Enough of COVID...what are you doing to the house?

It’s frightening, TVs for Super Bowl parties , saws for one project , it’s hard to say no to the business ,but yeah , nice Canadians…


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Why store and pay for a snow blower all year when you only need it for three months and you get a new one next season? I think HD stopped that when they saw their parking lot full of heavily discounted blowers in the spring.

I've seen a couple of vendors with signs or verbal statements "No returns". You have to deal with the manufacturer and that usually sucks, particularly if it's a work tool.
 
Why store and pay for a snow blower all year when you only need it for three months and you get a new one next season? I think HD stopped that when they saw their parking lot full of heavily discounted blowers in the spring.

I've seen a couple of vendors with signs or verbal statements "No returns". You have to deal with the manufacturer and that usually sucks, particularly if it's a work tool.
It’s the fault of the store that allows this. No different than the toilet paper phase.

Store should have controlled idiots buying up the entire store, and more importantly they should have cracked down immediately with a NO RETURNS on those items.

But idiot customers get loud and store folds just to shut them up.
 
It’s the fault of the store that allows this. No different than the toilet paper phase.

Store should have controlled idiots buying up the entire store, and more importantly they should have cracked down immediately with a NO RETURNS on those items.

But idiot customers get loud and store folds just to shut them up.
Clueless customers don't see the numbers and how the decent shoppers pay for the practice.

I don't know typical retail markups but for giggles:

Store buys a tool for $80 and sells it for $100 BNIB. They can replenish their inventory for $80. BNIB

Customer buys the $100 tool, rips it out of the box, finds it not right and returns it.

The store in essence buys the tool back for $100 but with the package damaged and possibly an accessory missing. If there is nothing wrong with the tool, the store sells it at a discount at below BNIB cost. Alternately the store bundles a skid of returns and auctions the skid off. Lots of YouTube videos on that.

Add staffing costs etc.
 
These Billy bookcases have been in kicking around not installed in the house for ~16 years as I didn't get my act together when we moved... (well to be fair the room they were going in was well down the reno list an is now almost done, so they have a proper home now).

Long since discontinued colour. I made up a simple fill piece to go between the cases in the corner so the doors can be used, red oak from HD and then played with stain combinations to get a close enough colour match... at least i got something done...

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Grrr. Next round of problem tenant eviction. Heard a raccoon rumble in the backyard last night and they have torn soffit off the shed and at least a mom and two kits climbed in to sleep. Mother @@%#%^÷&. I threw a radio in the shed playing blue Jay's commentary to try to move them along. Hopefully they leave voluntarily. Bastards.
They were out when I checked today. Added a camera with motion activated siren for tonight. I'll try to convince them to leave voluntarily. Putting the soffit back up will just encourage them to attack something else.
 
Anybody got recommendations for roofers in the GTA? Our shingles are starting to show signs of wear and while I'd love to DIY...I think it's beyond my scope to get it done properly and in time before any rains.
 
Anybody got recommendations for roofers in the GTA? Our shingles are starting to show signs of wear and while I'd love to DIY...I think it's beyond my scope to get it done properly and in time before any rains.
Mancici & Son did ours. WSIB and working at heights training. Manufacturer training and a better price than the fly-by-nights that wanted cash. No postal code pricing.

416-243-1888
 
Got a weird one. Flat roof problems. So, no rain but the ceiling under a flat roof was getting stained and the paint was blistering a bit. Pierced a blister and it's leaking very slowly in some places. If I were to guess, it's where there's a cut in the vapour barrier above the drywall ceiling.

I think this is condensation. The gap between the ceiling and roof is just a few inches (maybe 4 ) and it's got batt insulation in there and the vapour barrier. There's no ventilation as the roof set up would mean there would be a huge compromise for weatherproof integrity if we added any.

I think the AC in the room below cools the ceiling and the hot humid air in the ceiling gap condenses on the vapour barrier and then that finds it's way to the lowest point where there's a break in the vapour barrier.

I've done some reading and it seems the solution for a roof like mine is to take the drywall ceiling down. Remove the batt insulation. Spray and scrub with a bleach solution to get rid of any mould and then spray foam (closed cell) all the gaps and all the room between the joists. Put the vapour barrier back in and re drywall the ceiling.

Essentially make it so there's zero room for any humid air to get in that ceiling gap.

Does this sound about right?
 
That sounds about right. When we had a flat roof on our property years ago it turned out there was a pinhole leak in the drain from the ceiling through to the bottom of the property.

The leak was small but eventually it became a huge issue during rain storms.

Not sure if your roof has it, but ours had a single drain line throughout the entire house too to bottom.
 
That sounds about right. When we had a flat roof on our property years ago it turned out there was a pinhole leak in the drain from the ceiling through to the bottom of the property.

The leak was small but eventually it became a huge issue during rain storms.

Not sure if your roof has it, but ours had a single drain line throughout the entire house too to bottom.

It only has an external drain. To be honest, the entire thing has been a pain in the ass since we bought the house. The flat roof doesn't have a proper slope. After being replaced three times it's finally waterproof but there's this condensation issue now that only happens for about two weeks in the summer. I'm hoping filling the void with spray foam will be the end of the issues. It's a hot room too so maybe this will help with cooling.
 
It only has an external drain. To be honest, the entire thing has been a pain in the ass since we bought the house. The flat roof doesn't have a proper slope. After being replaced three times it's finally waterproof but there's this condensation issue now that only happens for about two weeks in the summer. I'm hoping filling the void with spray foam will be the end of the issues. It's a hot room too so maybe this will help with cooling.
Filling with spray foam may not help as much as you think. The warm air will get to the foam, and be trapped on the foam. Then it could condense when it cools off at night and your issue may persist.

But there are smarter people here than I am so hopefully they can chime in.
 
Filling with spray foam may not help as much as you think. The warm air will get to the foam, and be trapped on the foam. Then it could condense when it cools off at night and your issue may persist.

But there are smarter people here than I am so hopefully they can chime in.

I think the reasoning is that the closed cell foam is more dense and doesn't hold water (open cell would hold water). It will insulate above the ceiling way better than the crappy batts that are up there now and stop the big temperature differential at that point.
 
Got a weird one. Flat roof problems. So, no rain but the ceiling under a flat roof was getting stained and the paint was blistering a bit. Pierced a blister and it's leaking very slowly in some places. If I were to guess, it's where there's a cut in the vapour barrier above the drywall ceiling.

I think this is condensation. The gap between the ceiling and roof is just a few inches (maybe 4 ) and it's got batt insulation in there and the vapour barrier. There's no ventilation as the roof set up would mean there would be a huge compromise for weatherproof integrity if we added any.

I think the AC in the room below cools the ceiling and the hot humid air in the ceiling gap condenses on the vapour barrier and then that finds it's way to the lowest point where there's a break in the vapour barrier.

I've done some reading and it seems the solution for a roof like mine is to take the drywall ceiling down. Remove the batt insulation. Spray and scrub with a bleach solution to get rid of any mould and then spray foam (closed cell) all the gaps and all the room between the joists. Put the vapour barrier back in and re drywall the ceiling.

Essentially make it so there's zero room for any humid air to get in that ceiling gap.

Does this sound about right?
Some YouTubers discourage using common bleaches but I don't recall why. Maybe they're pushing a brand but it's worth checking out.
 
Got a weird one. Flat roof problems. So, no rain but the ceiling under a flat roof was getting stained and the paint was blistering a bit. Pierced a blister and it's leaking very slowly in some places. If I were to guess, it's where there's a cut in the vapour barrier above the drywall ceiling.

I think this is condensation. The gap between the ceiling and roof is just a few inches (maybe 4 ) and it's got batt insulation in there and the vapour barrier. There's no ventilation as the roof set up would mean there would be a huge compromise for weatherproof integrity if we added any.

I think the AC in the room below cools the ceiling and the hot humid air in the ceiling gap condenses on the vapour barrier and then that finds it's way to the lowest point where there's a break in the vapour barrier.

I've done some reading and it seems the solution for a roof like mine is to take the drywall ceiling down. Remove the batt insulation. Spray and scrub with a bleach solution to get rid of any mould and then spray foam (closed cell) all the gaps and all the room between the joists. Put the vapour barrier back in and re drywall the ceiling.

Essentially make it so there's zero room for any humid air to get in that ceiling gap.

Does this sound about right?
There's no insulation above the framing and below the membrane?

Iirc 2" of closed cell foam is a vapor barrier. Adding a layer of poly beneath 4" of it seems like bad idea to me as any moisture that gets in there has no way of escaping.
 
There's no insulation above the framing and below the membrane?

Iirc 2" of closed cell foam is a vapor barrier. Adding a layer of poly beneath 4" of it seems like bad idea to me as any moisture that gets in there has no way of escaping.

I was wondering about that. I went down a rabbit hole looking at different flat roof designs.

From what I remember the roof from the outside in is flame applied asphalt roll on very heavy tar paper on marine plywood, under that there's batts, then vapour barrier then the drywall ceiling.

There wasn't a problem with the condensation until a jackass electrician came in and cut some access holes in the ceiling and wasn't careful with the vapour barrier like I asked him to be. It's those holes where I see the drips now as I guess that's where cooler room air is leaking into the hot humid air ceiling gap.

So you think it should be fine with well applied closed cell foam from the underside of the plywood all the way level with the underside of the joists, then the drywall ceiling on that?
 
Some YouTubers discourage using common bleaches but I don't recall why. Maybe they're pushing a brand but it's worth checking out.
Bleach is mostly water, one common "logic" presented is the chlorine kills the surface mold but the water soaks in and eventually feeds the sub surface mold once the chlorine has gassed off. The other logic, of course, is it is very hard on indoor air quality for the applicator or others living in the area...

Personally it has worked well for me but I am not soaking it into porous material... and I only use in well ventilated areas with PPE.
 
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There's an AC duct in the wall of this room too. It's got really good flow to it and I also suspect the ductwork isn't the best there. I'm wondering if there's cold air leakage from that all the way up the inside of the wall into the ceiling cavity that isn't helping. We have had an ice dam issue a few times from the area right above this too which may fit.

Just some advice for any new homebuyers. If you see a flat roof…run away.

Edit: spray foam company coming next week. They have a drywall crew too and I'll ask them about the wall around the ductwork.
 
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Grrr. Next round of problem tenant eviction. Heard a raccoon rumble in the backyard last night and they have torn soffit off the shed and at least a mom and two kits climbed in to sleep. Mother @@%#%^÷&. I threw a radio in the shed playing blue Jay's commentary to try to move them along. Hopefully they leave voluntarily. Bastards.
Good luck with them.

Scare them out, fix the soffit then put mothballs or ammonia soaked tennis balls in a mug near their entrance.
 
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