HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: eliot@chutney.rtp.dg.com (Topher Eliot)
Subject: Re: Question on reinvesting money from sale of a home
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 92 19:36:59 GMT
Distribution: usa
Reply-To: eliot@dg-rtp.dg.com
Organization: Data General Corporation, Research Triangle Park, NC
Keywords: house sale

In article <241@rd1.interlan.com>, browner@rm1.interlan.com (Michael Browner) writes:
|> In article <697@data.rain.com>, mindy@data.rain.com (Mindy Beseler) writes:
|> |> finding another house in the new area.  We are wondering how long we have
|> |> to reinvest the money from the sale of our house before we have to pay
|> |> taxes on it.  Also can we use the money to buy some land (which we probably
|> |> won't build on for a year or more) or does the money have to be re-invested 
|> |> in our new place of residence?
|> 
...
|> Anyway, you have upto 2 years (no extensions, no how) to buy are replacement
|> home of greater or equal value, you can defer your profit by buying the 
|> second house.  

Are you sure about that 'no extensions'?  I thought that for example, if you
were living out of the USA, or serving in the armed forces, you got an 
extension.

-- 
Topher Eliot             Data General DG/UX Systems Administration Development
(919) 248-6371      eliot@dg-rtp.dg.com       {backbone}!mcnc!rti!dg-rtp!eliot
Obviously, I speak for myself, not for DG.
misc.consumers.house archivist.  Send mail to house-archive@dg-rtp.dg.com
"Daddy, did you know that super banana squash is a vampire?  And he drinks
blood from cactuses?"  -- Tommy, age 3.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: acheng@ncsa.uiuc.edu (Albert Cheng)
Subject: Re: To close or not to close on a new house with a leak!
Originator: acheng@shalom.ncsa.uiuc.edu
Organization: Nat'l Ctr for Supercomp App (NCSA) @ University of Illinois
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 06:22:00 GMT

If you really want to move in and settle down, you may consider a common
compromise.
For some real minor problems (like the lawn is not done yet), estimate
the whole cost of the items and put the money in an escrow account with
some time limits (say, if not done in 3 months, money go back to owner
who may have someone else do it.)

In your case, I would not close it if I were you since water leak is
a very serious problem.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: theobald@ucunix.san.uc.edu (Allen M. Theobald)
Subject: Bathroom Tile Repair...
Organization: University of Cincinnati
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 92 00:42:44 GMT

Many thanks to Charles Young, Edward Engler, and Hal Eden for
their suggestions on fixing up my bathroom.  It sounds like
I have many long hours of work ahead of me.

One thing remains.  Am I going to have to replace all my tile
even though their is roughly only 3 square feet that needs to 
be replaced?  If I don't have to replace it all how do I go
about matching the existing color?

Again thanks!

Allen M. Theobald
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: grande@cbnewsd.cb.att.com (brad.l.grande)
Subject: Re: Montgomery Ward Garden Tractor - recommendations?
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 18:16:59 GMT

In article <1992Jul20.214156.5347@watson.ibm.com>, vinod@watson.ibm.com (Vinod Narayanan) writes:
> Having moved into a house with almost two acres of moderately
> hilly lawn, I need to buy a lawn/garden tractor. I have been
> looking for a used one, with no luck. Most sales people
> turn me towards the 14-18hp range tractors. Montgomery ward
> seems to have an 18hp tractor for around $1300. Here are my
> questions:
> 1. Do I really need that much power or would a smaller model
>    (say around 11-12hp) do? How much does the power matter?

I am not an expert, however the 14-18hp range is consistent with what I was told
when I was shopping.  I have 1 acre and bought a 13hp Honda lawn tranctor.

> 2. How are Montgomery Ward garden tractors?

Don't know, but Monkey Wards has been around a while.  I imagine that they OEM
them from a brand name house.

> 3. Am I better off going to a name brand like John Deere, for
>    a 12hp tractor than going to Wards or Sears and buying a
>    bigger tractor?

You need to ask yourself what you are going to use it for.  If it is for mowing
only you could probably get by with a smaller unit.  Check the cutting width and
also check the cutting speed (expressed in miles per hour).  This can be used to
compare the time that each tractor will take you to mow.  Also a concern is
the turning radius.  If you have lots of trees and things to mow around, a
large turning radius will make mowing up close difficult and you will probably
have to bring out your push mower and go around everything after you mow with
the tractor.  There are some articulated tractors now that have turning raduii
of under a foot.  But as with everything else, if it is useful, it will cost
you.

> 
> I may get a snow-blade for my tractor, but other than that,
> I don't think I will use it for much besides mowing.

I also intended to get a snow blade and learned that there are two lawn tractor
constructions.  One is a frame that is made from a stamped piece of sheet
metal, the other is the more conventional method of a twin I-beam frame.
The stamped metal is cheaper to manufacture, but will not take the stress of
a snow blade.  I was told this by several dealers.  They say that the stress
will weaken the frame and result in premature failure.  A couple of dealers
suggested that instead of buying an expensive lawn tractor with a blade, to
buy a much cheaper riding lawn mower and a $400 walk behind snow blower.  This
would have saved me over $1000 of what I spent on the tractor alone.  I have
never bought the blade and now think that I should have gone the cheaper
route.  For your size yard, a riding mower may be too small.

Good luck!


Brad Grande	WB0OYX
Another bike riding beer brewing kite flying amateur radio operator who
	still likes CD's!

AT&T Bell Labs
Naperville Illinausea
PLEASE SEND RESPONSES TO:	grande@iwtil.att.com
att!iwtil!grande
(708)-979-7853


Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: pkrause@triton.unm.edu (Paul Krause CIRT)
Subject: Re: Cleaning old water lines
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 92 15:28:01 GMT
Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque

In article <1992Jul30.060748.23563@michael.apple.com> ems@michael.apple.com (E. Michael Smith) writes:
>In article <3649@ecicrl.ocunix.on.ca> clewis@ferret.ocunix.on.ca (Chris Lewis) writes:
>>In article <zwlmy-p@lynx.unm.edu> pkrause@triton.unm.edu (Paul Krause CIRT) writes:
>>>I own a house built in the late 50's with iron pipe and built over a 
>>>slab.  (typical for much of albuquerque).  I am beginning to get significant
>>>pressure loss inside the house.  When the front sprinklers run there is
>>>little pressure at the kitchen sink for example.
>
>>Has this actually changed noticably over time, or has this always been
>>the case?  In-ground sprinklers take a *lot* of water, and tend
>>to reduce pressure everywhere else.  Most houses aren't designed to
>>have the plumbing to provide full pressure to more than one fixture
>>simultaneously.  Especially not properly installed sprinkler systems.
>
>This is a critical question!  My location also uses a restriction in
>the water service line to control aggregate pressure drop in the mains.
>I have a '1/2 inch' service, I think.  A '3/4 inch' service costs more
>for the basic monthly charge (again, I think ...).  If it has changed
>alot, it is likely scale.  If it has always been rather like this,
>you may just have a 1/2 pipe feeding a 3/4 inch sprikler pipe with
>obvious results ...
>
>>
>>Or could this be a reduction in water pressure in Albuquerque?
>
>San Jose seems to have started dropping water pressure some at
>night when we are allowed to run our sprinklers.  I think someone
>is trying to force a bit more water conservation ... or maybe it's
>just that with all the sprinklers forced into a single 8 hour span,
>the pressure in the mains drops of it's own accord ...
>
>Is Albequerque having a drought lately?  Have you measured the water
>presure in a static condition?
>
I have now had the city come out and measure the pressure at the meter and
they found 80#'s which is "typical for the area".  Next step seems to be
have a plumbing company test the pressure at various places under various
loads.

Paul


Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Alarm sirens
From: gary@cdthq.UUCP (Gary Heston)
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 92 19:29:55 CDT
Organization: Garys' Home for Obsolete Computers

bparrish@hpcc01.corp.hp.com (William Parrish) writes:

> Putting it in the cold air return makes a heck of a lot of noise...
> 
> (I did this with a bell... our particular system had two sounders, a bell
> in the air duct, plus a siren to the outside.)

Not exactly about sirens, but....

Does anyone out there know the subsonic frequencies that induce fear
in someone? Seems like I've read about how the right "sound" can
make a person feel absolute terror, the more so because there's no
observable reason for it.

Seems like this would be the ultimate indoor alarm sounder....

Gary Heston, at home....
gary@cdthq.uucp
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: wilde@cs.colorado.edu (Nick Wilde)
Subject: Re: Deer-resistant Foliage Recommendations Sought
Followup-To: misc.consumers.house
Organization: Just enough to get by...
Date: Sun, 26 Jul 1992 02:22:44 GMT

In article <1992Jul24.203709.25467@CERIS.Purdue.EDU>,
jheath@CERIS.Purdue.EDU (Jim Heath) wrote:
> 
> From article <22752@oasys.dt.navy.mil>, by burnett@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Cathy Burnett):
> > I read (somewhere) that if you take an old nylon sock
> > and stuff it with human hair and tie it to a stick
> > near your plants, the deer will stay away.  I knew
> > someone who tried that and it worked!
> >
> 
> According to Spider Robinson in one of his books, if you "mark"
> your property like dogs do, it will keep the bunnies and deer
> away.  He further said that this would not work for vegetarians.
> It might be if you have a dog and can persuade him/her to do this
> that it would work also.
> 
> Has anyone tried those deer, rabbit, dog, whatever repellents?  I
> have always wondered if they work? 
> -- 


Me thinks all these folk remedies and commercial sprays stand a 
chance of working, IFF you live out in the boonies somewhere, where
the deer (rabbits, whatever) aren't too acclimated to human 
presence. 

If, on the other hand, you live in town and the deer are the kind that
cross the street everyday to get the choicest flowers (like
we have), me thinks you're out of luck - the deer are so used to 
the scent of humans, dogs, cats, automobile exhaust, etc, that nothing
phases 'em.

I tried the human hair trick once on our in-town deer - put it
under my Colorado Blue Spruce where the deer like to hang out. The
very next morning, I came out to find a nice sized buck had made
a bed right on top of the bag of hair....

Never had a dog, but my next-door neighbor has two good size Akita's -
other than chasing the deer if they come within their fenced-in
area, I don't thing they serve as much of deterrent, either.

-Nick

------------------------------------------------------------------
      Nick Wilde         |  "The truth is rarely pure and
 wilde@cs.colorado.edu   |          never simple"  - Oscar Wilde
Xref: sparky misc.consumers.house:10062 misc.legal:15249
From: cjp@megatek.uucp (Chris "Systems Stud" Pikus)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house,misc.legal
Subject: Re: Burglars and dogs and snakes, oh my!
Date: 31 Jul 92 02:20:57 GMT
Followup-To: misc.legal
Organization: Megatek Corporation, San Diego, California

macrakis@osf.org (Stavros Macrakis) writes:
> 
> I'm horrified.
> 
> You apparently value your precious property rights more than human
> life.  No civilized state or country imposes capital punishment for
> burglary, yet you arrogate the right to yourself.
> 
> Or maybe it's not even property rights.  Maybe it's simple macho.
> It's just not macho to run out the back door and call the cops.
>

	Before too may people get on the bandwagon and flame him [like me],
just remember the poor guy is from the Peoples Republik of Massachusetts.

	In the PRM, every criminal is really a "victim" of our repres-
sive society and you should have a bit more compassion for him when he
comes to "liberate" your stereo.

	In the PRM, a resident is supposed to flee his home instead of
confronting an intruder. They are expected to try to escape BEFORE they
are given legal sanction to use deadly force for self defense. (Shows a 
lot of sympathy towards the 3rd floor apartment residents who are told
that they should have tried to jump out the window instead of fighting
back with a kitchen knife.)

	 Those of us in other parts of the country think it is morally
repugnant for law abiding citizens to be required to leave their homes
[castles?] so that a criminal can roam and loot at his leisure and not
risk a confrontation with the owner.

	Is it capital punishment for burglary? NO! It's just the belief
that anyone who is willing to rob a house while someone is there is also
willing to do great harm to those occupants. Here it is an example of 
the state pre-emptively giving legal sancion for self defense.

	Is this macho? I don't think so. 

	Follow ups to misc.legal
-- 
Christopher J. Pikus,        | [The NEA is...] "...that upholstered play-
Megatek Corp., San Diego, CA | pen of the arts and crafts auxialliary of
INTERNET: cjp@megatek.com    | the Eastern Liberal Establishment."
UUCP: uunet!megatek!cjp      |				 - Pat Buchanan
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: wreck@fmsrl7.srl.ford.com (R. Cage)
Subject: Re: Spraying water on AC coils (was Ground source heat pump)
Summary: Economics depend, as always...
Organization: Ford Motor Company Scientific Research Labs, Dearborn, MI
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1992 20:01:34 GMT

In <rhoward.712609724@matd> rhoward@matd.gatech.edu (Robert L. Howard) writes:
>Well, what if the gain in cooling effeciency was less than the
>amortized cost of the equipment plus the monthly cost of the
>water out of the tap?  (It could happen).

That does, indeed, depend.  However, given the reduced amount
of air which needs to be pushed through the condenser for a
given amount of cooling, and the decreased compressor load
from the cooler condenser surface, there will be energy savings
if you use spray cooling.

If you pay too much for the equipment, you're going to show
a negative return on even the best techno-fix.  I find it
hard to believe that disposable spray-nozzles for plant
watering and plastic tubing (replacable every year), with
a solenoid valve, a 555 and driver would cost very much...
-- 
Russ Cage   wreck@fmsrl7.srl.ford.com  russ%rsi.uucp@destroyer.rs.itd.umich.edu
  *  When Ford pays me for my opinions, THEN they can call them theirs. *

                           _Bad_ cop.  No donut.
From: ems@michael.apple.com (E. Michael Smith)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: 2 prong to 3 prong conversion, physical issues
Date: 30 Jul 92 06:31:17 GMT
Organization: Apple Computer Inc.

OK, I've read the FAQ and understand the electrical requirements.

BUT ...  How do I get the ground wire into the box when the wall is
full of blown cellulose insulation?

If I'm working from the attic, I've got a royal pain, since the whole
thing if full of about a foot of (two or three differernt layers/types)
of blown loose insulation.  Can't even get to the top of the outside
walls to drill a hole.  Then trying to fish the wire down through a 
wall full of fire break cross pieces (whatever they are really called)
and blown cellulose...

So, OK, we go from the crawl space and drill up.  Do I run the wire
up into the wall below the plug/box and try to fish it in from inside
the box somehow, or do I run it up into the wall next to the box and
try to fish it in sideways?  Or do I have to cut a chunk of drywall out
and work it into the box by hand while fighting an avalanch of loose
insulation (not to mention needing to patch the wall board afterword.)

Or do I drill down from the box and shove the ground wire out to {wherever}
then go looking to see if it came out through the stucco outside and just
add another ground rod there ?  ;-)

I last added wiring to a house about 30 years ago.  It was a house 
built in about 1910 (different parts were built in different decades...)
and had no insulation or those fire break crossways stud things.

Is there some easy technique that I'm missing?



-- 

E. Michael Smith  ems@apple.COM

'Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.  Boldness has
 genius, power and magic in it.'  -  Goethe

I am not responsible nor is anyone else.  Everything is disclaimed.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: davecole@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (David Cole)
Subject: steam heat ideas & questions
Organization: Northwestern University, Evanston Illinois.
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 15:05:05 GMT

We bought a large house a few years ago with steam heat.  The house is
masonry, built 1907-8, and has always had steam heat.  The current boiler is a
300,000 btuh American Standard installed circa 1965.  I put on a Flare stack
damper as soon as we moved in.  One replacement later, I am quite happy with
it.  But I have several ideas and questions on saving energy and upgrading/

Note: this is single pipe steam, low pressure <5 psi..

Can I use finned tube convectors with steam?  Any other radiators? What have
people tried with steam systems?

Can I use a car radiator that has a built-in 12 volt fan on my home steam
system (thought I'd mount in basement workshop ceiling, with small 12 vdc
power supply for fan)?

I tried placing a fan with a thermostat intended for attic vents with one of
the existing huge cast iron radiators 
(i.e., the thermostat switches on with heat rise, so the fan
comes on when the radiator is getting steam).  This seemed to greatly
increase the heat transfer from the radiator.  My reasoning is that if you
pull heat out of a steam radiator faster, it enters faster because the
radiator accepts new steam as fast as it can condense it.  Right???

I thought I could effectively remotely turn radiators on and off by putting a
small solenoid valve in series with the air vent, so that when the valve is
closed, the radiator cannot vent air and so cannot accept (much) steam.  Seem
reasonable??

The boiler seems to be in good shape.  Upgrade?  
Any suggestions for playing with the system welcome.

davecole@casbah.acns.nwu.edu  (til Aug 15)
dcole@ub.d.umn.edu (after Aug 15; start of Duluth heating season :(
From: ahill@boi.hp.com (Andy Hill)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: How to revive "burnt" grass?
Date: 23 Jul 92 23:04:14 GMT
Article-I.D.: mail.Brv6r2.1KF
Reply-To: ahill@hpdmd48.boi.hp.com
Distribution: usa
Organization: Hewlett-Packard
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL3

acheng@ncsa.uiuc.edu (Albert Cheng) writes:
> That happened to me too.  But after two to three weeks (the continous
> rain storms probably helped too), the patches are green again.  I guess
> grass are just like weeds, hard to kill.
>
Try gardening for a while.  This will convince you, quickly, that grass is
the ULTIMATE weed...

Andy
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: johne@vcd.hp.com (John Eaton)
Subject: Re: Moving a power panel
Organization: Hewlett-Packard VCD
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 15:10:50 GMT

fredch@phx.mcd.mot.com (Fred Christiansen) writes:
: I'd like to understand what the options are for the following situation:
: 
:                       |-----------|--------------------------|
:                       |           |                          |
:                       |  future   |  house to be built       |
:                       |  garage   |  starting in 2 weeks     |
: ......................|...maybe..X|                          |
:                       |  in 2-3   |-------------|            |
:                       |   years   |             |            |
:                       |-----------|             |------------|
: 
: Where the X is marks where the service panel is to be installed (utility
--------------
Do they make meters that have a remote readout? Springing for one of those and
mounting the readout on the outside of the house may make sense. Maybe even
hook it up to the phone line and let them Dial for Dollars.

John Eaton
!hp-vcd!johne


Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: patter@dasher.uucp (24224-guthrie)
Subject: Re: Tile or Linoleum?
Reply-To: patter@dasher.cc.bellcore.com
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 92 17:59:40 GMT

In article <1992Jul29.133120.7022@newsgate.sps.mot.com> r1156c@waccvm.corp.mot.com (Michael R. Dow) writes:

>    I've decided to tile the bathroom floors (and possibly tile/re-tile the 
>walls) in my recently-purchased house.  The floors are currently a 'brick 
>look-alike' linoleum of poor quality which both my wife and I hate. (Not to 
>mention we hate the brown carpet that is throughout the house, too).
>
>	Anyway, the kitchen and entry-way floors are the same linoleum as above.  
>We are going to replace it in any event, but I don't know which would be the 
>best to use: Tile or Linoleum?
>
>	I'm aware of cost differential, and I'd go for a premium grade linoleum 
>if that eventually becomes the choice...
>
>	Ideas?  Suggestions?

Two of the bathrooms in my mother's house have tile floors. The house is
nearly thirty years old and the floors still look very good. I'd pick
that for durability. Tile floors are sort of hard on the feet, though.
You might not want that in the kitchen. You'll also find them difficult
to fix if you drop something on it and chip a tile (likely in a kitchen).

If you go with vinyl flooring, I wouldn't pick a "premium" grade. Most of
the stuff like Armstrong is designed to shine without waxing at the expense
(in my opinion) of durability. I wouldn't hesitate to use it in a bathroom,
but I put Solarian down in my kitchen a couple of years ago, and it seems
that anything that gets dropped takes a chunk out of it. The less expensive
compounds tend to be harder and less easily damaged.

Some of the "better" brands also require special installation methods,
or can only be installed over certain materials. For example, the manual
that comes with Armstrong's "go ahead and cut" kit states that Solarian
has to be glued to bare flooring. It can go down over pine plywood, but
don't put it down over luan plywood. They do not say why. Pick up the
manufacturer's installation instructions and read them before buying any.

As always, your mileage may vary.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                    | Preparation for attack at one point requires that
                    | you weaken your defenses elsewhere. If you are
George Patterson -  | prepared on your right, you are weak on your left.
                    | If you are prepared on your left, you are weak on
                    | your right. If you are prepared everywhere, you
                    | are weak everywhere.           - The Art of War -
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house,misc.legal