The Home Improvement Thread

[Bill Bumface]

Mesmer's has held up really well on someone's cedar shake siding that I know of, so we went with the same. So hard to say though, as anything on a vertical surface should last forever anyway. The guy that applied it dunked each shake right into the stain then left them out to dry.

[Superflyer]

I have an unfinished basement that I'm wanting to insulate the ceiling in because my main floor floor is always cold in the winter. I have joists that are 16 inches deep but the thickest insulation I can find is 6 inches. Should I just push it up to the top and leave a gap on the bottom?

[Fuzz]

You should be able to find thicker, but there is no problem stacking 2 pieces 6" thick.

[edslunch]

A friend of mine has an elevated deck above a walkout basement and one of the posts is splitting and may be sinking. Can anyone recommend a contractor to take a look and remediate it?

[surferguy]

Re: Cedar finish. I’ve used Cetol from Windsor and I’ve been happy. My application was 2 yrs ago on a deck, will likely need to be redone next spring.

I’ve also used Penofin before and I wouldn’t recommend it. It tends to fade and the cedar will start to grey after a year. I was disappointed with it

[FLAME ENVY]

Originally Posted by BlackArcher101

I've liked the SICO stuff. It's also what the Cedar Shop recommended.

I second this. I have used Sikkens (SICO) Cetol SRD stain on our cedar fence exclusively over the past 23 years. Goes on easy, protects for years and looks great. Sikkens manufactures amongst the best automotive paints on the planet, their wood stains are equally great!

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Superflyer

I have an unfinished basement that I'm wanting to insulate the ceiling in because my main floor floor is always cold in the winter. I have joists that are 16 inches deep but the thickest insulation I can find is 6 inches. Should I just push it up to the top and leave a gap on the bottom?

I don't think that will make a difference at all. I did this under my master bathroom, which was always cold, and it didn't make a shred of difference. Maybe because hot air rises? At least do a test section before going hog wild.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I don't think that will make a difference at all. I did this under my master bathroom, which was always cold, and it didn't make a shred of difference. Maybe because hot air rises? At least do a test section before going hog wild.

We have 2 rooms farthest from the furnace, and the basement area under them was always cold(so I kept the door closed, which makes it worse). I added a cold air return to that side of the basement and it made a big difference down there, which also noticeably warmed the rooms above. I'm going to add a cold air return in our bedroom which I hope will help some more, and won't be too much work. Cold air returns, the oft-forgot solution! I think.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I don't think that will make a difference at all. I did this under my master bathroom, which was always cold, and it didn't make a shred of difference. Maybe because hot air rises? At least do a test section before going hog wild.

Correct. If you want a warm floor, heat the room below it. Heat rises.

Don't close basement vents, unless there's a far away run that's not getting any, with the thinking you're heating the living areas more efficiently.

Warm floors make rooms feel warmer, and keeps the difference between the low lying temp and the ceiling level temp tighter.

Generally, due to gravity, and not standing our entire lives, we live in the 0 to 4' volume of the room.

[frege64]

Hi all-

So I moved into my beltline condo a few months ago and having endured one summer there, I know that I need to have my windows shut if I'm ever going to sleep- it's LOUD outside, which comes as a shock since I rented an apartment a mere three blocks west and never had so many issues with loud, incredibly rude people.

I have a portable AC unit that I'll be selling- it works fine but I can't use it in my bedroom because of the type of (non-replaceable) window in that room. A window unit isn't allowed, so my only option is a mini-split. There are some technical matters that have to satisfy the rules per the condo board but they don't look insurmountable and there is at least one more apartment in my building that has a similar unit to what I'm considering.

I need it installed next April- I'll be gone the entire month, so this isn't urgent, but I'd like to have something lined up.

I appreciate any recommendations regarding the unit itself (it only has to be powerful enough to cool a 14'x14' room) and especially a reliable installer.

Thanks!

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by frege64

Hi all-

So I moved into my beltline condo a few months ago and having endured one summer there, I know that I need to have my windows shut if I'm ever going to sleep- it's LOUD outside, which comes as a shock since I rented an apartment a mere three blocks west and never had so many issues with loud, incredibly rude people.

I have a portable AC unit that I'll be selling- it works fine but I can't use it in my bedroom because of the type of (non-replaceable) window in that room. A window unit isn't allowed, so my only option is a mini-split. There are some technical matters that have to satisfy the rules per the condo board but they don't look insurmountable and there is at least one more apartment in my building that has a similar unit to what I'm considering.

I need it installed next April- I'll be gone the entire month, so this isn't urgent, but I'd like to have something lined up.

I appreciate any recommendations regarding the unit itself (it only has to be powerful enough to cool a 14'x14' room) and especially a reliable installer.

Thanks!

I think it's not a bad idea to just start emailing HVAC companies to ask whether they do it and to provide a quote. Chestermere Plumbing and Heating is one that pops up frequently in these forums.

The only other place that looks easy enough to acquire the mini split and request an installer for Calgary that I had previously noticed was Home Depot. Prices for the base units seemed reasonable enough, but I had no clue how Home Depot contracts out if you request them to help you install.

I personally didn't install a mini-split though. After my research, I concluded central AC on one floor made sense for my situation.

For loudness, maybe replacement curtains? Some curtains are pretty good at soaking up noise.

[EverfresH15]

Originally Posted by Superflyer

I have an unfinished basement that I'm wanting to insulate the ceiling in because my main floor floor is always cold in the winter. I have joists that are 16 inches deep but the thickest insulation I can find is 6 inches. Should I just push it up to the top and leave a gap on the bottom?

I would do the opposite, leave a gap between the floor and the insulation.

[opendoor]

Originally Posted by Superflyer

I have an unfinished basement that I'm wanting to insulate the ceiling in because my main floor floor is always cold in the winter. I have joists that are 16 inches deep but the thickest insulation I can find is 6 inches. Should I just push it up to the top and leave a gap on the bottom?

Is the basement insulated and heated at all? If so, I wouldn't bother with any insulation, I'd just keep the basement warm enough that the floor isn't too cold. Insulating the floor can work, but normally not that well unless you really get the details right and to proper air sealing.

If you do want thicker insulation, you can usually buy R28 or R40 fiberglass. Or alternatively you can always just stack 2 layers of insulation.

Originally Posted by EverfresH15

I would do the opposite, leave a gap between the floor and the insulation.

That's not always code compliant (though it may be these days). Sometimes it can work better, as it keeps warm air under the subfloor and raises the floor temperature slightly. But it sort of relies on excellent air sealing and insulation installation to prevent any cold air bypassing the insulation and getting into the cavity. To use that method, I think they also recommend rigid foam across the bottom of the joists with taped seams to prevent cold air infiltration.

[frege64]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

I think it's not a bad idea to just start emailing HVAC companies to ask whether they do it and to provide a quote. Chestermere Plumbing and Heating is one that pops up frequently in these forums.

The only other place that looks easy enough to acquire the mini split and request an installer for Calgary that I had previously noticed was Home Depot. Prices for the base units seemed reasonable enough, but I had no clue how Home Depot contracts out if you request them to help you install.

I personally didn't install a mini-split though. After my research, I concluded central AC on one floor made sense for my situation.

For loudness, maybe replacement curtains? Some curtains are pretty good at soaking up noise.

Thank you! The windows are pretty robust- the problem is if they're open, I hear everything- I think it has to do with the shape of our balconies which go wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling, which act as a sort of sound collector- your voice sounds magnified from the sidewalk, like you're in an amphitheatre, and I can hear every conversation outside, way moreso than any place I've ever lived.

I'll start making calls right away.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Having got AC installed for the first time this year, is there anything I need to do to winterize it? I see conflicting opinions on whether you should buy a cover or not

[photon]

They gave me a cover so I put it on and turned off the breaker.

[Engine09]

I have a friend with poly-b water lines in his house and he's having a company replace every single water line due to the high failure rate. I had no idea that type of pipe was so prone to failure but I guess it's serious enough that a lot of people are paying to have drywall cut open and everything replaced.

Has anyone here had this done? I'm curious how the old line is removed and how much drywall needs to be cut open, especially with clips nailed to the studs used to secure the original water line during installation. How do they fish the new line?

[Wormius]

DoubleF provided some good info on the replacement process.

It’s something in our future too. No failures , but we have some upcoming kitchen renos so might bite the bullet then when some things in the house get opened up a bit more.

I think ultimately, just get it done and patch up afterwards. There are some Youtube videos where they show it being possible to pull Pex through behind the PolyB. Not sure if it helps with the clips or if it snags and causes a bigger headache.

[dubc80]

Yeah this is very common. I see lots of posts in my community facebook group about poly-b failures and replacements. I think lots of houses in Calgary from the early/mid 90's have it.

Luckily we have not had issues in my 6 years in this home, but the day will likely come at some point.

I think most folks wait to have a failure, then just replace that portion.
Or, if you're doing a major reno people will do it then and do a full re-do of all the piping while you're at it.

You can run into insurance issues too, as some companies will not insure a house with it.

[Engine09]

I was wondering if he was going a bit overboard an spending money he didn't need to, I only did a bit of searching. I can imagine the insurance issue and peace of mind would be motivating factors to get it done.

That's exactly what I was wondering, if these guys connect the new line to the old Poly-b and fish the new line while removing the old.