Home Remodel: Do, Don'ts, Advice

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

You can do a lot with PVC pipe and a shovel.

[Ted Striker]

I’m not sure what to do with it. Do I seal it up? How? Leave it?

I was going to defer for a while, but have a squirrel making a home in there and I’m not a fan….

How'd it get that way? i.e. is the chimney falling away from the building?

Is it a T shaped stack, or can you see through the gap to the other side?

If you just don't want critters in there, then chicken wire / wire mesh should do.

If it needs to be sealed, here's what I did with a T shaped chimney gap created by residing with thinner material:
Grind the old mortar off
Put foam backer in the gap
Mask the siding with two layers of tape
Fill with new mortar/cement
Then after it shrinks, caulk as needed

That assumes the top is sealed by a roof/structure/flashing.

But if it's pulling away from the building, you need to secure it first.

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

I’ve got this situation:

Attachment 390157

And I’m not sure what to do with it. Do I seal it up? How? Leave it?

I was going to defer for a while, but have a squirrel making a home in there and I’m not a fan….

Is that an outside fireplace? Some gap would be normal at the siding but something is moving there.

[Mustonen]

Agreed that it did move, but no idea when. My guess is a good while ago. Just moved in this summer.

It is secured by a big metal bracket up top that seems solid (not pulling away or anything).

[XXX-er]

Permachink is not politically correct

but it could fill that gap

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

Yah, backer rod and log jam.

[Djongo Unchained]

[Ted Striker]

Hopefully nobody gets their chonson cut off

[Ted Striker]

How do you get a toilet plumbed to the sewer without the city knowing about it?

In this town the homeowner "owns" the sewer pipe all the way to the street or alley wye. So like Bandhi said, find a good spot between the house and the sidewalk or street, start digging, and if the neighbors don't rat you out, you're golden.

An alternate scenario could be that they did get a permit for the plumbing for an "art studio" or whatever.
City: you're not gonna turn it into an ADU, are you?
Owner: No, of course not! I just like turning clay, and staying hydrated.

But I'll bet it's the first one.

[liv2ski]

Guys, I had all the brick removed from my exterior walls (from the ground to about 4 feet up) so we can install stacked stone veneer instead. The installer was here yesterday starting to wrap/paper and stucco the walls to prep them for the veneer. My neighbor noted the stucco came all the way down to the concrete deck which is angled so water flows away from the house. He stated it should have a weep screed along the bottom at least 1" above the concrete patio. The contractor said that is not needed due to the slope of the concrete draining water away from the house. Common sense would dictate to me a weep screed is needed to allow moisture to drain from the walls. So what says the brain trust and thanks. Is my contractor skipping an important step?

[Rideski]

I can't tell you it's top secrete trade secrets

Sounds like a biohazard.

[::: :::]

liv2ski, not enough info to know one way or the other from this side of the internet

[::: :::]

Agreed that it did move, but no idea when. My guess is a good while ago. Just moved in this summer.

It is secured by a big metal bracket up top that seems solid (not pulling away or anything).

Looks like chimney was added after the exterior wall (or poorly built)

IF the chimney does not show evidence of movement…
Stuff gap w/ steel wool
Consider a trim board to fill/bridge the gap. Not in the plane of the masonry, but on the wall (so needs to be thick enough to cover gap)…meaning the siding would get trimmed back or covered. Seal joints & paint.

[Vt-Freeheel]

^^
I hate to say but water is going to get behind that upper stepped portion of that chimney. If you seal the lower part the water that gets behind the lower section will have to where to go nor will the siding be able to have a chance to dry out. Hello rot!

[wooley12]

Our first house had a bowed chimney and the gap was filled with mortar. Checked it out on street view and it's still standing 50+ years later. They must have put in the 2nd chimney in front of the old one for a new heating system. And don't let those squirrels get cozy. I found that a baited Have a Heart trap and pellet gun worked best.

[ötzi]

re: Mustonen's place: What a weird way to build that chimney. What did they use to make the joint, that lighter-colored stuff? Is that mortar?

[BFD]

Guys, I had all the brick removed from my exterior walls (from the ground to about 4 feet up) so we can install stacked stone veneer instead. The installer was here yesterday starting to wrap/paper and stucco the walls to prep them for the veneer. My neighbor noted the stucco came all the way down to the concrete deck which is angled so water flows away from the house. He stated it should have a weep screed along the bottom at least 1" above the concrete patio. The contractor said that is not needed due to the slope of the concrete draining water away from the house. Common sense would dictate to me a weep screed is needed to allow moisture to drain from the walls. So what says the brain trust and thanks. Is my contractor skipping an important step?

Is the wall wood frame or block? apparently the weep screed is needed only on frame wall. Weep screed is cheap and easy to install no reason not to use it.

[liv2ski]

The house is wood framed, hence why the weep screed was suggested. From reading on this issue (thanks Google) it seems it is common practice to install one regardless if the ground is dirt or cement. Walking the hood with the pups tonight, I see it on all the newer homes and not the older ones like mine. The older ones often have fucked up stucco down low from moisture I am sure.

[::: :::]

^^
I hate to say but water is going to get behind that upper stepped portion of that chimney. If you seal the lower part the water that gets behind the lower section will have to where to go nor will the siding be able to have a chance to dry out. Hello rot!

Yeah, flashing has to be some part of this

[mattig]

Help me solve a mystery or just marvel at the BS. Sorry this is long. Don't read it if you don't wanna!


Just got new furnace and heat pump. Used a company that had previously come out to fix something minor. At the time, they could have upsold or overcharged, but instead said just give us a call when it's time for new equipment.

Father and son outfit. Dad comes out to bid. It's a bit high, but in the range I'm told is normal.

It was originally quoted as furnace +AC, but they couldn't get the AC unit from the supplier in time so asked if I'd like to "upgrade" to an electric heat pump + condensing gas furnace with auto changeover under 40 degrees or some such thing. Extra cost including labor =1400, but they'll split it with me due to the inconvenience or whatever. At the time, the dad has nothing but good things to say about the heat pump. Sounds good. Reduce the carbon footprint, etc. Let's do it.

Son and helper do all the work over 2 days. They seem to do a fine job. Furnace is operational the first day, so we have heat.

Next day is the heat pump and thermostat. Helper hops in attic and says he can't run the thermostat wire (something about it being stapled to the stud). The son says they'll order a wireless transmitter and I'll be golden. They'll call me when they have it to schedule the final touches.

Get a call from the dad next day. Son is talking to him in the background. I don't even really understand what the point of this call was, so bear with me. The gist seems to have been that due to my thermostat wire being difficult to work with, it's no longer feasible for them to install this as a heat pump. They'll credit back my 700 bucks and I can either keep the 16 SEER heat pump to use strictly in AC mode or they can come swap it out for the 13 SEER AC in the original quote.

Here's where it gets weird. I say I'll run the damn wire or pay an electrician to do it. Dad flips out. Gets defensive. Says he'll just come and swap me out to the air conditioner if that's my attitude. Moreover, he keeps referencing how he did me a favor on the 700 dollar discount, and how I can eat steak and lobster with all the money I saved (everything else was $12k, btw, with no new duct work).
He says it would be stupid to try to connect it as a heat pump because heat pumps are terrible in the PNW unless I get a 20+ SEER. He said the one they gave me was bottom of the line. I correct him (because I've looked up the SN). It's a 16 SEER and halfway decent actually.

In the same breath, he laments giving me such a screaming deal on a "top of the line" heat pump while simultaneously telling me heat pumps under 20 SEER are only for idiots who want to waste money and feel like their heat is too cold.

I told him to forget it. Credit the 700. Just bring me the thermostat you never installed.

I figure since I have the heat pump, I might as well use it. I'll find a competent, honest HVAC company and they can fix things. But just out of curiosity, I hop up in the attic after throwing some electrical tape on my thermostat wire (connected to new spool of 18/8). A few minutes later, and a phone call down to my kid to tell him to jam the wire in the hole, and I'm looking at the new 18/8 in the attic.



What the actual fuck was the HVAC company's issue?

There has to be some other reason they determined they couldn't finish this project as bid.

Anyway, I emailed them the pic of the freshly pulled wire, asked why they lied about the staples, voiced my displeasure at the apparent shenanigans, and said please be sure to deliver a thermostat that can control a heat pump so I can finish the job right. Waiting for a call, hopes aren't high that they'll pull the curtain back too far on whatever the mystery was here.

[Vt-Freeheel]

Father and son are scumbags, Pulling some sort of bs on you, make sure to leave 1* google/yelp reviews. Maybe their invoice came in and they realized you got too good of a deal and they're pissed at themselves.

[::: :::]

Oof, sorry you have/had to go thru that

[mattig]

Father and son are scumbags, Pulling some sort of bs on you, make sure to leave 1* google/yelp reviews. Maybe their invoice came in and they realized you got too good of a deal and they're pissed at themselves.

Ha, yep, if I had to guess the thesis of the phone call, that would be it. Also thought dad might be mad at kid for not getting it done in the allotted time

Oof, sorry you have/had to go thru that

All good man. Your electrician referral more than makes up for it. Thayer is legit.

[RootSkier]

Anyone haveideas for decent-quality modern light fixture sources that won't break the bank? I am not fucking paying $350 for a pendant light or a sconce.

I like some of this stuff, but they have essentially no sconces. Anyone familiar, or have similar suggestions?

https://lightsofscandinavia.com/prod...a6f5b82d&_ss=r

Also, if you have good sources for other stuff that is reasonably priced, let's hear it. Currently filling out a materials spreadsheet and I have a minor fucking heart attack every time I look at the price of just about anything. I am going to need the biggest Xanax bar in all the land with a side of tequila when we get the window schedule.

[I Skied Bandini Mountain]

LOL, this was in a house I was recently working in. It's literally some farm trash with lights hanging off of it and it probably cost $8,000. Lighting is insane.