House/Property Problems Thread

[ranchlandsselling]

Anyone know what it costs to install a pretty straight forward bathtub?

60x30x18 (or a bit deeper)?

[moncton golden flames]

So, i am going thru a basement (future rental suite) reno right now, and i want to replace my old exterior spigots with the frost free versions. Now, my floor joists are cast in the concrete, which means i don't have a traditional wood rim joist. Would a plumber need to cut the hole in the concrete larger to fit the new fixture or should the same hole accomodate it?

the reason i am asking is the contractor told me it would be upwards of $1000 to have the plumber replace the 2 spigots, because he would need to core the hole larger and it adds cost and labour.

anybody have a true cost idea what this should job should be?

[kevman]

If it doesn't fit (frost free spigots are a little larger) than he should be able to use a hammer drill to enlarge the hole and a 10" or longer frost free spigot to get through the foundation.

I don't have an exact price but I got a frost free spigot installed through my foundation (also cast in concrete joists but I wanted the spigot lower so just went through foundation) and a gas line moved for $500.

[Barnet Flame]

Neighborly dispute.

http://www.27bslash6.com/halogen.html

[Buff]

My basement is much cooler than upstairs. I've had the house for just over a year, and the previous owner put in a high efficiency furnace and a/c about 3 years ago. Even though we open all the heat vents in the basement it just stays cold. Any tips on how to diagnose this problem?

[BlackArcher101]

Are there any dampers between the furnace and vents for zone control?

[Buff]

Originally Posted by BlackArcher101

Are there any dampers between the furnace and vents for zone control?

I don't believe so. What would I look for, just to be certain?

There is only one thermostat for the entire house, and that doesn't have settings for any other zones.

[BlackArcher101]

There would be a handle on the outside of the pipe, similar to this.

[Wormius]

They might be less fancy than that depending on the age / quality of the duct work.

[Mccree]

Originally Posted by Buff

My basement is much cooler than upstairs. I've had the house for just over a year, and the previous owner put in a high efficiency furnace and a/c about 3 years ago. Even though we open all the heat vents in the basement it just stays cold. Any tips on how to diagnose this problem?

In the winter we close all the vents upstairs. Leave the vents open in the main living area and close all the rest of the vents on the main floor and open all vents in the basement. The process is reverse for the summer. Seems to work for us.

[Buff]

Originally Posted by Mccree

In the winter we close all the vents upstairs. Leave the vents open in the main living area and close all the rest of the vents on the main floor and open all vents in the basement. The process is reverse for the summer. Seems to work for us.

I was thinking about trying that.

[Buff]

If there is a damper it has been sealed up behind walls or in the ceiling. However now that I think of it, I can feel the air circulating when the furnace is working, it just doesn't hold the heat in the basement.

[Barnes]

Originally Posted by Buff

If there is a damper it has been sealed up behind walls or in the ceiling. However now that I think of it, I can feel the air circulating when the furnace is working, it just doesn't hold the heat in the basement.

Do you have a cold air return?

[jeffh]

Undeveloped basements are designed to be 3'c cooler than a developed space. Best solution is to add a some heat lines and drop the return to the floor when its time for development.
I doubt you will come across any balancing dampers in your home, aside from the fresh air intake. Adding dampers is an option, but then you would need/prefer to have access to them once you decide to develop. Closing/adjusting your grilles is an easy & cheap solution.

[Regular_John]

So CP, any reasonable choices for small plumbing jobs in the south? Basically need a bathroom faucet replaced, but given the age of our condo the supplies lines should be swapped and shutoff valves installed.

And yes, I know, a real man would do it himself, but I don't have the tools to do and I suspect by the time I by them the cost it's a wash compared to paying some one.

[HockeyIlliterate]

Originally Posted by jaydorn

And yes, I know, a real man would do it himself, but I don't have the tools to do and I suspect by the time I by them the cost it's a wash compared to paying some one.

Sure, but purchasing the necessary tools is just a one-time expense, and once you have them, you can use them again on another project in the future.

[Ace]

I Might go mad! I have this light fixture and I can't get at the bulb...I have two other fixtures that are identical in the house, usually the glass dome just unscrews off, this one won't budge! Any suggestions, do I need to call an electrician? Like What the heck!

[4X4]

Originally Posted by Ace

I Might go mad! I have this light fixture and I can't get at the bulb...I have two other fixtures that are identical in the house, usually the glass dome just unscrews off, this one won't budge! Any suggestions, do I need to call an electrician? Like What the heck!

Sometimes those crappy lights (no offence, they're in almost every track built house in the last 10 years)(including mine) have imperfections in the globe, so the finishing electrician just screws it in there so that it's good enough. What you want to do here is get some gloves, get up on a ladder so that your face isn't underneath the globe, and forcefully unscrew it. The globe might break, hence the gloves, and the fact that your face isn't underneath it.

If it breaks, you can probably buy a replacement globe at Carringtons, or buy a new fixture at HD, and chuck the fixture and use the globe. $20 or less. Might want to take a pic of the globe first, and measure the diameter of the fixture before you go to Carringtons.

[Ace]

^frik