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The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

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Re: The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

MissThundercat said:
Can you elaborate on that? I need ideas.
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I'd ask my local Car Quest or other automotive parts store what they recommend for bug tar. Then see if they know its suitability for latex paint or, if they don't know, google search it. In fact, I assume you have already google searched the topic.

I recently used a car wash liquid that removed bug tar like magic. I'd driven through a May Fly hatching and the car was plastered with bug stains. Days later I hand washed the car with ArmorAll Carwash, a blue liquid. Worked great. It was probably not environmentally responsible to use this stuff, but I had some on hand and it worked.
 
Re: The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

Trying to fit a 34" depth french door refrigerator thru a 28" door.

We made it. We needed to get creative, but we got it done.

How we got into that predicament is another story that involves having the wrong person take the door measurements.
 
Re: The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

joecct said:
Trying to fit a 34" depth french door refrigerator thru a 28" door.

We made it. We needed to get creative, but we got it done.

How we got into that predicament is another story that involves having the wrong person take the door measurements.
Click to expand...

remove fridge door and doorstops?
 
burd said:
remove fridge door and doorstops?
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Bottom freezer door came out easy. Fridge doors were a complicated POS so we left them on.

Took the sliding glass door off. That got us to 30". Then opened the side doors (got us to 29") and jockeyed it in.

Next time She Who Must Be Obeyed does measurements, I'm double checking.
 
joecct said:
Trying to fit a 34" depth french door refrigerator thru a 28" door.

We made it. We needed to get creative, but we got it done.

How we got into that predicament is another story that involves having the wrong person take the door measurements.
Click to expand...

Did you leave that to an scsu grad?
 
Re: The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

joecct said:
UMCP '78 grad.

She also got majorly lost on the way to the UHaul place to pick me up. Went on a 1hr tour of upper Montgomery County, MD when it was a 15 min direct trip.
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Did she also happen to attend SCSU? I'm just saying...because I had some roommates.
 
Re: The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

MarkEagleUSA said:
Most Bug & Tar removers (if that's what you're referring to) contain petroleum distillates that would likely ruin latex paint.
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burd said:
I'd ask my local Car Quest or other automotive parts store what they recommend for bug tar. Then see if they know its suitability for latex paint or, if they don't know, google search it. In fact, I assume you have already google searched the topic.

I recently used a car wash liquid that removed bug tar like magic. I'd driven through a May Fly hatching and the car was plastered with bug stains. Days later I hand washed the car with ArmorAll Carwash, a blue liquid. Worked great. It was probably not environmentally responsible to use this stuff, but I had some on hand and it worked.
Click to expand...

burd said:
I think you are probably right.
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I'll try this. Thank you!
 
Re: The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

You can get wall washing solutions at your local hardware store. Find the cleaners section, or the paint-prep area, and they'll have all you need without having to acid wash both your walls and you jeans.
 
joecct said:
She has no idea where St. Cloud is. Minnesota is a probable.
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My question stands.

In October I bought a house built in 1955. Plaster walls suck. They suck like UAA did at hockey. Really bad. The amount of extra work required to hang things like curtains is insane. If I could afford it, I’d make a run to put up drywall tomorrow.
 
Re: The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

St. Clown said:
My question stands.

In October I bought a house built in 1955. Plaster walls suck. They suck like UAA did at hockey. Really bad. The amount of extra work required to hang things like curtains is insane. If I could afford it, I’d make a run to put up drywall tomorrow.
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I'd think twice about that. Plaster should add value to your home and sheet rock won't hold ****. Aren't your curtain rods going on the window trim?

I'm removing wall paper borders from 4 different rooms and then repainting, got a system down once a couple rooms were done. Its a pain in the ***.
 
Re: The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

We have plaster walls as well, and they also don't hold a darn thing. Doesn't bother me too much though, as I don't care for busy walls. I'm fine with them being pretty blank.
 
Re: The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

walrus said:
I'd think twice about that. Plaster should add value to your home and sheet rock won't hold ****. Aren't your curtain rods going on the window trim?

I'm removing wall paper borders from 4 different rooms and then repainting, got a system down once a couple rooms were done. Its a pain in the ***.
Click to expand...

Plaster complicates things because it's almost impossible to find a wall stud, and I have no idea how thick the plaster is over the wood laths. So wall anchors become much more expensive. Beyond that, I know how to work with drywall. If it ever came down to it, I can easily add a 2x4 cross beam behind a drywall facade if I really want, and make it look like I've never did work on it.

This all comes about because I want to build some floating shelves to a wall, a de facto mantle, on either side of a TV that's already hanging on the wall. I need a reliable way to get lag screws into the stud without bouncing the drill in another direction because of some lousy wire mesh that goes with the lathing.
 
Re: The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

St. Clown said:
Plaster complicates things because it's almost impossible to find a wall stud, and I have no idea how thick the plaster is over the wood laths. So wall anchors become much more expensive. Beyond that, I know how to work with drywall. If it ever came down to it, I can easily add a 2x4 cross beam behind a drywall facade if I really want, and make it look like I've never did work on it.

This all comes about because I want to build some floating shelves to a wall, a de facto mantle, on either side of a TV that's already hanging on the wall. I need a reliable way to get lag screws into the stud without bouncing the drill in another direction because of some lousy wire mesh that goes with the lathing.
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Plaster is certainly a better quality covering than drywall, but remodeling plastered walls and ceilings can be very dusty. If you are frustrated about locating studs, look to the base trim for the 16 inch stud layout. It's usually pretty easy to locate the puttied nail locations. If you need to drill a small hole to confirm what you find, it is easy to patch. You apparently also have a bracket supporting the TV, which will show you where at least two studs are. Although plaster thickness varies because it was trowelled on, you can usually remove a nearby outlet cover and get a good idea what to expect. Hanging lighter things like pictures is actually easier with plaster, since a screw into the lath will support the weight of most things that size.

If it's old plaster that has become loose, it is much more frustrating and will require quite a bit more patching. But there are good products available for that too, and you really don't need to be an experienced mudder to do it.

Look at this as your chance to become a plaster repair nerd, the go-to expert for your friends. With SIP, you probably have the time. :)
 
Re: The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

I need to increase the efficiency of my house so I'm looking into new windows. Also my brother and a friend put in our front door and it doesn't close all the way....I know this plus leaky windows isn't a good thing at all. Right now my house is so freakin humid and during the winter cold air leaks in. I need to get a couple dehumidifiers asap. Also I need new a AC system , found some information here. Keep you posted on how the improvement process goes
 
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Re: The Home Improvement Thread. Successes and Failures

DonaldD said:
I need to increase the efficiency of my house so I'm looking into new windows. Also my brother and a friend put in our front door and it doesn't close all the way....I know this plus leaky windows isn't a good thing at all. Right now my house is so freakin humid and during the winter cold air leaks in. I need to get a couple dehumidifiers asap. Also I need new a AC system , found some information here. Keep you posted on how the improvement process goes
Click to expand...

Where do you live? How do you use fans and windows during the summer, day and night, to moderate these things?
 
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