Home Improvement/Repair Questions

[tj_PE]

We do get crazy winds here - do you really think the weight of the arbor wouldn’t be enough to offset the winds? I hadn’t thought about that angle.  Is there a thought of XX pounds will resist X mph winds?

I’m thinking I’ll have 6X6 posts with several 2x10/12 and such up top for weight?

Maybe it will just be easier to remove some deck boards and put the post directly into the concrete footing and reconstruct the deck around the posts..

This is what I was thinking. you could sister the deck joists around your new post. depending on your access to the underside, you would only have to cut out like one piece of deck, trim it down and replace. could use threaded rods with bolts and washers on either side. no foundation work necessary. i'm sure the foundations you have are fine for the additional weight. 

to answer your gravity vs wind load question, the wind will push upward too, so i wouldn't count on anything to actually resist enough to not move. 

 

[kevo_55]

Nice drawing, but don't bolts go through everything?

 

[leggo PE]

Not all bolts are thrubolts!

 

[kevo_55]

I don't know about you, but I wouldn't build a deck with those things.

 

[knight1fox3]

I'm thinking about adding a tub in my basement, but we'd have (1) figure out where the drain runs, and (2) cut the slab to get to it.  How much of a PITA would that turn into?  The whole basement is finished already so I'd have to tear out carpet, etc.

I was also considering this for the other part of the basement we are presently finishing. Ended up being too much of a pain, both effort and $$ wise because it would involve similar work you described.

 

[humner]

I was also considering this for the other part of the basement we are presently finishing. Ended up being too much of a pain, both effort and $$ wise because it would involve similar work you described.

Keep it simple.  Elevate the tub and go out the base of the foundation wall.

 

[Supe]

Trying to figure if I need to add/increase deck footers if I add a screened in porch.  See note A from the county regs:



I'm probably overthinking this, but how would you all interpret note A?  Would you interpret this note to mean that the table value accounts for a single floor + single roof value as calculated from a plan view, or that single floor + roof = additive?  i.e., if my tributary area for JUST the deck was 36 feet, would I double it to 72 if adding a roof?

 

[Supe]

Wow, county replied in < 24 hours!  Turns out my assumption was correct - the values account for 1 deck + 1 roof, no need to double it.

Anyone have any luck getting rid of yard moles?  Little ******* migrated over from my ******** neighbor's yard, and is popping up all over my front yard now.

 

[jeb6294]

Uhhh, somebody shoot me.  It's literally been raining for 2 straight days now.  Wife says water started backing up in the storage room in the basement the other day.  I think the sump pump was cycling so often that the float got hung up.  Gave the float a good shake, moved the pump away from the crock a little bit and it started working again.  Only issue was some wet carpet just outside the storage room.  Not a huge deal, it's happened a time or two before, just put some fans on it and crank up the dehumidifier.

Went down this morning and there's wet carpet at the bottom of the stairs. :hung-037:   Being a finished basement, I can't see what's going on at all.  There's a little access just to the right of it to get to the water shutoff and the little I could see was dry.  More fans and dehumidifier and then I guess just hope the rain finally stops for a little while and see if it's just a matter of too much rain for too long.

 

[humner]

Uhhh, somebody shoot me.  It's literally been raining for 2 straight days now.  Wife says water started backing up in the storage room in the basement the other day.  I think the sump pump was cycling so often that the float got hung up.  Gave the float a good shake, moved the pump away from the crock a little bit and it started working again.  Only issue was some wet carpet just outside the storage room.  Not a huge deal, it's happened a time or two before, just put some fans on it and crank up the dehumidifier.

Went down this morning and there's wet carpet at the bottom of the stairs. :hung-037:   Being a finished basement, I can't see what's going on at all.  There's a little access just to the right of it to get to the water shutoff and the little I could see was dry.  More fans and dehumidifier and then I guess just hope the rain finally stops for a little while and see if it's just a matter of too much rain for too long.

are you in a flat area?

 

[jeb6294]

are you in a flat area?

Definitely not...but this is the first time I can remember getting rain for so long that there's been standing water in the front yard which is why I'm hoping that's it's just a matter of waiting for it to dry out some.

We're the yellow house.  The front yard slopes gradually towards the front of the house and then around towards the sides.  From there it's utter madness.  Around the south side of the house it's got a significant slope (I can mow it on the rider, but there's some serious pucker factor) down to the creek.  Around the north side of the house is even worse.  It's drops down to the creek so fast that I can't even mow it with the push mower.  It's bad enough that we tilled up most of the hillside and started planting ground cover last spring.  There's still a strip about 1-1/2 mower decks wide right at the property line.  To get that I go over the edge on the rider, hang on tight, hope I don't get turned sideways, run around the house back to the top and repeat.

 

[jeb6294]

Oh, and I didn't do the whole street, but the whole thing slopes down to our cul-de-sac.  It's curb and gutter though so we don't see any of that water in the yard.

 

[kevo_55]

Hmm, is someone's underground sprinkler system leaking?

 

[Dexman PE PMP]

Hmm, is someone's underground sprinkler system leaking?

Has @Road Guystill not fixed it?

 

[Road Guy]

Nope - just gonna replace all 4 zones in the spring

 

[humner]

Sounds like perimeter drainage is insufficient.  On the foundation walls, install dimple membrane on the outside.  

Upgrade the perimeter drainage.

 

[Supe]

About 3/4 done with redoing our downstairs half bath.  Wife bought fixtures before we redid the tile, but I was tired of having vanities, lights, etc. stacked in my entryway, so I just decided to do it and we'll pull the vanity when the tile gets redone.  Went from baby turd green to all white with shiplap behind the sink.  Only PITA part will be redoing the drain for the sink, since the stub out on the wall is super low.  The old pedestal sink went straight down and the P trap includes a downward facing 90 right on the stub, but the new sink is further forward and can't go that low since there's a drawer below the sink.

 

[Road Guy]

I don't think I have ever done a sink where it lined up - even when its roughed in for that cabinet!

you could get this for your bathroom? 

https://www.amazon.com/ADORE-Plush-Stuffed-Animal-Walltoy/dp/B01401PVLC/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1550504115&sr=8-4&keywords=bear+head+wall+decor

I am ready to 86 my "master" bathroom -  it has carpet in it and its going to be my first spring project to tile it and maybe do some other crazy **** - Its (the carpet)  just ******* disgusting.

It was built with a **** load of lights and they are all tied to one switch, along with an exhaust fan which is noisy - Havent looked behind the plate yet but hoping to separate some of these out, When I get dressed in the morning I don't need 1,000,000 giga watts of power!

 

[Supe]

I think I can just put a 90 straight off the sink drain, and then another 90 downhill into the P trap and be fine.  Cleaning it will be a *****, since its covered with old paint/drywall mud.

Got the first quote for the walk in shower - $5K labor without tile or fixture, but includes all other materials including shower door.  Is that absurdly high?  Granted, it's a big space, probably about 4'x6'x8'.  Includes the concrete floor pan, bench, and combo niche.  

 

[Road Guy]

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?