Home ownership
Maybe I missed a thread similar to this, but that's ok. I have been in my home for 10 years now, and there are some things I wasn't prepared for or aware of as a homeowner. I am not scared to admit them if it helps someone else, and please share any stories you have about things you didn't know when owning a home for the first time, whether they be small or large, costly or not.
I will start with not knowing about changing the furnace filter until the a/c stopped working and I had to spend $300 on a new blower motor. Also, I knew nothing of cleaning my gutters, until one became clogged, held water, froze, and had the weight pull it down. Replacing the gutters was another $1000. I'm sure I'll think of other things but those are the 2 that stand out the most at the moment.
ITT we talk about home ownership, and things that aren't always obvious but need to be done to save on maintenance and repairs.
That would be fun. Maybe something with the multi-user urinal too! A gray finish, to make it look like cement.
So far, I'm pleased with the work. When we've come across an issue, we talk about it, and figure it out. There's been a couple times when a new idea has surfaced once we see the work in progress (like moving the niche and using the quartz). We discuss, and move forward if it sounds o.k.
I like how the toilet and closet entries are coming out. Kinda funky little corners, not just a box.
The GCs and the workers have always been sincere and hard-working.
I wouldn't say they're great at setting expectations. I figured drywall guys would be here to sand today, and I'd work on ceiling paint this weekend, but haven't heard anything. Of course, they're a small business coordinating between a few different jobs. NBD.
Drywall guys came this afternoon. Finished up and applied the texture.
Busy tomorrow, but may paint the ceiling and walls Sunday if motivated. Or at least get some paint, and have it sitting there.
What kind of texture... Knock down?
Stomp 4lyfe
Not sure what knock down is. The walls had that kind of orange peel finish to them, so recreated that on the new walls.
knock down is applied the same way orange peel is, but just as the splatter is setting, they come back with a trowel and slightly flatten the finish... in essence, you are knocking down the peaks of orange peel.
I'm partial to smooth walls.
I had my first and last ever garage sale today. There were like 30 different houses in the neighborhood doing them, supposedly. I think a lot of people changed their minds with the rain and cold. Got rid of a lot of gma's old stuff, but still have a ton left. The profit wasn't even close to worth the time spent setting up and sitting outside today, especially since the high was 50F and I froze my ass off most of the day. Good thing bulk trash runs next week!
garage sale is just a different way of recycling, especially the things typical old people have.
Garage sale
Yard sale
Rummage sale
Tag sale
All are a waste of time. A cultural leftover from when your stuff was your wealth. These days it's just stuff.
My grandma used to say the only difference between a garage sale and garbage is the distance from the curb!
So true.
Garage sale
Yard sale
Rummage sale
Tag sale
All are a waste of time. A cultural leftover from when your stuff was your wealth. These days it's just stuff.
Ebay (and its many successors) pretty much killed the yard sale. You can still find sellers who won't take the time to list decent stuff online but they're fewer and further between. More likely to just be junk. Seems like there are still a decent number of lookers/buyers where I live but yeah, no chance I'm ever wasting a Saturday getting rid of stuff. I'll let the local charity shop make a couple bucks.
Perhaps tariffs will make the yard sale great again.
Yeah, garage sale only good for getting rid of stuff. I have a stall about 1/2 full of stuff I'm trying to get rid of.
While I'm better than my mother, I'm still too much in the mode of, "I can find someone who this will be meaningful to" instead of just bringing it to the ARC/Goodwill. Happens often enough (one of the GCs found a couple things that interested him) that I keep the stuff laying around.
Or maybe more accurately, the "get rid of it," hasn't bubbled up to the top of the priority list quite yet.
Not sure what happened on the bathroom project yesterday. Got a text Friday night asking if it was ok if tile guy came Saturday and worked. I was dealing, and had a gig all day Saturday, so replied that was ok, as I'd be out of the house most of the day.
Got home, and it looked the same. Boxes of shower tiles moved upstairs, so I know someone was around. Might be that he put down another layer in the shower pan.
Just dragged my gorilla ladder upstairs and did some prep work for slopping paint on the new ceiling and wall areas. As I was taking down the covers over the toilet and closet lights, it occurred to me that it might have been the first time I've taken them off.
Surprisingly, they weren't super dirty, but needed a rinse. Maybe I'll remember to get the other BRs and bath light covers cleaned off while I've got the ladder out.
Or, more likely, I'll forget.
It seems as if we were discussing HVAC a while back. Furnace is original (1996), so I've been in the early stages of gathering data about replacements.
First, figured I'd see if I could figure out what I have.
Googling tor "tempstar model ntc5100bjc1 furnace efficiency rating" tells me it's a heat pump (no), so I assume the model # is out-of-date by now. I also assume it's nothing special, as this neighborhood is generic suburban housing thrown up by Richmond in the mid-90s.
There's a lot to choose from among heat pumps, replacing with high efficiency, or staying "standard." Plus, the potential tax/efficiency rebates/credits if I go. Also, heat pump would run off electricity, so there's the potential for expanding the solar array, if there might be additional benefits.
There's just a lot to learn. Fortunately, I have til mid-September to figure it out, assuming I get through these last few weeks of spring where the heat needs to come on in the morning.
Furnace failure in 3...2..1..
looks like 100k btu's...
Garage sales and Estate sales used to be awesome, in these modern times it seems pretty much everyone is clued in on valuating an item before putting it into play... I blame the interweb and Antiques road show for ruining all the good pickings I used to score.
Garage sales and Estate sales used to be awesome, in these modern times it seems pretty much everyone is clued in on valuating an item before putting it into play... I blame the interweb and Antiques road show for ruining all the good pickings I used to score.
So I should take my 21" BBS RX 519 wheel to rennlist. Bidz probably missed out as I just want these things out of my garage.
here is the problem with those things.... TWENTY ONE INCHES
get some real rims.
It seems as if we were discussing HVAC a while back. Furnace is original (1996), so I've been in the early stages of gathering data about replacements.
inter-city products changed their name in 1999 and are a big player in the residential market. contact their support and i bet they can tell you what the plate numbers mean
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internatio...
what happens when focus is on outward appearance and not utility
It seems as if we were discussing HVAC a while back. Furnace is original (1996), so I've been in the early stages of gathering data about replacements.
Googling tor "tempstar model ntc5100bjc1 furnace efficiency rating" tells me it's a heat pump (no), so I assume the model # is out-of-date by now. I also assume it's nothing special, as this neighborhood is generic suburban housing thrown up by Richmond in the mid-90s.
Googling for "furnace ntc5100bjc1 specs" Tells me is is from International Comfort Products and is a "FURNACE INDUCED DRAFT, 100 MBTUH, UP/HZ, 4.5 TON" Further, the serial number tells me it is, indeed, original to the house, if that 95 means what I think it does (i.e., it ICP follows the standard convention).
