HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: guido@blink.att.com (Guido Bertocci)
Subject: Re: Bulging Basement Wall
Organization: AT&T
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 20:06:08 GMT
Keywords: basement, water

gary@cdthq.UUCP (Gary Heston) writes:

>rlink@acpub.duke.edu (Robert E. Link) writes:

>> We have a runoff problem with the whole street, sidewalk and even a
>> parking lot draining into our front yard and (yes) down to the front of
>> the house. I'm working on getting the city to deal with this (we just
>> bought the house) but in the meantime I see that the block is starting
>> to bulge out about 3 feet below ground level in the basement. A crack in
>> the mortar has started and expanded and widened slightly over the last 6
>> weeks (much rain lately). The crack is at the center of the bulge and at
>> that point the wall is about 1 inch out of true. I need help. We don't
>> have any money and I'm going to need to deal with this mostly myself.

This is an area where I have acquired unwanted excessive expertise.  
A horizontal crack with a bulging wall in your basement particularly
if it is moving is most serious.  My current house had this problem.
The problem was discovered by house inspector before closing.
Many architects and engineers later we bought the house with a large
deduction to repair the problem.  Vertical setting cracks did not excite
the engineers, horizontal cracks got them going pretty fast.

I would strongly recommend finding a structural engineer or architect
that specializes in these problems to come look at it.  The architect we
used gave us numerous stories of being called following a rain storm
where the basement wall had collapsed.  The good news is that in most of these
cases the house sagged but did not collapse.  The framing and sheathing of
a house can support enormous cantilevered structures.  (In trying to
level the house we literally had the one corner of the house unsupported
over a 25 foot span which would not come down the last 2 inches.
We used  almost 2000 pounds of garbage cans full of water in the corner 
for several weeks to get the house to settle another inch).

While we went to an extreme, we ended up jacking up the house on 
temporary posts, digging out all around the foundation, demolishing the
existing wall, rebuilding all new walls including removing and repouring
the footings (the house was also built crooked).  At that point we also
removed the basement floor, dug down and put in a drainage and radon system
and then repoured a new and level basement floor.

Since you already own the house one possible solution might include building
reinforcements either out of concrete or steel beams to support the wall.
This will cut down on the use of the basement.

Good luck.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: jrm@pgroup.com (John R Mudd)
Subject: Re: Bulging Basement Wall
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 23:29:34 GMT
Organization: The Portland Group
Keywords: basement, water

In article <BLPuVB4w161w@cdthq.UUCP> gary@cdthq.UUCP (Gary Heston) writes:
>rlink@acpub.duke.edu (Robert E. Link) writes:
>> but in the meantime I see that the block is starting
>> to bulge out about 3 feet below ground level in the basement. A crack in
>> the mortar has started and expanded and widened slightly over the last 6
>> weeks (much rain lately). The crack is at the center of the bulge and at
>> that point the wall is about 1 inch out of true. I need help.

>Bracing the 
>wall would also be a good early move; put 4x4s vertically along
>the wall, and either brace back to the other side or to 2x6 lumber
>attached to the floor with lag screws into anchors (you'll probably
>want a hammer drill to put those in). Don't space the 4x4s more
>than 4' apart; 2-3' would be better.

It will depend on the situation, of course, but I'll bet my money that 
this won't work.  My parent's basement has a similar problem (cracked
12" cement block walls caused by drainage/settling), and we've found
that wood braces aren't strong enough--the basement wall will simply
move the wood braces, and the wood itself will warp and flex depending
on the humidity levels of the basement.  We are talking about a lot of
force behind that wall.

We ended up doing was buying some 3" or 4" angle irons, chiseling out a
hole in the basement's concrete floor and re-cementing the iron in it.
On the other end, we were lucky in that the floor joists were perpendicular
to the cracking wall, so we lag-bolted the iron to the joist.  We spaced
the irons every 3-4'.  You may need more or less distance between the irons.
Hopefully, you'll be able to do this when the wall is vertical or almost
vertical.  Wintertime in the Midwest was a good time for that.

Those angle irons have been there for about 10-15 years, with no increased
movement of the wall.  The wall itself has continued to flex, depending on
the season.  I don't envy my parents when they attempt to sell that house,
though.

... John

Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: TIGGER@MSU
Subject: Re: Moisture barrier on top of faced insulation or NOT
Organization: Michigan State University
Date: 18 Dec 1992 13:57:38 EST

------------------------- Original Article -------------------------
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: pngai@adobe.com (Phil Ngai)
Subject: Re: Problem with electric water heater
Summary: the wife is always right
Organization: Adobe Systems Incorporated
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1992 21:07:25 GMT

In article <1992Dec11.221334.10441@delfin.com> mr@delfin.com (Mark Rosenberg) writes:
>My wife claims that our electric water heater does not produce as much
>hot water as before. She complains of hot water running-out mid-shower

You must have just gotten married. Otherwise, you would know about
this very important rule:

The wife is always right.

:-)

-- 
My opinions are my own.

Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: hchang@zephyr.hc.ti.com (Helen S. Chang)
Subject: Q: washer not spin dry properly
Organization: Texas Instruments, CSC, Dallas
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 18:04:58 GMT


My Whirpool washer has  3 setting: regular, perm, and knit.  It has not
been able to spin dry properly 1 1/2 yrs. after I bought it new whenever I
use the perm and knit cycles.  In fact, the clothes came out so wet that
water was dripping.  Does anyone know what went wrong?

Thanks in advance
--
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
* Helen Chang         Member of Technical Staff, Texas Instruments Inc. *
* hchang@hc.ti.com    P.O.Box 655474, MS-446, Dallas, Texas 75243, USA. *
* Tel: (214) 995-5919,  Secretary: (214) 995-0415,  Fax: (214) 995-6194 *
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: cornutt@lambda.msfc.nasa.gov (David Cornutt)
Subject: Re: Frosted Heat Pump
Organization: NASA/MSFC
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 22:59:01 GMT

bsmith@stake.DaytonOH.NCR.COM (ROBERT SMITH) writes:

>I was working in the back yard this weekend when I noticed that the heat pump
>was completely frozen -- it had a thick layer of frost, like an old freezer,
>inside and out.  I turned on the emergency heat, which shuts down the heat
>pump, and I'm waiting for it to thaw out.  I then plan to turn it on again to
>see if the problem recurs.

>Anyway, what could have caused this?  

Possibilities:
1.  You're not getting a defrost cycle.
2.  You are getting a defrost cycle, but the pump is frosting up again
    almost immediately.
3.  You are getting a defrost cycle, but it's not working.

>Any ideas on how much it might cost to
>have repaired?  

First, you might want to do this:  observe the pump for a while to
see if it ever goes into a defrost cycle.  (It's obvious when it
does, because the outside fan stops.  If your thermostat has an
AUX HEAT light, it *may* light up when the pump is on defrost --
it depends on what kind of thermostat you have and how it is wired.)

If there is no defrost cycle, it's got to be some sort of control or
logic problem.  This might be something you can fix yourself.
If the pump is frosting up again almost immediately after the cycle,
it may be just the weather that you're experiencng at the time.  Check
it again during a period of drier weather.  (The worst case, from
my own experience, seems to be when the temperature is just above
freezing and the relative humidity is near 100%.  Happens all the
time here, unfortunately. :-(

If the pump gets unfrozen during the defrost cycle, but freezes up
again almost immediately, it could be several things.  I've seen
this caused by a Freon overcharge.  It was rather peculiar; the
pump worked fine on the heat cycle, but when it went to defrost,
the system went overpressure almost immediately and the compressor
cycled off, before the defrosting was complete.  Several minutes
later, the compressor decided it was okay again, and came back on --
but the defrost control had terminated the defrost cycle!  Just
letting the excess charge out of the system fixed it.

Another cause, though, would be a bad expansion valve or 4-way
valve.  Both of these are $$$.

If you decide to call for service, if I were you, I think I'd
go with the warranty company.  There aren't too many kinds of
repairs on a heat pump that would run less than $35.

-- 
David Cornutt, New Technology Inc., Huntsville, AL  (205) 461-4517
(cornutt@lambda.msfc.nasa.gov; some insane route applies)
"The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of my employer,
not necessarily mine, and probably not necessary."
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: manes@magpie.nycenet.edu (Steve Manes)
Subject: Re: How to tell a REAL buyer's agent
Organization: Manes and Associates, NYC
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1992 17:28:02 GMT
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL7]

Jonathan E. Quist (jeq@i88.isc.com) wrote:
: In article <Bz2DpM.IFA@magpie.nycenet.edu> manes@magpie.nycenet.edu (Steve Manes) writes:
: >Sainthood? A real estate agent is a salesman, plain and simple, and
: >is no more "morally bankrupt" than the guy who sells you a suit or
: >a mutual fund or patio furniture or Kawasaki Ninja or WHATEVER.  You
: >typically pay him or her by a commission on the sales price.  With
: >such people you always use your best judgment, or wish you had
: >later.  If you work for any company, in any kind of capacity, it is
: >also expected (on both sides) that when communicating with a potential
: >company client that you will varnish the truth in favor of the folks
: >who sign your paycheck even if it means being less than candid about
: >the flaws in your product.
: 
: The day my employer asks me to "varnish the trush" is the day
: they get my resignation.

There are many grades of truth-varnishing and many grades of customer
helpfulness.  If you were required by your employer to outright lie
to conceal a defect in your product, I'd agree with you (I'd also
point out that any REA who did the same for a seller would risk
revokation of his or her license).  But if a large corporate account
came to you for a referral to a Unix package that you felt could be
handled equally well by Interactive's V/386 or SCO's Xenix 386,
would you volunteer the customer this information along with the
recommendation that he buy SCO because it's cheaper?

: Jonathan E. Quist                          INTERACTIVE Systems Corporation

-- 
Stephen Manes					   manes@magpie.nycenet.edu
Manes and Associates/Commontech-NoHo		   New York, NY, USA  =o&>o

Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: perley@cabot.balltown.cma.com (Don Perley)
Subject: Re: water purification
Organization: New York State Institute for Sebastian Cabot Studies
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1992 17:55:29 GMT

In article <28256@oasys.dt.navy.mil> diprosp@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Michael DiProspero) writes:

   reverse osmosis purifier for drinking water.  BTW - unit + installation
   = $5280 but if you write them a testimonial they'll knock off $1000.

   Anyway, the price of this unit seems outrageous and I was wondering
   if anyone was familiar with this product and other competitive units.


There was an article a while back in Zymurgy (a beer brewing 
magazine) on building your own RO filter.  I think the parts
came to under a hundred bucks.  

-don perley
--
perley@trub.crd.ge.com
From: darrenl@natinst.com (Darren Lilie)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: What causes a washer to squeak real bad?
Date: 14 Dec 1992 10:25:24 -0600
Organization: National Instruments, Austin, TX
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: eagle.natinst.com

We have a Maytag washer that squeaks real bad(I think it is during the rinse
cycle).  It doesnt squeak 100% of the time but every so often it lets out
this loud squeak that sounds like real loud crickets.  
Anyone have any ideas?

Darren

Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: patter@dasher.cc.bellcore.com (patterson,george r)
Subject: Re: curtains for sliding glass door
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 92 03:34:09 GMT

In article <9212121859.AA03731@golf.visix.com> eric@golf (Eric Wiseblatt) writes:
>
>I just bought a house with a pair of sliding glass doors and would like to put
>up curtains (or draperies?).  There is an existing traverse rod on each
>which draws from one end toward the other.
>
>I am under the impression that to cover an area that wide (72"), the draperies
>come in 2 halves.  How does a one hang 2 independent pieces of material on a
>rod which only draws from one end?  There is nothing to pull half the material.

Hang the end hooks of both halves from the same eye on the rod. Then one half
will pull the other.

>Are these one-way draw traverse rods for vertical blinds?  Can I get standard
>draperies which will cover 72" of window? 

Yes. Sears/Roebuck has the best selection I've found. They also frequently have
knowledgable salespeople in this department. Penney's isn't worth looking at,
but K-mart may have something you like.

>I think I would prefer having the
>draperies split in the middle so that I can tie them back.

Then you're in luck. If you want one piece, you'll have to have them made.
Again, Sears has good stuff here (they do custom work).

>Do I want a different traverse rod.

See what K-mart has. If you like it, buy it; if not, check Sears again. In
this length K-mart will have two-way draw rods. They may have one-way, but
that's getting pretty big. Sears will have one-way draw if that's what you
want.

>Should I convince myself that I really do like vertical blinds?

Not if you don't.

Some of my windows are 4' wide and 2' high and the walls are short 'cause
it's an attic area with a slanted ceiling. Sears was the only place I
found that had curtains that fit. As a bonus, they looked nice and were
pretty reasonable, too!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                    |
George Patterson -  | Of course I talk to myself; I appreciate an
                    | attentive audience and an intelligent speaker.
                    |                            Henry Broadbent
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: dans@panix.com (Dan Simoes)
Subject: What to look for when renting?
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 18:54:26 GMT
Organization: PANIX Public Access Unix & Internet, NYC

As someone who's never rented before, I'm hoping that some of you
'old timers' :-) can help me with some tips on what to look for when
choosing an apartment.

You can skip the obvious quips like "Well, look for the right amount
of bedrooms..." etc.  I mean stuff like how to identify if I'll
have electrical or water problems, structural integrity, and so forth.

Also, this is probably another FAQ but is there a model lease that someone
has put together?  I spent an interesting afternoon in court listening
to owners vs renters argue it out, and the deciding factor was almost 
always the lease and exactly what was mentioned therein.

Any responses (useful ones, that is) are appreciated.

| Dan |

-- 
Dan Simoes                                       Voice: 914.747.2900 x415
Danix Consulting                                 email: dans@panix.com or
Yorktown Heights, NY                                     dans@danix.uucp
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: patter@dasher.cc.bellcore.com (patterson,george r)
Subject: Re: Can you stain treated yellow pine?
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 92 22:50:42 GMT

In article <1992Dec11.165326.22551@chpc.utexas.edu> byab305@chpc.utexas.edu (Steve Poole) writes:
>
>A friend of mine just had a deck built with treated yellow
>pine.  The treatment is called "wormanized" or "wolmanized"
>or something like that.  She is thinking about staining it.
>She has had some people tell her that you cannot stain treated
>yellow pine, and some people tell her you can.  So can you
>stain treated yellow pine?

There are several stains for this on the market, but they are specially
designed for this type of wood. Look for "Thompson's Water Seal" products.
That will put you in the right area of the store.

For what it's worth, I have been told that it's best to wait a year before
staining.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                    | Try to live your life so that you wouldn't be
George Patterson -  | afraid to sell the family parrot to the town
                    | gossip.
                    |                            Will Rogers
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: patter@dasher.cc.bellcore.com (patterson,george r)
Subject: Re: requalify
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 92 16:20:18 GMT

In article <7JiyVB1w164w@carrera.wvus.org> pete@carrera.wvus.org (Pete Gregory) writes:
>
>i can see it now... i want to sell the place, but others are selling
>similar places for less than i owe.  mortgage company says, "sorry,
>you don't qualify, just sign here and we'll take the home back..."
>too good to be true, i'm sure.

This was discussed a while ago. To sum it up, local laws vary a little,
but you owe the mortgage company the balance. One way or another you
*will* pay them or declare bankruptcy. If they foreclose, they will sell
the house for whatever they can get and bill you for the remaining
balance and the costs of selling the house.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                    | The easy confidence with which I know that another
George Patterson -  | man's religion is folly teaches me to suspect that
                    | my own is also.
                    |                        Samuel Clemens
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: staffan@ca.serum.kodak.com (Kenneth Staffan (x37507))
Subject: Re: water purification
Organization: Clinical Products Division, Eastman Kodak Company
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 14:13:13 GMT

>[...]
>Some time ago, I had my water (both hard and softened) analyzed.  According to
>the hardness measurement and the conversion factor I posted earlier, my
>"15-grain" hard water contained 256 mg of "hard" minerals and zero sodium -
>yet my softened water contained 640 mg of sodium, or about 40 mg per 8 oz
>glass.
>[...]
>To put the 40 mg of Sodium in perspective, just read the nutritional analysis
>information on most product labels - Most people consume thousands of mg of
>sodium per day.


Since I just happen to have a box of Kellogg's Complete Bran Flakes sitting
next to the terminal:

	Serving Size: 1 oz. (28.4 g, about 2/3 cup)

				Cereal		With 1/2 cup vit A&D skim milk
	   .		
	   .		
	   .		
	Sodium, mg		220		280
	Potassium, mg		170		370
From: pete@carrera.wvus.org (Pete Gregory)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: energy saving rebates (was: FREE gas logs!)
Date: 20 Dec 92 14:21:12 GMT
Organization: Private System

Philip Barr <pbarr@convex.UUCP> writes:

> >But realize it's just a ploy to get you to use more gas.  Our
> >rural electric co-op has discounts for buying certain electrical 
> >appliances, even if it's not from them.  Same scam.

yes, but.... where is the economy for the utility company that gives
cash rebates for appliances (ie. refrigerators) that use LESS energy
instead of more energy?  in other words, why would the utility pay
me to use less energy?  what's in it for them?


| Pete Gregory, at home
| 
| Internet: pete@carrera.wvus.org   Bangpath: ames!elroy!wvus!carrera!pete
| 
| The lab just called... your brain is ready.
From: rjonas@hpcupt1.cup.hp.com (Ron Jonas)
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1992 18:49:14 GMT
Subject: Re: Icemaker problem
Organization: Hewlett Packard, Cupertino
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house

The problem with how much water is getting into the icemaker is related to flow
and not likely to be related to the type of tubing.

Depending on your refrigerator, the amount of water is determined by opening
up the valve for a period of time that is expected to allow the icemaker to
fill up to an acceptable level or there may be a flow device on the line that 
"tells" the control circuit that enough water has passed into the icemaker.

If your pressure is noticeably lower, this may be the problem. 

Hope this helps.

Ron Jonas

All the standard dissclaimers apply.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: mr@delfin.com (Mark Rosenberg)
Subject: Propane Water Heaters
Organization: Delfin Systems, Sunnyvale, CA.
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1992 22:10:32 GMT

I'm seriously considering converting from an electric water heater to a
propane heater.

Are there any significant differences between A.O. Smith, State, and Rheem
propane heaters?

What is the difference between so-called high efficiency heaters and normal
heaters as far as propane consumption?

How much faster do so-called fast-recovery heaters heat up a tankfull of
cold water?

I'm planning to have it installed underneath my house. What are the pros/cons
of direct-vented heaters vs. heaters that use a flue?

Thanks.
-- 
Mark Rosenberg
internet:mark@delfin.com
phone: (408) 562-1126	fax: (408) 748-1140
snail: Delfin Systems, 3000 Patrick Henry Drive, Santa Clara, CA 95054-1814
From: wb8foz@skybridge.SCL.CWRU.Edu (David Lesher)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Builder from hell
Date: 12 Dec 1992 23:06:08 GMT
Organization: NRK Clinic for habitual NetNews abusers - Beltway Annex
Distribution: usa
Reply-To: wb8foz@skybridge.scl.cwru.edu (David Lesher)
NNTP-Posting-Host: skybridge.scl.cwru.edu
Keywords: builder problems

Another thing to worry about.....

It seems to be getting rather common for the builder to go belly-up and
stick the buyers with houses with a bunch of mechanic's leins. There is
a story in today's Washington Post about just this situation.

This is reason number 5280 why I have a skilled RE attorney represent
me. You can not afford to do without counsel.


--
A host is a host from coast to coast..wb8foz@skybridge.scl.cwru.edu
& no one will talk to a host that's close..........................
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433