Home Improvement
- Thread starter Picasso3
- Start date
You can get security hinges (Security Hinges – Exterior Doors That Swing Outwards) that have various methods to prevent unhinging from outside. However, by the nature of how doors work you're going to have some of the hinge exposed. Someone could always take a portable angle grinder to it. Of course, with a French door they could just kick out the glass. It's really a question not of prevention but how much noise you want them to make getting in.
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BrutulTM
Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun.
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Yeah, there's not a home door in existence that would hold up to an angle grinder for more than 5 minutes. Hell even a bank safe can be breached with an angle grinder with enough time and cutoff wheels. Locked doors are a social contract more than an actual impediment to people who want to get into your house. That's why I always told
Lanx
that he was wasting money on fancy undrillable/unpickable locks on his house. I doubt that many junkies actually know how to pick locks anyway, when you can accomplish the same task with a brick through the back window.
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GuardianX
Perpetually Pessimistic
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This sounds like a bad idea from all angles. The major attack locations for a person to get in without causing damage are the hinges (if available) or the latch.
Slipping a latch is pretty simple but even easier when you can see it. Heck you could work it open with nearly anything slim at that point. I used to use those shitty "credit cards" that credit companies would send out to open doors (I didn't steal shit, mainly just walking around places I shouldn't be, like construction sites...harhar...)
Your back door isn't a place where I would advise making a persons job easier in terms of robbing you, especially when they can sit back there in peace and open your door without someone driving up and seeing them or something. Inward opening door, camera facing "Easy" points of entrance, alarm systems there but hidden and a sign on the back door near the handle for a security company.
BrutulTM
Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun.
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When I lived in California my apartment complex laundry room had automatic lights that turned off at 10 PM. I often wanted to do laundry later than that so I would use my driver's license to jimmy the door to the mechanical room in the back where the water heater and the timer for the lights was and turn them back on. One night I fell asleep waiting for the dryer so I didn't get my clothes until the next morning. When I got there my driver's license was lying in the middle of the floor. I guess I dropped it after I used it to open the door. That was when I decided that I probably wasn't cut out to be a theif.
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Noodleface
A Mod Real Quick
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This is cathartic. Yes I've been smashing particle board furniture in the driveway
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What can cause bulging under tiles?
Part of my basement is finished with (linoleum?) tiling and in numerous spots they have begun to bulge and sometimes crack. I broke a couple apart to see what's under there(I can post pictures later if any are interested) and I found pieces of concrete and white powder. My initial thought was this was efflorescence from ground water, but when I taste the powder, it doesn't taste salty at all. Of course, there could be other minerals leeching through the concrete, I thought salt would be the dominant one.
I'm also guessing the white powder might be pulverized concrete from the pressure of between the adhered tiles and foundation. I want to say this sounds scarier but I'm not sure I like any the possibilities tbh.
Part of my basement is finished with (linoleum?) tiling and in numerous spots they have begun to bulge and sometimes crack. I broke a couple apart to see what's under there(I can post pictures later if any are interested) and I found pieces of concrete and white powder. My initial thought was this was efflorescence from ground water, but when I taste the powder, it doesn't taste salty at all. Of course, there could be other minerals leeching through the concrete, I thought salt would be the dominant one.
I'm also guessing the white powder might be pulverized concrete from the pressure of between the adhered tiles and foundation. I want to say this sounds scarier but I'm not sure I like any the possibilities tbh.
Noodleface
A Mod Real Quick
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I can't h elp you but just curious, is tasting mysterious powders under your floor really something you'd want to do?
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ver_21
Molten Core Raider
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While I didn't consider that, I also doubt it. The house was built in the 70's but the garage was converted and tiled well after that(2000's I think). Does asbestos grout expand over time?
From some googling, I think I have foundation upheaval and the dust is pulverized concrete from cracked slabs grinding against each other. We have a lot of clay in my area and we've been getting water under the foundation. It seems stupid it retrospect, but it took me a while to put 2 and 2 together. Probably looking at foundation leveling, new french drains, foundation repair? I'm not really sure, throw me some ideas so I know what to expect when I start getting estimates. I don't want to be caught off guard.
I assume this is one of those cases where you definitely want to use home insurance?
From some googling, I think I have foundation upheaval and the dust is pulverized concrete from cracked slabs grinding against each other. We have a lot of clay in my area and we've been getting water under the foundation. It seems stupid it retrospect, but it took me a while to put 2 and 2 together. Probably looking at foundation leveling, new french drains, foundation repair? I'm not really sure, throw me some ideas so I know what to expect when I start getting estimates. I don't want to be caught off guard.
I assume this is one of those cases where you definitely want to use home insurance?
I had this problem in my house in GA. Clay soil would expand with seasonal rains in the spring, push against the foundation, then dry out, shrink, settle, repeat. Had fairly substantial cracks and movements in multiple basement walls. Cost $6-8k to install bracing and earth anchors to stabilize the walls. Nothing was covered by insurance.
YMMV, not sure what the remedy would be for problems with the floor.
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No. I didn't have a drainage problem exactly, although I did move one downspout. It was mostly an issue of the quality of earth in the 15-20 feet around my foundation. The expanding soil was in my front yard. If it had been new construction they probably would have dug a larger hole and done more extensive filling with gravel and sand, but the foundation was laid in the 60's and anchors were obviously cheaper than a full excavation.
It may be an "easier" fix for you with drains if redirecting water eliminates future soil movement.
Burren
Ahn'Qiraj Raider
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Tear out all carpet, all the walls, bleach the floors & doors/windows.
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Noodleface
A Mod Real Quick
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The_Black_Log Foler
Stock Pals Senior Vice President
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So did some digging and no luck. Couldn't find it.. Well is probably 60+ years old and my grandfather used to own most of the land around the current property so dunno what permitting looked like back then?
Maybe it's worth trying to find the permit with the county? Other than that nfc how to get info on it. I think I'm gonna see if I can get the pump running. If not buy another and try it. He had it hooked up to an elaborate sprinkler systems that spans enormous parts if the property.. All copper sprinklers that are still standing.
The_Black_Log Foler
Stock Pals Senior Vice President
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Went to go clean the property up some yesterday with a buddy. Down trees, brush, a neighbor who seems to like to come on my property line and clear 10 feet into it then leave the shit they cut down on my property. For some reason there's a section of the gate you can open at their lot, I believe it was probably when my grandfather owned the other side.
Anyways chained that shit up. Started clearing out her mess. Karen comes up with her poodle and asks if she can help me LOL. Told her I was just walking the property line, she's like what?, Told her I was her neighbor and waved.
So I'm clearing her shit up with a black friend. Karen gets on the phone staring us down with her poodle barking at us. We clear shit. She gets nice and asks me if we're developing it. Told her I'm keeping an open mind. She then tells me how she clears "between our property" because she knows I know what she's been doing... I was real friendly.. I was like "oh my property?" Yep. Told her not to worry about it anymore.
My chain better not be cut when I go out today.
Wtf should I do about other neighbors who like to throw their yard trash over the fence onto my land? I like the kill then with kindness technique first but dunno.
Anyways chained that shit up. Started clearing out her mess. Karen comes up with her poodle and asks if she can help me LOL. Told her I was just walking the property line, she's like what?, Told her I was her neighbor and waved.
So I'm clearing her shit up with a black friend. Karen gets on the phone staring us down with her poodle barking at us. We clear shit. She gets nice and asks me if we're developing it. Told her I'm keeping an open mind. She then tells me how she clears "between our property" because she knows I know what she's been doing... I was real friendly.. I was like "oh my property?" Yep. Told her not to worry about it anymore.
My chain better not be cut when I go out today.
Wtf should I do about other neighbors who like to throw their yard trash over the fence onto my land? I like the kill then with kindness technique first but dunno.