HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house

I have great luck in removing tack strips with a very flat prybar.  I
believe it's a WonderBar (tm), and it's rather sharp.  Does a great
job at getting under the strips and lifting whole sections.  For the
odd stubborn nail, I'll use a cat's-paw type nail puller, since the
WB has an indifferent nailpuller section.  TheWB is also pretty good at
removing the old shoe molding.  I'll generally lift the shoe molding (or
quarter-round, if they used that) so I can do a better job at sanding.
When I install new molding, I'll prefinish it.

Pete Brooks

From: leonglaw@hpsgm2.sgp.hp.com (Lawrence Leong)
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 11:25:34 GMT
Subject: Re: Pigeon Repellent  ???
Organization: HP Singapore
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house

In misc.consumers.house, maw2@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu (MICHELE A. WHITE) writes:

|I am looking for a way to get rid of pigeons who have taken a liking to our
|brick window sills.  The sills are getting pretty dirty and they aren't afraid
|of my cats.  Any suggestions?  (One of them even has a bread wrapper twister
|and a message attached to his leg!)
|
|-- 
|
|
|Michele White - Lehigh University Computing Center - (maw2@lehigh.edu)

There is a product called "hot foot" which is painted on.  Apparently, some
chemical irritates the pigeons sufficiently that they don't linger.  Sorry I
don't know the manufacturer.

lawrence
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: gary@cdthq.UUCP (Gary Heston)
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 92 21:14:06 CDT
Organization: Garys' Home for Obsolete Computers

nick@socrates.umd.edu (Nick Lemberos) writes:

> Its that time of year again...I can hear them outside just 
> waiting to sneak just ONE into my bedroom behind an
> unmoveable piece of furniture.  3AM you hear it, track it down,
> begin to close in..and it stops chirping...you emtpy half
> a can of raid in the general direction....
> 
> I seem to remember the best way of getting rid of them is to
> get them while they are still outside....does anyone know/remember?

Get a praying mantis. It'll take care of the crickets.

Gary Heston, at home....
gary@cdthq.uucp
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: henders@infonode.ingr.com (Greg Henderson)
Subject: Re: wood floor or carpet?
Organization: Intergraph Corporation, Huntsville, AL.
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 15:11:23 GMT


Well, a big consideration for me (I am renovating an old house that has
layers of carpet, linoleum, you name it...) for deciding to get back to the 
wood flooring is that I live in the south and have a dog and cats inside.

So what, you ask?  Fleas just love to lay eggs in carpet, and those eggs
are harder'n hell to get rid of...
-- 

Greg Henderson   henders@infonode.ingr.com   ...uunet!ingr!infonode!henders
From: d3a132@pnl.gov (Carl P Baker)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: wood floor or carpet?
Date: 27 Aug 92 15:50:41 GMT
Article-I.D.: oracle.1992Aug27.155041.26574
Reply-To: d3a132@pnl.gov
Organization: Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratories

In article 7337@crd.ge.com, millerj@belize.crd.ge.com (Julia K. Miller) writes:
>In article <1992Aug27.105925.7484@cbnews.cb.att.com> trb@cbnews.cb.att.com (tom.balent) writes:
>>>Carpet is easier to care for then hardwood, 
>>come home after a big drunk and hurl chunks in the livingroom (don't
>>you hate it that happens?)
>>
>
>	Someone/something getting sick on a hardwood floor doesn't do it any
>good either.  Our golden retriever had a case of stomach flue and barfed
>the whole floor redone.  Sigh!  That was an expensive stomach ache!

Gee, our dogs puke on the hardwood all the time, and we've never had
any trouble.  We do wipe up promptly (usually.... not implying that you
didn't).  Our floors are about 45 years old, and may be maximally discolored
already.  We did refinish them with something called "Floorfin" - a wipe
on type finish - before we moved in.  I like better the hardwood to care
for.  No shampooing!


-- carl

Carl P Baker
cp_baker@pnl.gov
509-375-2724

Disclaimer: I am not the official spokesperson for anyone.  For which
organizations that use spokespersons are profoundly grateful.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: mccrate@netcom.com (Joe McCrate)
Subject: Re: Best Hardware Store
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 92 07:25:05 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 

ark@alice.att.com (Andrew Koenig) writes:

>In article <1992Aug27.171643.1406@informix.com> davek@informix.com (David Kosenko) writes:

>> My vote goes to Home Depot.

>I haven't bought anything from Home Depot since
>I learned that they do drug tests on all their employees.

People tend to assume that Home Depot is cheaper than local non-"discount"
stores.

It ain't necessarily so.  When I needed concrete stepping stones for a walk,
I checked out Home Depot and a local lumber yard (Minton's in Mtn. View,
Calif.)  Not only did Minton's have a much better selection, but they were
considerably cheaper than Home Depot.

Joe McCrate

Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: nguyen@mr.med.ge.com (Dominic Nguyen 4-6604 MRCE)
Subject: Spray paint recommend wanted!!!
Keywords: Spray paint
Organization: GE Medical Systems, Magnetic Resonance
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 92 13:46:45 GMT

Hello netters!
We just bought a house recently and we need to repaint the
outside of the house before the summer is over.  I guess
the spray gun probably helps us finish the job quicker.
Therefore we're looking for some recommendation on which
spray gun to get.  Thanks for all suggestion.

By the way, the outside of the house are wood and we also
have two decks.  Does anyone have any recommendation on
what type of paint and whether prove we need to use.
Thanks again!
Dominic

From: jasonc@hpnmdla.sr.hp.com (Jason Chodora)
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 15:44:04 GMT
Subject: Re: Spray Foam Follies
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Santa Rosa, CA
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house

While we're complaining about spray foam....

I was unfortunate enough to get a little bit of spray foam onto my
kitchen floor.  The floor is linoleum, and I can't find a way to get the
foam off !  I can't scrape it off without cutting the floor.  Every
solvent I have tried hasn't made a dent in the stuff.  Any ideas ???

Jason
From: masticol@cadenza.rutgers.edu (Steve Masticola)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Can/Should I talk to the owners?
Date: 31 Aug 92 20:34:28 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.

You might get a lead from a reverse telephone directory. The library
should have one; it maps addresses to phone numbers/occupants.

That is, if they still have a phone...

- Steve (masticol@cs.rutgers.edu).
Xref: sparky misc.consumers.house:11834 misc.consumers:16106
From: kaplan@sol1.lrsm.upenn.edu (Peter Kaplan -Yodh)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house,misc.consumers
Subject: Re: Credit report
Date: 4 Sep 92 01:52:10 GMT
Followup-To: misc.consumers.house
Distribution: na
Organization: Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter, University of Pennsylvania

In article <1992Sep3.185219.9482@b11.b11.ingr.com> pradeep@bkd.b11.ingr.com writes:
    [ discussion of credit bureau perpetrating landlord's evil deleted ]
>And the matter settled without delay
>as the manager of properties did not contest any of my claims. Things would
>have taken time and expenses on the part of all parties otherwise.

     Are you sure it's settled?  When I settled my phony accounts, the
note said that they would delete the reference FOR NOW, because Chase
Manhatten did not respond to the challenge, but if Chase chooses to
re-report the phony account, they will list it agian.  Big victory?


>Interestingly, the credit agency declined to take any actions against the 
>false reports. 

      It is their paying customers who make false reports.  Doesn't pay
to bite the hand that feeds them.  


--Peter (kaplan@sol1.lrsm.upenn.edu)
From: brooksp@hpcc01.corp.hp.com (Peter Brooks)
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 19:25:44 GMT
Subject: Re: Eletric dryer - running but not drying
Organization: the HP Corporate notes server
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house

I wrote:
.
.I had this happen, and the problem was a blown fuse in a fused
.switchbox.  (The 220 line had a 30A breaker in the main panel, and
.the wire ran to a fused butoff switch that supplied the outlet.
[deleted]
.perfectly.  BTW, I think that the switchbox is now against code.
.Don't know if it was ever legit, but the house had been rewired
.in part in the early '70s.)
.
Somebody queried on this.  I looked it up in the NEC handbook, and
it *seems* to be silent on the matter.  However, the NEC is a somewhat
obscure document, and some rules are well hidden.  (Ah, if it only had
a better index...)

Back to the main thread, the NEC requires that 220V breakers disconnect
both sides *when manually turned off*.  However, it does *not* require
both sides to trip if one does.  So, it's possible for one phase to
be out due to the breaker tripping on one phase.

Pete Brooks
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: jeske@src.dec.com (Steve Jeske)
Subject: Re: Hardening the Target (was Re: Killing burglars.)
Followup-To: rec.guns
Organization: DEC Systems Research Center
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 92 01:10:50 GMT

In article <1992Sep1.001231.23528@news.arc.nasa.gov>
doshay@ursa.arc.nasa.gov (David Doshay) writes:
...
>the details. The original poster expressed a willingness to learn. ...

Fine.  Let's all hope the original poster, and everybody else, has
learned that a more appropriate bboard for this topic is rec.guns
and not misc.consumers.house.  Thanks.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: clewis@ferret.ocunix.on.ca (Chris Lewis)
Subject: Re: Heat Pumps
Originator: clewis@bcarh1d7
Organization: eep!
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 19:04:00 GMT

In article <1992Aug27.155829.27968@engage.pko.dec.com> moroney@ramblr.enet.dec.com writes:
>oops!  I missed the bit about the existing gas furnace when I replied!

I thought so ;-)

>Anyway, would a heat pump be cheaper to run than a gas furnace (when it's not
>cold) enough to make it worth the extra $ to install one rather than just a
>normal A/C?

It depends...  Mostly on energy prices and type of furnace.  Gas and electricity
prices vary rather dramatically, both from region to region and over time.
And upon what type of gas furnace you have.

I once calculated out that the heat pump was costing half of what the gas furnace
(old style, not "high efficiency") was costing for the same heat (of course, above
the cutover temperature).  But I don't live there anymore, and I can't quote the numbers.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: nmrdb@vms.macc.wisc.edu (BEVERLY SEAVEY)
Subject: How do I remove rust stains from cement?
Organization:  University of Wisconsin Academic Computing Center
Date:  3 SEP 92 09:50:29    

Our basement floor has rust stains both on cement and on old linoleum.
How can I remove rust stains from each material?

From: dianeho@hp-ptp.ptp.hp.com (Diane Ho)
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1992 20:44:11 GMT
Subject: HELP! NEED LANDSCAPER RECOMMENDATION!
Organization: HP Pacific Technology Park - Sunnyvale, Ca.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house

                HELP! NEED LANDSCAPER RECOMMENDATION

Hi,
  I'd appreciate it very much if someone can recommend to us a
good landscaper.  We have a big lot with a small house and would
like to have an hour or two consulting with the landscape architect
to make the house look nicer.  So if you know somebody who
has been working with you and like his/her job, please recommend.
He/she may not do the job for us but we'd like to hear their advice
on how to landscape both the front and back yards (consulting).

Thanks.

Diane

Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: jfw@jfwhome.FUNHOUSE.COM (John F. Woods)
Subject: Choosing House Inspectors
Organization: Misanthropes-R-Us
Distribution: ne
Date: Sat, 29 Aug 1992 12:09:00 GMT

[First off, my apologies to those in Finland, Singapore, and other places who
get this essentially regional request; I put "Distribution: ne" in the header,
but every news.admin fan knows that doesn't work so well anymore.]

Does anyone in Massachusetts have any recommendations for house and well-water
inspectors in the rough area of Boxborough, MA?  Does anyone have any advice
on looking for house inspectors in general?

Thanks,
John Woods

Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: jeske@src.dec.com (Steve Jeske)
Subject: Re: suggested weapons (was: Killing burglars.)
Followup-To: rec.guns
Organization: DEC Systems Research Center
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 92 01:07:30 GMT

In article <1992Aug31.233326.20811@news.arc.nasa.gov>
doshay@ursa.arc.nasa.gov (David Doshay) writes:
[about guns and killing]

This topic has nothing to do with housing, so the rest of us would
appreciate it if you would please transfer the discussion to the
rec.guns bboard.  Thanks.
From: becker@edwards-vax.af.mil
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Killing burglars.
Date: 25 Aug 92 09:20:15 -0800
Organization: IFAST - EDWARDS Air Force Base

From: toddi@mav.com (Todd Inch)writes...

>In article <1992Aug15.204131.1158@henson.cc.wwu.edu>
>n9020351@henson.cc.wwu.edu (James Douglas Del-Vecchio) writes:
>>Followups directed to talk.politics.guns, as the topic demands.
>
>[Doesn't appear to exist, maybe just our site?]
>
>>>Lastly, if someone broke into my home I would shoot to kill.  This is
>>>my home you are speaking of and no one has a right to enter it unless
>>>I invite them.  I'm not assuming anything.  If they choose to breakin
>>>obiviously they KNOW they are not welcome and are going to do something
>>>illegal.

>Please put a sign on your front door stating "Trespassers will be
>Shot", so the firemen (or myself) can let you burn up one evening
>instead of trying to save you and getting ourselves killed in the
>process.


Would you please get a grip on life!  How many firemen or cops or people
for that matter are going to quietly snick into your home to rescue you
for whatever reason.  If there is something going on that requires a
fireman to come into your home believe me he is NOT going to come in
quietly!

>I once accidentally walked into a mobile home in a trailer park which I
>thought was my sister-in-laws.  Honest mistake - they really looked the
>same, especially at night.  Family inside was different though.  :-)

Well, why was their door not locked?  You are lucky indeed they didn't 
shoot you!

>Also, under the right circumstances, such as someone being 
>electrocuted on the front lawn in the kiddie pool, I might run inside
>your house without knocking in order to disconnect the power.

Makes noise doesn't it, running into my house?  In most homes you'd only
need to break into the garage to kill the power.  If you did need to break
into my home to prevent some horrible thing, I'd assume you'd be making 
major noise.  YOu wouldn't do it quietly would you?  I would also hope
that you'd be yelling to the occupants of the house saying something
like "hey, there's trouble outside...hello ?  anybody home?????"  Stuff
like that.

>You have explained why I no longer stop to help people alongside the
>road (who are not in immediate peril) - nowdays you have to worry about
>the paranoid as well as the criminals.

Hey, you do what you have to do.

>If you KNOW the trespasser is a criminal with intent to harm, I guess
>that's a different story, but how can you tell?

How do you know he is not?  You don't know, the question is how much are
you willing to risk?  The person is an INTRUDER.  He is there unwanted.
If you're lucky the ball will be in your court.  

>No intention to flame - just some things to think about.  I wish guns
>weren't fatal so you could shoot first and ask questions later - although
>I guess that depends on your aim :-).

Ok, but you shoot and cause harm and the ass comes back and sues you.  Is
that right?

From: jefftb@hpmwtd.sr.hp.com (Jeff Brown)
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 21:36:44 GMT
Subject: Re: Central Vacuum Cleaner Question
Organization: HP Santa Rosa Site (NMD MTA MWTD)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house

 We built a house last year and installed one. It's great I highly recomend it
 but, make sure you get a lot of blower our has 130" h2o column and 150? cfm.
 I have heard some can be pretty wimpy. Also, try to put a minimum number
 of bends in the plumbing. Also, the plumbing used is 2" PVC "tubing" (Not
 pipe) the outside dia. is exactly 2" and it is very thin wall. I couldn't
 find it anywhere but at some one who deals w/ central vac systems and they
 price it accordingly.
 At the very least plumb the walls for it because the major cost is the the
 motor, which could be installed later. 
 Another thing, get the "super Valve"(?) outlets that have the 120vac conn-
 ection right in them. I didn't but I have a regular duplex recptical right
 next to them. I wish now I would got hte other.
 Could luck
 Jeff Brown
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: doshay@ursa.arc.nasa.gov (David Doshay)
Subject: Re: Attached garage price: Any guidelines?
Organization: NASA-Ames Biocomputation Center
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 17:19:37 GMT

I tried to eMail this to you directly, but SUN.COM's mailer sent it back.

In article <1859c0INNi2g@seven-up.East.Sun.COM>, djd@agent99.Eng.Sun.COM (Dave Damkoehler - Sun BOS Editor) writes:
|> 
|> 
|> (Apologies if I've posted this to the wrong newsgroup, but I figured
|> this group includes folks who are most likely to have first-hand info.)
|> 
|> My wife and I are considering adding a two-car garage to our Western Massachusetts house, attached by way of an enclosed breezeway. Have you
|> heard of any fairly accurate cost-per-square-foot guidelines that will
|> give us an idea of what we're looking at?
|> 
|> What we have in mind is a new 32' X 22' structure (704 square feet),
|> sided with cedar clapboard and roofed with standard asphalt shingles.
|> The breezeway portion---about 12' X 22'---will rise about one-and-a-half
|> stories, while the garage portion will total about two stories (to
|>  ...

Out here in Calif., where labor costs are probably higher, I have heard numbers 
ranging from $35 to $75 per sq. ft. I am looking for almost exactly what you
describe. One option you may wish to think about is buying a garage that a
housemover is trucking away. I am looking into that now. If the distances
are not too large it can be cheaper.

David           doshay@soma.arc.nasa.gov

The thought police insist I tell you:
my thoughts, not NASA's
From: perley@trub.crd.ge.com (Donald P Perley)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Computer programs for designing dream home
Date: 27 Aug 92 18:55:19 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: GE Corp. R & D, Schenectady, NY 12345

In article <busey.714845815@milton> busey@milton.u.washington.edu (Thomas Busey) writes:


   I'm looking for public domain or shareware software (preferably mac but pc ok) 
   to design floor plans- not architecture quality but something an architect
   could easily interprete.

   I've seen programs like Design Your Own Home, but I'm too cheap (too poor,
   actually) to buy them.  I would like opinions on them, however, if people 
   have used them.


If you are considering building a house, and hiring an architect, then an extra
hundred bucks or so for a commercial program won't amount to much in the big
picture.  For that much you might get one that can do plots, materials lists,
side views, and such.

-don perley
--
perley@trub.crd.ge.com
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: jeq@i88.isc.com (Jonathan E. Quist)
Subject: Re: Romex & Thinwall Question
Organization: INTERACTIVE Systems Corporation, Naperville, IL
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 18:22:23 GMT

In article <1992Sep3.151244.23467@osf.org> drand@spinner.osf.org (Douglas Rand) writes:
>In article <1992Sep3.014749.3912@adobe.com>, vonzelow@adobe.com (Jon von Zelowitz) writes:
>|> 
>|> I am wiring a new outlet in my laundry room. The wire will come up from the
>|> crawlspace, through a hole I will drill in the sole plate (that's the 2x4 at
>|> the base of the wall), to the outlet. Since the walls are unfinished (no
>|> sheetrock, studs showing), I know that Code says I need to protect the wire
>|> in the laundry room with (for example) thinwall conduit.
>
>If this is a normal basement space,  I don't believe you need the extra 
>protection.  Certainly most basement areas I've been in don't have such
>protection in a laundry area.
>
>|> The wiring in the crawlspace is all Romex. As far as I understand, you don't
>|> run Romex through TWC, you run wires. So, my question is, can I strip off
>|> the outer sheathing from the Romex from the point where it enters the TWC? I
>|> can't find any mention of this in several wiring books. Thanks (Chris ;-) ).
>
>If you find you need to do this,  then you can just run the Romex (NMC) down the
>conduit with an appropriate strain relief at the open end to prevent chaffing 
>the cable.

This may well violate the NEC.  I don't have a reference copy here, but
the type of wire used in EMT is based on percentage fill, primarily
for cooling purposes.  I suspect 3 wire Romex will probably overfill
1/2" EMT.  And unless you know the insulation type inside the Romex, stripping
and using that won't comply with the letter of the code unless you
have a rating for that insulation in EMT.  If you absolutely need
to run EMT, boxes are cheap, and most decent hardware stores sell THHN
insulated 14 and 12 guage wire in short lengths.
-- 
Jonathan E. Quist                              INTERACTIVE Systems Corporation
jeq@i88.isc.com  '71 CL450-K4 "Gleep", DoD #094        Naperville, IL
        There are many things a person should experience in a lifetime.
       Among them are an infant's first cry, and an infant's first laugh.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Deadbolt in steel door
From: gary@cdthq.UUCP (Gary Heston)
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 92 19:14:27 CDT
Organization: Garys' Home for Obsolete Computers

walker@eplrx7.es.duPont.com (Scott Walker) writes:

> Hello there,
>     We are about to move into a house with a steel front entry door.  I 
> would like to add a deadbolt after we move in.  How do I go through the
> steel?  Just drill a hole?  With what?  It looks like the edge of the door
> is wood, so that shouldn't be a problem.

There are installation kits for putting locks into steel-clad
doors. Should be hanging right next to the locks at the hardware
store.

I just installed four of the things (two houses). Expect to spend 
2-3 hours per lock if you're working alone. I think about 1/2 of
that went to chiseling out the area for the striker and the end
of the bolt assembly. If you've got a small router bit, that would
make things go *lots* faster.

Gary Heston, at (a now deadbolted) home...
gary@cdthq.uucp
From: jeske@src.dec.com (Steve Jeske)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: safety vs suggested weapons
Date: 1 Sep 92 00:42:21 GMT
Followup-To: rec.guns
Distribution: na
Organization: DEC Systems Research Center

In article <1992Aug30.055634.21608@slammer.UUCP>
brad@slammer.UUCP (Brad Isley) writes:
[about guns]
>Please restrict your postings to topics about which you are knowledgable.

I agree.  Please also restrict your postings to the most appropriate
bboard, which in this case is not misc.consumers.house.  Thanks.
From: plucas+@andrew.cmu.edu (Peter Lucas)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: REALLY dry basement
Date: 2 Sep 92 18:13:06 GMT
Article-I.D.: andrew.QedLGmO00WB74MxVsp
Organization: H&SS Dean's Office, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA

I am a member of this year's class of first time basement finishers, and
I have a goal of not having this space smell like your typical musty
finished basement.  The unifinshed space has no visible moisture problems,
but I still want to do everything I possibly can to keep it absolutely dry.

I have coated the cinderblock walls with waterproofing paint. I plan to
build 2x4 stud walls not touching the masonry, insulate with 
non-vapor barrier bat insulation, then seal the walls with continuous plastic
sheeting just behind the drywall.

Does this sound right?  What else should I do?  In particulary, I would
like to moisture-proof the concrete slab before putting down the floor,
but I don't know what to use for this purpose.  Suggestions?
                -pete lucas (lucas@maya.com)