
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Post by Floyd Dinnertime Barber on Jul 15, 2020 22:28:18 GMT -5
Once again, I spent half an hour typing a detailed post, only to lose it when I looked back to see which board it was going on so I knew how many obscenities I could include.
They worked on the basement today. They will work on the basement again tomorrow. It was noisy and dusty and expensive. Nerves are frayed. I keep telling myself it's all worth it. It is worth it. It has to be. Dry basement. Walls not cave in. Worth it.
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Post by Pedantic Editor Type on Jul 16, 2020 11:18:57 GMT -5
The Whole Front Door Thing has been close to a year in the running with an end vaguely in sight.
Meanwhile, while we've discussed replacing two toilets for awhile, we made the decision a couple days ago, got the guy out today to look things over and finalize the quote, and barring some disaster will have two new toilets installed next Wednesday. Shiny.
The plumber who came out was very friendly, polite, talkative and futzed with his mask a medium amount (he pulled it down to his chin once, for a minute or so, then put it back). But mostly he wore it properly. And we wore ours while he was in the house.
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Post by Floyd Dinnertime Barber on Jul 18, 2020 18:02:30 GMT -5
The raccoon is out of the basement.* A local wildlife removal specialist was just here. He only had to tear out part of the bathroom wall.
* This isn't code for our friends in occupied territories, even though it sounds like it. "John has a long beard. The chair is against the wall, The raccoon is out of the basement. "
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Post by Pedantic Editor Type on Jul 22, 2020 13:23:14 GMT -5
We now have two new toilets installed and a plumber who was very friendly and would just love to install some new faucets for us. (To be fair, the bathroom faucets do look pretty dated, and our kitchen faucet has been on our list to replace for years, we even bought a new one ... which we can't install ourselves.)
And yeah, it wasn't cheap, but to me it was worth it to have someone who knew exactly what they were doing and has a warranty on everything behind it.
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Post by Pedantic Editor Type on Jul 25, 2020 13:23:17 GMT -5
Oh, now the HOA wants to fight over the stray cable running alongside our house again. We did this TWO YEARS AGO.
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Post by nowimnothing on Jul 25, 2020 13:48:47 GMT -5
Oh, now the HOA wants to fight over the stray cable running alongside our house again. We did this TWO YEARS AGO. |
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Post by Pedantic Editor Type on Jul 27, 2020 7:52:37 GMT -5
I remain extremely annoyed at this petty two-year-old non-problem, but I did find and procure some acrylic cable clips that should attach under the siding and keep the cable flush with the wall. I hope - I haven't tried them yet 'cause it was hot as balls yesterday, but I'll do that today or tomorrow probably.
I will say, living in a townhome (or a condo) is one of the few places an HOA makes sense - I still believe ours is mostly good, I'm just annoyed that they chose "random cable nobody can see from the street" as their hill to die on.
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Post by ganews on Jul 27, 2020 12:27:50 GMT -5
I really ought to replace the ballasts for these fluorescent lights in the basement, but I'm lazy and there's aluminum foil right here to make a capacitor and limp them along.
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Post by Not a real doctor on Jul 27, 2020 16:37:47 GMT -5
Once again, I spent half an hour typing a detailed post, only to lose it when I looked back to see which board it was going on so I knew how many obscenities I could include. They worked on the basement today. They will work on the basement again tomorrow. It was noisy and dusty and expensive. Nerves are frayed. I keep telling myself it's all worth it. It is worth it. It has to be. Dry basement. Walls not cave in. Worth it. Is your basement block, concrete, or stone? I've almost resigned myself to needing an interior drain and sump pump but there isn't much on the DIY front out there about old sandstone foundations like my place has. I'm picturing me cutting an jackhammering out the floor only for the foundation to collapse because there's no footer down there and it really is just rocks piled up. |
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Post by ganews on Jul 27, 2020 17:29:09 GMT -5
Once again, I spent half an hour typing a detailed post, only to lose it when I looked back to see which board it was going on so I knew how many obscenities I could include. They worked on the basement today. They will work on the basement again tomorrow. It was noisy and dusty and expensive. Nerves are frayed. I keep telling myself it's all worth it. It is worth it. It has to be. Dry basement. Walls not cave in. Worth it. Is your basement block, concrete, or stone? I've almost resigned myself to needing an interior drain and sump pump but there isn't much on the DIY front out there about old sandstone foundations like my place has. I'm picturing me cutting an jackhammering out the floor only for the foundation to collapse because there's no footer down there and it really is just rocks piled up. The great thing about putting in new interior French drains is that the bottom 12" of drywall has to be cut out so you get to fix and paint that even if you don't do your own jackhammering. |
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Post by Floyd Dinnertime Barber on Jul 27, 2020 21:56:44 GMT -5
Once again, I spent half an hour typing a detailed post, only to lose it when I looked back to see which board it was going on so I knew how many obscenities I could include. They worked on the basement today. They will work on the basement again tomorrow. It was noisy and dusty and expensive. Nerves are frayed. I keep telling myself it's all worth it. It is worth it. It has to be. Dry basement. Walls not cave in. Worth it. Is your basement block, concrete, or stone? I've almost resigned myself to needing an interior drain and sump pump but there isn't much on the DIY front out there about old sandstone foundations like my place has. I'm picturing me cutting an jackhammering out the floor only for the foundation to collapse because there's no footer down there and it really is just rocks piled up. The basement is concrete block, and over 65 years old. I have been told that this was a very common construction technique in those days, and that inward bowing walls are common in that kind of construction. There was a lot of "do it yourself" and "we'll use whatever we have laying around" when the house was built. The basement rafters are red oak that was made from trees on the property, for example. They poured two large half circle concrete support columns, which dad called a "pilaster" (which I don't think is the correct term) against the south and west walls when they built the basement, and it seems that that is what kept the south wall from caving in all these years.
The company that did the work here wasn't cheap, but they do seem to be the Pros From Dover of the basement world. I don't know if the company is nation wide, but if you want info about them, feel free to PM me and I'll get you their contact info. They do give free estimates.
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Post by Pedantic Editor Type on Jul 29, 2020 12:41:56 GMT -5
I remain extremely annoyed at this petty two-year-old non-problem, but I did find and procure some acrylic cable clips that should attach under the siding and keep the cable flush with the wall. I hope - I haven't tried them yet 'cause it was hot as balls yesterday, but I'll do that today or tomorrow probably. I will say, living in a townhome (or a condo) is one of the few places an HOA makes sense - I still believe ours is mostly good, I'm just annoyed that they chose "random cable nobody can see from the street" as their hill to die on. So, I tried the clips - they hold the cable perfectly, but guess what, the siding is too loose and they don't stay there! So, I wrote on the official form that I had purchased clips, done my best to hide them against/under the siding, but that the siding is loose and in need of repair. I don't want to fight with the HOA again all summer, I really don't, it's so stupid. |
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Post by Floyd Dinnertime Barber on Jul 29, 2020 14:03:21 GMT -5
I remain extremely annoyed at this petty two-year-old non-problem, but I did find and procure some acrylic cable clips that should attach under the siding and keep the cable flush with the wall. I hope - I haven't tried them yet 'cause it was hot as balls yesterday, but I'll do that today or tomorrow probably. I will say, living in a townhome (or a condo) is one of the few places an HOA makes sense - I still believe ours is mostly good, I'm just annoyed that they chose "random cable nobody can see from the street" as their hill to die on. So, I tried the clips - they hold the cable perfectly, but guess what, the siding is too loose and they don't stay there! So, I wrote on the official form that I had purchased clips, done my best to hide them against/under the siding, but that the siding is loose and in need of repair. I don't want to fight with the HOA again all summer, I really don't, it's so stupid. If the HOA would like a professional consultation, I'd be happy to send them a note stating that as a professional satellite TV installer, who probably installed several thousand systems over more than 30 years, I have never found any satisfactory way of fastening coax to siding, and in my professional opinion, none exists, so they should STFU about it. I'll provide it for free for you, but I'd be happy to charge the HOA an "appropriate" fee if you want me to. Honestly, I've never found any clip or fastener that worked and held up more than a month or two. Maybe something like that exists, but I've never come across it. |
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Post by Pedantic Editor Type on Jul 29, 2020 14:14:35 GMT -5
So, I tried the clips - they hold the cable perfectly, but guess what, the siding is too loose and they don't stay there! So, I wrote on the official form that I had purchased clips, done my best to hide them against/under the siding, but that the siding is loose and in need of repair. I don't want to fight with the HOA again all summer, I really don't, it's so stupid. If the HOA would like a professional consultation, I'd be happy to send them a note stating that as a professional satellite TV installer, who probably installed several thousand systems over more than 30 years, I have never found any satisfactory way of fastening coax to siding, and in my professional opinion, none exists, so they should STFU about it. I'll provide it for free for you, but I'd be happy to charge the HOA an "appropriate" fee if you want me to. Honestly, I've never found any clip or fastener that worked and held up more than a month or two. Maybe something like that exists, but I've never come across it. I honestly may take you up on that at some point if this drags on. It's truly the stupidest thing I can imagine someone complaining about. |
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Post by Dr. Rumak on Jul 30, 2020 12:55:56 GMT -5
My wife took a bath last night, and water leaked into the room next door, drenching the carpet. This marks the third house we've had where the drain must not have been properly connected to the bathtub. If I ever buy a house again, I should just budget for a plumber to immediately come and reattach all the drains.
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Baron von Costume
TI Forumite
Like an iron maiden made of pillows... the punishment is decadence!
Posts: 4,685 
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Post by Baron von Costume on Aug 11, 2020 0:34:20 GMT -5
I have to redo a small patch of tarred roof over a converted porch on my house, I got multiple quotes in early may and hired the folks who happily enough had overall best reviews and the lowest price by ~$400...
I have been emailing the 'foreman' every 3 weeks since and still don't have a firm date, not convinced it's gonna be done before the snow flies. I mean I get it, all their other jobs are gonna pay them more and this is totally something they probably just need to find a workable half day for... but come on.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2020 11:12:07 GMT -5
My stereo receiver and DVD player (yes, I'm still on DVDs) are failing. Both Sony. Recommends on good alternatives these days? Thanks in advance.
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Post by nowimnothing on Aug 11, 2020 13:24:18 GMT -5
My stereo receiver and DVD player (yes, I'm still on DVDs) are failing. Both Sony. Recommends on good alternatives these days? Thanks in advance. I just picked this receiver up to go with my record player: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078WFDR8D/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1It is decent and cheap if you don't need a home theater system Can't say much on DVD players, you can probably get a blu-ray player for the same cost and it will play DVDs just fine. I copied all my DVDs onto a server years ago and have not looked back. Occasionally my wife will pick up a DVD from the library and we will curse as we try to skip past ads, previews and menu screens. It just seems so barbaric now. |
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Post by Not a real doctor on Aug 16, 2020 9:24:09 GMT -5
I have to redo a small patch of tarred roof over a converted porch on my house, I got multiple quotes in early may and hired the folks who happily enough had overall best reviews and the lowest price by ~$400... I have been emailing the 'foreman' every 3 weeks since and still don't have a firm date, not convinced it's gonna be done before the snow flies. I mean I get it, all their other jobs are gonna pay them more and this is totally something they probably just need to find a workable half day for... but come on. I started calling concrete contractors before my school's corona shutdown was announced and I'm pretty sure I won't get a new driveway this year... |
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Baron von Costume
TI Forumite
Like an iron maiden made of pillows... the punishment is decadence!
Posts: 4,685
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Post by Baron von Costume on Aug 24, 2020 1:29:53 GMT -5
I have to redo a small patch of tarred roof over a converted porch on my house, I got multiple quotes in early may and hired the folks who happily enough had overall best reviews and the lowest price by ~$400... I have been emailing the 'foreman' every 3 weeks since and still don't have a firm date, not convinced it's gonna be done before the snow flies. I mean I get it, all their other jobs are gonna pay them more and this is totally something they probably just need to find a workable half day for... but come on. I started calling concrete contractors before my school's corona shutdown was announced and I'm pretty sure I won't get a new driveway this year... The buttholes of course called this week, the one week of the summer I was out of town. |
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Post by ganews on Aug 24, 2020 22:32:58 GMT -5
Water got into and killed the charger for my beloved cordless electric lawnmower. This charger is out of stock everywhere, much to widespread anger on the internet. But all AC/DC converter packs tell you exactly what their inputs and outputs are - look on your laptop charger. So I bought a charger with matching specs from an electric scooter supply, checked the outputs, and wired it up to the Black & Decker three-pin. It's out there charging now.
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Post by Dr. Rumak on Sept 5, 2020 13:47:48 GMT -5
The house behind us (in NC) is a small A-frame house. Someone bought it and is basically gutting it and rebuilding it. And this week they got to the part where they give it a new roof. But the roof on this house is pretty much the whole outside of the house, and slopes dramatically, and they are now on their sixth day of roofing.  |
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