Construction DIY - Home repair and renovation thread

[Astronuc]

Well we have a food thread, a gardening thread, a wildlife photos thread, a best music/tunes thread, . . . sooooo

Why not a practical DIY = do it yourself thread for sharing tips and info on home repairs and renovation.


My home has a drainage problem. In a relatively dry area or period, it's not a problem. However, when we have 8 or more inches of rain in a 24 hr period (which seems to be more common these days), we can get some flooding. The basement, which is cinderblock on un-reinforced slab , is too porous and it just happens to be the lower open point on the property. We have a hill behind us and several acre-feet of water must pass down the gradient through my property.

I am hoping that a sewer line will go past - someday.

Anyway, I am consider some alternatives such a French or curtain drains and some kind of catch basin, which has to circumnavigate our septic system and drain field.

Meanwhile, I have found some very useful references.

http://www.greenacresusa.com/Drainage_Systems.html

http://www.ndspro.com/Downloads/

http://www.ndspro.com/Downloads/POED_ShortCourse.pdf - short course on drainage systems! I think Evo's Pit of Doom needs something like this.

http://www.askthebuilder.com/B119_Curtain_Drain_Tips.shtml
http://www.askthebuilder.com/B70_Linear_French_Drain_Systems.shtml

http://www.selfhelpforums.com/showthread.php?t=8346

Of course, there is already an entire DIY forum - http://forum.doityourself.com/

 

[Danger]

This is a great idea, Astro. In fact, I think that it should be made a 'stickie'.
I'm just now trying to start making my mother's house habitable so that W and I can move in. It's going to take a lot of time, effort, and money. Any tips that I can get for doing stuff myself will be more than welcome. (By the way, I have volunteer labour in the form of licensed electricians and plumbers, as well as professional drywallers and carpenters, so there will be no Code violations.)

 

[Sojourner01]

We had our bathroom in our (rented, student) house done the last two days; it had gone severely mouldy due to damp. The job was spec'ed as a simple strip and repaint, with a bit of damp-resistant undercoat. I'm convinced however that the problem will return since i) the room needs an extractor that the agent said would be installed, but hasn't been, ii) the DPC is only about an inch above the ground and I'm almost certain adequate work hasn't been done to damp-proof the extension. All very frustrating.

 

[Gokul43201]

My favorite structural solution for most quick-dirty-and-strong-as-hell projects:

http://www.unistrut.com/about/index.php?P=po_mf

http://www.unistrut.com/Browse/cat_pg.php?P=S00_Fitting
http://www.unistrut.com/Browse/cat_pg.php?P=S05_Flat
http://www.unistrut.com/Browse/cat_pg.php?P=S05_Angle
http://www.unistrut.com/Browse/cat_pg.php?P=S07_Elect

 

[Danger]

That looks like fun stuff to work with, Gokul. Thanks for the links.

 

[exzina]

I am planning a large single storey L shaped extension

Ok, I am planning a large single storey L shaped extension for my house. The walls go right to the perimeter and there is only about 1 meter between my neighbors’ house walls and the walls of my proposed extension. I have ringed my home insurer, who gave me the run around for 30 minutes before I finally conceded defeat. Can I get insurance to cover me against claims from neighbors’ if building my extension damages their property?