The Home Ownership Thread

[RedLantern]

Demo on my bathroom remodel is supposed to start Monday (finally)! Pissed cause our big summer party is Saturday and I was originally hoping it would be done before that.

 

[jbarwick]

Nashville prices are still hot due to a lot of companies moving back office jobs here. Quite a few banks have moved people here from HCOL areas.

The DIY YouTube movement is great though I could do without the 2 minute intro but I realize some people may be coming into something blind and don't have a clue where to start.

 

[brokencycle]

There is a new contemporary house in our neighborhood selling for $2M+ with mature trees on the lot but every tree is being choked by ivy. I usually trim the ivy 2-3 times a summer as it grows quickly around here. In Tennessee, we seem to have an ivy issue as I do not remember this in Ohio.

We don't have a big ivy problem here (or at least I haven't noticed it), but in our previous house, the previous owner had put some vines on a chain link fence. That was impossible to deal with. In about month, they had snaked off and choked the life out of a new arborvitae. I was quite diligent about trying to kill the ivy after that.

 

[otc]

Query:

We have a fiberglass rooftop deck and it has developed a small (1.5" - 2" long) crack, with a ring of loose/bubbly fiberglass around it. I'm guessing moisture has gotten in. I called a roof company and they told me that there's no good way to do a patch repair and that I shouldn't pay anyone to do anything--that I'd be better off just buying some resin or a patch kit at Home Depot. I appreciated the advice but I'm not sure how to go about it: should I just seal the crack (which would be super easy with epoxy) and forget about the moisture bubble? Or should I cut and peel back some of the loose fiberglass in an attempt to dry out what's underneath (and risk a potential disaster)?

Apparently it'll cost at least $4K to redo the whole thing so I'm kind of committed to patching it for now.

I'd probably just find some marine fiberglass repair tutorials. They do it often enough that you should be able to figure out hte best.

Definitely do not ignore the bubble/delamination. Cut it back, dry it out, feather out the edges with sandpaper, and patch. If you don't cut it back, you will have problems in the future. Cutting it back shouldn't really reveal anything too bad.

You might also have better luck with using West System epoxy than resin. Has better adhesion, curing, and flex characteristics than polyseter resin, so depending how old the original deck is, it may hold a repair much better. If you are painting over it, it doesn't really matter that it dries yellow. a WS patch kit shouldn't be that expensive and can be found at any boating store. Marginally more expensive than some bondo resin or whatever from home depot, but probably easier to work with, especially for a first timer.



Although you probably don't need to use woven cloth on a deck...the loose cut crap will do.

 

[Van Veen]

We don't have a big ivy problem here (or at least I haven't noticed it), but in our previous house, the previous owner had put some vines on a chain link fence. That was impossible to deal with. In about month, they had snaked off and choked the life out of a new arborvitae. I was quite diligent about trying to kill the ivy after that.

Neighbors have unkempt Japanese honeysuckle and blackberry that I had to cut out of the trees in my backyard, sacrificing a lot of branches in the process. Now the blackberry pops up suckers in my yard for about a month during the summer, and I have to cut the honeysuckle back from my fence constantly. Blackberry in particular is almost impossible to get rid of without nuking everything because of the rhizomes.

Glad I'll (hopefully) be here for only another year or two. One more thing to look out for when house hunting: neighbor's landscaping habits.

 

[jbarwick]

Moving forward with the patio and other backyard items after we find a tree guy. Doing the back yard in 2 phases but we are excited to be able to sit outside this fall and enjoy our yard without sitting on a slant. Prices are coming in cheaper than what jcman said he is paying so we expanded the patio area a little bit more, decided against a kids playground area, and delayed a fire pit. I have fond memories growing up with a fire pit and learned to light fires all sorts of ways out of boredom. I think at some point I convinced myself I would be stranded and needed to know how to start a fire to stay warm. Anyway, fire pit is phase 2.

 

[RedLantern]

Prepping for the big party tomorrow! I bought a small PA system to blast the tunes (was only 40% more expensive than renting one for 2 days, so no brainier). Have 20# pork belly I'm making into white man carnitas - going to be street taco style, 20# pork shoulder that I had my brother put some smoke on that's going to be pulled pork for sandwiches, 6 racks of ribs. Plus all that non-meat stuff my wife is making. I usually get a keg but everyone is such a beer snob these days almost nobody drinks whatever I get a keg of so I opted to get a bigger variety of canned beer this year. Also serving batched margaritas & rum punch not to mention a cooler of rose and pinot gris. Got my permit a couple days ago and picked up road closed signs from the city yesterday! It's always so stressful leading up but I'm finally getting excited for it!

 

[Piobaire]

Great to hear you two.

In other news,

$600 water bill! Another effing leak in my irrigation. Good news is I fix it, wait for next bill showing it's fixed, and I'll get about $450 of that back. In the fall not only am I going wifi, so I can see flows, I'm getting the entire system redone with modern solid flex tube.

 

[brokencycle]

Great to hear you two.

In other news,

$600 water bill! Another effing leak in my irrigation. Good news is I fix it, wait for next bill showing it's fixed, and I'll get about $450 of that back. In the fall not only am I going wifi, so I can see flows, I'm getting the entire system redone with modern solid flex tube.

Your utility will reimburse you if it was a leak?

 

[Piobaire]

Your utility will reimburse you if it was a leak?

Yup, as long as I fix it, as evidenced by the next month's bill. I actually think it's a good idea to incent folks to fix leaks as it's amazing the number of people that would but such things off. You're allowed one fluke bill every 18 months.

 

[Lizard23]

Great to hear you two.

In other news,

$600 water bill! Another effing leak in my irrigation. Good news is I fix it, wait for next bill showing it's fixed, and I'll get about $450 of that back. In the fall not only am I going wifi, so I can see flows, I'm getting the entire system redone with modern solid flex tube.

Wifi irrigation controller with flow sensor is well worth it and really not expensive. I had to hire an epa certified company to install it in order to be able to irrigate freely as part of a town ordinance. Even then it cost 600 all in to get done. It definitey saves me on my water bill as well and i have to say, the grass looks great with minimal need to fiddle with it. In 2 years it has paid for itself. Plus, its cool and convenient to control from your phone.

 

[RedLantern]

Great to hear you two.

In other news,

$600 water bill! Another effing leak in my irrigation. Good news is I fix it, wait for next bill showing it's fixed, and I'll get about $450 of that back. In the fall not only am I going wifi, so I can see flows, I'm getting the entire system redone with modern solid flex tube.

Yikes!

I had a $1200 bill a few years back when I had a break in the pipe between the house and the street. Thankfully I got a refund for that as well! Coincidentally it was right after I had the inside of the house re-piped. Glad it happened when it did as now I have fencing and landscaping between the meter and the house that would really be a bummer to rip up.

 

[brokencycle]

Yup, as long as I fix it, as evidenced by the next month's bill. I actually think it's a good idea to incent folks to fix leaks as it's amazing the number of people that would but such things off. You're allowed one fluke bill every 18 months.

My instinct is the stick. You used the water: too bad. Maybe if youryo using that much increase the $/gallon rate to really motivate you. Though the efficacy is probably very low.

 

[Piobaire]

My instinct is the stick. You used the water: too bad. Maybe if youryo using that much increase the $/gallon rate to really motivate you. Though the efficacy is probably very low.

You don't understand how the minds of so many work. You just keep running up a huge bill and ignore it without paying. When they cut you off, you start it up again in someone else's name. I hear people that work for me, 40, 50, 60 years old, talking about things like how they just got through their six month probationary period with a utility and have plans to spend the extra money month seven will bring as they'll apply part of their deposit to their monthly utility bill.

 

[nootje]

You don't understand how the minds of so many work. You just keep running up a huge bill and ignore it without paying. When they cut you off, you start it up again in someone else's name. I hear people that work for me, 40, 50, 60 years old, talking about things like how they just got through their six month probationary period with a utility and have plans to spend the extra money month seven will bring as they'll apply part of their deposit to their monthly utility bill.

This sounds so weird from a Dutch perspective..

On another note, signed the build contract yesterday moving in 1st quarter 2020.