Home Improvement

Lanx

<Prior Amod>
60,703
132,916
Can try some kibble as well. My dad had a bitch of a time trying to get mice onto the sticky traps we had at our old house. They were coming in and stealing our dog's food, so I threw some kibble on the traps, and bam, got 'em. Worth a shot.
maybe it was cuz of the msg in the kibble, no joke, look up msg in petfood
 

Lanx

<Prior Amod>
60,703
132,916
i notice a few drops of water at the base of the toilet bowl, either the wax seal is bad or the tank bolts have gone bad, either way time to get new hardware
ok tried the silicone ring, still leaked, went to traditional wax ring, no leak, closet bolts were plastic, that felt kinda junky, replaced em with metal.

no leaks anywhere, but every 6mins the tank would refill for 10s, no idea, and i was convinced it had to be the flapper, this is the only toilet i have a flapper on b/c its 3in i can't retrofit it to the dual flush (that uses no flapper), those are 2in.

figured out that
3a68af8ce0fff31f2042a729b8943c58.png

the bottom seal deteriorated, and became like a silicone floating worm, and would "float up just enough to sometimes get caught when the flapper came down and break the seal.

might have to do all this again anyway, don't like the faux wood tile and even then the floor is way uneven (i had to shim up the toilet.

why are toilets so annoying
 

Lanx

<Prior Amod>
60,703
132,916
  • 1Solidarity
Reactions: 1 user

BrutulTM

Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun.
<Silver Donator>
14,441
2,224
Apparently mice here don't like peanut butter. Tried three different kinds of traps and they won't touch it. Even tried the $40 electric trap (fucking bullshit) and the fuckers ignore the PB. Fancy cheese you say? I've got some brie in the fridge.

I would try changing your trap locations before changing the bait. Mice follow the same paths and they stay close to walls. If you actually see a mouse you should set the trap in the exact spot you saw the mouse run. Ditto if you see droppings along a wall, set your traps right there. They continuously drip urine as they run around and then follow the scent the next time they come through since it was a safe route. If you're worried about your kids getting into them just put them out at night and pick them up in the morning. The mice probably won't be out while people are moving around anyway.

This is my favorite type of trap because they're easy to set. Those wooden traps make me a nervous wreck trying to set them without them going off on their own.

97e38f8a-cf90-4639-ae38-6c93df10f929.ea3b5b4f7d2384b20b6757d0919bd234.jpeg


My current house seems to be pretty mouse proof but I lived in an old farmhouse for years that got mice regularly and I got pretty good at trapping them. The glue traps actually work well too but again they need to be in the path that mice are already running. Once I set two of those plastic traps in my kitchen and when I got up the next morning the biggest mouse I've ever seen was caught in BOTH traps. Apparently the first trap caught its back leg and then it drug that trap over to the other one like 4 feet away and got its head caught in the second trap.
 
  • 2Like
Reactions: 1 users

Furry

WoW Office
<Gold Donor>
19,522
24,644
What do you guys do for mice? I've killed 2 using peanut butter in the traps but I know I have at least one or two more running around and they are ignoring it now. Are their mouse friends coming back from the dead telling them not to fall for it?

I know I need to check around the outside of the house to see where they could be coming in, but we've got 8 inches of snow still so that isn't happening yet.
Go to a feed store and get you the industrial shit, rat poison blocks. That killed all the rodents off around me, and apparently the poison makes them thirsty so they run off looking for water and do me the favor of dying somewhere else so I don't have to hunt their corpses down. Rats are a problem around where I live. Have screens on all your gutters or they'll run up into your attic/roof. Found out the little bastards were in my attic when I heard scratching one day. For every two you see, there are a dozen more. I tried a lot of stuff, but the feed store poison trap was the first thing that turned a nuisance into something that I could basically just check on once a year to make sure the feed tray has enough poison in it.
 

Fogel

Mr. Poopybutthole
12,175
45,397
Go to a feed store and get you the industrial shit, rat poison blocks. That killed all the rodents off around me, and apparently the poison makes them thirsty so they run off looking for water and do me the favor of dying somewhere else so I don't have to hunt their corpses down. Rats are a problem around where I live. Have screens on all your gutters or they'll run up into your attic/roof. Found out the little bastards were in my attic when I heard scratching one day. For every two you see, there are a dozen more. I tried a lot of stuff, but the feed store poison trap was the first thing that turned a nuisance into something that I could basically just check on once a year to make sure the feed tray has enough poison in it.

Rats and mice are totally different. Mice hate water and rarely have to drink as they get most of their water from food.
 

Furry

WoW Office
<Gold Donor>
19,522
24,644
Rats and mice are totally different. Mice hate water and rarely have to drink as they get most of their water from food.
All I know is that the poison blocks work super good, and not once have I had one of their corpses stink shit up like when they die naturally. Old man farmer at the store said the poison makes them thirsty so they run off their normal tracks and die in the open looking for water. Fuck if I know if that's true, but the shit works.
 

Falstaff

Ahn'Qiraj Raider
8,311
3,166
I would try changing your trap locations before changing the bait. Mice follow the same paths and they stay close to walls. If you actually see a mouse you should set the trap in the exact spot you saw the mouse run. Ditto if you see droppings along a wall, set your traps right there. They continuously drip urine as they run around and then follow the scent the next time they come through since it was a safe route. If you're worried about your kids getting into them just put them out at night and pick them up in the morning. The mice probably won't be out while people are moving around anyway.

This is my favorite type of trap because they're easy to set. Those wooden traps make me a nervous wreck trying to set them without them going off on their own.

97e38f8a-cf90-4639-ae38-6c93df10f929.ea3b5b4f7d2384b20b6757d0919bd234.jpeg


My current house seems to be pretty mouse proof but I lived in an old farmhouse for years that got mice regularly and I got pretty good at trapping them. The glue traps actually work well too but again they need to be in the path that mice are already running. Once I set two of those plastic traps in my kitchen and when I got up the next morning the biggest mouse I've ever seen was caught in BOTH traps. Apparently the first trap caught its back leg and then it drug that trap over to the other one like 4 feet away and got its head caught in the second trap.
Yes these are the ones I have, got my finger caught in one of the old school wood ones one time, never again.

I caught two in the same spot with peanut butter but then none after that. Switched up the bait and put some cheese on it last night, didn't catch one in that same spot. Going to put them in different spots next.
 

SimSimSalabim

Molten Core Raider
874
351
Hello functioning adults. Long time reader, first time poster. I am contemplating replacing (or having replaced) the sink in our kitchen. Current Sink is enameled cast iron 2 basin sink and I am looking to replace it with a modern single-basin work station sink. The current sink measures 33" x 22" externally, which appears to be standard. When I try to measure the dimensions of the cutout from underneath, my not quite exact measurement is something in the range of ~31.5" x ~21".

Can I purchase, more or less, any drop in sink that measures 33x22? Or do I need to get one that has a similar or exact cutout template? For example one of the particular sinks I am looking at on the home depot website has all of the appropriate dimensions, but in the instructions the cutout for the depth (front to back) is only 16". So I guess the actual question is, if the cutout is too large (even though the sink dimensions are almost identical) will I not be able to properly install the sink without redoing the countertop?

Thanks in advance!
 

Hateyou

Not Great, Not Terrible
<Bronze Donator>
16,301
42,370
Hello functioning adults. Long time reader, first time poster. I am contemplating replacing (or having replaced) the sink in our kitchen. Current Sink is enameled cast iron 2 basin sink and I am looking to replace it with a modern single-basin work station sink. The current sink measures 33" x 22" externally, which appears to be standard. When I try to measure the dimensions of the cutout from underneath, my not quite exact measurement is something in the range of ~31.5" x ~21".

Can I purchase, more or less, any drop in sink that measures 33x22? Or do I need to get one that has a similar or exact cutout template? For example one of the particular sinks I am looking at on the home depot website has all of the appropriate dimensions, but in the instructions the cutout for the depth (front to back) is only 16". So I guess the actual question is, if the cutout is too large (even though the sink dimensions are almost identical) will I not be able to properly install the sink without redoing the countertop?

Thanks in advance!
Yeah if the cutout is too big the new sink would just fall through. There maybe be some kind of insert for that but I’ve never seen one.

Now if the hole is too small, easy, just jigsaw the new size, centered to your faucet cutout. Sinks are easy, they just drop into a hole and get siliconed in place. Piping underneath can be easily reworked to fit if it’s different, faucets are easy to change if needed.
 
  • 1Like
Reactions: 1 user

SimSimSalabim

Molten Core Raider
874
351
Yeah if the cutout is too big the new sink would just fall through. There maybe be some kind of insert for that but I’ve never seen one.

Now if the hole is too small, easy, just jigsaw the new size, centered to your faucet cutout. Sinks are easy, they just drop into a hole and get siliconed in place. Piping underneath can be easily reworked to fit if it’s different, faucets are easy to change if needed.

Okay, thanks. Yeah I’m prepared to rework and/or replace the waste system underneath. This started with me just needing to replace a cracked disposal, but the wife has been wanting to replace the sink for as long as we’ve had the house (we lack for counter space and it doesn’t match the rest of the modern kitchen appliances) and I was hoping I could make a weekend project of it.
 

Hateyou

Not Great, Not Terrible
<Bronze Donator>
16,301
42,370
Okay, thanks. Yeah I’m prepared to rework and/or replace the waste system underneath. This started with me just needing to replace a cracked disposal, but the wife has been wanting to replace the sink for as long as we’ve had the house (we lack for counter space and it doesn’t match the rest of the modern kitchen appliances) and I was hoping I could make a weekend project of it.
The easiest method is to just find one she likes that is the same size or larger. You can’t really go wrong going larger, the extra room is nice. Just don’t go so wide that you run out of forward space, and don’t run into the under cabinet walls on the sides.
 
  • 1Like
Reactions: 1 user

stupidmonkey

Not Smrt
<Gold Donor>
1,702
3,671
I don’t have mice but if I did I’d use this. Then kill them the next day. Or throw some rat poison in the bottom of the bucket and hope they’re dead before you get there.

RinneTraps - Flip N Slide Bucket Lid Mouse Trap |Humane or Lethal| |Trap Door Style| |Multi Catch |Auto Reset| |Indoor Outdoor| |No See Kill| |5 Gallon Bucket Compatible| Made in USA (1)
I recommend this one and nice that you posted the American company. Chinese copied the shit out of this one and Amazon gives no fucks. Here's a video of it in action and a review.

 
  • 1Like
Reactions: 1 user

Hateyou

Not Great, Not Terrible
<Bronze Donator>
16,301
42,370
I recommend this one and nice that you posted the American company. Chinese copied the shit out of this one and Amazon gives no fucks. Here's a video of it in action and a review.

Yeah that story pissed me off, and I made sure I was linking the right one first. The guy comes up with an amazingly simple and effective idea and china straight ripped him off and I think beat him to market. Amazon didn’t care. China does that shit all the time and it’s infuriating, they delay the original persons idea so long they make it under their own brand and fuck the inventor. I wish we would stop using them for our manufacturing.
 
  • 3Like
Reactions: 2 users

Falstaff

Ahn'Qiraj Raider
8,311
3,166
Yeah that story pissed me off, and I made sure I was linking the right one first. The guy comes up with an amazingly simple and effective idea and china straight ripped him off and I think beat him to market. Amazon didn’t care. China does that shit all the time and it’s infuriating, they delay the original persons idea so long they make it under their own brand and fuck the inventor. I wish we would stop using them for our manufacturing.
Amazon does this all the time themselves, they are probably pissed China beat them before they could steal it and create an Amazon Basics version.
 
  • 3Like
Reactions: 2 users

Borzak

Bronze Baron of the Realm
24,626
31,976
Guy I knew made some things he designed. This was maybe 15-20 years ago. He went to China and found someone that could make his design. Flew back to the US and was making plans for when his stuff came in. The knock offs made in the same factory using the plans he took over their for them to make his stuff made it to the US before his stuff did. Nothing new. Only places that limit it in the least are US companies that own their factories, it at least cuts down on it over there.

His stuff was seen as a knock off of the Chinese shit they sold that was counterfeited. First to "market" has it's privelages.
 
  • 1Like
Reactions: 1 user

Lanx

<Prior Amod>
60,703
132,916
Yeah that story pissed me off, and I made sure I was linking the right one first. The guy comes up with an amazingly simple and effective idea and china straight ripped him off and I think beat him to market. Amazon didn’t care. China does that shit all the time and it’s infuriating, they delay the original persons idea so long they make it under their own brand and fuck the inventor. I wish we would stop using them for our manufacturing.
holy shit, this dude got some pinky and brain super mice
c58e27afd1e2f3b16826eaf420707267.png
 
  • 2Mother of God
  • 1WTF
Reactions: 2 users

TJT

Mr. Poopybutthole
<Gold Donor>
40,947
102,790
Cad Cad You mentioned this at some point the past and I'd be looking to do it. I have a house under construction right now and it is getting to the time when I should do this. You had said that placing ethernet cabling is easy at this point and I understand that. But what point in the construction should I be looking for? Its still Cat5 cable needed right?
 

The_Black_Log Foler

Stock Pals Senior Vice President
<Gold Donor>
43,812
40,764
Any recommendations on a elastomeric, mildew resistant exterior paint? apparently behr is shit from what I read…
 
Last edited:

Hateyou

Not Great, Not Terrible
<Bronze Donator>
16,301
42,370
Any recommendations on a elastomeric, mildew resistant exterior paint? apparently behr is shit from what I read…
Depends what you’re painting. You probably want Romabio lime wash for your cinder blocks.