Home Improvement

Intrinsic

Person of Whiteness
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Why can I not find a breaker compatibility chart and is it so difficult to figure out what I can replace a dead breaker in my panel with? The square d tandem breaker in my square d homeline panel is dead and it feeds my furnace(s) that controls everything, so I've basically got no HVAC at the moment. Well, HD and Lowes don't have the replacement for this in store and the only thing available is a Siemens Q2020.

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Ideally I would use this... but the mom and pop shops are out too. (*edit: found a place that has 6 in stock)

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Falstaff

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I always think of basements just as extra space, especially with kids. Do you need the space to hang out/live in or would it just be nice? To me that would be what I looked at in a house and/or deciding what to renovate between that and somewhere else.
 

Oblio

Utah
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I always think of basements just as extra space, especially with kids. Do you need the space to hang out/live in or would it just be nice? To me that would be what I looked at in a house and/or deciding what to renovate between that and somewhere else.
Market acceptance of basements varies by region. For example many neighborhoods in Los Angeles don't have a single home with a basement while in Oklahoma they are essential for tornado safety and in the PNW they are considered an essential for the kids to have a place to play during the rainy months. In Las Vegas basements are almost nonexistent due to the cost associated with excavating that hard fucking ground.


Is it weird that if you own the home you don't need these but if it's a rental it's a fire code violation not to have them?
It depends on local code. In my experience these older homes are grandfathered in. Meaning if they were built to code at the time of construction so they are "legal." I am sure Cad Cad could speak to the actual legalities and liability better than I.
 
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Cad

scientia potentia est
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Market acceptance of basements varies by region. For example many neighborhoods in Los Angeles don't have a single home with a basement while in Oklahoma they are essential for tornado safety and in the PNW they are considered an essential for the kids to have a place to play during the rainy months. In Las Vegas basements are almost nonexistent due to the cost associated with excavating that hard fucking ground.



It depends on local code. In my experience these older homes are grandfathered in. Meaning if they were built to code at the time of construction so they are "legal." I am sure Cad Cad could speak to the actual legalities and liability better than I.
At least in Texas, you have to comply with the code that existed at the time the house was built or last renovated. And you can't "replace" out of code items.. if you replace stuff it has to be with stuff that meets current code.
 
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Burren

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Guess I will ask this here.

My house is over 125+ years old. My basement looks like Jason and Freddy might be down there hiding out. I REALLY want to do my basement over needless to say, along with my kitchen. I know they say that doing your kitchen and baths makes the value of your home go up. What about the basement? Is it wise to pull money out your home to renovate a basement?

Just sheet rocking the walls and ceiling would probably make a huge different in the aesthetics and comfort. Wouldn't cost much at all.
 

Oblio

Utah
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Just sheet rocking the walls and ceiling would probably make a huge different in the aesthetics and comfort. Wouldn't cost much at all.
Yeah, even if the basement is under 7 feet doing this will add value as storage or an area that can be used as your laundry room.
 

Lanx

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And it won't be scary as fuck to go down there!
a house that is 125yrs old, i picture going down the stairs is like the same type of stairs in horror films where the bad guy is underneath the stairs and slices your tendon as you walk down.
 

Brahma

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I always think of basements just as extra space, especially with kids. Do you need the space to hang out/live in or would it just be nice? To me that would be what I looked at in a house and/or deciding what to renovate between that and somewhere else.

Mancave. Nice audio video setup. Gaming table etc...

Also I have a furnace from 1977. Asbestos wrapped lead pipes.
 
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Brahma

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a house that is 125yrs old, i picture going down the stairs is like the same type of stairs in horror films where the bad guy is underneath the stairs and slices your tendon as you walk down.

Dude...

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Kiroy

Marine Biologist
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yea if you kitchen also looks like freddy and jason would have had brunch in there, maybe focus on that first

my reators have all said kitchen is the most important room cuz bitches love kitchens

Kitchens and bathrooms are an obvious, but my realtor buddy says the cheapest way to really tip the scales is to throw a grand or two into really decking out your master closet (assuming you have a big enough one with cookie cutter storage). Nice wood, trim and good organization for shoes and what not can really moisten up the wife who's usually the final yay/nay.
 

BrutulTM

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I used to live in an old house with a 7 foot basement and they had added in forced air heat back in the 80's so there was a big ass duct running right through the middle of it which brought it down to 6 feet. Every time I went down there with a hat on I was in severe danger of getting KO'd when I walked under that fucking thing. I was in there a few weeks ago and nearly drove the button on the top of my baseball cap through my skull and thought "Yeah I don't miss living here at all.".
 
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BrutulTM

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I could see putting the laundry down there but I think making it into a nice area to hang out would be pretty tough. I tried to make a guest bedroom in mine and the few guests that I put down there referred to it as "the spider bedroom". If it was mine I'd put the washer/dryer and a chest freezer down there and use the rest for storage.
 

Oblio

Utah
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I could see putting the laundry down there but I think making it into a nice area to hang out would be pretty tough. I tried to make a guest bedroom in mine and the few guests that I put down there referred to it as "the spider bedroom". If it was mine I'd put the washer/dryer and a chest freezer down there and use the rest for storage.
I think his whole point is he is looking for ways to add value to his home.