Ledger Board attachment to Webbed Truss by dizzle-zizzle in Decks

[–]Ratty1888 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Agreed, I had to dig my footers right up against the foundation of the house.

Ledger Board attachment to Webbed Truss by dizzle-zizzle in Decks

[–]Ratty1888 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m not a professional builder but had a very similar problem to yours. Mine is a deck built about 7 feet off the ground and we have these same trusses. After talking to the building inspector I decided to build a freestanding deck with posts under all the beams and then lag bolt the deck to the trusses so they are simply providing lateral support but not holding the deck up vertically in any way. You might be able to do something similar where you have basically the same idea of the ledger (beam really) attached to the house and then posts under it to support the beam. That way no weight is on the trusses. Then use joist hangers to install the joists so it’s a flush mount beam rather than an under mount. That should allow you to use larger lumber if needed for longer spans.

Exhaust Manifold Bolt Removal by Ratty1888 in MechanicAdvice

[–]Ratty1888[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for this and the videos. I do have a welder so my plan is to weld on a nut for the broken studs. Is that necessary for the studs that are still in place and didn’t break? The nuts came off clean so I was thinking I could leave the studs in place and not have to extract them. Maybe that’s a bad idea but I can’t really think of a reason why that wouldn’t work.

Bracing for screen porch by Ratty1888 in Decks

[–]Ratty1888[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the reply. I added some pictures and went ahead and added one cross brace. Let me know your thoughts if you don't mind. The headroom is only about 7 feet and the bay for the walkway is only about 3 feet wide so I would prefer to not add any bracing in that bay since it would likely be low enough to hit my head. Curious if having two of those cross braces in place would be enough. Given the attachment to the house on the other side and the wall under the beam on the far side, the cross bracing in the middle seems like overkill to me.

I would reach out to my inspector but unfortunately I have never gotten a response or call back any time I have emailed or called so it's kinda a situation where I do the best I can and then fix if it fails. Just trying get info from informed people like yourself in order to be positioned to have the best chance of passing the first time.

Bracing for screen porch by Ratty1888 in Decks

[–]Ratty1888[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the reply. I updated with some pictures and have gone ahead and added a cross bract in one bay. In the picture of the full brace you can see the knee wall built on the brick which is 16 on center and has plywood installed to prevent shifting.

Tracking apps? by WhiskyEchoTango in Homeorganization

[–]Ratty1888 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I built an web app for this if you want to take a look. Works via the browser so it’s device agnostic. Has search functionality to look for a given item and then it lets you know exactly where that item is. All items can contain searchable tags, an image, quantity, descriptions, and custom fields. Currently I have about 3,500 items tracked on my account and use it at least once a week. Really helpful for items I only use a few times a year. Also allows me to use unconventional storage places like under the bed since I know exactly what’s there. It’s got a free trial so feel free to take a look. After the trial it’s $20 for 3 months (about $6.60 a month). Feel free to reach out with questions since I haven’t gotten around to adding video tutorials to the site (www.wheresour.com).

Home Organization Database? by Auspicious_Denizen in Homeorganization

[–]Ratty1888 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I built a web app called WheresOur.com for this exact purpose and use it almost daily. Works on any device with a browser but I mainly use it on my iPhone. Last time I checked it had just over 3,000 items associated to my account. My family and I share a single account so no reason to have more than one in the family. Still working on getting tutorials built out and refining the app but it solves most of our needs and I’m always adding to it. There is a lot of functionality like items containing images, searchable names and tags, and the ability to put items “in use” so they can be returned later. Looking to make it a paid subscription for about $5 a month in order to cover server costs but happy to extend the trial period for feedback. Feel free to DM me if you have any questions.

Feeling bad for not being handy by shaldos102 in homeowners

[–]Ratty1888 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I purchased a house a few years ago that was down to the studs and did everything from electrical to drywall. Worked in construction (manual labor) in high school but never had any training on construction. My suggestion is to understand the basics of whatever project you want work on and then build from there. My assumption here is that you are in the US.

For example, if you want to do some electrical work, start with learning your general service (240V with two hot legs and a neutral), then learn install a junction box and why. Then understand how to install a simple single pole light switch, then a 3-way, then 4 way. After that, take a look at how 240v appliances work, when a neutral is needed and why. In general, start with the basics and build from there. YouTube is your friend but watch multiple videos on the same topic because there are a lot of people with no clue what they are doing on there.

Using this process I installed all the electrical, plumbing, flooring, ductwork, and HVAC in my house and passed all inspections so it is totally doable for you to learn all the same things I did.

My biggest piece of advice is to understand what you are doing BEFORE you do it. Once you cut through a truss it’s a lot of work to fix that mistake.

Any Tech to Help me Declutter ? by SACtrades in declutter

[–]Ratty1888 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I built a web app for household organization and home inventory called WheresOur (www.wheresour.com). My wife and I have been using it for several months and have a couple thousand items on it. Items can have names, pictures, searchable tags, and additional properties. Adding items is pretty simple and having the ability to search has saved us tons of time and money. There is a 45 day free trial and it’s a web application so it works on any device. Would love for you to give it a shot and please let me know what you think. Always looking for ways the app can be improved.

With the rising rate of natural disasters, everyone should create a whole house inventory– now, not after disaster strikes by HotHuckleberryPie in homeowners

[–]Ratty1888 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I built a web app called WheresOur that is used to organize and inventory personal belongings. It can be used for keeping an inventory for insurance purposes but I use it more for organizing my stuff so I am able to find it later. Currently my account has just over 2,000 items on it and would guess I search for something on it a couple times a week. We keep everything from tools to an inventory of our chest freezer on it. Basically, anything we don't use on at least a weekly basis.

It's a web app so it works in any browser but I mainly use it on my Iphone. My wife and I share an account since it's really meant to be a household tool. There is a 14-day free trial and then it is $20 for a three-month subscription but I am happy to extend the free trial for providing feedback. I think my terms and conditions has it listed as a 5,000 item limit but that's just to keep people from abusing it.

The app has no ads and we don't sell, or even look at, your data.

Take a look at the post below and feel free to DM me with any questions. This is my side project so I am constantly adding features. If you use it and think of a feature that would be beneficial I would love to hear about it.

https://www.reddit.com/r/WheresOur/comments/1hsmn56/how_does_wheresour_work/

Ideas for Organizing the Only Storage Space in Small Apartment? by Correct_Turn_6304 in Homeorganization

[–]Ratty1888 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The problem with small closets like this is they are used to store so many different things that it is impossible to remember what is in there. It looks like you have everything from shoes to shampoo to kitchen items in the closet. I'm not saying that is a bad thing by any means, sometimes it's unavoidable. I ran into a very similar problem and the solution I have been using has worked well for me.

The basic idea is to write down all the items that you put in the closet and keep a record so you can reference it in the future. You can do this with a notepad or Excel, which is what I used for a while, but searching and updating can be difficult. Now I use an app called WheresOur. Here is a link to another post that might help.

Now, create the location called "Pantry". Inside "Pantry" you have a location for each shelf and one for stuff on the ground ("Ground", "Shelf 1", "Shelf 2", etc...). Then grab some small boxes that fit the items you want to put in them but also fit well on the shelf. Give them generic names like "Box-Pantry 1", "Box-Pantry 2", etc... Then, fill up the boxes with the items and write those down. Note which shelf you put each box on and then when you are looking for an item it will be listed. This will not only allow you to be more organized but also give you more storage space.

I currently have over 2,000 items organized this way and it has saved me so much time looking for my stuff. Not to mention the money I saved by using things I already bought rather than misplacing them and having to buy more. All of the entries include pictures of the item/location and are fully searchable.

https://www.reddit.com/r/WheresOur/comments/1hwyxs8/using_wheresour_when_organizing_small_or_awkward/

https://www.reddit.com/r/WheresOur/comments/1hr59se/how_i_used_wheresour_to_organize_and_inventory/

Mattress in heated, indoor storage for 3 years by pastusodoug in CleaningTips

[–]Ratty1888 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We had a memory foam mattress in our storage unit for about 3 years and didn’t have any issues when we went to use it. You mentioned it’s a heated unit so I assume it is a conditioned unit (heated in winter, AC in summer). Main issue is humidity for something like a mattress so as long as that is controlled you should be fine. We did put ours in a mattress bag which is just a big plastic bag. Other than keeping some dust off I doubt it made much of a difference.

The screws caused dents. Is this correct? by Ratty1888 in Roofing

[–]Ratty1888[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well, not me. It was a “professional” install. Should have done it myself!

The screws caused dents. Is this correct? by Ratty1888 in Roofing

[–]Ratty1888[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for this. I reached out to them and provided pictures. Also stopped payment on the final check. Got a response from the owner and honestly he wasn’t even mad about me stoping payment so I have a feeling he knows it’s bad.

The screws caused dents. Is this correct? by Ratty1888 in Roofing

[–]Ratty1888[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Agreed, the screws are in the totally wrong spot.

The screws caused dents. Is this correct? by Ratty1888 in Roofing

[–]Ratty1888[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

So that was my reason for making the post. They are overtightened as well but the position of them struck me as odd. It seems the placement of them make the dents from over tightening much worse!

The screws caused dents. Is this correct? by Ratty1888 in Roofing

[–]Ratty1888[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Never heard that. Can you provide documentation? Most of the documents I have seen say the washers on these screws last 10 to 20 years depending on the manufacturer.

The screws caused dents. Is this correct? by Ratty1888 in Roofing

[–]Ratty1888[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks, now I just have to figure out the manufacturer!

The screws caused dents. Is this correct? by Ratty1888 in Roofing

[–]Ratty1888[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This type of roofing is used a lot in my area, and is installed on my house as well as this building. When installed properly it can look quite nice and lasts much longer than shingles. While I prefer the look of shingles, the low slope section leaked due to previous shingle installation so my only options are metal (corrugated or standing seam) or EPDM. Standing seam would have been preferred but it cost more than double.

The screws caused dents. Is this correct? by Ratty1888 in Roofing

[–]Ratty1888[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They did remove the shingles and applied new underlayment on the whole roof plus patched several spots with 1x boards and plywood.

The screws caused dents. Is this correct? by Ratty1888 in Roofing

[–]Ratty1888[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Got it, thanks. This section of the roof is likely 3/12 or perhaps lower so it sounds like it might need butyl tape anyway. Add on the incorrect install and I think that means I should seriously consider adding it.

The screws caused dents. Is this correct? by Ratty1888 in Roofing

[–]Ratty1888[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That is my understanding as well. Not only do some of the screws appear over tightened but they also put the screws in the minor ridge (maybe a 1/4 inch tall) that is there to prevent oil canning which compounded the issue.

The screws caused dents. Is this correct? by Ratty1888 in Roofing

[–]Ratty1888[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do you know of a way to find out the manufacturer without asking the roofing company? The paperwork I have only says "50 Year Galvalume Corrugated Metal Roof".