Home Improvement/Repair Questions

[Supe]

Doesn't seem too far off what folks get these days, is that some demo work and getting all the plumbing re routed?

everyone i know pricing bathrooms is paying a lot to have them done. Would that also include the labor to install the tile or would that cost be extra?

That includes demo, relocating the drain, moving the control valves, and installing the tile.  Everything but the shower head and tile itself.

 

[Supe]

Finally done with all the bathroom paint work.  I must have THE worst luck with paint, because it took 3-4 coats of Sherwin Williams "Infinity" line to get decent coverage.  The ONLY big box store brands I've had any luck with in painting were the two cheapest - Glidden and Behr! 

Thankfully the shiplap stuck out further than I thought it would, so the vanity didn't hit the baseboard/quarter round combo and leave a gap between the sink and the wall like I thought it was going to.  

Got the drain situation sorted, just need to check to make sure it doesn't hit the two top drawers which are shortened and have a cutout for the drain.  An S trap would have been perfect, but those aren't allowed anymore, so I had to make a C shaped jog out to the right instead.  Finishing that off tonight, hanging the mirror and TP/towel holders, and calling it done.

 

[Road Guy]

Water Heater did last night,  mrs rg drained the last of the how water I think before I jumped in..

although we have gas, this looks like a relatively easy install, except I suck at sweating pipe. and apparently I am supposed to get a "high altitude" water heater? Debating just doing this myself and then maybe paying a handyman to help me with sweat the pipe since it looks like the average same day install price I am seeing nearly a god damned grand

but that sweating pipe **** is a skill I wish I had mastered a long time ago, would come in handy..

 

[MA_PE]

RG:  that sucks.

Is the grand for a new heater installed or just the installation cost?  If it's the whole deal, that doesn't sound too bad.  The other key question is: Are there shutoffs to isolate the HWH or do you need to drain the system?  Another thing to consider is disposal of the old one.  Will the installer take it away?

 

[mudpuppy]

Water Heater did last night,  mrs rg drained the last of the how water I think before I jumped in..

although we have gas, this looks like a relatively easy install, except I suck at sweating pipe. and apparently I am supposed to get a "high altitude" water heater? Debating just doing this myself and then maybe paying a handyman to help me with sweat the pipe since it looks like the average same day install price I am seeing nearly a god damned grand

but that sweating pipe **** is a skill I wish I had mastered a long time ago, would come in handy..

Personally I like the security of sweating, but a lot of people swear by shark bite.  Runs about $40 for a kit:  https://www.homedepot.com/p/SharkBite-3-4-in-X-3-4-in-FIP-Water-Heater-Connection-Kit-24680/300593719  Water heaters now seem to have plastic in the inlet as a heat trap, so you can't solder onto them anyway or you'll melt it--need a union or coupling instead.

Still might be worth going the handyman route and have him teach you.  Or buy some pipe and fittings to practice first.  Thing is copper is so **** expensive now that might not be worth it. 

My sweats never turn out pretty, but they hold water which is the important part!  I'm usually more worried I'm going to burn down the house in the process.

 

[Road Guy]

Unit is $800 and install,permit(**** that) and carry away was another $900. A little less if I can wait till Thursday - no thanks!

If I could find one the exact height as my old one I could just unscrew it from the old one and not need to cut the pipe but so far no such luck...

And I have used shark bites for some things before but I think for this I’d just prefer to have a solid connection..

I left it draining before I went shopping cause apparently that takes a while...

The thought has occurred to me I can just put all of this on the HD card and pay it off over 12 months for 0 % interest...

 

[Supe]

Can you shim it up off the floor to match the old height?

 

[MA_PE]

Making sweat joints is actually pretty easy.  just need to clean it use some flux and assemble.  heat the pipe way from the joint and then touch the solder to the joint until it sucks it in.  Wipe and done.  Is the $900 from a local plumber?  I'd try a few....seems high.  Sounds to me like the guy is busy and really doesn't want to bother with it.

 

[Road Guy]

Supe - Looks like my size is shorter and fatter than my old one so I have to add pipe, which is actually better..

MA- yeah called several, all are about in that price range and none will do it on the sly without a permit - apparently I need a new overflow tank or some other BS new code.. These people are borderline criminals..

So I am doing this myself, going to use shark bites and then find someone to sweat in the pipe for me later, surprisingly those are OK by code, they should be for $35/EA  - just lugged it down the stairs to the basement... also not adding in the overflow tank...

 

[jeb6294]

It really isn’t very hard at all...watch a few YouTube videos.  Whats there now?  Could you connect with braided steel lines?

 

[mudpuppy]

RG, are you talking about an expansion tank?  I had lots of trouble at my old house with valves leaking and the water heater temperature-pressure valve opening.  It turns out there was a check valve at my meter to prevent water being pushed back out into the city water system (I think they added it with the lawn sprinkler pump.)  When the water heater would kick on, the water would expand and have nowhere to go, so it would overpressure the system until something leaked.  I added a small expansion tank and the problem went away.

The tank wasn't very hard to add (but did require some soldering.)

 

[Road Guy]

MP- yes that's what I meant. expansion tank,   I picked one up with a T- connector but don't know if I am going to put it in this go round just yet.

Jeb - If this happened on a Saturday Id be more up for trying out a new skill but just want to get this done before the wife gets home after working 3 - 14 hour shifts and is able to take a shower.   But if it ever warms up I am gonna do some practice runs, as I am adding a bar to my basement this summer and would like to not spend the money on shark bites for all that jazz..

But the tank comes with flex tubing at the top and makes it fairly easy to connect with the shark bites - and just as easy to sweat them later..  I thought I could use the same PVC for the air exhaust fan (or whatever that's called) but hopefully this is my 4th and final trip to the home depot today

Now I just have to find a bridge to throw the old one off of  - j/k actually Home Depot here takes it back for free I just have to lug the god **** thing back up there..

 

[Road Guy]

Took nearly all **** day-interrupted by “work” multiple times. Found someone on Nextdoor to sweat the pipe for $100 bucks (retired dude that does handyman stuff) but cheaper than the shark bites so I took them back....
now everyone is complaining the water is too hot.... **** dependents.....

 

[mudpuppy]

I put my old water heater by the curb and it was gone within 10 minutes... but I lived in redneckville and you live in a nice HOA-type area.

 

[Road Guy]

Home depot let me recycle it with them for $35 bucks since I bought one from them, still seems like a scam but I just had my 16 year old haul the thing up there. I told him he could keep the $35 bucks as long as he didn't come back with the old water heater...

 

[Road Guy]

So my next spring project is going to be to continue my backyard sprinkler repair – last year we spend a few hundred trying to find the leak so this time around I am just going to replace all of the lines from one control box that basically go to the backyard.

 

Last year I replaced one line and all 4 valves that come out of the box – so I have three lines or zones to do this year.

 

My yard is relatively small and has:

 

1 Zone for Drip Lines (trees around the perimeter) - Will do this last cause I don't think this one is the one leaking

3 zones for the perimeter sprinklers which water the grass (of which one of these I replaced last year but that didn't fix my pond situation)

1 zone for 3 heads in the middle of the yard to water where the perimeter sprinklers do not reach

 

From doing some window shopping I have some fairly cheap heads so I was hoping I could “upgrade” the heads along the perimeter and not replace the ones in the center?

 

General plan is to rent a ditch witch and get most of this done over a weekend..

 

Anything I need to plan or account for? Just trying to put some thoughts out there

 

[Jbone27 PE]

So I have recently purchased a new home and we will be closing in a couple weeks. I have been doing some research and think I may have convinced myself that I can install my own inground pool. I would be purchasing all the same materials the pros use online and likely going with an inground vinyl lined option. I want to do the dig, pool walls, plumbing, pump, and liner on my own. I would leave the finish concrete and electric (if any) to a pro.

Anyone attempted this or found a reason to talk themselves out of it? 

 

[Master slacker]

Watch out for the poo poo pipe.

 

[Road Guy]

assuming you have access and means to an excavator - the only problem is usually having someplace to get rid of the dirt & trucking it there - I did some re-grading of my backyard back in the day and it was much harder than I thought just getting rid of 15 Cy of dirt..

 

[Jbone27 PE]

assuming you have access and means to an excavator - the only problem is usually having someplace to get rid of the dirt & trucking it there - I did some re-grading of my backyard back in the day and it was much harder than I thought just getting rid of 15 Cy of dirt..

I plan on renting an excavator and have truck/trailer to move it. Prelim pool dimensions put me at around 100 CY so even with some place to go with the spoil I'll still have to get a small dump truck to haul it.I think the typical load is about 14 CY. I'll have to price that out for sure. If I am not able to save at least 60% over what the installed price would be I don't see it being worth the hassle.

Other than that I feel pretty confident I can get it done. It will be a fun one an I'll probably regret attempting it halfway through but think I'm going to go for it. 

Pic is from the dist. website.