Home Remodel: Do, Don'ts, Advice

[dan_pdx]

Top of the line, all day every day, except for ceilings. And if you are putting anything but flat white on the ceiling...why?

A previous homeowner put glossy white on the bedroom ceilings in my house..."why?" sums up my feelings pretty well.

[4matic]

Definitely top of the line. Especially on subtle colors like Swiss Coffee. Cheap SC looked white.

[4matic]

Regarding ceilings. For most rooms yes but Kitchens, hallways, and bathrooms look fine and even better with uniform color ceiling.

[::: :::]

Regarding ceilings. For most rooms yes but Kitchens, hallways, and bathrooms look fine and even better with uniform color ceiling.

bathrooms & laundry & sim for semi gloss sheen to wrap at ceiling
[glossy for the underground abattoirs where you process prostitutes' bodies]

otherwise, flat on ceilings

[Nobody Famous]

My vote is for top of the line also.

And BTW there's top of the line and there's over the top.

The over the top brands are paints re-branded on some fashion designer (Ralph Lauren for example) and sell for line $150 and up per gallon. These paints might have started life as Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore (which raises the question why would a reputable brand do something like this) but you'll be paying $125 per gallon for the branding.

[plugboots]

Hello experts.
OK, we're tired of looking up at the TV which is 4'4" off the floor. I found out the mantel is purely cosmetic. I don't want to go crazy, pus I'd like it to match other things in the home, so...
Now, (included Bill Briggs photo since this is TRG):


I'm thinking just remove the red section, (2 "boxes"), but keep the yellow piece, then move the 2 blue pieces down to the green dots and reposition the yellow piece so the blue pieces "support" it, and then be able to lower the TV about 22", (height of the 2 boxes encircled by red).


Advice, opinions, info on where to get a signed Bill Briggs photo of his Grand Teton tracks?

[::: :::]

Hello experts.
OK, we're tired of looking up at the TV which is 4'4" off the floor. I found out the mantel is purely cosmetic. I don't want to go crazy, pus I'd like it to match other things in the home, so...
Now, (included Bill Briggs photo since this is TRG):


I'm thinking just remove the red section, (2 "boxes"), but keep the yellow piece, then move the 2 blue pieces down to the green dots and reposition the yellow piece so the blue pieces "support" it, and then be able to lower the TV about 22", (height of the 2 boxes encircled by red).


Advice, opinions, info on where to get a signed Bill Briggs photo of his Grand Teton tracks?

First: find the install doc online for your fireplace. In it, you will find the minimum clearance dimensions for combustible materials. More recent units will also have instructions to TVs placed over the unit. Please note this includes ratio of projections to distance away.

From there, you can decide how to redesign that mantel.


My quick hit is you can't get it low enough to work satisfactorily; the two issues (eyeball height & fireplace clearances) are likely at odds

[mtnjam]

Insulating attic above the garage? Need some advice on this. Currently as the home stands, there is just a bunch of cellulose insulation blown in above the living area of the home. No separation between garage attic and living quarters attic. Should I build a barrier wall between the garage attic space and the living quarters minus the HVAC return duct? How about spray foam insulation on the roof joists and fiberglass insulation for the ceiling joists?

[SeatownSlackey]

Really tough to see how deep your mantle is and how the upper box section is constructed but if it were me, i wouldn't even dick around with those 45 degree wedges since the series of them is mostly an aesthetic thing anyways. So long as you can get 2 or more solid lags or spax screws into vertical framing behind the wall i'd say you're good to go.

only question is can you partially disassemble the upper section and does it have a solid back plate you could screw through?

[::: :::]

Insulating attic above the garage? Need some advice on this. Currently as the home stands, there is just a bunch of cellulose insulation blown in above the living area of the home. No separation between garage attic and living quarters attic. Should I build a barrier wall between the garage attic space and the living quarters minus the HVAC return duct? How about spray foam insulation on the roof joists and fiberglass insulation for the ceiling joists?

Need more info...
Why are you looking to do this?
Are you underinsulated?
What region? [ID?]

[mtnjam]

Need more info...
Why are you looking to do this?
Are you underinsulated?
What region? [ID?]

Yep, Boise, ID. Looking to do this so my garage isn't so damned hot in the summer and cold in the winter. A new insulated garage door wouldn't hurt either. Probably wouldn't hurt to upgrade the R value (is that the right term?) of the home considering the cellulose insulation isn't exactly in the best shape anymore, looks like it's kind of lost its loft. Also I'm sure there are better insulative materials than cellulose. The folks I bought the place from had the cellulose insulation blown in while they were there for probably a year and I've now owned the home for over 20.

[plugboots]

First: find the install doc online for your fireplace. In it, you will find the minimum clearance dimensions for combustible materials. More recent units will also have instructions to TVs placed over the unit. Please note this includes ratio of projections to distance away.

From there, you can decide how to redesign that mantel.

My quick hit is you can't get it low enough to work satisfactorily; the two issues (eyeball height & fireplace clearances) are likely at odds

Ah, thanks, will do. Maybe the 2 boxes are there for that reason.

Really tough to see how deep your mantle is and how the upper box section is constructed but if it were me, i wouldn't even dick around with those 45 degree wedges since the series of them is mostly an aesthetic thing anyways. So long as you can get 2 or more solid lags or spax screws into vertical framing behind the wall i'd say you're good to go.

only question is can you partially disassemble the upper section and does it have a solid back plate you could screw through?

The upper, bigger box is 10" square, and those 45's are aesthetic. Bolting that board to the beams behind will be easy, as I researched this when I hung the TV initially.

[GiBo]

Top of the line, all day every day, except for ceilings. And if you are putting anything but flat white on the ceiling...why?

Why? If you're doing a "haint" color on your porch or patio ceiling. That's what I'm doing.

[4matic]

Is the fireplace designed to generate heat or is it for flame staring? If it’s a cheap cosmetic fire insert just get rid of it. Cover it and make a media wall. I covered mine. I save on insurance and the space is way more usable.

[plugboots]

It generates heat, and does a surprisingly good job of it, (for Seattle area climate). Otherwise I completely agree, and it'd be gone. Unfortunately this is a smallish place/space and above the fireplace is the best TV spot.

[dan_pdx]

For the TV over fireplace, maybe consider one of these extending mounts that will let you bring the TV down for watching and back up for using the fireplace: https://www.staples.com/mount-it-ver...oduct_24395060

[plugboots]

For the TV over fireplace, maybe consider one of these extending mounts that will let you bring the TV down for watching and back up for using the fireplace: https://www.staples.com/mount-it-ver...oduct_24395060

Dang, I didn't know that existed. When I bought the swivel mount that's there now, I don't think it did. I'm not sure it would go around the mantel top that sticks out about 11". Great idea, will research.

[Danno]

For the TV over fireplace, maybe consider one of these extending mounts that will let you bring the TV down for watching and back up for using the fireplace: https://www.staples.com/mount-it-ver...oduct_24395060

yep, this one is pretty cool: https://www.mantelmount.com/

But note: you need to have studs or similar to mount that. Because when you start to extend or swivel the TV, it puts extra force on the wall mount. We couldn't use it with our fireplace.

[plugboots]

yep, this one is pretty cool: https://www.mantelmount.com/

But note: you need to have studs or similar to mount that. Because when you start to extend or swivel the TV, it puts extra force on the wall mount. We couldn't use it with our fireplace.

Lots of support behind the drywall, so that won't be the problem. I need to research the fireplace per ::: :::'s suggestion, and maybe a combo of mantel-dismantle and lowering device.

[::: :::]

Yep, Boise, ID. Looking to do this so my garage isn't so damned hot in the summer and cold in the winter. A new insulated garage door wouldn't hurt either. Probably wouldn't hurt to upgrade the R value (is that the right term?) of the home considering the cellulose insulation isn't exactly in the best shape anymore, looks like it's kind of lost its loft. Also I'm sure there are better insulative materials than cellulose. The folks I bought the place from had the cellulose insulation blown in while they were there for probably a year and I've now owned the home for over 20.

garage:
yes to insul door
insul walls if they aren't (fill cavities)
upgrade ceiling blow-in to r-49 min

house: upgrade ceiling blow-in to R-49 min

a insulated partition between garage attic & house attic is advised IF both are vented appropriately & garage isn't particularly insulated or won't be going forward

there are some methods for doing spray foam on the underside of the roof sheathing, but expect to pay a lot (relative to blow-in glass fiber)
[ideal is rigid above the roof sheathing, but that involves further edge/fascia detailing]

[dan_pdx]

maybe a combo of mantel-dismantle and lowering device.

Nice, I see what you did there.

[Djongo Unchained]

^^^^^
The partition between living area attic and garage area space "is advised ".
The cold air in the garage in winter will keep the ceiling in the house cooler, which will be a heatsink and you'll heat more. The dead air space needs to be dead, not changing every 12 hours.
vice versa in the summer. Cooling a House with a hot attic is inefficient too.

A Plywood partition, maybe glue some blueboard on. Install a rectangular house vent and use that as access.
Years ago, I rented a room in an older house with just this problem; not to mention the heat came from coils/wires in the ceiling. Was the only time I've ever heard of that. It was not efficient.
Woodstove was though.

[Nobody Famous]

Ask This Old House has several videos on youtubes showing how to build or rebuilt a fireplace mantle, all of them are good. Here's one.

One point the vids do not mention is combustion clearances.

Is your FP a gas insert or a "manufactured FP," sometimes called a zero clearance FP? From the pics it does not look like a masonary FP.

[plugboots]

It's a Lennox 3328 direct vent gas insert fireplace. Basically the closer the mantel gets to the FP, the smaller it needs to be, (if it's combustable, which this one is, of course). Thanks for the vids, I looked at some others earlier.

I kinda wanted the mantel to hold the DVD player, (which we never use), but have a few pictures and things on it. Anyway, it looks like the 11" mantel only needs to be 9" away from the top of the FP.

[ötzi]

I've gone on a little journey with swivel door spindles over the past couple of days. Kid yanked the door closed and the handle came off in his hand. But it wasn't that the handle came off the spindle, half the spindle was sticking out of the handle, and half out of the handle on the other side. Turns out there's a fair amount to know about swivel door spindles and the info is not findable as far as I can tell.

Some of these are threaded, you screw the two sides together tight, then back it off about a turn to allow the two ends to swivel independently. But Baldwin spindles aren't threaded. I was going kind of nutty trying to figure out what kept the two sides together, like maybe a clip or somethng it seemed like it had to be. I figured the clip must have gone flying when it broke so spent a fair amount of time hunting around in the grass and mulch to no avail. Also I couldn't find a diagram or image or video or even description of how these things work.

Had to call a locksmith. He'd never seen it happen before. Turns out that there's a tiny little ball-and-socket type connection internal to the spindle that keeps the two sides together and they're not repairable. And he didn't have any spindles on his truck because they basically never fail like this.

On the bright side he forgot to charge me (or decided not to charge me when he couldn't fix it, but he didn't say so) after spending like 90 minutes at my house, and I ordered the spindle from doorhardware.com for $14.00 and i can fix it myself now that I know what's up.



This is the spindle. The internal connection is in the middle part.