The Home Improvement Thread

[Wormius]

Is it possible to adjust the latching mechanism on casement windows? I have one that is just a hair off and won’t catch, and I have to go outside and give the window a little nudge to the mechanism engages and it can be fully closed.

[Hanni]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

Does anyone have any suggested brands for heat blocking curtains and window film? I have a south facing room with a lot of windows that I badly need to temperature control.

We used a combination of this window film https://www.homedepot.ca/product/gil...ilm/1000696001 and these curtains https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B08KRZB4XL/ which has worked really well.

[kevman]

Tinfoil works in a pinch.

I use leftover ram board because it's rigid and holds shape really well. As a bonus I have a box fan cut out for mass hot air evacuation at night.

Unless of course you're looking for something that looks good. Our place stays relatively comfortable all year so we only need a window blocking solution for a few days a year.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by kevman

Tinfoil works in a pinch.

I use leftover ram board because it's rigid and holds shape really well. As a bonus I have a box fan cut out for mass hot air evacuation at night.

Unless of course you're looking for something that looks good. Our place stays relatively comfortable all year so we only need a window blocking solution for a few days a year.

Yeah we need a permanent solution, but I also need to buy a box fan and do something similar you’ve described.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

Does anyone have any suggested brands for heat blocking curtains and window film? I have a south facing room with a lot of windows that I badly need to temperature control.

Would plantation blinds/wood shutters be worth looking into?

Window film, I've tried a few brands and I like Gila the most. I can attest the privacy ones do reduce heat, but it doesn't eliminate heat. Buy extra or a roll to cut to size and expect that the first one or two window film will be a write off to be discarded. But after you figure it out a process that works for you, you'll get good results. Opaque ones like the rice paper looking do help a little bit as well, but then you can't see through the window like a transparent one.

Do not buy a ton of application fluid though. The best thing to do is to use water and baby shampoo to refill a spray bottle. It's inexpensive and works great. You'll want a ton of application fluid.

For the best application, you basically soak (emphasis) a window pane, lay the film on the soaked window, use a squeegee/flat item to push out air bubbles and wrinkles and then use a sharp blade to slice the film where the glass meets the window frame. The soapy water keeps the glue from sticking so that you can get rid of wrinkles and bubbles. Once the water evaporates, the glue can do its thing and holds the film in position like it's supposed to.

[Maritime Q-Scout]

I'm looking at installing new lights in the basement (it's gonna happen, the current setup is a s*** show).

Wondering what the best course of action is. LED pot lights, or would a dome light be easier/give off better light? Any worry about placement and glare on the TV?

[DoubleK]

LED pot lights all the way. Yes, you get a bit of glare, but they simply can't be beat from a light output vs power consumption perspective.

[speede5]

One thing I've noticed with LED pot lights etc. You can buy cheap ones that work just fine but the more expensive ones have multiple light settings, 2K, 3k, 5k etc. and in those you can have firm settings, where you select a switch when you install them, or remote controlled, where you can change them anytime. Also, the cheaper remote one's have a sensor which has to be in line of sight, and the more expensive it iscontrolled at the switch.

Just some things to think about, I have a basement suite, so I just have bright ones on a dimmer, but if it's your den having adjustable would be nice.

[Fuzz]

Any brands you recommend? I'd like to put pot lights in my kitchen and living room, as the living room has no ceiling light, and the kitchen just one. Probably going to get the attic insulation sucked out this fall, so I can do it while empty, then have it filled. If anyone has a recommendation for blown in insulation, that'd be nice too!

[DoubleK]

I've got one pulled out of the ceiling. I'll snap you a picture when I go home for lunch

[photon]

Personally I don't like the all-in-one fixtures that you can't replace the bulb, but if I did use those I would get a few extra, then if one fails at some point and they're no longer available they don't all have to be replaced to match.

[speede5]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Any brands you recommend? I'd like to put pot lights in my kitchen and living room, as the living room has no ceiling light, and the kitchen just one. Probably going to get the attic insulation sucked out this fall, so I can do it while empty, then have it filled. If anyone has a recommendation for blown in insulation, that'd be nice too!

Not really, I bought a bunch of led tubes for my garage from amazon. Random company from china. They are great but I would recommend opaque lenses as mine have clear and the individual leds in the strips are a bit hard on the eyes.

My pot lights came from Rona and I bought 3 -4packs on clearance. They are not adjustable.

Honestly most of these are made in China and I don't see many well known names on them. Also everything I've used so far has the same connectors so replacing a light isn't that big a deal, it will be harder to match the finish and brightness than actually replacing the unit. All my pot lights have a separate junction box that ties into the house wiring and a standard cable to the light.

[CarlLester]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Any brands you recommend? I'd like to put pot lights in my kitchen and living room, as the living room has no ceiling light, and the kitchen just one. Probably going to get the attic insulation sucked out this fall, so I can do it while empty, then have it filled. If anyone has a recommendation for blown in insulation, that'd be nice too!

Just finished a full home reno. The pot lights that we have are dimmable and have the colour selector switch as well. Model is Elite Lighting RL375.

We used Beyond Foam for the blown in attic insulation. They did a good job.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by speede5

Not really, I bought a bunch of led tubes for my garage from amazon. Random company from china. They are great but I would recommend opaque lenses as mine have clear and the individual leds in the strips are a bit hard on the eyes.

My pot lights came from Rona and I bought 3 -4packs on clearance. They are not adjustable.

Honestly most of these are made in China and I don't see many well known names on them. Also everything I've used so far has the same connectors so replacing a light isn't that big a deal, it will be harder to match the finish and brightness than actually replacing the unit. All my pot lights have a separate junction box that ties into the house wiring and a standard cable to the light.

Ya, I got the opaque lenses for my garage lights, they are nice and bright, but not blinding. The work bench lights are clear, but lower so not an issue.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by speede5

Not really, I bought a bunch of led tubes for my garage from amazon. Random company from china. They are great but I would recommend opaque lenses as mine have clear and the individual leds in the strips are a bit hard on the eyes.

My pot lights came from Rona and I bought 3 -4packs on clearance. They are not adjustable.

Honestly most of these are made in China and I don't see many well known names on them. Also everything I've used so far has the same connectors so replacing a light isn't that big a deal, it will be harder to match the finish and brightness than actually replacing the unit. All my pot lights have a separate junction box that ties into the house wiring and a standard cable to the light.

I'm having a difficult time figuring out how an LED tube would have individual lights that are blinding. Is yours an LED strip that is strapped to a fluorescent looking fixture or something?

I got these and use them in my garage.
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07...e?ie=UTF8&th=1

I like them and they're awesome. I just had an electrician expand the plug on the garage ceiling and had the lights attached to the ceiling and plugged in. I even acquired a bunch of these in a different color to replace multi decades old fluorescent light fixtures I had in the basement. That way it was an easy swap that didn't required a ton of extra work (vs having to fill in the holes in the ceiling) and it hid behind the lens pretty easily.


I was thinking something like this for flood lights for color changing and dimming and wifi control that I didn't have before, but at $30 a light and I literally need about a dozen of them... it's hard to justify at the moment as a replacement of basic LED floodlights which are like $3-5 each... so I guess I'll keep waiting.

https://www.amazon.ca/Sengled-Changi...s%2C100&sr=8-5

[Fuzz]

As far as I know, all LED tubes have individual smd emitters. Without a frosted casing, you see them.

https://www.google.com/search?q=insi...ih=735&dpr=1.3

[Shazam]

You can get prettier ones like this now:

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by Shazam

You can get prettier ones like this now:

I use Edison LED lightbulbs and LED globe lightbulbs in my bathrooms, but I don't think they'd make good replacements for flood lights...

[speede5]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

I'm having a difficult time figuring out how an LED tube would have individual lights that are blinding. Is yours an LED strip that is strapped to a fluorescent looking fixture or something?

Basically these. Extremely bright and my shop is awesome to work in, thankfully I have 10 ft ceilings cause anytime you look up its uncomfortable.

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08MT1VXM2/...2s9dHJ1ZQ&th=1

[photon]

Looking to get some wood flooring replaced with tile in a kitchen and entry way. Anyone have any recommendations for flooring place or contractor?