The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

That's like trying to match MTU gold. I gave up and picked a nice calming shade of teal for my office accent wall, and I'll worry about MTU gold as I build out the basement man cave in the coming months.

Home Depot home delivery grinds my gears. I had to reorder a bunch of materials for our kitchen remodel, after our contractor told us what we originally purchased would not work (of course). HD said they'd be here this Friday. This morning I get an email that - surprise! - it's all being delivered today, the day after I ordered it. FedEx Ground truck shows up at 10:30a and an overweight driver with no help has to unload an 8 ft. piece of maple butcher block. He was NOT happy and was already on the phone to his dispatcher or supervisor or whatever to complain. Fiance then has to clock out for a work "break" to help me drag it into the house.

[dxmnkd316]

Yeah, it's mostly going to be a gray somewhere between light and medium gray here most likely.




SOmething along these lines, though, on a much larger wall...

[Swansong]

FYI - my 95ish year old house is almost entirely hard wood flooring. We use felt pads of appropriate thickness to avoid scratching. No issues so far. Just need to be careful if moving things so the pads don't slip out.

[SJHovey]

FYI - my 95ish year old house is almost entirely hard wood flooring. We use felt pads of appropriate thickness to avoid scratching. No issues so far. Just need to be careful if moving things so the pads don't slip out.

Yeah, we have a 100+ year old Victorian with hardwood floors, and we've just used pads. However, up until about two years ago it didn't matter because we also had a golden retriever and german shorthair.

[Swansong]

Yeah, we have a 100+ year old Victorian with hardwood floors, and we've just used pads. However, up until about two years ago it didn't matter because we also had a golden retriever and german shorthair.

So, mobile scratch machines.


I also got floor pads to go under my wheelie office chairs. The ones for carpets have the teeth to hold them in place, the ones for hardwood/pergo are flat and smooth.

[dxmnkd316]

I installed an RO system for the kitchen. I'm pretty proud of myself.

I only got sprayed in the face with bleach water twice!

[walrus]

Yeah, we have a 100+ year old Victorian with hardwood floors, and we've just used pads. However, up until about two years ago it didn't matter because we also had a golden retriever and german shorthair.

Golden retrievers kill hardwood floors, Scratches are one reason, bigger reason is being wet whenever they can and then sprawling out of the floor

[dxmnkd316]

Annoying feature not considered of new RO system. During refilling periods, the reject water is a constant trickle in the drain.

:-/

[state of hockey]

Annoying feature not considered of new RO system. During refilling periods, the reject water is a constant trickle in the drain.

:-/

I remember that from bbdl's old house.

[St. Clown]

I don’t have a good suggestion, but definitely stay away from the felt pads, especially for things like dining chairs that you expect to move frequently. The pads won’t stick over time, and if there is anything worse than a floor protected by felt pads, it’s one that you *think* is protected. Ugh - been there.

Gorilla Glue makes some felt pads that have done well for me. They include these little spikes - 3 or 4, depending upon pad diameter - that you tap in lightly with a hammer as well as an adhesive. Otherwise, yes, I’ve had similar issues that you’ve described.

[St. Clown]

I just had my home inspected, confirming what I pretty much figured out on my own earlier this week. The NW corner of my house is sinking. The solution to this is to install galvanized steel pads that rest upon 20-30ft galvanized steel piers that reach down to hard, undisturbed soil. Four of them are needed. Super.

[walrus]

I just had my home inspected, confirming what I pretty much figured out on my own earlier this week. The NW corner of my house is sinking. The solution to this is to install galvanized steel pads that rest upon 20-30ft galvanized steel piers that reach down to hard, undisturbed soil. Four of them are needed. Super.

Is your house built on a slab? or do you have a basement? That sounds like an expensive fix. and way more to it than just some pilings driven and somehow connected to some pads.

[St. Clown]

Is your house built on a slab? or do you have a basement? That sounds like an expensive fix. and way more to it than just some pilings driven and somehow connected to some pads.

We have a basement. Most homes in MN have either a basement or 4’ crawl space due to weather safety considerations.

The corner of the house that’s sinking is about 12’ along the front of the house, and then about 5-6’ along the side, which leads to the four piers.

This all happens because of the excavation process of building a home in mostly clay soil. The water will get trapped in the disturbed soil which then expands and contracts under the entire basement, but impacts the footings upon which the basement walls rest as they carry most of the house’s weight.

According to the inspector, the number of houses experiencing this issue have shot way up because of the odd weather patterns these past few years. We’ve had some very dry summers, but then it’s been getting very wet just before the cold weather hits. This all causes the soils to shift more during the winters.

The fix is just shy of $15k, about half of what I had been expecting.

[dxmnkd316]

Minnesota is in for some rude rude awakenings if this is because of clay. Not super thrilled to be living in a home surrounded by clay.

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Interesting map