DIY home improvements ITT

[gixxer0.6g]

That basement finishing website gave me some extra motivation this weekend. Woke up at 4am each day to get things rolling. One of my better ideas was to run a compressed air line from the garage down through the walls to the basement before the drywall went in. Put quick connects on each end so I don't have to drag a compressor around when finishing the basement. Worked like a charm this weekend until my nailer took a dump. But finished framing the theater area and started roughing in electrical. Need to frame a soffit around the perimeter, run speaker wire, insulate walls and will be ready for drywall.

[y0lked]

That basement finishing website gave me some extra motivation this weekend. Woke up at 4am each day to get things rolling. One of my better ideas was to run a compressed air line from the garage down through the walls to the basement before the drywall went in. Put quick connects on each end so I don't have to drag a compressor around when finishing the basement. Worked like a charm this weekend until my nailer took a dump. But finished framing the theater area and started roughing in electrical. Need to frame a soffit around the perimeter, run speaker wire, insulate walls and will be ready for drywall.

[0p3rator]

And my favorite, Christina El Moussa...

Definitely hot, but annoying as fk. Personally the show is so formulaic it's hard for me to watch. "oh no, the house we bought basically sight unseen is falling down and needs new septic, hvac, drywall, siding, landscaping, has termites and was a squatter house for satan worshipers, and now my stupid ass wife bought 20,000 carrera marble for the kitchen. how are we going to make any money? we accepted an offer for 50,000 over list."

[Bushmaster]

Definitely hot, but annoying as fk. Personally the show is so formulaic it's hard for me to watch. "oh no, the house we bought basically sight unseen is falling down and needs new septic, hvac, drywall, siding, landscaping, has termites and was a squatter house for satan worshipers, and now my stupid ass wife bought 20,000 carrera marble for the kitchen. how are we going to make any money? we accepted an offer for 50,000 over list."

LMAO!! I know right? I always get a kick out of how the contractor will tell them how it'll cost $1k to fix something and he freaks the fuk out lol.. "What?!! I'm already over budget and can't afford that!"

"....then after a bidding war drove the price up, we accepted an offer for $850,000 which gave us a profit of $115,000... time to find another house to flip!"

Fukit I can admit it... she's the only reason I watch it.

[LinuxJon]

Definitely hot, but annoying as fk. Personally the show is so formulaic it's hard for me to watch. "oh no, the house we bought basically sight unseen is falling down and needs new septic, hvac, drywall, siding, landscaping, has termites and was a squatter house for satan worshipers, and now my stupid ass wife bought 20,000 carrera marble for the kitchen. how are we going to make any money? we accepted an offer for 50,000 over list."

I don't think she's annoying at all. I think her husband was annoying, at first. He's one of those guys who decides to be extra loud and intentionally over enunciate everything in his voiceover parts.

There is definitely a formula to the show. There are some episodes where legit problems suprise them, but on the episodes where something doesn't go wrong, they have to invent something to fill the space. "Uh oh, this room might not be permitted! JK it's permitted."

[gixxer0.6g]

Framing is done

[0p3rator]

LMAO!! I know right? I always get a kick out of how the contractor will tell them how it'll cost $1k to fix something and he freaks the fuk out lol.. "What?!! I'm already over budget and can't afford that!"

"....then after a bidding war drove the price up, we accepted an offer for $850,000 which gave us a profit of $115,000... time to find another house to flip!"

Fukit I can admit it... she's the only reason I watch it.

That and the fkin' poverty Escalade with the G'd out rims.

[LinuxJon]

That and the fkin' poverty Escalade with the G'd out rims.

I watched the VERY first episode of the show last night.

They were actually normal people. No fake dramatics, no Escalade with G'd out rims. They even talked like normal people.

WTF happened to the later episodes?!

[bezarker]

This thread is Al Borland approved...

[Bushmaster]

That and the fkin' poverty Escalade with the G'd out rims.

I watched the VERY first episode of the show last night.

They were actually normal people. No fake dramatics, no Escalade with G'd out rims. They even talked like normal people.

WTF happened to the later episodes?!

I dunno, but there is a difference... I like how she shows up at the house when they're working on it. Typical construction site with construction guys doing construction things... Broken glass and piles of wood and crap everywhere, dirty guys swinging hammers and carrying heavy things - and she shows up like she's going to a party lol. Expensive dress, jewelry, with full makeup and every hair perfect.

But fukit... like I said, she's the only reason I watch it.

[LinuxJon]

I dunno, but there is a difference... I like how she shows up at the house when they're working on it. Typical construction site with construction guys doing construction things... Broken glass and piles of wood and crap everywhere, dirty guys swinging hammers and carrying heavy things - and she shows up like she's going to a party lol. Expensive dress, jewelry, with full makeup and every hair perfect.

But fukit... like I said, she's the only reason I watch it.

In the first episode there was a lot more actual emotion. You could tell they really weren't sure what they were doing yet, and she was genuinely upset when he spent $7k more on the house at auction than they'd agreed.

I also liked the back and forth. Tarek: "We put 25k into here and we're done" Christina: "Are you kidding? Like 65k minimum".

[gixxer0.6g]

Wired the room on 3 switches. One for an outlet in the light cove for rope lights. One for the can lights on a dimmer and one for a center on/off room light. Ran HDMI and coax to the front wall just in case I decide to hang a TV instead of a projector. Ran a 1-1/2" PVC pipe from AV closet to the front wall for a conduit with a pull wire. Ran speaker wire and wired all the lights. Insulated exterior walls and started drywall.

It's so nice to work in a room that isn't lit up with a halogen shop light. Can't put the lid in until the kitchen upstairs is done.









If you look above the TV I've framed an arch. Any tips/tricks on how to do one. I was going to sheath it in OSB and screw drywall over it.

Here's a cad section of what it looks like

[y0lked]

what recessed lights are those?

[gixxer0.6g]

what recessed lights are those?

Just typical cans from lowes. I think they were the halo brand.

[BuckNakedinBama]

Great thread. Subbed to read in entirety later.

[y0lked]

Just typical cans from lowes. I think they were the halo brand.

LED or standard bulb? Im putting in 4 for a 11 x 14 kitchen and my dad was saying LED would be too dim. Any suggestions?

[mongochuy]

what going on guys. Its been one week since we received the house and so far we've painted the living room, mounted a TV and misc things.

I have a question for those who are handy with electrical.

Every bedroom up stairs has a light switch but no lights. At first we were thinking the switches controlled the outlets, after testing we determined they did not.
In the living room there is also a switch panel with three switches. One controls the porch light and the other two do nothing. Same deal with the outlets as above.

Would it be pretty easy/ safe to pull the switches out so long as the main breaker is off? is it hard to add a ceiling light to a room?

btw: by switches I mean on/off switches.

thanks guise

[y0lked]

what going on guys. Its been one week since we received the house and so far we've painted the living room, mounted a TV and misc things.

I have a question for those who are handy with electrical.

Every bedroom up stairs has a light switch but no lights. At first we were thinking the switches controlled the outlets, after testing we determined they did not.
In the living room there is also a switch panel with three switches. One controls the porch light and the other two do nothing. Same deal with the outlets as above.

Would it be pretty easy/ safe to pull the switches out so long as the main breaker is off? is it hard to add a ceiling light to a room?

btw: by switches I mean on/off switches.

thanks guise

Could be a two way switch for a cieling fan. One switch for the light, one for the fan. If its wired for it, its a cinch. If not, then youll have to look at rafters and see how you could run wire to it.

[LinuxJon]

Guys, I'm trying to figure out a way to wire a switch for my ceiling fan directly next to my bed, besides the one by the door that controls it.

1) Would it be possible for someone with no electrical experience to do this
and
2) Could I do it using surface-mounted wires, as this is a rental and I don't want to open up walls?

[Bushmaster]

Guys, I'm trying to figure out a way to wire a switch for my ceiling fan directly next to my bed, besides the one by the door that controls it.

1) Would it be possible for someone with no electrical experience to do this
and
2) Could I do it using surface-mounted wires, as this is a rental and I don't want to open up walls?

You'll need a three-way switch..

1) Yes, but...

2) You don't think expose wiring looks cheap, tacky, and.... poverty?

[LinuxJon]

You'll need a three-way switch..

1) Yes, but...

2) You don't think expose wiring looks cheap, tacky, and.... poverty?

Well, that seems pretty simple.

I don't think it'll look poverty. I was gonna get one of those wire channels for things like speaker wire to run along the ceiling/wall

[Bushmaster]

Well, that seems pretty simple.

I don't think it'll look poverty. I was gonna get one of those wire channels for things like speaker wire to run along the ceiling/wall

[img]http://static.hardwarestore.com/media/product/679266_front200.jpg[/img

Gotcha..

Wiring the switch won't be any big deal.. Thing is though you'll need to put in another 3-way switch at the wall in order to be able to use both of them. And to do that you'll need to see if the wire was installed with 3-conductor instead of two.

Stupid question, but wouldn't it be easier to get a ceiling fan with a remote control?

$88 at Lowes.

http://www.lowes.com/Search=ceiling+...s+and+remotes#!

[mikedronyk]

Guys, I'm trying to figure out a way to wire a switch for my ceiling fan directly next to my bed, besides the one by the door that controls it.

1) Would it be possible for someone with no electrical experience to do this
and
2) Could I do it using surface-mounted wires, as this is a rental and I don't want to open up walls?

They actually make ceiling fans that are controlled with a wireless remote. You just mount it into a normal light box and the receiver tucks inside the box. Then you can control it from anywhere in the room.

[mongochuy]

Could be a two way switch for a cieling fan. One switch for the light, one for the fan. If its wired for it, its a cinch. If not, then youll have to look at rafters and see how you could run wire to it.

There are no ceiling fans. Its strange but next week Ill take it apart and look through it. thanks

[y0lked]

There are no ceiling fans. Its strange but next week Ill take it apart and look through it. thanks

No I mean it could be wired for it, even tho there isnt one there. Is there a recessed light at all? Maybe a cap? IDk, maybe the wires are tucked back in the celing.

[gixxer0.6g]

LED or standard bulb? Im putting in 4 for a 11 x 14 kitchen and my dad was saying LED would be too dim. Any suggestions?

I just standard cans. I'm not big on saving energy especially on a dimmer so I just used your typical bulb. If I really want to switch to led I can install these in the cans I used




Also, from what I read, LEDs struggle on dimmer switches. Tend to flicker at low voltages.


Finished drywall on the front wall, soffits and side walls. The light coves next to the soffit turned out nice. They gonna be so cooooo when I run some led strips down them.

[JDizleSwoleizle]

Also, from what I read, LEDs struggle on dimmer switches. Tend to flicker at low voltages.
]

They make specific ones that say dimmable. If you use these you should be fine. Make sure you get decent ones if you do though cheap leds make things look kinda creepy. Theatre lookin thick, solid, tight gixxy.

[0p3rator]

if any of you are looking for recessed cans, i highly recommend www.contractorlighting.com. The 6" cans i bought were half the price of lowes and they weren't all beat to sht like Lowe's stock either.

[gixxer0.6g]

if any of you are looking for recessed cans, i highly recommend www.contractorlighting.com. The 6" cans i bought were half the price of lowes and they weren't all beat to sht like Lowe's stock either.

Good price on those programmable led strips too

[mongochuy]

No I mean it could be wired for it, even tho there isnt one there. Is there a recessed light at all? Maybe a cap? IDk, maybe the wires are tucked back in the celing.

ah I get you now. You're probably right.
for a bit we thought that they may have controlled the outlets but people got irritated when someone would flick them by accident and shut their devices off.
I know nothing about wiring but after some reading and videos, it doesnt seem to bad. Checking them out this weekend!