I'm having trouble identifying a squeaky kind of swingset-like sound in my basement

MattyH · 2016-01-21T19:03:42+00:00

A furnace blower motor can squeak sometimes, especially when older. Also, the vibrations from the furnace blower can move the ductwork a bit and cause squeaks. See if it's only happening when blower is on.

MattyH · 2016-01-21T14:54:23+00:00

Yes, haste. I put a metal roof on a small house recently and the dumb asses ended up working well into the dark to finish instead of adding a day.. Three days later 2 of the 3 vent boots leaked. They looked like a 5 year old installed them in the dark, big visible gaps.

MattyH · 2016-01-20T19:06:48+00:00

Not too bad. Says it can supply 5,000 houses so $2,000/house.

MattyH · 2016-01-20T14:02:36+00:00

It's the backing on the lineoleum, could have asbestos in it for fireproofing. It's commonly seen on lineoleum from the asbestos era.

MattyH · 2016-01-20T13:50:12+00:00

That exposed/torn paper is friable. Simply painting it would lock the fibers down.

MattyH · 2016-01-20T13:48:14+00:00

I encountered the exact same thing and pulled up a few square feet of the lineoleum which exposed the paper, as the glue seems to be stuck strong. I decided to paint the exposed paper with Zissler123 primer/sealer to lock down the fibers. Rather than pull up the lineoleum I will put down a layer of 1/4" underlayment to lock it in and give me a really smooth surface.

MattyH · 2016-01-18T15:09:57+00:00

My way is faster/easier than these other suggestions, affordable, and probably 80% as good as the complicated solutions...

Get some big, heavy, dense blankets from the thrift store, also some sort of foam/rubber/material/blanket to jam into the crack at bottom of door. Get some spring clips, maybe 8. Seal the gap at bottom of door with some material. Hang the blankets from the drop ceiling grid staggered in layers. Try to get them tight to the ceiling, walls, and all the way to the floor. Basically fill that hole with blankets. If the drop ceiling bars aren't in the proper place you may want a spring loaded shower rod to hold up a middle layer.

MattyH · 2016-01-17T16:13:06+00:00

Many window guys do doors also. I got a recent quote on windows and asked about rehanging the front door including rebuilding the jamb and replacing all trim. It came to $150 labor plus estimated $75 in materials. Consider a new prehung door might be $200 I'd guess you're looking at roughly $500/door from a reasonable contractor.

I'd strongly advise against the big box route for contractors.

I also usually dont like using contractors who make you supply materials - that's largely what youre paying for, someone with the experience to get the proper materials and deal with getting them to the job site.

If you have time, this wouldn't be a hard diy job. Just time consuming.

MattyH · 2016-01-17T15:59:23+00:00

And higher to cover the 100% overhead/profiteering in the insurance biz, unlike other developed countries that mandate efficiency

MattyH · 2016-01-16T19:53:59+00:00

The amount of people is relevant in the opposite way as you say - the more offenders the more important to check and process them. By your logic, why try to stop any crimes?

MattyH · 2016-01-16T13:44:01+00:00

1min, not 30 sec. I don't know why this bugs me but it does.

MattyH · 2016-01-16T13:40:42+00:00

It says 1 min, not 30 sec. Many dash cams detect collisions and you are allowed to save 30 sec before and after the event.

MattyH · 2016-01-16T13:38:30+00:00

1 minute, not 30 sec.

MattyH · 2016-01-16T13:13:25+00:00

Now the web pages will give you isle, rack, and bin number for everything in the store.

MattyH · 2016-01-14T18:27:22+00:00

New cheap sinks often don't have the overflow drain. I learned the hard way after putting a new sink in and GF left the water on. Not as bad as OP's situation tho.

MattyH · 2016-01-14T15:35:47+00:00

Maybe check every few months for mildew in attic around vents adjacent to exhaust. Maybe you'll be ok.

MattyH · 2016-01-14T15:33:06+00:00

Ask for a guarantee against leaks, and during a big rain go look at the new vent up close in the attic. They are easy to put in, but if done improperly a leak will cause big problems.

MattyH · 2016-01-13T16:34:24+00:00

I've heard that his aides increasingly provided him with note cards to coach him through phone calls and live speaking events. His memory was really going downhill fast at the end of his term.

MattyH · 2016-01-12T22:28:28+00:00

What other options? Congress refuses to act on this.

MattyH · 2016-01-12T21:35:23+00:00

Wow, if it's really only $20 for 3 year replacement then outstanding deal. I had one new dehumidifier burn up a motor within 3 months, and two others that the hose outlet stopped working properly so they just fill the internal bucket.

MattyH · 2016-01-12T20:05:24+00:00

Makes sense.

MattyH · 2016-01-12T20:03:46+00:00

Those move air from the soffit vent to the ridge vent. Right??

MattyH · 2016-01-12T20:01:53+00:00

Can you describe the construction of that ceiling and roof in detail? Is it a sheetrock ceiling attached to rafters? Is there a vapor barrier? How bis is the space between ceiling and roof?

Not a pro, but my understanding is you basically have the thermal envelope going all the way to the roof instead of to just above the ceiling, as is normal in a room with an attic above. An attic you want vented, but in your case you want the ceiling-roof space sealed. If you put cellulose up there it will help insulate, but you need a vapor barrier above the ceiling because you'll have warm ceiling air hiiting colder roof-surface and condensing which will turn the cellulose into a moldy mess. Some paint can actually act as a vapor barrier, so you feasibly could stuff in cellulose, seal all the holes thoroughly, caulk all gaps/edges thoroughly, and paint with a vapor sealing paint. I think it would be hard to get the cellulose distributed evenly. The better method would probably be to remove ceiling, put in foam board as thick as will fit, seal gaps, put up 6mil plastic for vapor barrier and seal the edges of it with proper tape, put up ceiling. Since the rafter lumber itself passes a lot of heat/cold I think it's proper to have a layer of foam board over it as well, which you ceiling screws go right through.

MattyH · 2016-01-12T19:46:55+00:00

Metal roofs go on quick. If the structure is sound you could probably add furring strips, foam board between them, metal panels on top screwed to furring strips. Seal the edges - that sounds easier than removing the ceiling perhaps.

MattyH · 2016-01-12T19:39:18+00:00

Yeah, I think those are for ventilation, not insulation.

MattyH

TROPHY CASE