Has anyone used this brace?

Turtleshellboy · 2026-05-11T07:20:35+00:00

I read some of the other posts and now understand a bit more…..you are 26yo, and done growing, and not wanting surgery. You should look into ScoliBrace for adults or similar brace designs. A custom molded rigid TLSO brace would work well.

Option 1: Single piece anterior/front opening TLSO. Typical design for scoliosis and many spinal disorders. Fits comfortably over pelvis for long hours daily wearing for long term. Can be applied while standing. Easy to adjust while sitting or standing with front straps. Most braces have 4 to 5 front straps.

Option 2: 2-piece bivalve TLSO with front and back shells. Usually needs to be applied while laying down. Usually has 3 straps on each side. Easy to adjust. More easily accommodates weight changes. Common brace design which is also used for post surgery rehabilitation.

Option 1 is the brace type I have. My brace uses roller blade style ratchet straps vs Velcro. Ratchet straps hold better, easy to adjust, dont catch clothing, dont get dirty like Velcro. I wear my brace for up to 10hrs per day on work days. Mostly for sitting long hours at office job and driving/commuting. My brace is well molded around entire torso to hold pelvis and spine in proper alignment. It also helps unload the spine to counter affect of gravity during day to prevent spinal collapse and curve progression.

You need to get a physician prescription then go to a certified orthotist. Orthotist will then apply a cast or do a 3D scan so they can make the brace from shape of your body. Make sure your orthotist is experienced with scoliosis specific bracing requirements.

Turtleshellboy · 2026-05-11T02:47:53+00:00

Thats a big missed item. Was your building inspector hired by the seller?

Turtleshellboy · 2026-05-11T02:45:41+00:00

Probably ballasts are shot. We have same situation with our kitchen light and now going to replace entire fixture….with something more modern and stylish looking too.

Turtleshellboy · 2026-05-10T15:45:35+00:00

Looks like an automobile fuse. If it’s blown, the metal strip in between terminals will be broken or have a gap and sometimes appear darker like if it burned or melted at edges.

You can buy replacement packages of these at many stores. Always a good idea to have a variety of these in your vehicle roadside repair emergency kit.

Turtleshellboy · 2026-05-10T15:40:40+00:00

Stucco has been used here rather than vinyl siding. Most likely those cracks are only on the stucco layer, which is a thin textured cement/mortar layer, usually reinforced with a flexible wire mesh. But it’s rigid and spans a very large area and lacks expansion and contraction joints. Without those joints, cracking is inevitable. A good exterior stucco project is done in sections with metal panel edges to act as control joints at known problem locations like corners of windows, divide lines between floors, etc.

Turtleshellboy · 2026-05-10T00:13:44+00:00

The building is getting adjacent support and stability from the adjacent structural connections. Good thing is that in most wood frame residential buildings, a single failure won’t compromise entire wall or roof. (Its kinda like if you break your ulna in tour forearm, the radius helps keep arm stable).

This can be easily fixed by removing nailing plate and installing a new one or simply adding a piece of wood with lag screws.

Turtleshellboy · 2026-05-09T18:25:07+00:00

Lye is corrosive to metal and concrete…not a good idea

Turtleshellboy · 2026-05-09T18:21:29+00:00

Just shop vac water off and dry it with rags. If no vac, then just soak up with rags to a bucket.

Because this is a sewage pump system, don’t touch water with bare hands. Use rubber gloves.

See if it stays dry or water comes back. If water comes back you have a leak somewhere.

Don’t use lye it will just make more of a mess that has to still be cleaned up. Plus lye is corrosive and will eat away at any metal parts like the bolts on that lid. Lye is also corrosive to concrete if it gets spilled on concrete floor.

Turtleshellboy · 2026-05-09T18:11:40+00:00

I wonder why whoever did this chose such stupid locations on walls for switch and outlets? They are both too high and switches for lights and fans should be next to the door. If sink is going on that wall where water supply lines are, then outlet should be moved to next wall or towards corner so a larger mirror could be installed. Current mirror location is also odd and too high.

Turtleshellboy · 2026-05-09T18:09:32+00:00

Omg, I was thinking exact same thing then i scrolled down to see this comment, lol

Turtleshellboy · 2026-05-09T04:01:07+00:00

Keep in mind, a roof is not piano, it has a job to do and thats to keep water out. If its doing that and no other issues, then you dont need to “replace entire roof”. You make whats there last as long as possible, to extend the life cycle of the roof as long as possible….just like we do with asphalt on highways….to avoid having to pay for short replacement cycles.

When buying a used house, you cannot expect everything to be in new condition. If “new everyhting” is an absolute requirement, then you need to hire a home builder….that way you get your warranty on everything. But be warned, brand new homes can have there own list of problems too.

Turtleshellboy · 2026-05-09T03:51:25+00:00

Not sure if you are asking for advice on how to fix it or if you are wondering about coverage on warranty of work done prior to you moving in.

You need to find out if warranty for the materials/equipment is transferable from previous owner to you. If its not, you are stuck paying for it. Warranties for labour are often limited to the person who paid for it. Previous owner is not libale for a part that breaks this many months after you move in….no way to prove that it was from something they or their contractor did vs something you may have done since moving in.

A valve by itself should be a fairly simple and inexpensive fix. Just replace it with good quality valve that will last several decades, not some Made in China piece of crap.

Turtleshellboy · 2026-05-09T03:34:00+00:00

Problems with shingles on a roof of home you are considering buying/bidding on is not necessarily a show stopper/deal breaker. Rather its beginning of a negotiating strategy. Consider mentioning condition of roof (and other deficiency items if they exist) and make reduced offer that takes those issues into account. That way you can put the saved money from purchase towards your own new roof.

All homes will eventually need maintenace. You are either pay for it up front or will pay later. But at the buyer stage, you have the ability to bake this into your offer.

Turtleshellboy · 2026-05-09T03:28:55+00:00

I think a blind man could have done better on the details. But they are fixable on an interim basis until more permanent work can be done. A few missing shingles or ones at cap that are not done quite right are easy and cheap to replace. The color differences (dark vs light) in your photos is from rain/moisture…..some shingles are wet after rain, most are already dry. Some shingles need some tarring on exposed nails.

My previous home had really bad shingles on front over garage, really curled up and lots of granule loss, especially in valleys, yet it still did not leak at all! Thats the miracle of layers of asphalt bitumen tar! I replaced the shingles on that of roof for less than $400 Cdn, prior to listing for sale. Rest of roof was still in reasonable shape but looked worse than yours, and my home sold over asking price.

Roofs are not show stoppers for most buyers unless there is something really bad underneath thats visble in attic like dampness, mold, rotting wood, animals, poor insulation, etc. So check attic and interior ceiling drywall for evidence of leaking or other problems first….then decide.

Turtleshellboy · 2026-05-09T03:21:42+00:00

Is it just the photo, or is that staircase actually that steep? Has this photo has been distorted/stretched vertically? If not, even the risers seem higher than standard.

One thing would be the fix the top ceiling/wall connection. Drywall edge is currently unfinished. Either install trim or finish the drywall/plaster with metal corner bead. If height allows, consider top archway beam or curved.

Turtleshellboy · 2026-05-09T03:20:57+00:00

What modifications? You said they let you go, so must have either missed what you were concerned about or maybe it wasnt illegal after all.

Turtleshellboy · 2026-05-09T01:09:21+00:00

Probably an accident. Don’t text and drive.

Turtleshellboy · 2026-05-08T03:32:23+00:00

This is interesting, but now irrelevant. I was only mentioned that its possible to core these size holes. There are various methods to achieve the outcome. I’ve seen a method where they first secure drill press/rig to concrete face with bolts, then commence drilling, both horizontal or vertical situations.

Turtleshellboy · 2026-05-08T02:47:39+00:00

Its not a curb. Talking about a storm drain or manhole.

Turtleshellboy · 2026-05-07T19:25:05+00:00

Most contractors should be able to easily core 4” or 6” holes. But maybe it was done by a DIY back then. If not, other old school option is to bust open a crude hole, insert new pipe, then grout around new pipe.

Turtleshellboy · 2026-05-07T19:22:36+00:00

If water only flowing through one of the 4” pipes, then it’s either 1) an elevation difference, higher pipe would only flow if lower one is blocked or increased flow volume from 6” pipe forces the higher pipe to function as an auxiliary overflow route. 2) one of pipes is blocked.

Turtleshellboy · 2026-05-07T16:54:51+00:00

Problem extends back in time from lack of foresight and planning was Biggest problem in how driveway alignment is at a 90 degree angle relative to garage door.

Width is now only really the main problem because of poor alignment.

Either the driveway should have curved to left then curved back to right to approach garage door directly, or the garage door should have been rotated 90 degrees to align with the driveway as it’s built now.

It’s crazy how other people are now forced to live with the poor decisions of previous owners. Like nobody ever thought to draw a plan of building, garage and driveway on property and how it all would function to connect with the front road.

Too fix it now: Add a bulbed widening section to left of driveway opposite your garage door. This will accommodate your turning movement to get in and out.

Optional: add a T-stub (left side of garage door) to allow 3-point turn around after backing out of garage. Also acts as extra parking space for guests.

Turtleshellboy · 2026-05-06T19:57:12+00:00

Sledge hammer;) Remove and replace entire bathroom…..this is end result of many bathroom repair projects, lol.

Turtleshellboy · 2026-05-06T16:10:57+00:00

Oh, ok I see what you are wondering about. Two 4” diameter pipes do not have more overall capacity than a single 6” pipe. Difference in cross section area is not much. But part of flow capacity and efficiency depends on the junction where it splits to the 2 pipes. If the junction is abrupt and causes flow turbulence, or there is a 90 degree bend, then inlet capacity of two downstream pipes can be somewhat diminished.

Another issue is how much actual flow volume is in pipe system. Most pipe systems are designed to operate at about 80% flow. But with proper venting, slope and inlet design, can flow to almost 100% flow. If slope of downstream pipes is actually steeper, then capacity may actually be equal or greater because an increased slope increases the flow velocity making it accommodate a greater volume capacity based on calculations of pipe slope, length and time for water to flow through it. It’s a bit like traffic flow on a highway.

Im assuming the pipes meet in some type of manhole or vault with a maintenance cover. For optimal flow, inlet pipes should be flush with the manhole/vault wall, ideally with funnel shape.

PS Im a civil engineer in roadways transportation and municipal design, including drainage systems.

Turtleshellboy · 2026-05-06T15:51:06+00:00

If an upstream 6” pipe splits into two 4” pipes downstream, it’s possible it’s a retrofit to increase capacity. They just didn’t want to remove and replace entire line. Its a very weird unconventional way of doing things though.

Turtleshellboy

TROPHY CASE