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Home and garden projects

Old Jan 28th 2016, 4:24 am
  #301  
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Default Re: Home and garden projects

Originally Posted by username.exe
Anyone have a recommendation for an alternative to the handheld tile cutters?

I score the tile with them, but as soon as I crimp the tile splits unevenly (unpredictably too).
I'm running out of practice tiles!
Angle grinder (I think they have a different name here) with a ceramic cutting wheel? Alternatively you could rent a wet saw which is a table saw specially for cutting tiles.
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Old Jan 28th 2016, 4:25 am
  #302  
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Default Re: Home and garden projects

Originally Posted by Bob
Can't you just get a free energy saving survey done from the electric company, where they come and do all this shit for you?

They've done it in Maine and they do it here in MA. Ring up, they come around and give you a bunch of energy efficient bulbs, stick a digital thermostat on the wall, offer a energy efficient shower head and weather strip the doors and then try and sell you on cheap rate of insulating the walls/roofs and putting in new windows.

It's not technically free, it comes from one of those taxes that's about 50c a month on your electric/gas bill.
Not with my electricity provider.

I'm tackling the issues though. All bulbs changed, weatherstripping on doors, garage door bottom seal changed, bought a vornado space heater which does a great job for about 1/15th the cost of my heating system. Electricity bill will be $210 ish this month which is a whole lot better than the $475 of this time last year.... Overnight temp drop in the house is now down to only 3 -5 degrees from 10.30pm when the heating goes off to 6.30 when it comes on again. Sealing up the garage doors properly means that it is 17 - 18 degrees warmer in the garage than outside. i was surprised at the difference that the side/bottom weatherstripping made. Hope it helps in the summer heat too.

Next up - a chimney pillow to block up fireplace with crap damper... by next winter I'll have a wood burning stove in there. Silver foil on the eaves in the roof along with increased ventilation. More insulation in the loft space. Insulation on the inside of the garage door. Proper insulating cover for the attic ladder. Check for air leaks around light/electrical fittings. Variable speed pool pump which may or may not end up being solar powered depending on whether I can offload that to son.
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Old Jan 28th 2016, 4:28 am
  #303  
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Default Re: Home and garden projects

I bought a wet tile cutter from HF, much easier.
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Old Jan 28th 2016, 4:38 am
  #304  
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Default Re: Home and garden projects

Does anyone know what to do with old smoke alarms. Just replaced half a dozen of them because they were over ten years old. Can I just chuck them in the trash?

I guess I could given to a boy scout for his merit badge...
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Old Jan 28th 2016, 4:51 am
  #305  
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Default Re: Home and garden projects

Originally Posted by sir_eccles
Does anyone know what to do with old smoke alarms. Just replaced half a dozen of them because they were over ten years old. Can I just chuck them in the trash?

I guess I could given to a boy scout for his merit badge...
Craigslist?
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Old Jan 28th 2016, 11:17 am
  #306  
 
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Default Re: Home and garden projects

Originally Posted by Boiler
I bought a wet tile cutter from HF, much easier.
This.

And a Dremel for holes (Outlets etc).
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Old Jan 28th 2016, 12:23 pm
  #307  
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Default Re: Home and garden projects

Originally Posted by sir_eccles
Angle grinder (I think they have a different name here) with a ceramic cutting wheel? Alternatively you could rent a wet saw which is a table saw specially for cutting tiles.
Nah, it's a angle grinder in the US too. Unless you only have one or two to cut I would go with Boiler's wet tile cutter recommendation. You can also rent one from a small tool hire place, maybe even Home Depot or Lowes.

I have a pro-grade tile scorer/cracker, which is much faster than a wet tile cutter, but I have never seen one for sale in the US.
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Old Jan 28th 2016, 2:46 pm
  #308  
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Default Re: Home and garden projects

Originally Posted by Pulaski
Nah, it's a angle grinder in the US too. Unless you only have one or two to cut I would go with Boiler's wet tile cutter recommendation. You can also rent one from a small tool hire place, maybe even Home Depot or Lowes.

I have a pro-grade tile scorer/cracker, which is much faster than a wet tile cutter, but I have never seen one for sale in the US.
Now I'm trying think what I was thinking had a different name...
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Old Jan 28th 2016, 5:22 pm
  #309  
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Default Re: Home and garden projects

Originally Posted by sir_eccles
Does anyone know what to do with old smoke alarms. Just replaced half a dozen of them because they were over ten years old. Can I just chuck them in the trash?

I guess I could given to a boy scout for his merit badge...
Depends on state law. Not allowed to chuck them in the rubbish down my way.

Most towns have a hazardous waste drop off day once or twice a year for these sort of things. Some towns have somewhere year round.
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Old Jan 28th 2016, 11:12 pm
  #310  
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Default Re: Home and garden projects

Originally Posted by Bob
Depends on state law. Not allowed to chuck them in the rubbish down my way.

Most towns have a hazardous waste drop off day once or twice a year for these sort of things. Some towns have somewhere year round.
I will bite, I am going to assume the vast majority go in the trash, how is it monitored?
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Old Jan 28th 2016, 11:22 pm
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Default Re: Home and garden projects

Originally Posted by Boiler
I will bite, I am going to assume the vast majority go in the trash, how is it monitored?
They smoke 'em out.
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Old Jan 28th 2016, 11:32 pm
  #312  
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Default Re: Home and garden projects

Originally Posted by Boiler
I will bite, I am going to assume the vast majority go in the trash, how is it monitored?
Geiger counter?
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Old Jan 29th 2016, 12:51 am
  #313  
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Default Re: Home and garden projects

Originally Posted by Boiler
I will bite, I am going to assume the vast majority go in the trash, how is it monitored?
Oddly enough I found a twitter account for the local public works. They prefer you bring it to a hazardous waste event (all of which are clear across town), mail them back to the manufacturer or one or two may be placed in the trash.

So do I put one in each week for five weeks?
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Old Jan 29th 2016, 1:03 am
  #314  
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Default Re: Home and garden projects

I keep my glass and metal, anything burnable goes in the stove. May have a box of detectors somewhere...
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Old Jan 29th 2016, 1:08 am
  #315  
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Default Re: Home and garden projects

Originally Posted by sir_eccles
Oddly enough I found a twitter account for the local public works. They prefer you bring it to a hazardous waste event (all of which are clear across town), mail them back to the manufacturer or one or two may be placed in the trash.

So do I put one in each week for five weeks?
Yank the mechanism out and put the plastic cases in recycling. The mechanism? .... I suspose you could remove the americum capsule and send the guts to an electronics recycler. .... The capsules? .... Mail them back? Is that even legal?
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