c/edmonton-diy

Update: Everyone says you need a full vapor barrier under a basement slab in Edmonton, but I skipped it on my garage floor pour last fall and it's still perfect.

I used a 6 mil poly sheet only under the footings and compacted gravel with a proper slope for drainage, saving about $400 and a full day's work, so has anyone else had luck with a modified approach here?

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emery19•19h ago

TIL that spray foam insulation kits from the big box stores can actually work okay for small Edmonton jobs.

I always thought they were a total gimmick, but I sealed a drafty basement window frame with one last month and my heating bill dropped by about $30. What other small fixes have you guys tried that actually paid off?

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gavinlopez•1d ago

My basement floor drain backed up and I thought it was a quick fix

Turned out the cleanout plug was sealed under two inches of old concrete patch from the previous owner. I spent six hours with a hammer drill and a cold chisel from Princess Auto just to get to the plug. Has anyone else in the Mill Woods area had to deal with a buried cleanout?

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adam_adams•2d ago

My neighbor in Mill Woods said he'd never use a reciprocating saw for demo again

I was helping him tear out an old deck last weekend and he just stopped, looked at the saw, and said, 'This thing is a wrecking ball. It's fast, but it's making a mess of the joist ends I want to save.' He switched to a simple circular saw and a hand saw for the tight spots. It took longer, but the cuts were clean and he saved about 80 bucks worth of lumber for his next project. I've always just grabbed the recip saw first for any demo job. His comment made me rethink my whole approach. Now I'm wondering if I've been too rough on materials just to save a few minutes. Has anyone else found that slowing down with different tools actually saves money or gives better results on a tear-out?

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josephbutler•3d ago

Update: I thought taping drywall joints was a waste of time

I was helping my buddy finish his basement in Mill Woods last month, and he insisted we use paper tape and three coats of mud on every seam. I used to just use the mesh stuff and two coats to save a day. But after a year, his walls are still perfectly smooth and mine always showed a few hairline cracks. That extra day of work is worth it for a clean job. What's your go-to method for avoiding drywall cracks in our dry climate?

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ellis.mia•3d ago

Heard a neighbor in Mill Woods say they'd never use a reciprocating saw for demo again

Said a multi-tool with a scraper blade was way faster for pulling up old laminate. Tried it on my own kitchen floor last weekend and saved a ton of time on the cleanup. Anyone else find a better tool for a job you thought was already figured out?

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bell.laura•4d ago

Had a close call with a bad batch of lumber from the west end Home Depot

I was building a set of shelves last month and grabbed some 2x4s from the Stony Plain Road location. The wood looked fine, but after cutting, I found a huge hidden knot and a twist that threw my whole project off. I mean, I lost about $40 worth of material and an afternoon. Anyone else run into this and have a better spot for decent framing lumber in the city?

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kelly385•5d ago

Am I the only one who thinks the city's new deck permit rules are actually a good thing?

Last week, my neighbor in Mill Woods built a deck that started sagging after 3 days because he skipped the permit and used undersized joists. The new rules feel like they're just trying to stop that kind of unsafe work from happening around here.

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the_adam•5d ago

A guy at the Totem hardware store said he uses vinegar to clean his paint sprayer

I was buying a new tip for my sprayer and the guy in line behind me mentioned he just uses plain white vinegar and warm water to flush his out after latex jobs. He said he does it right away and lets it sit for about 20 minutes before a final rinse. It got me thinking about how many harsh cleaners I've bought over the years. Has anyone else tried this method on their sprayers, or is there a better local tip for keeping them clean?

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dakotawood•6d ago

Giving up on DIY - need a painter in Edmonton

I tried painting my staircase spindles myself to save some money and it is an absolute disaster. Drips everywhere and brush marks galore. Does anyone know a good local painting company that can come fix my mess?

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