Projects/Home Improvement Thread

[Irish Insanity]

Anyone know how to rid of carpenter bees? I've only noticed one spot from years back before. But this last year I had one make a home in the front of the house, and one in the back. I used every kind of bee foam and spray they make. Even filled the holes with the foam. The bastards turned around and made another hole next to it. Being it's getting cold they seemed to have left or are buried in for the winter. But they'll be back next year. I'd like to know how to prevent that.

 

[wizards8507]

Anyone know how to rid of carpenter bees? I've only noticed one spot from years back before. But this last year I had one make a home in the front of the house, and one in the back. I used every kind of bee foam and spray they make. Even filled the holes with the foam. The bastards turned around and made another hole next to it. Being it's getting cold they seemed to have left or are buried in for the winter. But they'll be back next year. I'd like to know how to prevent that.

That's what I dealt with this summer. They were in the attic right above my bed and their gnawing sound was unbearable. Unfortunately my attic is inaccessible and to reach them from the outside would have required a three-story ladder, which I don't have. Paid $200 and had the professionals do the exterminating, then sealed up their access point with that expanding foam. I have vinyl siding so they weren't actually eating into the house. They were entering through a gap and then eating the wood inside the attic and wall.

Contact poison won't work because it won't wipe out the colony. You need something with delayed action so it gets spread around to the whole colony and queen or they'll keep coming back.

 

[Irish Insanity]

My house is currently wood sided. I haven't had any previous experience with them so I didn't even know at first what it was. But a few years ago the wood trim above the garage had like a honeycomb look to it and needed to be replaced or filled in a spot. Fast forward the this past year. My daughter kept talking about a large bee hanging around outside of her window. So I investigate closer. There was a hole on the thin side of the trim directly in to the center of it. Maybe thumb size. So I threw some bee foam in it. A week later the kids are playing out back. I look up. Similar bee. Same size hole. I use the same foam. A few days later there were 2 or 3 holes in each the front and the back. If I sprayed one spot they'd simply drill a new hole. They don't actually enter in to my house anywhere. They actually hollow out and burrow in the wood trim. I've been told you can silicone or foam fill the holes and they won't return. But the whole house is wood sided and I'm sure they'll be back when the weather gets warm again. Also, I don't know if they sting at all, but 2 of the 5 people on my house are allergic to bees. Sounds like contacting an exterminator may be the only option.

 

[wizards8507]

They sting, but I'm not sure if wasps and carpenter bees have the same venom. You might want to figure out for sure the species in case that makes any difference to who's allergic and who's not.

 

[Irish#1]

They sting, but I'm not sure if wasps and carpenter bees have the same venom. You might want to figure out for sure the species in case that makes any difference to who's allergic and who's not.

It's been years, but my wife still laughs at this one.

She's nailing a picture hanger on the inside wall right between the front door and the picture window. On the outside of where she is nailing in a shutter. Unbeknownst to us, wasps had built a nest behind the shutter. I walk out the front door right after she finished hammering. Naturally, the wasps were pissed and hit my right hand like a jack hammer. I was dancing and cussing loudly out on the driveway for a couple of minutes. She calls her mom to ask her how to treat a sting and she tells her to have me soak it in epsom salt. WRONG! That drew the poison up my arm and the hole thing was swollen for about a week.

 

[Irish#1]

A little, but Koon was over and he big-spooned me in the flannel sheets while we watched Sound of Music on the iPad.

You must have some awesome abs to get Koon.

 

[wizards8507]

You must have some awesome abs to get Koon.

No, that's a front. Koon is actually a chubby-chaser.

 

[RDU Irish]

Seems like as good of a thread as any for this.

Halloween haunted trail behind our house this year was a lot of fun. Anyone have some ideas for home made props they have done to spruce it up next year?

I'm hitting all the stores for clearance stuff, think I will use some masks and stuff some costumes to get some scarecrow type of things set up. Make it harder to distinguish inanimate shadows from the ones that grab you.

6th and 3rd graders were the main victims although the moms went through and were probably more scared than the kids. Then again, taking them in the woods at night would have scared most of them without any props!

 

[Irish Insanity]

Hit all the stores dumpsters for manekin (spelled wrong) parts or whole ones.

 

[koonja]

Installing Central Air in the spring.

Had an estimate done from a mom/pa shop. Here it is. Does this seem reasonable or should I get a 2nd quote from a larger company? I like the guy, I'd like to give him the business. But if I can save $500, I will.

Trane 2 Ton XR Air Conditioner M# 4TTR3024 Sub-Total $4,148.00
Factory Cased 2 Ton Evaporator Coil Instant Rebate < 200.00>
10 year parts warranty, 2 years labor Net Total $3,948.00

 

[Irish Insanity]

Doesn't sound to bad. But often adding AC to an existing sysyem isn't just that simple. Many furnaces that were installed w/o AC to begin with aren't set up to accommodate adding one.

 

[Wild Bill]

Installing Central Air in the spring.

Had an estimate done from a mom/pa shop. Here it is. Does this seem reasonable or should I get a 2nd quote from a larger company? I like the guy, I'd like to give him the business. But if I can save $500, I will.

Trane 2 Ton XR Air Conditioner M# 4TTR3024 Sub-Total $4,148.00
Factory Cased 2 Ton Evaporator Coil Instant Rebate < 200.00>
10 year parts warranty, 2 years labor Net Total $3,948.00

How long do you plan on owning the home?

 

[koonja]

How long do you plan on owning the home?

Depending on how much of a pain in the *** renting is, 5, 10, 20 years?

If I were to find the right lady and hunker down, I could even sell in a few years to buy a home for myself. I've already done the research on putting in 4 window AC's vs. central air. I'm going to to central air because I just put in brand new windows and dont want tenants Fn with them and the AC units, and also the convenience/low monthly cost + resale value (I know I wont get every dollar, but still).

 

[Irish#1]

Installing Central Air in the spring.

Had an estimate done from a mom/pa shop. Here it is. Does this seem reasonable or should I get a 2nd quote from a larger company? I like the guy, I'd like to give him the business. But if I can save $500, I will.

Trane 2 Ton XR Air Conditioner M# 4TTR3024 Sub-Total $4,148.00
Factory Cased 2 Ton Evaporator Coil Instant Rebate < 200.00>
10 year parts warranty, 2 years labor Net Total $3,948.00

I had a Carrier HP installed about ten years ago. Almost all of the major manufacturers provide 10 years parts and labor warranties these days. Ask what kind of a SER rating the unit has. The higher the SER rating the better the energy efficiency. Government rules state 13 is the minimum. Does this include a new thermostat to control both cooling and heating? Now's the time to upgrade the thermostat. Make sure you can set schedules for while you're at work, weekends, vacation, etc. That in itself will save you money. A central unit will help the resale value down the road. Buyers will see windows units as an expense.

BTW........The company I used to work for supplied the paint for Trane A/C units. Trane was forgoing priming before painting as a way to cut costs. I wondered what else (compressor, coil, etc.) they were eliminating or cutting back on to reduce costs?

Check out this site.
https://www.furnacecompare.com/air-conditioners/trane/reviews/

 

[Wild Bill]

Depending on how much of a pain in the *** renting is, 5, 10, 20 years?

If I were to find the right lady and hunker down, I could even sell in a few years to buy a home for myself. I've already done the research on putting in 4 window AC's vs. central air. I'm going to to central air because I just put in brand new windows and dont want tenants Fn with them and the AC units, and also the convenience/low monthly cost + resale value (I know I wont get every dollar, but still).

I think you're making the right move installing central air, I just think the price of the unit is high. I bought a 1 1/2 ton unit a couple years ago and paid about a grand. If you plan on moving within five years, I'd buy something a bit less expensive.

 

[koonja]

I think you're making the right move installing central air, I just think the price of the unit is high. I bought a 1 1/2 ton unit a couple years ago and paid about a grand. If you plan on moving within five years, I'd buy something a bit less expensive.

I think you know this but just to be clear, the 4K includes the installation. I still think that's higher than I expected.

 

[koonja]

I had a Carrier HP installed about ten years ago. Almost all of the major manufacturers provide 10 years parts and labor warranties these days. Ask what kind of a SER rating the unit has. The higher the SER rating the better the energy efficiency. Government rules state 13 is the minimum. Does this include a new thermostat to control both cooling and heating? Now's the time to upgrade the thermostat. Make sure you can set schedules for while you're at work, weekends, vacation, etc. That in itself will save you money. A central unit will help the resale value down the road. Buyers will see windows units as an expense.

BTW........The company I used to work for supplied the paint for Trane A/C units. Trane was forgoing priming before painting as a way to cut costs. I wondered what else (compressor, coil, etc.) they were eliminating or cutting back on to reduce costs?

Check out this site.
https://www.furnacecompare.com/air-conditioners/trane/reviews/

All good questions. I do not know. I do know he said my current thermostat will work for the AC unit as well. It appears to be pretty new (I think new furnace came in 2013).

 

[Irish Insanity]

I think you know this but just to be clear, the 4K includes the installation. I still think that's higher than I expected.

What's the square footage of your house? Is installation as simple as plug and play, or are there furnace panel mods required to marry the two? How will the condensation be pumped out? Will that require any extra installation or equipment that's in the quote? Any installments of ductwork?

 

[koonja]

What's the square footage of your house? Is installation as simple as plug and play, or are there furnace panel mods required to marry the two? How will the condensation be pumped out? Will that require any extra installation or equipment that's in the quote? Any installments of ductwork?

Geez man, no changes to ductwork, that's all I can say. Square footage is 1,500. I think he has to do one thing to the electrical but IDK what it is. FWIW, it's a breaker panel.

 

[Irish#1]

He's adding a separate circuit breaker for the A/C.

 

[koonja]

Need to replace this bathroom exhaust fan. It doesn't spin, just tries to and peters out. How do I get this F'er off? There are no outside screws or anything to remove.

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[Irish Insanity]

Pull the center. It should have a spring like contraption holding it on.

 

[koonja]

Pull the center. It should have a spring like contraption holding it on.

The light cover? I feel like the center-metal thing will prevent that from coming off.

 

[woolybug25]

Use your brain, Koon. Christ... You're replacing it, rip the farqer off.

Your like a child...

 

[koonja]

Got the light cover off. There's the light and then another metal plate that I'm trying to get off, not sure how. Also, the thing I just pulled off is hanging by two things that look like metal chopsticks. is that normal?

 

[Cackalacky]

Got the light cover off. There's the light and then another metal plate that I'm trying to get off, not sure how. Also, the thing I just pulled off is hanging by two things that look like metal chopsticks. is that normal?

Squeeze the two chopsticks which should allow you to remove it.

 

[koonja]

Squeeze the two chopsticks which should allow you to remove it.

Cack, this better not be a joke...

 

[Irish Insanity]

The light cover? I feel like the center-metal thing will prevent that from coming off.

Looking at it closer, it's older than dirt, you'll need to crawl I'm the attic. Pretty site the ring around the light pops right off or the light cover itself. Ripping either off will hurt nothing. Seriously tho, to replace it, you have to get to it from the top.

 

[Irish Insanity]

Got the light cover off. There's the light and then another metal plate that I'm trying to get off, not sure how. Also, the thing I just pulled off is hanging by two things that look like metal chopsticks. is that normal?

Yes. Normal. Typically those have some spring action to them to hold it up. Is this in between 2 floors or on the top floor?

 

[Cackalacky]

Cack, this better not be a joke...

It's not. Squeeze the metal rods together on each side and it should pull out.