The Home Ownership Thread

[Master-Classter]

I always start with the plunger.

 

[js4design]

I will too now.

 

[otc]

The zep drain care powder enzyme stuff has worked very well for me. A few consecutive days of treatment has always cleared up slow drains for me and also taken care of drain flies at my old place. Just run the hot tap, pour a put of boiling water down, and then chase with a scoop of prefer mixed with a pint of hot water before your go to bed or to work and let it sit for 6+hours.

Doesn't have the risk of drano, and one jar is good for many drain treatments. Need a plunger for stopped drains though, this is only for slow or smelly.

 

[jbarwick]

It depends where the clog is and how your drains are connected to the bigger drain pipes in the house. I tried plunging on drain in our upstairs while covering the overflow and it just forced water into another sink.

 

[otc]

But seriously, once you get it flowing again, this stuff really does seem to work....30-40 uses for 8 bucks unlike the liquid products where you might get 2 uses.

And, while I am not sure I actually believe the plumbers who say the lye-based products (drano) will destroy your pipes, the enzyme based products won't harm anything and are pretty safe to store and use.

 

[Numbernine]



But seriously, once you get it flowing again, this stuff really does seem to work....30-40 uses for 8 bucks unlike the liquid products where you might get 2 uses.

And, while I am not sure I actually believe the plumbers who say the lye-based products (drano) will destroy your pipes, the enzyme based products won't harm anything and are pretty safe to store and use.

If your dwv is abs or pvc no prob w/ corrosives. Cast iron > unlikely. Only real issue mite be thin gauge brass p-traps at the weir but they are easily replaced .

 

[nootje]



If your dwv is abs or pvc no prob w/ corrosives. Cast iron > unlikely. Only real issue mite be thin gauge brass p-traps at the weir but they are easily replaced .

If its thin gauge then the plumber will be at risk as well, at least in these parts. Last time I had one over he simply used a very long spring with the end twisted, attached to a low power drill..
While he was busy we me watching I was thinking, "now why didn't I think of this and do it myself" ..

 

[otc]

I think the real reason plumbers don't like the Lye stuff (besides wanting you to pay them instead of buying a bottle of Drano) is that when it doesn't work and is just sitting there in the drain, they have a lot more work to do. Something that would have been a 5 minute job--pull the trap over a bucket, clean it out, stick something the rest of the way down the pipe to make sure it is clear, and be done--now has the added complication of having dangerous chemicals lodged somewhere in the system. Can't immediately attack it with something that might cause splashback, have to be much more careful removing a trap, etc.

I mean...there are far more aggressive chemical drain products that are restricted in use to real plumbers only...they still use those when necessary.

 

[Piobaire]

Had final meeting with contractor folks last night. Everyone is on the same page and the job starts August 31 and is scheduled for two weeks. I might bring this project in under 20k and that would make me happy. So the fire box will be 5' and look just like this except we're going with scarlet glass aggregate:

I might even post a pic of the new wall for A_Y to crap on after it's done.

 

[ChrisGold]



Had final meeting with contractor folks last night. Everyone is on the same page and the job starts August 31 and is scheduled for two weeks. I might bring this project in under 20k and that would make me happy. So the fire box will be 5' and look just like this except we're going with scarlet glass aggregate:


I might even post a pic of the new wall for A_Y to crap on after it's done.

Even if I hate it I'll say something nice to balance out the universe.

 

[random-adam]



Basement wall bowing inward. Just had a structural engineer come by. Looking at a rebuild of 1921-era 12" block construction along a 25' wall and 4' of adjacent wall around the corner, possible footer work, 9 carbon fiber strips up another wall to prevent further cracking, and a new sump pump so we don't have to worry about ours being on its last legs.

$20k preliminary estimate... presuming there's no footer damage to worry about.

Decided to go with a different engineer's recommendation. This guy's crew cleaned up and mortared the cracks, then used carbon fiber strips under the three windows and 22 I-beams around the entire perimeter -- sunk into the floor, bolted and mortared into the wall, and braced against the ceiling joists. Finally squared it away a few weeks ago. $17k. Our cellar is now bombproof & guaranteed in writing to stay that way.

So I immediately last week locked in a 15-year refinance at 2.625% (to pay it off more efficiently, not to pull out any money). Appraiser came by Monday and my CU just forwarded me the report -- our home appraised for 35% more than we paid for it in December 2010.

Homeownership is vastly more interesting than renting was.

 

[jbarwick]

Decided to go with a different engineer's recommendation. This guy's crew cleaned up and mortared the cracks, then used carbon fiber strips under the three windows and 22 I-beams around the entire perimeter -- sunk into the floor, bolted and mortared into the wall, and braced against the ceiling joists. Finally squared it away a few weeks ago. $17k. Our cellar is now bombproof & guaranteed in writing to stay that way.

So I immediately last week locked in a 15-year refinance at 2.625% (to pay it off more efficiently, not to pull out any money). Appraiser came by Monday and my CU just forwarded me the report -- our home appraised for 35% more than we paid for it in December 2010.

Homeownership is vastly more interesting than renting was.

Quite a few I-beams there but with it guaranteed in writing, it sounds worth it. We locked in a 15yr earlier this year @ 3.375% and similar to you in efficiency to pay it off. We only appraised 15% better after a year.

Renting sucks but I see why people do it.

 

[lefty]

Our cellar is now bombproof & guaranteed in writing to stay that way.

But is it neighbour proof?



lefty

 

[brokencycle]

I'm going to have to try and refinance again. We tried in the spring, and the appraiser said our house was worth what we paid for it 5 years ago. Rather than the 15-20% increase that my realtor said it would sell for. I just checked and the houses in my neighborhood have all sold much higher than the appraised value.

 

[ChrisGold]



Decided to go with a different engineer's recommendation. This guy's crew cleaned up and mortared the cracks, then used carbon fiber strips under the three windows and 22 I-beams around the entire perimeter -- sunk into the floor, bolted and mortared into the wall, and braced against the ceiling joists. Finally squared it away a few weeks ago. $17k. Our cellar is now bombproof & guaranteed in writing to stay that way.

So I immediately last week locked in a 15-year refinance at 2.625% (to pay it off more efficiently, not to pull out any money). Appraiser came by Monday and my CU just forwarded me the report -- our home appraised for 35% more than we paid for it in December 2010.

Homeownership is vastly more interesting than renting was.

A 15 is the way to go at the current rates. It's incredible to watch your equity climb when your payment is not almost entirely interest.