What's your favorite car?

VacuumLand – Vintage & Modern Vacuum Enthusiasts

Help Support VacuumLand:

<a name="start_32624.362658"></a>Then when your savings and investments grow, you can afford real estate, and that usually also appreciates. Even just land.


 


Real estate doesn't appreciate anything like it used to....you have to hold onto home property a lot longer and if you're expanding with kids, a bigger/newer house will absorb the equity you had in your first house.  And as far as just land....be really careful there. For one if you plan to build on it, few banks will lend you the money just using the land as equity. Secondly, holding onto just land for a long period of time rarely nets you any big profit(as compared to other investments) unless the area is rezoned commercial, or suddenly becomes yuppie hot spot potential.  All of that to say the least is a gamble.


 


My advice would be to buy a fix-'er-upper commiserate with the size of the family you expect to have. Do most of the work yourself and don't fret too much about how long it takes you. Take any extra money and funnel it into a retirement account and/or better yet, a broad-based investment portfolio. These days, leave real estate to the fools who think they can automatically get rich in it. 


 


Kevin
 
Good advice Kevin.

I've done that twice. Bought in a buyers market, a house no one else wanted, fixed it up, sold it in a sellers market, bought another no one else wanted. It's hard to double dip though. Sometimes you need a house to live in at a time when the market is up.
Try avoiding bubble area markets. The appreciation is lower, but more stable.
A tip for new or young renovators; I've found out it costs more to special order certain items like bath fixtures from a big box store. An independent dealer often discounts them more.
 
<a name="start_32624.362764"></a>A tip for new or young renovators; I've found out it costs more to special order certain items like bath fixtures from a big box store. An independent dealer often discounts them more.


 


Exactly...if a store like Home Depot has to special order anything, they'll really put the screws to you.  Plumbing fixtures and supplies from a wholesaler in the long-run, for example, will be cheaper and people easier to deal with. 


 


I would caution though to do everything to code and do it well. Homeowners that scab stuff in and try to cover non-code work with nice paint/trim/bling ought to be publicly caned. You'll always get better money if you do the work properly and no one wants to buy a house and discover secret deplorable junk work that's been covered up.


 


Kevin
 
That is true Kevin.

A good home inspector sees things that are not to code, and code is often minimum.
I've added gfi circuits, and anti-scald pressure balance shower valves, even though I could have left the separate hot and cold rough in types grandfathered in. I think they look nicer, but are illegal now. Volume control valves can be added for the same separate appearance plus hot/cold variance, and multiple sprays, but are pricey.
Few houses if any are ever built perfect, and municipal inspectors often miss things, or can be on the take. Mine had a boiler drain mounted next to a floor joist in the basement above the washing machine that couldn't be closed, because the handle bottomed out on the joist. I guess it passed because there was a second shut off just above the laundry sink where the washer hoses connect.
One code I don't get is the new 6 inch water heater exhaust flu. This is very expensive to have a chimney liner installed. It costs more than a new water heater. A 3 or 4 inch flu was code for decades.
 
Those guys that inspect homes for a living independently, are widely variable with respect to what they catch. They're not officially schooled like I was in the trades. I've personally seen them pass over some very egregious plumbing violations.  But if you weren't in the trade, you might not know. Like san tees laying on their backs in the dirt...or too many aggregate angles without a cleanout, waste dumping down on service fittings from second and third story floors, external drainage fittings with no air gaps going into floor drains etc. Or just total ignorance of sanitary fittings and use of by the homeowner. Sanitary plumbing is learned, it's not intuitive.


 


Kevin
 
Absolutley Kevin,

and although the knowledge is available to the handy person, knowing when to call, in a pro is crucial.
I've done so myself, not being a plumber. I don't mess with leading closet flanges, and other intricate fittings.
A pro as your self knows how air and gravity affect flow and venting.
I am currently awaiting delivery of a Kohler Salient cast iron shower receptor. Depending upon the drain connection, as the installation instructions say it is to be lead caulked to a 2 inch pipe, I may be calling on one again. I removed a bath tub which has a brass P trap connected to the galvanized horizontal drain.
Mike.
 
Even younger plumbers balk at lead work, I had to cut my teeth on the process, so I still have the ladle, packing iron, inside/outside irons, two types of oakum etc. Not for the faint of heart. But....they sell lead 'wool' which does not require melting, yet that should be used with at least inside/outside irons of lore. I'd have to see it, but there are adapters to replace lead joints and there are multi-tight rubber gaskets for hub fittings. I've run into all kinds of tub/shower traps..brass like you mentioned, lead, lead with cleanout(what we call 'drum traps') etc. When we were still using Durham fittings, all that stuff was available. There are still hundreds of thousands of houses with old Durham stuff intact...maybe millions yet!

I was doing a job once that just required a brass WC ring soldered back to a lead stub-up...like we did for eons...it was a great way to secure a toilet. This young plumber was going to rip everything out and start over with ABS. That would have run up the job hundreds of dollars and my work was at most a half hr. Was he grateful, no....punk.

I looked on the Kohler site for installation instruction for the Receptor...drawings are poor quality. I can't tell if the trap riser pipe comes up into their drain with a gasket, or it's a hook-up below their drain. I'm guessing it might be like a conventional shower drain wherein, they provide the gasket. But..... Kohler's more expensive cast-iron products like this typically are designed with 'old school' plumbing in mind. Until we're all dead, they don't want to piss off us old plumbers and how we like to do things.

Kevin [this post was last edited: 12/1/2016-15:32]
 
Thanks Kevin,

I ordered a Kohler drain in brushed nickel. It installs with putty into the shower base and is 4 inches round. I looked at the drain installation pdf from Kohler.
I'll ask the dealer when I pick it up. They seem to know their stuff. They may even be able to recommend someone.
 
Yeah, I'd have to see the actual drain or more drawings. I would silicone instead of putty that drain in. That's one of the few concessions I've made to 'the old ways'...it really is better than putty, but you have to be careful you don't squeeze it all out. It's more durable, last longer, never weeps out putty. The trick it to get ALL of the extra removed while it's setting. We use Hercules Wipes for anything like that...they are amazing....they'll even float scratches off of fiberglass surrounds and basins. You get all the excess out and you'll never see it yellow or degrade. I've pulled drains apart that were silicon-ed 30 yrs ago and they look like they were done yesterday.

The only times I've had to take old drains apart is if the finish wore off requiring replacement, or they got loose from the putty giving out.

Kevin
 
Ok, thank's again.

My current Kohler sinks in that bathroom were cast iron hexagon from the early 90's.
They have a bit of rust around the drains. I installed new faucets with drains in about 1997 with putty.
Do you think silicone is better to inhibit rust? Not that it's an issue for me.
In 20 years, if I'm still living, I'll be almost 80, so the next remodel will be the next owners project.
 
Yes, I do and another plus for silicone. The old drains I pulled apart with silicone seemed to be 'preserved' in time....although from use and scrubbing the top finish can still come off exposing the brass underneath.

Kevin
 
Sure does David!

California cars always look better in most cases, but you did a great job. Looks new to me.
One of my neighbors washes his big Jeep in winter with a bucket of hot water wearing wading boots and insulated coat. He says a car wash ruins the paint.
 
Here either David

Last water bill was $207.00. Highest ever. I don't want to think what could have been if I were an avid car washer.
How does that compare to your area? Most of that is sewage charge. We actually used less cubit feet of water than a year ago.
Three person household. Step son does take long showers, but I have 1.5 g.p.m. shower heads.
We had a large rate hike. Some places were hit worse.
 
Ah, mixed answer?? We are on a private well. so washing car I have to move fast and that is not really possible anymore! Water spots! Our town the water/ sewer runs around $80, but metered, if you go over??? Next door city is much higher, ditto on town 15 miles north of us, so Yuba City is cheap for that I guess.I don't care for car washes, but also can't afford it. I had a job at a car dealer in high school, 3 lots of cars to wash every 3 days, I got fast then! I do enjoy it, just have to take a lot of pain meds to pull it off. To clean and dress the bottom side I had to lay on my side, knees weren't happy and lower back was a hell no.Yes well water can suck, but land lady loves the no bill. It's softened for inside, but still not something you want to drink a lot or smell in the shower. Tested, safe.
 
At the library I had two older gentlemen stop me and ask when they started making that car again, so I guess it was worth the work! Made my day! Yes they were like 80, but still, I was smiling. I have never owned a car this long before. I don't drive a lot, it's never left me stranded, love the looks and ride. Cheap to license and insure.
 
OUCH!!!!

Vacerator wrote:
Last water bill was $207.00. Highest ever. I don't want to think what could have been if I were an avid car washer.
How does that compare to your area? Most of that is sewage charge. We actually used less cubit feet of water than a year ago.
Three person household. Step son does take long showers, but I have 1.5 g.p.m. shower heads.
We had a large rate hike. Some places were hit worse.

I reply:
$207!!! Holy s&%t!!! That's almost TEN TIMES what my average water bill is! Mine usually runs somewhere between $23 and $27--for water, sewer, and garbage pickup--and I've NEVER seen it hit $30.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top