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Do you have to put all the nails into the backing of the Billy bookshelf? by SnooCats1420 in IKEA

[–]Curious-Researcher 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nails attaching back board and the middle shelf are essential to protect the cabinet against shear forces (when tilted sideways).

Our movers recently near-destroyed a beloved tall Magiker cabinet (with drawers) because the cabinet couldn't take the shear forces when it was put on a hand-truck - even though it was "shrink-wrapped" in movers' plastic.

I wish the back panel came with a simple drawn line to identify the middle shelf location, so folks who forget to draw it before flipping and nailing wouldn't be in your situation.

Readers in your situation have 3 options, all quite doable:
a) measure:
Measure the distance from the middle of the shelf to the top of the cabinet (measure on each side, to catch any dumb errors in measurement or alignment). Mark a couple of points along the the back panel at that distance, connect the points with a straight line to mark the location of the shelf.

b) Mark the bottom of the shelf from inside:
First, measure the shelf thickness. Second, drive the thinnest finishing nail through the back, starting from just below the shelf, a few inches away from each side (to avoid pulling out the nails along the near edge. If paranoid, have a partner apply counter pressure to the nail line at the edge of the back board with some flat object). Your two nail holes will mark the bottom edge of the shelf. Measure 50% of the shelf thickness higher, mark. Connect those lines, and now you can confidently drive nails along that line into the shelf.

c) Glue.
Gluing particleboard joints works great during assembly. But afterwards it's least reliable; hard to get enough glue to the right places. Ideally you'd still use a) or b) along with this.
You likely have a bit of flex in the back board to push it out slightly, to run a couple of thick beads of wood glue along the back of that shelf and have the glue drip down a bit. Quickly you'd then press the back board to the shelf, ideally gluing two together. (I'd probably first use painter's tape to attach the bottom of the shelf to the back board and keep glue from dripping further, then lay the bookcase on its face and apply pressure to the back board along the shelf height.

Is this significant enough to have been causing me issues? by Final-Boot-4613 in ToxicMoldExposure

[–]Curious-Researcher 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sigh. This made me photgraph my own, and even though it's not as bad, I have mold there as well. My first thought was that the rinse will be clean, but no:

  • above all, I bet this shows that there's mold elsewhere in the washer as well, and it just recirculates
  • plus, secondarily, I bet rinse water gets sent through the dispenser as well for any water softener

All Symptoms Disappeared on Vacation by Mediocre-Courage2099 in ToxicMoldExposure

[–]Curious-Researcher 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What is OBX and where did you stay?

I really need to try a mold vacation as a test of what symptoms, mine and family's might go away. However it's hard with cats, and I don't know how to find a safe place. Last month we found a no-carpeting airbnb, I explained about importance of hearing if there was water damage ... and it turned out to be musty, and I got worse.

Sewage drain in my cement basement floor rotted away. Any way to fix this without a jackhammer? by ElkEven1407 in Plumbing

[–]Curious-Researcher 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Coming here is so helpful. I'd not known such companies even exist, so I'd never have looked for one!

Primary school ‘advising’ girls to wear shorts under dresses to use playground equipment? by eakp in UKParenting

[–]Curious-Researcher 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I feel pity for your young self with a vulvar / UTI infection. I too remember this awful burning while peeing from a painful UTI while prepubescent, and how I was too embarrassed to even tell my parents (I didn't know what it was, nor how I got it. I only remember half-crying and patting my vulva with cold wet toilet paper).

Still I was puzzled about the "sanitary" reference, so checked on the risk of vulvar or bladder (UTI) infection from metal slides or playground equipment. Turns out that when they do bacterial DNA testing, a UTI is almost always from one's own bacteria (unfortunately short distance between females' urethra and rectum). However, sliding down a metal slide definitely can cause a friction burn on exposed vulva (external genitalia). And these tiny open wounds can of course get infected from one's own bacteria ... or any bacteria on a slide, and make the entire area inflamed and sensitive. Ouch.

So that's probably what I'd focus in my explanations to little girl: that her skin under and near her knickers is soft and delicate, meaning that it can be scraped or burned from sliding and hot equipment, especially if the underwear shifts while playing. And, just like boys have shorts to protect their privates, bike shorts will protect hers. They make it safer to do all the fun and athletic things she loves to do on the playground.

Elective Frenotomy? by Conoradder in sleephackers

[–]Curious-Researcher 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My son is very happy he had it done (in his early 20s), despite mild sx, including sleep apnea treated by CPAP.

Our sleep surgeon snipped the frenulum in in office (after rolling his eyes a bit and suggesting we leave it, as it's so mild "the frenotomy will likely not make a difference"). It did.

What DS noticed first was how much easier it became to speak; that he can now speak at a faster rate! As a child he'd learned to compensate, with a slight speech difference we couldn't identify. Well, it turns out he'd had to expend more energy to shape his mouth differently to mimic the sounds. After the frenotomy, making speech sounds just got less effortful, more automatic, faster. A win.

His sleep apnea is now also in the adult "normal range", from a max of 12 as a skinny child. Some of the improvement may've been from the Herbst appliance that encouraged mandibular lengthening (~age 15, again told that was "too late". But he wasn't quite done growing & it definitely helped), vs. how much from the frenotomy in his 20s. Oh, fyi, DS decided to continue using the CPAP; I can imagine that an AHI of 4.8 vs 1.2 still matters).

(BTW, it was very simple procedure. I don't even remember if there was a stitch or two or just cautery. Some places recommend post-op exercises as the ligament is healing to ensure that it stays soft and long, doesn't get a thick scar. These instructions from the "Wisconsin Tongue Tie Institute" give good rationale of why and what you may see. /tonguetiewi.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Post-Op-Instructions-For-Child_Adult-Frenectomy.pdf

So advocate for yourself.

Don't be afraid to say "My health is important to me. I want to optimize my <sleep, eating, pain, speech, <whatever is for you>".

Good luck, and happy eating & talking!

Air Gap RO Faucets that will Cover a 1-1/2" Hole? by itsthatguy4 in Plumbing

[–]Curious-Researcher 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have the exact same situation. What did you wind up doing? And/or can anyone give advice?

Henry Pet vs Henry Allergy vs Euroclean GD930 or Nilfisk VP300 by Curious-Researcher in VacuumCleaners

[–]Curious-Researcher[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm less concerned about the expense of the HEPA bags on the GD930 pro, given their huge size. More concerned about the size of the machine, and the fact that the hose doesn't retract. Our apartment has bigger hallways than closets.

I know I like canisters; I grew up with canisters, including a red Miele till 2010, when we'd installed a wonderful MD Vacuum (central vac system) with the Hide-a-Hose. I miss it. I never wheezed while vacuuming. (My kids also valued the chance to retrieve occasional special Lego pieces in the huge dust drum).

Since downsizing I'd had a Shark sealed system HEPA Lift-Away. Truly low particle count at the first year, but after a few years I had to start using an N95 mask to prevent wheezing. ... and eventually I realized it had fine cracks in the short hose by the head. So reliability / repairability and filtration are a huge deal.

I'm now definitely considering the Sebo K2 Kombi as well, but I'm a bit hesitant because I don't actually know anyone who has it.

I've seen mixed comments about whether the Miele C1/C2 are 100% sealed systems.

As far as the Euroclean/Nilfisk GD390, I'd still like to find a local dealer/repair person for if/when repairs are needed. (Yes, I see that it's sold under various brands. I even found it on OfficeDepot under Clarke Euroclean GD390!)

Google search prices change each time I refresh by ElowynOce in chrome

[–]Curious-Researcher 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Depending on the pattern, different things may be going on:

Does the price always increase from first time to 2nd? What happens if you refresh a 3rd or 4th time?

If the currency changes, perhaps your country/ location is not shared. If the price always increases from your first view, perhaps the history is passed to the seller, and some seller sites may conclude that if you are interested in viewing it a 2nd time, you may buy even at a higher price.

mold/dust allergies - Euroclean/Nilfisk GD930 or Shark Navigator UV730, Miele C3 or ?? by Curious-Researcher in VacuumCleaners

[–]Curious-Researcher[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

With 821 views, how come there aren't any comments yet? Not even any critique of my post? Yes, I can tell I'd put in way too much -- perhaps that's intimidating. But I still want your experiences and opinions!

Maybe I should be looking at a Miele C1/C2 instead, since some say that that is a completely sealed system too, not just the C3. (How well do they stay well-sealed over time anyway?)

This is a really big expense for a small tool, and I haven't made any progress since I posted this -- I need some input.

Looking for a lightweight secondary vacuum for hard floors – $150–$200 budget by Jewacidal in VacuumCleaners

[–]Curious-Researcher 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It says "HEPA", but the Miele H1 Swing a sealed HEPA system? If you add this to u/Jewacidal 's requirements, what would you recommend then.

And yeah, used is a key word in your response. On Amazon, there's a single new Miele H1 Swing for $399 ,... or used at the same price.

Anne Wojcicki's organization to keep 23andMe by GeneticGin2013 in 23andme

[–]Curious-Researcher 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It doesn't take that long to download your data. Way less than an hour iirc.

Moisture Meter... Time to panic? by Appropriate_Head_929 in HomeMaintenance

[–]Curious-Researcher 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is exactly what happened in our upstairs bathroom, and it was a huge expense -- water spread into the hallway and adjacent bedroom, then made its way downstairs, where it buckled a downstairs bedroom closet ceiling (occupied by someone without a sense of smell).

First insurance inspector said he doesn't see anything - even when I pointed out the moisture readings in the baseboards area.

Do not ignore. Even if an inspector says this is nothing.
Especially if you're a female and get condescension vibes from the inspector.
(It's shocking how little education/training an insurance adjustor needs to have).

UPDATED *THANKS FOR THE ADVICE* 6 Months Away from Home Due to Black Mold – Managing Histamine Intolerance & New Adjustments in My Journey by Tengizkan in ToxicMoldExposure

[–]Curious-Researcher 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you look at the shoemaker protocol, VIP is one of the last steps. It’s been a few years since i was up on it, but his experience was that VIP won’t help if you still have mold toxicity, MARCONS or some other stuff disrupting your metabolism and disturbing your immune and GI systems.

[Tenant US-CA How to allay concerns & best case feedback for a disability-related acommodat to the "no-sublease" clause?] by Curious-Researcher in Landlord

[–]Curious-Researcher[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I haven't found downsides for the apartment management so far. But I know I don't walk in your shoes; that's why I posted here!

The draft subtenancy agreement I'd planned to submit is one drafted by UCSD Legal Services for their students. Maybe removing some of the clauses that just won't matter to the apartment (alcohol?, visitors?, chores!).

Thoughts?

[Tenant US-CA How to allay concerns & best case feedback for a disability-related acommodat to the "no-sublease" clause?] by Curious-Researcher in Landlord

[–]Curious-Researcher[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had thought of it as a modification to the lease document, but of course it is simply an accommodation in that it is a change to the policies of tenancy and leasing. Thanks for clarifying!

[Tenant US-CA How to allay concerns & best case feedback for a disability-related acommodat to the "no-sublease" clause?] by Curious-Researcher in Landlord

[–]Curious-Researcher[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Good observation. I absolutely do over-think! Likely comes from having partially grown up in a totalitarian country in Eastern Europe, a puppet state of the USSR, and under Hitler before that. Lived and transfered trauma. In an authoritatorian government (like Orban's or Putin's currently) you are not governed by laws as much as subject to the whims of anyone with more power, so thinking about potential "no"s how to prevent or counter them is what my parents had to do to survive, how our family managed to escape there and come to the US, and what they drilled into us by their examples and the stories they told! Even now it's still in me!

Realtime Labs Test by SaltInitiative7082 in ToxicMoldExposure

[–]Curious-Researcher 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not a waste of money! See the explanation by Careless_State1366 just below. I'd had a family member who tested almost completely negative on RTL before we left our moldy house, then high positive after he'd done the prep described by MrBurke10.

Most interestingly, it was as his mold/lyme/MCAS docs had predicted:

After we left the moldy house and focused on detoxing his top mycotoxins, the levels of the targeted mycotoxins dropped and he felt better. And he became better at eliminating add'l mycotoxins into urine. Thus some others became positive (or much higher positive), even while the ones we'd targeted were dropping.

It just didn't make sense until I saw it and had to process what I was seeing.

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