The Home Ownership Thread

[nootje]

Figure out where that water or moisture is coming from and fix that first. Then rent a builders grade dehumidifier for a weekend.

What’s the point in addressing the symptoms if you don’t fix the root cause first.

 

[nootje]

Oh, and now that I’ve been a full year in the new place I’m able to calculate my exact power bill combined with the solar panels I had installed.

It feels nice to cover all ones energy needs in and around the house for 35 bucks a month??

 

[RSS]

It feels nice to cover all ones energy needs in and around the house for 35 bucks a month??

I hear you.

I feel much the same about the cost of water and my well. We have two landscaped acres to irrigate and the cost is only the electricity to run the well's pump. And we only need irrigation in summer when solar covers the electricity.

 

[Van Veen]

i'd think surface runoff ==> wet crawlspace / footing could well contribute

veen have you figured out how you are going to deal with the grade ? iirc this was a known thing ...

Not quite yet. I feel like the correct permanent fix is to lower the finished grade 8-12" so it's below the foundation wall, but I don't know if that's possible. Right now the end joist is buried by a good 4-6", which is probably a major cause of the moisture.

Whether that happens or not, I want to dig out the foundation, dampproof/waterproof it (membrane, sheet drain, drain tile), and fix the grade. Then I'm going to properly encapsulate the crawl space.

New patio and regrading is a must. The patio is done, anyway.

Feel like I should get a structural/civil engineer in to advise at this point. It's complicated by some parts of the house being on slab, some parts being on crawl, basement stairs at the current grade, etc. I don't trust contractors to give me straight advice. I think that's how previous owners got into this mess in the first place... half-assed fixes recommended by contractors, or possibly just unwillingness to go for the full boat.

We have a half-assed vapor barrier (loose laid, not taped, only covering the ground; not the foundation wall), a half-assed foundation French drain, and a crawlspace dehu that is probably undersized and runs almost constantly.

They also did a half-assed drainage system with that ****** corrugated pipe. That's already failed, so who knows where all the water from the rear downspouts is ending up. It's not coming out where it's supposed to, that's for sure.

Here's what the back of the foundation wall looks like where the moisture is coming in:

Tons of efflorescence. There's a landscape bed right behind this, and a concrete patio behind that. I've tested the runoff with a hose, and all the water is running down the patio into that landscape bed.

If you're not 'getting enough conditioned air' on the opposite side of the house, your system is either not sized right or has a leak. We have a walk in closet on the opposite side without its own register, and the door is closed 24x7. It is warmer than the rest of the house, but there is no moisture.

It's leaky as hell. Duct sealing & re-insulating the trunk is also on the to-do list. There was a major leak... an entire rusted out branch going to the enclosed porch, but I removed that duct and sealed it up until I can figure out what to do.

[my house is already worth 10% more than I paid for it... my house is already worth 10% more than I paid for it... my house is already worth 10% more than I paid for it...]

 

[RedLantern]

Demo started today on our back-to-back bathroom remodels. Living through construction is always hell, but at least we're underway now.

Goddamnit. Demo went fine but when I called to confirm with the plumber for tomorrow (I already confirmed via email at the end of June) they said they can’t be here till Thursday. This basically blows out the rest of the week, assuming I can even get my cabinet guy to reschedule for Friday. Also, when the **** were they planning on letting me know they couldn’t be here tomorrow?

 

[PhilKenSebben]

[my house is already worth 10% more than I paid for it... my house is already worth 10% more than I paid for it... my house is already worth 10% more than I paid for it...]

 

[sugarbutch]

Goddamnit. Demo went fine but when I called to confirm with the plumber for tomorrow (I already confirmed via email at the end of June) they said they can’t be here till Thursday. This basically blows out the rest of the week, assuming I can even get my cabinet guy to reschedule for Friday. Also, when the **** were they planning on letting me know they couldn’t be here tomorrow?

My guess is about two hours after the time they were supposed to show up, but didn't, so you called them. So, don't be an ingrate. You essentially got advance notice!

 

[PhilKenSebben]

I think we finally made the last big purchase for a while. Maybe. mostly. kinda. Please god the bills need to stop

But I finally have all of the supplies I need to finish most of the outstanding projects I have left. This is a time of celebration and offerings to the gods

 

[NorCal]

So guess who is up at 2 in the damn morning running around his yard in naught but a pair of boxers chasing a bear with an air horn?

 

[PhilKenSebben]

So guess who is up at 2 in the damn morning running around his yard in naught but a pair of boxers chasing a bear with an air horn?

@beargonefishing get out of his ******* yard. Come on man.

 

[beargonefishing]

@beargonefishing get out of his ******* yard. Come on man.

Don't kink shame us.

 

[SixOhNine]

So guess who is up at 2 in the damn morning running around his yard in naught but a pair of boxers chasing a bear with an air horn?

Pics or it didn't happen.

 

[Michigan Planner]

So guess who is up at 2 in the damn morning running around his yard in naught but a pair of boxers chasing a bear with an air horn?

You're neighbor and the air horn was keeping you awake?

_______________________

I was out at 4:00 a.m. to go for a run and nearly stepped on a skunk that was scuttling out from under some bushes while I was cutting across a yard to get to the high school track. I don't know what's scarier, the skunk or the bear? OK, the bear is scarier but being sprayed by a skunk some morning is my biggest fear when out running that time of day.

 

[nate10184]

Another day another failed best-and-final bid. 2021 is a brutal time to be a buyer.

 

[Numbernine]

In the late 90s l saw houses in my neighborhood going for $750k, I closed on mine in late ‘96 for $200k, and thought this couldn’t last. Those houses are now getting dangerously close to $2 million