Home Improvement
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Big Phoenix
Pronouns: zie/zhem/zer
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Borzak
Bronze Baron of the Realm
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So back on topic, does anyone know about the reliability of having a house moved? It's not my main house and not very large, it was on the property when I aquired several years back when I got out of college and have never lived in it. I just kind of like the idea of having the house on land that isn't taxed.
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Just get two or three quotes, see if it's worth it. If it is a small single story structure, it might be fast and cheap. Keep in mind you have to pay for new cement for footings at least, and make sure that if the septic stays on taxed land the house won't be taxed.
Borzak
Bronze Baron of the Realm
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I'm not sure how they do that. There's no building codes here so I dunno. The state now mandates the deal with the septic systems which is new but the county has a waiver or whatever since they don't have a building inspector or permit office.
All improvements the appraisal district takes pics of once every two years and keeps it on file, stuff like gates, fencing, outbuildings and such. No idea what they do about septic systems.
I'll probably call around and see if I can get someone to give me a quote. They'll probably have to come out of Houston or Dallas.
Not a large house and it's a single story, built in the 60's. I would guess 1200 sq. ft. give or take. So not like moving a massive two story. They did one in town several years ago that was a historical home because the train encroached on it. I know that was a massive undertaking but the house isn't that large and would move a short distance on level ground and I could move stuff or grade it down if that was an issue.
You see them do it on TV, but they only show the most difficult stuff.
You might know as well, what happens if they screw up and/or have they?
All improvements the appraisal district takes pics of once every two years and keeps it on file, stuff like gates, fencing, outbuildings and such. No idea what they do about septic systems.
I'll probably call around and see if I can get someone to give me a quote. They'll probably have to come out of Houston or Dallas.
Not a large house and it's a single story, built in the 60's. I would guess 1200 sq. ft. give or take. So not like moving a massive two story. They did one in town several years ago that was a historical home because the train encroached on it. I know that was a massive undertaking but the house isn't that large and would move a short distance on level ground and I could move stuff or grade it down if that was an issue.
You see them do it on TV, but they only show the most difficult stuff.
You might know as well, what happens if they screw up and/or have they?
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So I'm going to be putting laminate flooring into my house in the very near future so I figured I'd drop by here to see if anyone might part with some helpful tips or general info. I'm in a starter home within a community that is growing very rapidly, and house values are going up (my house is valued 30k higher then what I paid for it 3 years ago) just as quickly. I want to make sure my house is up to par so I can sell it quickly when the time comes. I've looked at the comps and one of the things I'm pretty certain that needs to happen is to get rid of the carpet (in the living room, and my office) and crappy laminate that the previous owners used for one of the bedrooms and hallway, and replace it with some nice hardwood laminate flooring. It's probably somewhere around 700-1000 square feet of flooring that needs to go down. So here's the real question. I have 4 dogs, so I need something that isn't going to get all scratched up. Color wise, I'm thinking a mid tone brown, not too dark (scratches and dirt show more), and not something too light (because I think light flooring is ugly). I'm stuck on getting a 10mm thickness or larger. I don't really have much of a reason other then it just feels right to me to get something thicker. You can correct me if I'm just flat out being retarded about that. I was looking for something with a pad attached, but I don't know if that matters or not. The flooring would be going directly onto concrete, if that makes any difference at all. So if anyone has a certain brand to look for, or hardwood retailer (other then lumberliquidators and builddirect), or just any info in general I'd love to hear it.
Palum
what Suineg set it to
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OK so I'm sensing some contradictions here.
First off are you replacing it because you want value to sell it or because you want something new/fresh? Two different objectives. Your dogs will make anything look not-new-enough to lose the luster to help you in a house sale if you are not already getting ready to move. If you are not selling soon and nothing is so damaged as to need immediate replacement, wait. Styles change and if you are going to dump a few grand into the place to sell it, do it right before the sale not now so it looks fresh.
Also, you use the term hardwood laminate... do you mean hardwood patterned laminate or actually engineered hardwood? There is also plank vinyl and there are even floating solid hardwood floors but all are different.
Assuming you mean actual laminate as to the thicknesses, here's the deal - thicker laminates will hold up better to abuse BUT if you are on a slab you will not see as much benefit. On floor joists where flexing may occur will be a bigger benefit to durability. I would recommend 10 but no need to stress over finding the perfect 12+ on a slab install. What you really need to look at is the topcoat. With laminate, once you break through the topcoat underneath is particle board. They ARE very resistant to light scratches and walking traffic BUT once you get a dent, you're done with that plank. Another big control to durability is to ensure the planks you get are the more expensive kind that have LOCKING top plank tabs so they do not separate vertically.
Just in case you meant it, engineered is hardwood veneer on a substrate, so it will be A) real hardwood and B) be refinishable 1-2 times (though I wouldn't bother most of the time with floating installs) and C) will have 'thru color' in that minor scratches or dents show wear on engineered like they would solid.
One thing to consider is underlayment. Get extremely good underlayment on a slab - else you will not only 'feel' the floating install but you will also go insane with the dogs clickity-clack on the boards. I highly recommend thicker such as 3MM Pergo Gold (or store brand equivalent).
Also, for the love of Jebus don't do the shitty stack quarter-round on top of baseboard. Take the baseboard up like a man and raise it up to install the floating floor properly so it looks nice and doesn't destroy itself from moisture/temperature variation.
Also, clear silicone all joints near entrances (assume people will track water in) and under appliances. Your good quality underlayment will double as a moisture barrier so no worries there on the slab.
Good luck.
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A little of both. The carpets are getting kinda gross with the animals tracking mud etc. on them. The new floors would help combat that, and also be for resell value when I do sell (which shouldn't be too far out honestly). I don't think the animals would destroy the new flooring enough for it to effect it's value too much. I mean, it's going to look much nicer then having carpet for sure.
I meant hardwood patterned laminate. It's a starter home, so there is no need to pay extra for real hardwood. Thanks for the infos!
Oblio
Utah
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Check out LVP (Luxury Vinyl Planking) before you settle on Laminate. LVP is better because it is waterproof and thus can go in bathrooms and kitchens, it is more durable than wood so it is good for dogs and kids. I think LVP is a better purchase than real hardwoods the maintenance is less and so is the cost, up to you if you like the look better or not. I am going to be layingStillwater Oakdown in my home soon.
ToeMissile
Pronouns: zie/zhem/zer
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Thanks for the concern, no burning house.
Makes sense that it's a breaker/panel/bus issue. We had some flickering along a bunch of recessed lighting that had been put in by the previous owners. Had an electrician come by and basically our panel is shit. It isn't any newer than the 70's (house built in the mid-late 50's iirc), don't remember the make/model but it's a known issue with these apparently. Don't remember specifics, but basically the breakers loose a good connection with the bus over time. Warping + corrosion, etc. We'll need to replace the whole thing in a year or two tops.
I figured the w/d outlet issue was breaker/panel related but didn't really think about the 'faulty' panel for whatever reason.
Erronius
<WoW Guild Officer>
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Well, that puts a whole new spin on things. Yeah, if you're having issues withmultiplecircuits...yeesh.
Be aware that there are several kinds of panels that were widely installed decades ago, that then began failing at incredible rates and burning houses down left and right. Normally when an electrician sees one of these, they get the pleasure of trying to explain to homeowners that they need to be replaced immediately, while homeowners tend to hear that and think"This guy is worse than my mechanic". Especially if it is a Zinsco or FedPac.
Joeboo
Molten Core Raider
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Had to install a chain link fence post last night. Whoever originally put up the fence left the gate on one side just swinging freely(as it buts up against the neighbors privacy fence), but there was no fencepost in the neighbors privacy fence nearby to tie in to. So the shortest chain link fence post sold by Lowe's is 6' tall, and my fence is roughly 3.5 feet tall.
One hour later of sledgehammering that mofo, it's finally in the ground and my new gate latch is installed(have to be able to keep the 3 year old from wandering out of the backyard when we aren't looking)
Goddamn I'm sore today. Stupid sledgehammer.
One hour later of sledgehammering that mofo, it's finally in the ground and my new gate latch is installed(have to be able to keep the 3 year old from wandering out of the backyard when we aren't looking)
Goddamn I'm sore today. Stupid sledgehammer.
I doubt a rotary hammer would be big enough for a fence post but if you're ever driving ground rods it's amazing. 2 hours worth of sledging can be zipped in the ground in 30 seconds.
Joeboo
Molten Core Raider
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If I had been doing any more than just 1 post, I would have definitely gone and rented one. The sledgehammering required for just 1 post was easily my daily limit of sledgehammering. Fucking sucked.
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No pictures, but I figured out what that pipe was: displacement drain pipe for my shower. Probably not the right name, but basically allows air in/out of the drain when large amounts of water move through it. Explains the smell and green rust(we have copper pipes). So, back to square one figuring out where those damn mice came from.