Hey all, I've received tons of growing help here on GC, and everyone's been so awesome, so I figured I'd try and return the favor by opening a couple threads on topics which I'm more experienced in. For years prior to an injury, I worked within the construction industry (commercial and residential). I've got varied experience doing everything from cabinetry to carpentry, plumbing to electrical, tilesetting to landscaping. I've worked almost everything in-between, so I'm pretty well rounded and glad to answer any questions you might have. Home maintenance questions, grow box questions, landscaping questions, whatever; I'd love to help!
What do you know about clearing out the sediment from Water Heaters? I've been told that I should seal off the output coming from the system, drain it completely using the release valve and let it refill several times, and that should take care of the sediment being released into our water. I'm looking at every option currently without having to buy a new one any time soon... it's only about 7 years old.
Sure, thing is, are we talking sediment thats coming from your water supply or rusty colored water (most heaters have a replaceable anode that should prevent rust). If its rust, you can replace the anode and flush If you just need to flush it, thats simple. You hook up a garden hose to the outlet and just let it run until it runs clear. Depending on how much debris is inside, it could clog the outlet. If you think you have a ton of sediment in there, you'll probably need to empty it (and if so, make sure you kill the pilot if its gas, kill the electric if its electric). You can damage it if you empty all of the water and its calling for heat. One thing I gotta mention (which probably goes without saying), is that its pretty hot water in there so be careful. If you have to clear a clog, use a screwdriver or coat hanger and jiggle it around inside (dont stab away, theres glass inside or you could damage the valve - you just want to loosen any clog) Again, if its just a layer of crap in there from buildup over the years, it shouldn't be too difficult to flush it (thats why they put the drain valves on the bottom). Im not sure what you mean by "seal off the output coming from the system" because it should be sealed (unless you have some major leaks going on in the house With that said, while doing this, make sure no one's taking a shower or anything hah.
Oh, I meant closing the valve that runs the hot water to the rest of the house. Do you think I should leave that open in order to drain the entire system? And yes, it's rust colored water that comes out in spurts, if you will. For instance, if I run my bath tub as hot as it will go, you will see clear water for five or six seconds, then a several second burst of brown water, and then it will go back to being clear; it will jump back and forth like this for as long as I run the water. This happens with the washing machine, as well, strictly dependent on the temperature. Cold water is no problem at all, so I would like to think that I've ruled out pipe corrosion.
okay im planning on installing a drop ceiling in a room in my basement this weekend,how hard is this im pretty confident i can do it just wondering if you had any tips
Closing the valve that feeds the house shouldn't be necessary since its a closed system - meaning no water can flow through it unless you have a leak or a spigot open somewhere. Water will travel through the opening with least resistance, so if you have that drain valve open - its all coming out that. If I were you, I would take a sample directly from the drain (again - super hot water - be careful). If its really dark and nasty, then you have corrosion inside the glass lined tank. If thats the case, thats kinda good news. There is an anode rod inside thats sole purpose is to prevent rust. It depletes over the years and is easily replaced (they cost $20 max). You will of course have to drain the water heater to replace, but thats not too difficult to do. Theres a chance you could have rusty pipes going to the heater but I doubt it - if you're getting clear cold water from your hose outside, you're not dealing with rusty pipes. Sediment inside the tank shouldn't cause rusty water, I would suspect corrosion inside the heater first because you stated its pretty old. Water quality also tends to age them differently.
20 years construction....most of it on the roof....noticed you didnt mention roofing its not too hard tho....first day they told me it was just like plumbing.....all you need to know is shit runs down hill and pay day is friday!
Not much exp with commercial or metal roofing, but believe me, I've carried my fair share of asphalt shingle
i have done almost all of it when it comes to roofing! the only thing i avoided was hot tar!!!fuck that! did nothing but metal roofs for a few years!!! loved it! so easy if you can work the metal....and pay is so much better then shingles..... when shingling i am one of the very few who can do 20 sq a day consistently.... of coarse i listen to the "old" roofers to find out how to get there.....
Good deal. Drop ceilings are actually pretty fun to do. One thing you need to be critical about is laying it out well. Professional installers typically use a laser tripod so it remains level around the perimeter. For a small room, you can probably get away with pulling a tape (from the floor) UNLESS your in a basement or something (often basements have a grade which will cause one side of the room to be lower). Pull some string line, or use a chalk box and make sure all corners line up. You cant work from one corner of the room and hope it works out in the end. Outside of that its pretty easy stuff. You can cut acoustical tile with a sharp razor knife and a straight edge. Watch getting that stuff in your eyes as anytime your working above you're likely to drop shit in them lol. Get a few extra tiles in case you break a few. They are pretty cheap and break super easy. The surface also scratches easily - so a couple extra are nice to have. The runners all cut with tin snips. You should only have to cut one side of the room. If you have a large room to do its helpful to pull a string line so it all stays nice and level (for a small room you can damn near eye it). Secure the runners every 4 feet or so, not ultra critical for a small job unless you're hanging fixtures and duct work and the ceiling is bearing any weight (you'll still need some support up there). Edit: Just re-read your post. If its a fairly large room (and not just 4 walls) I strongly suggest renting a laser tripod (or borrowing one). Makes it super easy to keep everything level.
Dude, not going to lie. Out of everything I've done, roofing is probably one of the things I dreaded the most. Maybe the height, the way metal roofing likes to dice your hands up, maybe its even the blazing heat - but I always envied roofers (or pitied - not sure LOL) And yes, any liquid roof coating sucks ass. I never did the hot tar, but I used some of that pour on crap on a small commercial property once and it ruined everything I wore that day. My brother does metal roofing, loves it. I also have a good friend whos been doing metal roofing too that enjoys it. I put a shingle roof on my shed (6/12) a couple months ago and it damn near broke me haha.
not an easy job ...physically but i fucking love it!!!!!and i love the heights too!!! got alot of jobs cus i would go up higher then anyone elts wanted to...and cus i would do the steep shit noone wanted to! dont mind getting cut up....or tar all over me..... cuts...thats what electrical tape is for...or super glue if its too bad..... btw.....can do the drop ceiling with any type of level if you are good.....but that laser makes it easy as hell..... like the man said......your "set up" or prep work determines everything about how hard or easy a job will be!
No questions, but just wanted to say I really admire the skillset of carpenters. I used to have access to this carpender, who's job was to essentially make anything that we could imagine. It was so cool to walk down there with a concept in our heads, explain it to him, and then watch him turn that idea into a real thing. Very impressive stuff, and one of the nicest guys I've ever met...unforunately, the hospital decided they couldn't afford such a specialized, rarely used department.
Carpentry is a lot of fun, especially if theres room for improvisation. The last large project I did for the last company I worked for was a custom house on the beach. Really awesome house. 5400 sqf, built on pylons, 4 stories, more curved walls than straight. The original design was called "the wave". Took just under a year for a small company to build and sold for just over 6 mil. What I really loved about that house was its uniqueness. We had 30+ year exp carpenters on the job doing things they never dreamed of. Was great to see it grow from a few flags in the ground to the eye catcher it became.
We ended up taking care of that water heater issue earlier this week. After taking your advice and draining the system of sediment several times, I noticed a brief cessation of any recurrence, but it came back full bore about a week ago so we had a plumber take a look at it. He said that the glass lining on the inside of the tank had probably shattered some time ago and was causing rust to enter the water supply, so we had to bite the bullet and have it replaced. He said it was odd, though, because there was no damage of any kind on the outer shell of the heater itself - not even a dent. It was in perfect physical condition, which wouldn't normally suggest a glass lining crack. I had another question for you, though, which is pretty much why I'm in here! I have a hammock that I use predominantly for backpacking that I would like to hang inside of my house, probably in the loft, to sleep on at night. I was planning on using a Stud Detector to find the right spot to drive a long hook into the wall on each side of the room in order to hang it up. The question remains, do you think that two beams will support someone between 130 and 150 pounds? Should I use a certain type of method to anchor the hooks?
Interesting. No idea what would cause it to crack internally without any force other than its age or some internal malfunction. Really not sure, but I know glass has the ability to crack for no reason when it becomes weakened by drastic changes in temperature. Honestly you are probably better off considering its age. Water heaters are massive energy consumers and every year they get more efficient. For the best efficiency, check out the tankless water heaters which heat water on-demand. Well, it really depends on whats behind that wall. Whats the length of the wall, and what's the approximate angle? Most interior walls aren't meant to hold a lot of weight laterally. As you mentioned it was in a loft, you have me thinking this wall is directly under the roof. Is there a cavity between the interior wall and the exterior roof? Or is it the same wall? If its the same wall, then those beams are also holding up your roof. If thats the case they have to be a minimum of 8 inches (most likely 12 inch rafters). If so, you'll have no problem anchoring to that - they are made to hold up several inches of snow and driving winds. If there is a cavity, well it could mean you have a truss behind there. In that chase I would probably recommend that you get behind the wall (if you have access) to at least strap two trusses together. Trusses are designed to bear weight above, not from underneath and may not support the weight alone. If its not a truss, and just some 2x4's behind it, I'd probably strap two together to be safe. One way you can get a general idea of how strong that wall is is to push or bang on it. If when you push it has any play at all, you're probably looking at a 2x4 framed interior wall or a truss. Not great to anchor to. If its totally solid, with little play when you push, its probably good. As for anchoring it. You definitely need to grab at least 1.5 inches of wood. I'd use a 1/2 inch faster at minimum. Make sure you attach to the center of the stud, and pre-drill the hole (if you use a 1/2" diameter faster, drill a hole thats 3/8" - check the threads on the fastner to make sure it will hold. 150 lbs attached to two studs really isnt a whole lot when you think about it. Split that in half and thats approx. how much weight each side will hold.
Good thread MrSmoke. I'm a building contractor, owner of a construction company for about 17 years now. Over time my work has shifted from mostly residential to commercial but I still try to do a couple custom homes a year. I also used to do a lot of renovations and historical restorations, but not so much anymore. Durchii, you're probably ok but I would worry about the drywall or plaster cracking from the motion. One thing you can do is run a 2 x 4 floor to ceiling against the wall in front of the studs inside the wall, 3 1/2" side facing the wall. Sand it and either paint it to match the wall or stain it. Screw it to the stud behind the wall (use 3 1/2" deck screws, not nails). The studs behind the wall should be sitting on a 2 x 4 bottom plate so try and hit that too. You may or may not have a top plate on the wall depending on what's up above. Use wood lags with a hook screwed through the new stud and into the one behind it to hang your hammock on, 5" or 6" should be long enough. Be careful not to hit any wires with your fasteners.
Hey fella's this might sound dumb.. I'm a little ocd about fire safety. When you screw or nail into a stud, for what ever reason.. is there an easy way to know beyond a reasonable doubt that your not piercing the insulation of a hot wire?