The Benefits of Home Ownership?

[hefdaddy42]

We noticed lights flickering in our kitchen, and some kitchen appliances not working as they normally do.  We have an electrician come out, and it turns out we should have 240 volts total coming into the home, on two legs of 120 volts each.  One of ours was at 114, and the other was at 130, which is a hazard.  So after having the electric company come out and verify that the problem is on our side of the electrical exchange and not theirs (thanks for that), we had to get a new meter box on the outside of the house.  Parts, labor, permits, etc = somewhere north of $3,000 to make sure my toast comes out the way I like it and the house doesn't burn down.

A BARGAIN.

They don't own up to the meter?

They do.  Up to the meter, the readings were correct.  They got screwy once our outside panel got involved.

[faizoff]

Less than a year into home ownership and the first major repair arises (at least I think it's going to be major). Some 15+ years ago, the previous owner installed a torchdown roof over our the lanai/back porch, this roof covers the entire lanai area and is screened in which gives a nice small enclosed area for the kids to play. Well today two of the plywood ceiling panels crashed in the middle of the night while we were watching Mindhunter on Netflix. It's creepy enough to watch a show about serial killers and the accompanying brutal violence, and to hear a loud crashing sound during the episode scared the shit out of us.

Not sure what the damage is, will have to get someone to look at it and give us the bad news on how much this is going to set up back.

[faizoff]

Got an estimate and it's going to set me back almost a grand. Wonderful.

[DragonAttack]

I’m glad no one was under it when it fell!

[King Postwhore]

Thankfully no one was hurt.

[jingle.boy]

Everyone survived!

RAAAAAAWWWRRRRR!

[Cool Chris]

How did the plywood just fall completely off?

[faizoff]

Yeah thank god it happened in the night when the kids weren't playing in the porch. I shudder to think this happening during the day. No warning sign that it was sagging or failing. It looked pristine, I have no clue why it fell off like that. It's also not plywood like I assumed, it's regular gypsum dry wall. I believe it was installed around 2007 some 16 years ago. I spoke to a few neighbors and they think it should've been nailed in with screw-nails rather than the straight nails. One block of the ceiling wall fell in tact while another broke in half. My initial idea was to just replace the broken/fallen piece but now I'm rethinking if the whole thing was done this way, what are the chances the other pieces fall too.

I would like to talk to a couple of contractors and specialists about what they think happened, humidity? improper fastening? who knows. There doesn't seem to be any leaking anywhere, wood underneath looks solid. Really odd.

[Cool Chris]

Contractor here... There are nails designed for drywall. If done properly, a whole sheet shouldn't just give way like that. If the drywall shows no sign of moisture, I don't have any immediate thoughts.

As it appears to be a significant portion of the ceiling, you might be better off replacing the whole thing. You could have just the hole repaired, but by the time that was taped, mudded, textured, and painted to match, it wouldn't be much more costly to do the whole thing. But yes get a professional out there to see it and maybe they can identify something that you want to address now that it is opened.

[faizoff]

Thanks for your input, I am getting it looked at by a couple of contractors and probably just suck up the cost and get the entire ceiling redone unless I get assurances that the others won't have the same fate. Can the other panels be re-fastened? Is that even possible, like reinforce them?

[Cool Chris]

Yes, just screw the existing pieces in to the joists. Because no one is going to see the ceiling up close, a bit of spackle and paint could be sufficient to cover up the new holes. 

[cramx3]

Damn, that sucks and to have it at that timing 

Recently had a random incident of what I presume to be a bird breaking a window.  Can't confirm as I didn't see / hear it happen, but I noticed a hole in one of the windows and was like wtf?! Based on the location, for it to be a ball, someone would have had to have been within 10 ft or so of the window to hit that spot (meaning in my backyard) so I think that's unlikely.  No bird body or ball around.  OH well.  After having a couple ridiculous estimates (they wanted to redo the entire window and not just replace just the glass) someone did it for $400 including the cost of the window glass.

[Harmony]

Freak dangerous shit happening at the house has always been a fear of mine.

When I was in first grade we had a huge fir tree in our yard and it went down into the street in a storm, blocking the road for most of a day.  I always remember my dad saying that if the wind had been blowing the other way, it would've crashed into our house.

My fears have matured now into stray bullets from a drive by shooting.  I'm only partially kidding.  We live on a corner lot and a couple of years ago a car passing by threw a bunch of lit fireworks into our yard, hitting near the wall of the room we were sitting in.  Freaked me the fuck out.  I know it was just stupid ass kids but still...

Anyway, I echo others here - thank god that didn't go down when your kids or you were out there.

[TAC]

When we moved into our house, during the first week or so that we were here, our house was shot at with a paint pellet gun. Sprayed the whole front of the house. Apparently, we weren't targeted as they shot at a number of houses on our street.

[Podaar]

My house was shot with an arrow once.

[Nick]

I used to be a homeowner like you, but then I took an arrow to the foundation.

[Stadler]

I used to be a homeowner like you, but then I took an arrow to the foundation.

HAHAHA, I get that reference!!!! 

[DragonAttack]

Thanks for your input, I am getting it looked at by a couple of contractors and probably just suck up the cost and get the entire ceiling redone unless I get assurances that the others won't have the same fate. Can the other panels be re-fastened? Is that even possible, like reinforce them?

Curious if you've looked into a hanging ceiling with tiles? 

Or...and maybe this sounds a bit 'different':  removing what's left, and leaving the joists exposed?  That's how my current basement is, which we've had for twelve years.  I thought of putting in a hanging ceiling after I put up paneling to cover the cement walls two years ago, but to be honest, it has a charm I rather like.

[faizoff]

Curious if you've looked into a hanging ceiling with tiles? 

Or...and maybe this sounds a bit 'different':  removing what's left, and leaving the joists exposed?  That's how my current basement is, which we've had for twelve years.  I thought of putting in a hanging ceiling after I put up paneling to cover the cement walls two years ago, but to be honest, it has a charm I rather like.

I haven't thought about that, one of my neighbors suggested shiplap paneling for the ceiling which is similar to what you're suggesting with the barren wooden framework. Good suggestions for something down the line when we're thinking of converting the lanai to a sunroom.

I had a handyman come today and he said it's almost assuredly the humidity that caused the boards to fall. He said since December he's fixed 54 prior fallen ceilings similar to ours, it's always either some water leak or moisture buildup. He did mention that there were minor fixes and patching done before so it's possible the previous owner saw sagging boards. Either way, the guy today was awesome and said he'd secure it with screw nails on his dime, as he too has children and doesn't like the idea of just replacing the boards and not making sure the other boards were secure. He'll finish tomorrow and I've going to make sure he knows how thankful for going the extra mile.

[faizoff]

Do you guys paint the ceiling with a sprayer or just a regular roller? I used a roller for the primer and while it wasn't that much of a pain, doing the paint with a roller again doesn't sound like fun. I was thinking of getting a sprayer and doing with that but there a million to choose from. The Ceiling area is about 250 sq ft. give or take. Might complete the whole thing in about 2 hours or so is my guess with a roller as I've already prepped the place. Is a sprayer worth it?

[Stadler]

Do you guys paint the ceiling with a sprayer or just a regular roller? I used a roller for the primer and while it wasn't that much of a pain, doing the paint with a roller again doesn't sound like fun. I was thinking of getting a sprayer and doing with that but there a million to choose from. The Ceiling area is about 250 sq ft. give or take. Might complete the whole thing in about 2 hours or so is my guess with a roller as I've already prepped the place. Is a sprayer worth it?

I rely on the experts here, but I have not had luck with a sprayer on the ceiling. It made a mess and was hard to get good coverage.

[ReaperKK]

Painting and electrical is the one thing I pay the pros to do. I spent my 20s painting rooms at a hotel I ran and I simply dont ever want to do it again. The guys who painted the house last time used a roller for everything.

[Grappler]

I've painted ceilings with a roller while standing on a ladder.  I feel like I have better control vs. standing on the floor and using a pole connected to the roller handle.

[Cool Chris]

We have a sprayer and only one guy will use it, and even then only under certain circumstances, and just to do primer. Just roll it, it will look much better with less hassle, even if it is time-consuming.

Painting and electrical is the one thing I pay the pros to do.

As a contractor, mind if I add plumbing to the "leave this to the pros" list? 

[faizoff]

Thanks for the feedback all, roller it is.

Painting and electrical is the one thing I pay the pros to do.

As a contractor, mind if I add plumbing to the "leave this to the pros" list? 

Yeah I'd think plumbing would be on that list too.

[lordxizor]

If you've got popcorn ceilings, rolling can be a struggle. I've had the popcorn come right off while rolling. I've sprayed ceilings as well and it's a huge mess. I wouldn't do it again, but I admittedly had a cheap sprayer.

[Podaar]

Depends on the sprayer, and how committed you are to the finish. I have a Graco Magnum X7. With the right tip, a little practice, and proper prep. It's way cleaner, easier and takes a fraction of the time. Especially true if the ceiling is heavily textured and/or has a lot of trim work.  Yet, it's an expensive machine, and I never would have gotten it except I end up painting quite frequently, between our own home and helping with my kid's properties.

But, yeah for 250 square feet, I'd just roll it.

[jingle.boy]

As far as electrical goes, I’ve got no problems changing a fixture, or switch, or receptacle. Anything beyond that, I’m hiring someone.

Same with plumbing. I’ll change a faucet, or install a toilet, but anything that requires work on the copper or ABS, I’m out.

Painting … I’ve hired once to do my whole main floor. Mrs.jingle and I are competent enough to do the simple things (rectangle rooms, no problem), but was worth saving the time and hassle to hire for the bigger job. A 3-person crew came in and had the whole thing done in one day. And we’ve got a lot of different angles and slopes to our ceilings, plus crown moulding in a lot of places.

[faizoff]

If you've got popcorn ceilings, rolling can be a struggle. I've had the popcorn come right off while rolling. I've sprayed ceilings as well and it's a huge mess. I wouldn't do it again, but I admittedly had a cheap sprayer.

Thank God the outdoor patio doesn't have popcorn ceiling. I hate those. The ceiling is already textured and admittedly is an easy straight forward job.

The rest of my house indoors has popcorn ceiling and will have to find a time and chance to get rid of it. Should've done it before moving.

[Stadler]

Popcorn ceilings were invented by the devil, no doubt.  HATE them.

Electrical:  I will do anything electrical up to the connection to the box. I don't f--- with that, but I know how to run outlets and what not.   I did have a pro do the wiring for my generator, though.

Plumbing: Like Chad, I will install fixtures, but when it comes to the piping, we're calling the pro in to do the heavy lifting.

Painting: I used to do all my own painting. I like doing it and I like HOW I do it.  I take all the outlet covers off, all the fixtures down, all the HVAC controllers, and I PAINT.  There are no "circles" or "covered spots" in rooms I've painted.  There's no "painting around" things.  I have painted virtually EVERY room in every house I've ever owned, except for one (Charlotte, which we bought new).  Having said that, I was traveling a lot this past year with my parents, and we finally hired a guy to paint the kids bathroom and one of the bedrooms... and since then he's done the hall, the stairwell, and my kitchen.  My painting days are probably over; it's not worth it.  The guy does it as his second job, and he's good.   Good enough for me!  (Not going to lie, though: I HAVE gone around and touched up things so it's the way I would do it!)

[ReaperKK]

Thanks for the feedback all, roller it is.

Painting and electrical is the one thing I pay the pros to do.

As a contractor, mind if I add plumbing to the "leave this to the pros" list? 

Yeah I'd think plumbing would be on that list too.

Plumbing is definitely on the list too.

[Nick]

It depends for me. I do a fair bit of electrical, but I have two good friends who are electricians who will do things for me reasonably beyond that. Plumbing I've thankfully never had major issues. Had to replace the pipe coming from the wall to a toilet once, redo toilet guts once, and installed a garbage disposal.

I do not paint.

[cramx3]

I don't do anything!

Seriously though, I'm not handy at all nor do I have any desire to become handy.  I've replaced switches and outlets but nothing more for electric work.  I've only replaced the guts of a toilet once before, nothing more for plumbing and I likely wouldn't even attempt to do anything if it came to the pipes.  I hate painting ( just had the house almost completely painted, not by me), this is definitely the most doable of the things here for me, but it's probably also the most tedious.  I painted some of the house when I moved in (2 full rooms) and it was a nightmare for me hence just paying someone recently.

[Jamesman42]

I'm not very handy either, though I have learned or attempted to do small things beyond my comfort zone with good results. I installed all the blinds when we bought our house, and painted the kids' bedrooms (with the help of my MIL). Even learning how to hang things up felt like a big accomplishment to me

[cramx3]

I'm not very handy either, though I have learned or attempted to do small things beyond my comfort zone with good results. I installed all the blinds when we bought our house, and painted the kids' bedrooms (with the help of my MIL). Even learning how to hang things up felt like a big accomplishment to me

Yes! After my office was painted, I will admit, I was a bit intimidated on how to hang all my concert memorabilia, but I got it all hung including some shelving.  Not really difficult at all, but I definitely felt intimidated that I would screw up the new paint job.