Official Home Improvement thread

rightguard

rightguard

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May 20, 2008
I recently bought a home and have not done much work to protect, preserve, or enhance my home.

A couple of issues that I have run into:
1.changing light bulbs- Halgon vs CFL vs LED do you think changing majority of the heavy used light bulbs to LED will save money on up front costs? LED lights are very expensive but they say in the long term you will save money. Difference in lumens?

2.What do you guys use to clean and protect hardwood floors?

3. Need to replace a shutter that was fallen off. I received a couple of quotes to replace one shutter near the roof. 1st quote was around 450 second quote 2 is for 150. I feel like I can replace it myself, i just need to research how to install the shutter and keep it put.


What other improvements do you guys recommend that can be done.
 
I'll speak to the first one only since I have laminated wood floors so they don't need protecting per se.

I would go with the CFL's unless you have dimable bulbs. If you can find an LED for that, I would recommend going with that. I have to replace at least 3 halogen bulbs per year in the dining room. You're right on the LED's being expensive. Most of the cheap ones you'll find are 50 watt equivalents. I don't think I've seen one that's a 100 watt equivalent for under $30 a piece. Unless you're going to stay in the home for more than 10 years, or will be using it for more than 8 hours per day, then CFL's should be good enough.
 
NT fam...

I need help replacing my kitchen sink, tiny leak that has been bothering me for a while now... Before I even get into it...

1) Is this a doable job for me and some friends?
2) Should I just contract someone?
 
CFLs are fine in most cases - pretty cheap and the modern ones are bright.

LEDs are getting good but they're really expensive. I generally use them for either heat sensitive applications or heavy use - I gave them for display lights in my office as they're on for 12 hours a day. Cost me about $300 but I paid them off in 3 months with the electricity savings - but that was coming from halogen so really inefficient.
 
My garbage disposal was leaking ... Went to home depot and the guy told me that I could do it myself (was planning on getting someone from the front of the store to do it) so I listen. I got home did it without a problem. Most gratifying feeling, especially since I'm not a handy man at all. Was simple ...
 
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LoL I spent 650 for a plumber to replace my incinerator. Next time I'll call you.

I'm not getting my hand dirty, rather spend that money.

I have to cash someone for my HVAC, my central AC is not cooling the house properly or at all.
 
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Keko Jones said:
LoL I spent 650 for a plumber to replace my incinerator. Next time I'll call you.

I'm not getting my hand dirty, rather spend that money.

I have to cash someone for my HVAC, my central AC is not cooling the house properly or at all.
Click to expand...
When's the last time you changed your air filter?
 
kdawg said:
AlBooBoo said:
@rayray3thousand
 

The sink replacement is doable for you and friends.
Click to expand...

Yeah, if you can turn the water off you can do anything with a sink.

What is leaking? Around the sink? The taps? The sink itself?
Click to expand...

first and foremost thanks for the help!

the "cold" side of the faucet broke and can spin a complete 360 so you have to guess which angle to close it, and even then it is always somewhat loose so the water slowly drips all day/night... this is almost a year now

any chance I can just swap the handles?
 
Swapping just the handles is possible if you can get exactly the same type - but I've never managed that. You usually have to replace the whole faucet.

If it's just the handles you might not even need to shut off the water - just look at the new ones to see how they come off and then swap the broken parts over.

If it's the whole thing it's easy anyway - turn off both the hot and cold feed and then just undo the flexible pipes that connect to the water supply (again, look at the new one and it will be obvious which part) then undo the bolts that hold the faucet to the sink and it will pull through the hole.

Clean the hole and make sure the seals are in place and then just do the same in reverse to connect the new one back up. Just make sure your connects to the water are nice and tight - and you'll probably need some PTFE tape in there so get a good seal - you don't want it to leak under the unit.

The new faucet will come with instructions too which makes it easy.
 
rayray3thousand said:
NT fam...

I need help replacing my kitchen sink, tiny leak that has been bothering me for a while now... Before I even get into it...

1) Is this a doable job for me and some friends?
2) Should I just contract someone?
Click to expand...
anything is doable in the house. just a know-how and effort. a good tool set helps too.

my dad started me early, showing me to do all the small odd jobs around the house. eventually, when we started remodeling, i learned to tear down, replace, or fix most things around the house 

it comes in handy too. in high school, whenever there was like a crazy party and a wall (indoor plaster walls) got punched or caved in, theyd pay me alot to fix. and its stupid easy.
 
kdawg said:
Swapping just the handles is possible if you can get exactly the same type - but I've never managed that. You usually have to replace the whole faucet.

If it's just the handles you might not even need to shut off the water - just look at the new ones to see how they come off and then swap the broken parts over.

If it's the whole thing it's easy anyway - turn off both the hot and cold feed and then just undo the flexible pipes that connect to the water supply (again, look at the new one and it will be obvious which part) then undo the bolts that hold the faucet to the sink and it will pull through the hole.

Clean the hole and make sure the seals are in place and then just do the same in reverse to connect the new one back up. Just make sure your connects to the water are nice and tight - and you'll probably need some PTFE tape in there so get a good seal - you don't want it to leak under the unit.

The new faucet will come with instructions too which makes it easy.
Click to expand...

repped... you are the man
 
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