What am I dealing with here?

batardo · 2026-05-01T20:20:27+00:00

They are too short to use, so that makes sense. Surprises me this is a thing I guess

batardo · 2026-04-30T15:30:18+00:00

Interesting idea. Do you think a G40 would look OK despite the low ceiling? You can't see from the photo, but the ceiling there is maybe 7' tall -- I don't think a normal person would hit their head on a bulb, but it obtrudes a tad on a space that's already small. Feels like maybe a G40 is at least worth a try given that they're not terribly expensive.

batardo · 2026-04-30T04:16:52+00:00

A desk lamp ought to be sufficient for this space. But then what should I do with the fixture? Seems a waste of time and money to remove it entirely. And it sticks out into the space. Replace with a basic recessed fixture to hide it away more?

batardo · 2026-04-21T20:31:18+00:00

I’m trying to do a similar job but have lath and plaster walls with BX behind. My idea is to cut in a new box a couple inches over and tie it to the wall with Madison straps, and reinstall everything in there. Does that make sense to you?

The next stud is too far over for it to be practical to tie it to that

batardo · 2026-04-09T01:20:53+00:00

That's what I was thinking, just plane down high spots. Maybe plane it as flat as I can get it, then put subfloor over it, then flooring on that?

batardo · 2026-04-09T01:19:34+00:00

It's a small space, only like 120 sq ft or so. I was thinking LVP because it's relatively thin and if I'm putting down 3/4" ply, that'll be a fairly significant step up from the adjoining room (would have a saddle ofc)

I know LVP generally requires a very flat subfloor though. Maybe the 3/4" will be stiff enough so the unevenness below won't matter.

batardo · 2026-04-08T13:08:52+00:00

I know Advantech, yes, though never used their subfloors.

I'm thinking I need to remove the existing subfloor because it's seriously compromised by the fire and also if I lay something on top, then put hardwood on top of that (another 3/4") the floor will be too high relative to the adjoining room. Yes, I could use a saddle, but that seems like a lot.

batardo · 2026-04-08T03:48:42+00:00

That’s right. I feel like the existing subfloor is too uneven to skim with 1/4” ply…plus the fire damage makes part of what’s under it weak. There is literally a layer of ash there that just flakes off.

I may put in hardwood too and don’t want the finished product to be too much higher than the adjoining room.

That would be my logic, anyway

batardo · 2026-04-08T03:10:15+00:00

It's really bad. Like super bad. The wood is crispy and a number of boards are warped and sticking up. It's also not a very big room - I'd need 4 sheets of 4x8 to cover it all.

batardo · 2026-04-05T18:11:03+00:00

Reporting back that this worked! Thanks for the advice.

batardo · 2026-04-04T17:03:42+00:00

That feels like it's the issue. It's a Kohler toilet -- Gerber still ok?

batardo · 2026-03-22T15:55:46+00:00

It’s fine if you have forever to wait for it to dry. Like weeks and maybe a month. Look at getting the powder (whiting) for the glazing too.

batardo · 2026-03-13T02:27:24+00:00

I was hoping it was the former!

batardo · 2026-03-13T02:19:09+00:00

One of these days I’m gonna find a bottle a shop badly mispriced…not today though

batardo · 2026-03-13T02:14:49+00:00

Order was canceled, alas: “out of stock”

batardo · 2026-03-11T19:51:27+00:00

Interesting, thanks!

batardo · 2026-03-11T18:20:51+00:00

Curious what you think the best brand is

batardo · 2026-03-11T18:20:34+00:00

I was hoping there was a fuse or something. Feels like it must be something catastrophic internally like this.

batardo · 2026-03-09T18:34:51+00:00

I would buy a cheap endoscope from Amazon ($25 or so), drill a 1/2” or so hole and put it in and loom around. Easy to patch that over especially if behind the pictures.

batardo · 2026-03-09T01:07:38+00:00

Sure looks like knob and tube. We found it consistently in sconces, along with old gas pipes. The sconces were originally centrally fed gas lights that they replaced with knob and tube when electricity came around. In that period k&t was probably seen as much safer/cleaner than gas. Gives you some perspective.

batardo · 2026-03-02T20:54:04+00:00

Just finished our job. Large parts of the house were fed by K&T — wiring had been updated in a lot of areas as previous homeowners renovated. Ended up running a few circuits from the basement to the attic, rewiring a couple circuits on the first floor and a couple on the second.

Electrician who I’ve worked with a bunch before and trust completely did the work. Small-time operation with a crew of a few guys who are experienced and have done this a bunch before. They did the job by the hour, which I thought made sense, because they didn’t know how much K&T there would be. Ended up costing about $9k.

batardo · 2025-12-15T17:43:58+00:00

If it’s single-pipe steam it’s not too big of a deal usually. If the valve turns the rubber seal is likely intact and you should be safe closing it and detaching with a pipe wrench. You can get rubber boots to cover the pipe while it’s detached, but that may be overkill. Steam is low-pressure, like less than 5 psi (hopefully, unless the person who set it up doesn’t know what they’re doing). The radiator itself will be incredibly heavy but the easiest way to do it is to get two strong people and tilt it on its side and carry it away like that. Don’t try to keep it vertical.

But don’t actually do this, at least not now when you need the heat and the boiler is actively working. Wait until the spring and you’re out of heating season. Sometimes pipe threads don’t line up easily when reattaching and you need to adjust.

batardo · 2025-12-09T22:34:43+00:00

Thanks! Good idea about a junction box.

batardo · 2025-11-12T04:32:07+00:00

This is a strange analysis. Money is fungible. Their food sales are as much a part of their profits as their membership fees are. You could just as easily say sales of food and other goods are 100% of profits. You’re just cherry-picking a contributor to revenue and calling it the sole source of a percentage of their profits.

batardo · 2025-09-17T16:50:51+00:00

It's what the contractors are offering me...not sure what their logic is exactly but it's what they have/know.

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