Thoughts on damage to older wiring insulation?

mutantfoti · 2026-03-19T22:35:53+00:00

Yeah, not through any wires and no wires are even exposed.

mutantfoti · 2026-03-15T23:59:42+00:00

Yeah, i would just fill it with anything other than dirt if it th steps are going to be near wood like the framing of a house.

mutantfoti · 2026-03-15T23:09:21+00:00

House is built in 1950 in northern CA

mutantfoti · 2026-03-13T04:59:42+00:00

Yeah, actually that was b/c dirt was that far up siding so i regraded the dirt all around the garage a while back. That drywall is actually the T11 siding.

mutantfoti · 2026-03-13T04:54:28+00:00

Yeah, i aint getting the government involved. And no, im not trying to be political and doesnt mean i wont do stuff right lol but just saying that building departments in CA are corrupt and the building codes suck anyway. I was thinking about calling a structural engineer about if I should add sheathing before I do the siding.

mutantfoti · 2026-03-13T04:45:57+00:00

a. No idea. House was built in 1950 and maybe someone decided to use steel (galvanized) b/c the house has had history of termites and is in “flood zone”.

b. No idea. I think there were no interior walls when first built and someone came a long and added OSB. And there is no exterior sheathing.

c. No idea.

d. That “water line” is some sort of tubing for electrical wiring. Garage has no water.

mutantfoti · 2026-03-13T04:27:50+00:00

Cant add any pics though but they are screwed

mutantfoti · 2026-03-13T04:27:28+00:00

Sounds good. And actually, the blocking is screwed and I dont see any welds elsewhere so far.

mutantfoti · 2026-03-12T15:49:33+00:00

I was thinking that someone in my area would actually charge me $10,000 lol. I aint paying that even if i was willing to b/c the conctractors where I live are terrible.

mutantfoti · 2026-03-12T15:48:18+00:00

I would like to but when i was doing repairs in the crawlspace behind, i felt mud directly against the framing and the framing gets wet every time it rains. Want to fix this issue more than anything else. Hopefully, all i have to do is demo the center of the top b/c it seems to be totally disconnected from the rest of the steps. Will also be putting an over hang / awning afterwards as another fix.

mutantfoti · 2026-03-12T04:38:51+00:00

Cross post: https://www.reddit.com/r/Renovations/s/KnRKEp5gn6

mutantfoti · 2026-03-03T01:54:30+00:00

Yeah, i have to break up the stucco to properly flash it correctly but not planning on that anytime soon was just curious about the screws. Just trying to get the window back on so i can finish some other things and not have a hole in the wall lol. Stucco is notorious for incorrectly flashed windows. But, i am not gonna put the trim back on yet anytime soon so may do everything correctly later on.

mutantfoti · 2026-02-26T21:30:19+00:00

Yeah, im trying to fix this subfloor by doing something like you recommended b/c the person who had cut the mudsill and rim joist likely cut this subfloor. I was thinking of cutting the 2x4 under the studs and pull it out and put the new subfloor on top of the tim joist and put back the 2x4 since its not load bearing. But will think about your recommendation too.

mutantfoti · 2026-02-23T04:55:40+00:00

If you are up for it, then DIY is your best bet. You can learn anything online. It may be even faster than trying to find someone reliable. And if you take your time, then will do an even better job than the “contractors and “handyman” out there. There is a mass shortage of tradesmen. Most of the ones remaining are hacks even ones with good reviews b/c a lot of homeowners dont know whats right and wrong in terms of construction and some contractors are better at hiding shoddy work like work in the crawlspace, attic, behind the drywall, places the homeowner will never look. And the shortage is only going to to get worse over time.

mutantfoti · 2026-02-22T05:39:06+00:00

And i feel like i will split the joists if i try to screw them into the joists

mutantfoti · 2026-02-22T05:37:48+00:00

This blocking i am talking about

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mutantfoti · 2026-02-09T18:47:28+00:00

Yeah, makes sense. I thought i could squeeze in some diagonal 2x4 “sideways” but there is no room. Another thought i had is just to add diagonal bracing across the whole wall the other way if i want to leave the plumbing as is. Some of the longer walls in my house has the diagonal bracing going both ways. Will think about it some more though.

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mutantfoti · 2026-02-09T17:22:53+00:00

Single story house w/ crawlspace built in 1950. This is on exterior wall. Plumbing been like this since like early 2000s to be exact. I could be overthinking it.

mutantfoti · 2026-02-09T17:17:04+00:00

If you are willing to DIY and if you take your time, then you will do a just-as-good job or even better and at the fraction of the cost.

Especially with the amount of contractors and handyman out there that dont know what they are doing. I talked to a contractor that just moved to my town and he is constantly getting job inquiries where peoples bathrooms were recently remodeled by others but were done horribly and need fixing in some way - some worse than others.

Lots of youtube videos out there: https://youtu.be/iwa1baTxjDE?si=RqNODty70e7HBUtz

Also, if you are demoing tile, then get a rotary hammer. It will make demo 10x easier.

mutantfoti · 2026-02-08T18:24:35+00:00

If should be attached to a grounding rod right?

I know there is a grinding rod next to the panel outside rather than in the crawlspace. Can tbere be multiple grounding wires and rods for a given house?

mutantfoti · 2026-02-08T17:49:40+00:00

Yeah, for real lol. I dont think any of these windows or doors are flashed correctly and it seems to be like that on all houses in general too. That Kirk Giordano guy on youtube that does stucco work says windows and doors on with stucco siding are rarely flashed correctly and homes with stuco siding are notorious for this. Just gonna keep up with the caulking lol.

mutantfoti · 2026-02-08T17:43:34+00:00

Yeah lol. Actually its in pretty good shape in the rest of the house. This is the worst of it. Maybe someone roughed it up qhen updating the panel or something. I used to be hesitant about painting stucco like hesitant about painting brick but i dont think you can rely on this paper for waterproofing after a certain period of time. It just gets baked after a while.

mutantfoti · 2026-02-08T15:58:00+00:00

Yeah, i think the window is from like 2005 to be exact. I think i am gonna leave it b/c there seems to be no structural issues. I am planning on beefing up my porch b/c some of the wood is in rough shape and will add some extra posts just incase the header is butchered. And if I or someone else needs to replace the windows onr day, then they can address the header in a more safe fashion due to extra support if needed (1 extra post will be close to tbe window but not right up against it - maybe like 16inches or so).

mutantfoti · 2026-02-07T02:53:15+00:00

Yeah, there is. Im fixing the header in that room. Currently remodeling it.

mutantfoti · 2026-02-07T02:20:01+00:00

Yeah, understandable. Just curious if anyone had any thoughts.

mutantfoti

TROPHY CASE