So I rewired it...

[dazie]

Well, not really.  But I don't know how to spell those "Tim the Tool Man" grunting noises, so you'll just have to imagine.

Once again, it's getting to be a bajillion degrees here.  Once again, my saaad air conditioner can't keep up.  So I called the landlords.  Of course- I haven't heard back since it's the weekend.

So today Ursus got the ladder from the garage and I went up in the attic to see if I could fix the exhaust fan, so my attic wasn't 140 degrees, so my AC didn't crap out.

*grunt grunt*

I cleaned off the screen in front of the exhaust fan, and lo and behold, air started moving through.  WHAT A CONCEPT.  I opened up the louvers to the outside as best I could, they don't really move all that much.

Then I started exploring the attic.  My god there's a lot of useless crap up there.  It looks like it's insulated with soggy corn flakes.  I'm sure it was some low cost 1970s era blown insulation, but it still looks like soggy corn flakes.  And there's not one lick of insulation on the roof itself.

So the plan is this- I'm going to go to Home Depot today and price that styrofoam sheet insulation, and we'll put that in this fall.  After we've done that, we'll find some wonderful friends with a big shop vac, vacuum up all that cornflake insulation (it isn't asbestos- we know that from the home inspection) and then lay down some of the pink stuff before it gets cold.  Theoretically that'll mean my heating bills will be lower this winter!  wooo!

[Infobahn]

You are doing improvements on a rental?

[dazie]

Lease to own.  I figure it has to be done sometime, so we might as well start.

[eo000]

did you get it appraised before you started renting? don't do too much, otherwise.

[dazie]

We have an appraisal from the city, and a locked in price.  Neither of us can wiggle on it.  Which is good for us because the market keeps creeping up.  It's also bad for us in that the price is $8000 over appraisal.

[DownSouth]

[Listener]

You are doing improvements on a rental?

Don't most people do minor improvements on rentals anyway?  I mean, every rental we've moved into, we've replaced the locks or added another deadbolt (keyed to the landlord's key), put in a better shower head that ends up getting left because we forget it or can't get it off, replace the toilet seats, etc.  Nothing costing more than $150 max, but we always did improve slightly.

[DownSouth]

Why do you replace the toilet seats?

[cnamon]

Why do you replace the toilet seats?

In some places, it is the landlord's responsibility to replace the seats when a new tenant moves in.

When I was renting a condo in Alexandria, I replaced my toilet seat because the one that was there was ugly and had a rip in it.

[DownSouth]

I've always had plain white toilets with hard seats.

[Listener]

Why do you replace the toilet seats?

Ingrained dirt.  Or they're broken.  Or LOOK fine, but one hinge is busted.  It costs $15 at Home Depot and 10 minutes or less of time to fix it myself.

I've always had plain white toilets with hard seats.

Mine are "bone" colored because my toilets are off-white.  But yeah, I don't buy special seats.  And I hate soft ones.  They're always warm, which makes me feel like someone JUST got up, even if I'm the only one at home.

[Alice]

Mine are "bone" colored because my toilets are off-white.  But yeah, I don't buy special seats.  And I hate soft ones.  They're always warm, which makes me feel like someone JUST got up, even if I'm the only one at home.

Plus that air escaping noise it makes when you sit down, and then it sticks to your thighs sometimes when you stand up... *shudder*

Hard seats only, please.

[dazie]

Mine are "bone" colored because my toilets are off-white.  But yeah, I don't buy special seats.  And I hate soft ones.  They're always warm, which makes me feel like someone JUST got up, even if I'm the only one at home.

Plus that air escaping noise it makes when you sit down, and then it sticks to your thighs sometimes when you stand up... *shudder*

Hard seats only, please.

aack aack aack.  Indeed- I'll take the plain old seats.  We have one white one and one green one.

[Gamplayerx]

My friend Melissa's parents had a clear lucite toilet seat with little bits of foil embedded in it.  It was very festive and sparkly.  And gloriously tacky.  I wonder if they still have it.  And where they got it.

When we bought this house, the guest bathroom had a green soft toilet seat.  And a green toilet.  We replaced both.

[Listener]

I always get a little creeped out by black toilets.  I mean, how can you tell if it's truly clean?  Or if someone let it mellow, as it were?  My grandparents' house in Hollywood had a black toilet downstairs.

Last time I was at Target, I saw a clear toilet seat with embedded fish artwork in the ring and lid.

[ReBurn]

I always get a little creeped out by black toilets.  I mean, how can you tell if it's truly clean?  Or if someone let it mellow, as it were?  My grandparents' house in Hollywood had a black toilet downstairs.

Last time I was at Target, I saw a clear toilet seat with embedded fish artwork in the ring and lid.

Seems to me it's the brown toilets that you have to worry about.

[Listener]

I always get a little creeped out by black toilets.  I mean, how can you tell if it's truly clean?  Or if someone let it mellow, as it were?  My grandparents' house in Hollywood had a black toilet downstairs.

Last time I was at Target, I saw a clear toilet seat with embedded fish artwork in the ring and lid.

Seems to me it's the brown toilets that you have to worry about.

Oh ha ha.

[Alice]

I always get a little creeped out by black toilets.  I mean, how can you tell if it's truly clean?  Or if someone let it mellow, as it were?  My grandparents' house in Hollywood had a black toilet downstairs.

Last time I was at Target, I saw a clear toilet seat with embedded fish artwork in the ring and lid.

Seems to me it's the brown toilets that you have to worry about.

That's no joke.

My roomie's family had a dark brown wooden toilet ring.  Because of that, I sat in her old senile grandma's poop.  I couldn't stop gagging.

[Listener]

I always get a little creeped out by black toilets.  I mean, how can you tell if it's truly clean?  Or if someone let it mellow, as it were?  My grandparents' house in Hollywood had a black toilet downstairs.

Last time I was at Target, I saw a clear toilet seat with embedded fish artwork in the ring and lid.

Seems to me it's the brown toilets that you have to worry about.

That's no joke.

My roomie's family had a dark brown wooden toilet ring.  Because of that, I sat in her old senile grandma's poop.  I couldn't stop gagging.

I suppose you have a point.

In one house we rented, the downstairs toilet had a wooden seat.  To the best of my knowledge, none of us pooped on it.

[ReBurn]

I always get a little creeped out by black toilets.  I mean, how can you tell if it's truly clean?  Or if someone let it mellow, as it were?  My grandparents' house in Hollywood had a black toilet downstairs.

Last time I was at Target, I saw a clear toilet seat with embedded fish artwork in the ring and lid.

Seems to me it's the brown toilets that you have to worry about.

That's no joke.

My roomie's family had a dark brown wooden toilet ring.  Because of that, I sat in her old senile grandma's poop.  I couldn't stop gagging.

I suppose you have a point.

In one house we rented, the downstairs toilet had a wooden seat.  To the best of my knowledge, none of us pooped on it.

Yep.  At least to the best of your knowledge.  I just wish people would put *both* seats down when they flush!  Sheesh!  They put two there for a reason...

Ok, I don't really wish that.  I just wanted to sound all superior.

[Alice]

Ok, I don't really wish that.  I just wanted to sound all superior.

That's easy, simply insert:

*sigh*

or

*spit*

And it's passive aggressive enough to make you superior.

[ReBurn]

Ok, I don't really wish that.  I just wanted to sound all superior.

That's easy, simply insert:

*sigh*

or

*spit*

And it's passive aggressive enough to make you superior.

Thanks for the tips, alice!  You're the best!

*sigh*

[Alice]

Ok, I don't really wish that.  I just wanted to sound all superior.

That's easy, simply insert:

*sigh*

or

*spit*

And it's passive aggressive enough to make you superior.

Thanks for the tips, alice!  You're the best!

*sigh*

Oh, and if you want to be mean but get away with it, put a wink after what you say.

Like, reburn is a complete tool and I'm so glad he's not in chat right now. 

[Bennyhana]

Well, not really.  But I don't know how to spell those "Tim the Tool Man" grunting noises, so you'll just have to imagine.

Once again, it's getting to be a bajillion degrees here.  Once again, my saaad air conditioner can't keep up.  So I called the landlords.  Of course- I haven't heard back since it's the weekend.

So today Ursus got the ladder from the garage and I went up in the attic to see if I could fix the exhaust fan, so my attic wasn't 140 degrees, so my AC didn't crap out.

*grunt grunt*

I cleaned off the screen in front of the exhaust fan, and lo and behold, air started moving through.  WHAT A CONCEPT.  I opened up the louvers to the outside as best I could, they don't really move all that much.

Then I started exploring the attic.  My god there's a lot of useless crap up there.  It looks like it's insulated with soggy corn flakes.  I'm sure it was some low cost 1970s era blown insulation, but it still looks like soggy corn flakes.  And there's not one lick of insulation on the roof itself.

So the plan is this- I'm going to go to Home Depot today and price that styrofoam sheet insulation, and we'll put that in this fall.  After we've done that, we'll find some wonderful friends with a big shop vac, vacuum up all that cornflake insulation (it isn't asbestos- we know that from the home inspection) and then lay down some of the pink stuff before it gets cold.  Theoretically that'll mean my heating bills will be lower this winter!  wooo!

If you're just going to put pink foam there, why bother vacuuming up the other stuff?  Or is the blown stuff on top of plywood and not just ceiling joists?  Seems to me that if you can just put the pink stuff down over the joists, you'd increase the R value of the whole thing even more.

[dazie]

The soggy cornflake stuff is just laying about on the floor of the attic.  It's in piles in some places, bare wood between joists in others.  It looks like a giant hamster has been piling it up for bedding.  I'm afraid it's flammable.