fartness (banned)Donald Trump 2016 join:2003-03-25 Look Outside 3 edits |
fartness (banned)
Member
2014-Apr-20 3:12 pm
3 questions: Cold patch/sealcoat + grout + electrical + attic garage | garage | cracks | pothole | pothole | grout |
1. I have cracks in parts of my driveway. Overall it's not too bad like I'm in need of a replacement, but I'd like to seal coat it. What can be done for the cracks? See pictures. My idea is to have a professional company repair any cracks, and have them sealcoat it, then I will do it next year or whenever it's needed again. I've heard there's a few types of seal coats. What is the best and what should I ask for? Don't the better ones have something mixed in with it? I have a small pothole, which is probably less than half an inch or so. See picture. The base rock layer seems fine, but the top asphalt layer is the problem. I plan on putting some cold patch there with the tool to pack it down that I borrowed, and then have it seal coated. How long does it take cold patch to harden so I can either drive over it or seal coat it? Also I seem to be able to pull up a lot around the pot hole. Not really sure at what point I should stop ripping up the driveway. That pothole wouldn't have been so big if I didn't keep picking at it. What is an estimated cost to seal coat my driveway that is probably between 1200 sq ft and 1500 sq ft? My measurements are based on it's probably 100 ft from the garage to the street. The driveway is about 8 to 10 feet wide (one car can fit). Once I'm closer to the garage, it's probably 15x10 of more driveway where I can have two cars side by side. Then I have a small turn around that is probably 5 x 8. Just a best guess on the measurements. 2. What is the best way to clean this bathroom grout? I plan on having my kitchen done in the winter and was thinking about tile since it looks nice, but this bathroom floor has been a major PIA to keep clean. 3. Electrical question. I have a detached garage that has the electric wire from the house running to the light socket. The electric only works if I turn the light on (pull chain). Is there a way to re-arrange this setup so I can plug something in (a camera) and have it always on, rather than have to keep the pull chain "pulled" for electric? See picture. BTW, I snapped the pull chain (you can kind of see it in the picture since what remains is small). How do I repair that? 4. My attic seems to get a lot of dead flies in it. Any idea why? They all seem to congregate near the windows. It's a colonial house, so the attic is pretty big. Edit: I live in upstate NY if it makes a difference for any of my questions. |
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Electrical
Sounds like power is always available in the garage so it is an easy task to add one or more outlets, with several assumptions.
The installation is very poor, cable is just dangling supported by the occasional non-insulated staple. Assuming existing cable has a ground conductor clean up the mess and add a GFCI receptacle. If you need more then one outlet make the GFCI the first one and extend circuit from that.
If the cable does not have a ground you are out of luck.
Since the installation is so shade-tree I'd check wire gauge matches the circuit breaker. 14 AWG must be protected by a 15A breaker, 12 AWG a 15 or 20A. If the garage is not on its own circuit I'd rip out the mess and add a circuit to service the garage.
/tom |
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fartness (banned)Donald Trump 2016 join:2003-03-25 Look Outside |
fartness (banned)
Member
2014-Apr-20 5:16 pm
Yes it's a very shade tree setup. The wire looks similar to the wire that I bought when I had my bathroom done two years ago. I would guess the former owners did this 10 to 20 years ago. I also plan on getting a new garage door with an opener soon. I'm guessing that might need some electrical work if it doesn't just plug into an outlet. Would the gfci be separate than the lighting wires?
As to the breaker, it is sort of on its own breaker. It only shares the same breaker with the outside light on the house. |
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PSWired join:2006-03-26 Annapolis, MD 2 edits |
to fartness
This is probably the least resistance option for the electrical: » www.zorotools.com/g/0005 ··· odQCoAQQEdit: sorry, wrong link the first time... |
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SolvietSteve
Anon
2014-Apr-20 5:37 pm
remove the light and octagon box completely, put a rectangular single gang box, put a electrical socket/outlet, be sure to turn off the hydro first, then dasy chain a new piece of romex to the octagon box and install your litefixture beside it. since you have steady hydro there is no need to plug the plugs into the light fixture, thats why the outlet can be installed, plus its a proper outlet with grounded ,you can even use a fancy leviton or decora style if u wish
hope this helps
Solviet Steve from the Solviet Union |
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mityfowl Premium Member join:2000-11-06 Dallas, TX
2 recommendations |
to fartness
That light looks like a mess to me. For the longest time I've read your posts. You can't do it.
You really need an electrician. |
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to fartness
Cold patch is a very temporary solution and you would really have to dig it out a bit to even get a reasonable result. That driveway is a mess and sealcoating is more of a visual thing then a true maintenance thing. It is best at filling fine cracks. To take care of the wider cracks with any quality result you need a hot pour of elastomeric crack filler which requires a specific double boiler(not the same type used by roofers). Also all the cracks need to be dug out to do any type of sealing right.
Your driveway is really a mess and probably an overlay is the best way to handle it. |
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randavis74 Challenger 440 4bbl join:2000-01-19 Blue Springs, MO
1 recommendation |
to fartness
Looking at the pics of the asphalt, I would have to say it is about end of life.
Sealcoat at this time is a waste of time and money.
I work at an asphalt plant. We make it almost every day. I have been involved in cold milling, paving, and the making of asphalt.
You may have extended the life of your driveway if you had sealcoated it 4 or 5 years ago and that would probably only give you a couple of extra years on it.
When the asphalt breaks up into small chunks, it is because of moisture underneath in most cases. As asphalt ages, some of the oil is lost due to the elements and it loses some of its strength. As you can see in one of the pics, badly deteriorated asphalt looks much like dirt. |
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to fartness
Drive way is gone either replace is or don't spend any money on it and replace it later on.
The electrical?? I don't know your experience level but that needs a good checking out. Where is the power coming from exactly, right breaker or breakers. Next would be to do some rewiring probably just redo the whole thing it wouldn't be that much money and you could sleep at night knowing your garage won't burn down. BTW adding a garage door opener isn't like adding another light bulb. 1/4 horse, 1/2 horse door opener draws a good deal of current. |
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LazMan Premium Member join:2003-03-26 Beverly Hills, CA |
to fartness
Electrical? Get an electrician.
Driveway? It's dead, Jim. Sealing it now is a waste, it's at/past end of life.
Grout? Elbow grease - a stiff brush and grout cleaner, then seal it to help prevent future stains.
Attic? Figure out where the flies are coming from, and seal it up... If they aren't there, they can't breed or die. |
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fartness (banned)Donald Trump 2016 join:2003-03-25 Look Outside |
to randavis
That one picture of where it looks like dirt, I just took up that chunk today. If I cleaned it up before taking the picture, it would look like the rest. That "pothole" or whatever you want to call it is only in a small area and that measures probably 1ft by 2ft. Very small considering my driveway is probably 1200 to 1500 square feet. The cracks are also only in certain areas. MOST of the driveway is not cracked. I'm not a professional, but I'd disagree that the entire driveway is at the end of life. I can post more pictures of it if needed. I can take a video of the entire driveway if that would be easier. |
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said by fartness:That one picture of where it looks like dirt, I just took up that chunk today. If I cleaned it up before taking the picture, it would look like the rest. That "pothole" or whatever you want to call it is only in a small area and that measures probably 1ft by 2ft. Very small considering my driveway is probably 1200 to 1500 square feet. The cracks are also only in certain areas. MOST of the driveway is not cracked. I'm not a professional, but I'd disagree that the entire driveway is at the end of life. I can post more pictures of it if needed. I can take a video of the entire driveway if that would be easier. I know you don't want to hear it but that driveway is dead Jim. That's not a pothole. It's a hole in the resurfaced part of the driveway. It's been repaired before. I'm sure someone will take your cash to re-patch it and resurface it again but the driveway is DEAD. You'd be throwing your cash down the toilet if you fix it. Get some local pros in but they'll tell you the same thing. As for the electrical. Hire someone as you're not qualified to do that even if it's legal for you to do. |
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fartness (banned)Donald Trump 2016 join:2003-03-25 Look Outside |
fartness (banned)
Member
2014-Apr-21 7:59 am
So why does 97% of my driveway not have potholes or is not cracked? |
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said by fartness:So why does 97% of my driveway not have potholes or is not cracked? The band-aid hasn't broke yet but there's still a band-aid on it. Call a professional to come assess it for you then report back. We'll wait to hear what they say. |
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fartness (banned)Donald Trump 2016 join:2003-03-25 Look Outside |
fartness (banned)
Member
2014-Apr-21 8:25 am
I'll call three.
Now, onto a sealcoat specific question that doesn't necessarily have to do with my driveway. Some sealcoated driveways look like the company poured a bottle of Coca-Cola on the driveway and walked away. Looks thin and like crap. Other sealcoat companies make the driveway look brand new. What is the difference that they are doing? I've seen both driveways before and after and they looked far worse than mine. Two different companies. |
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stevek1949We're not in Kansas anymore Premium Member join:2002-11-13 Virginia Beach, VA |
to fartness
RE: Driveway.... Just wait until spring gets here and the gypsies roam around and offer to seal the driveway for 20 bucks or so. It will do as much as anything else can do with it!
It's time to have a pro or several look at it. Looks like it has had it's day. May be time to replace if it is as old as the house. Bite the bullet and call a pro on both the driveway and the electrical. I would hate to think where the breaker for that is located, if there is even one!
A door opener is going to take that setup to it's knees! |
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to fartness
Even if the vast majority of the driveway you didn't have in the pictures is in good shape, sealcoating isn't going to help those bad areas. And cold patch would only help the pot hole for a very short period of time and not be usable on the cracks.
The bad areas have to be cut out, the subsurface properly prepped and hot asphalt laid. If you are going to do that route you might as well also get a price of prepping the bad areas and doing an overlay of the entire driveway. The labor would not be much different, only the cost of additional asphalt would change.
In other words, don't waste money on cold patch and sealcoating, you will not be happy with the results. |
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bmilone2 |
to fartness
Just as an addition to what I have already said, below are the very minimal seal crack sealing specs I have used in seeking proposals for some of the clients I represent. The do it yourself materials sold at hardware and big box stores is crap.
Minimum crack sealing requirements.
Contractor to use an elastomeric hot applied crack and joint sealing in asphalt
Remove vegetation and all incompressible materials from cracks and joints, routing out cracks and joints as needed.
Fill any gaps under concrete with fine sand.
Apply sealant only to clean, dry, properly prepared cracks and joints using two (2) coats.
Sealant must be melted in a kettle or melter constructed as a double boiler. Roofing kettles or other direct fired melters are not acceptable for these materials.
Thickness must be controlled to allow for coverage of one-eighth (1/8) inch above pavement surface.
Finished sealed cracks and joints will be uniformly level and all "sinkers" will be refilled to achieve flush to one eighth (1/8) inch concave surface appearance.
Apply black beauty sand over crack fill to prevent sticking. |
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said by bmilone2:Just as an addition to what I have already said, below are the very minimal seal crack sealing specs I have used in seeking proposals for some of the clients I represent. The do it yourself materials sold at hardware and big box stores is crap.
Minimum crack sealing requirements.
Contractor to use an elastomeric hot applied crack and joint sealing in asphalt
Remove vegetation and all incompressible materials from cracks and joints, routing out cracks and joints as needed.
Fill any gaps under concrete with fine sand.
Apply sealant only to clean, dry, properly prepared cracks and joints using two (2) coats.
Sealant must be melted in a kettle or melter constructed as a double boiler. Roofing kettles or other direct fired melters are not acceptable for these materials.
Thickness must be controlled to allow for coverage of one-eighth (1/8) inch above pavement surface.
Finished sealed cracks and joints will be uniformly level and all "sinkers" will be refilled to achieve flush to one eighth (1/8) inch concave surface appearance.
Apply black beauty sand over crack fill to prevent sticking. It's not cheap either. I'm looking to have it done sometime soon. The quotes are like $700-800 and it's not a big driveway. It's cheaper then redoing it though. |
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Last I checked with the contractors I normally use the price came to about 25 cents per square foot. But keep in mind that the minimum size area I'm normally involved with is 40,000 to 50,000 square feet so probably more per square for a smaller area. |
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TheMG Premium Member join:2007-09-04 Canada MikroTik RB450G Cisco DPC3008 Cisco SPA112
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to fartness
That electrical nightmare is a fire waiting to happen.
Shouldn't be too difficult to properly add some receptacles to that existing circuit, instead of that light socket adapter and extension cord hack job.
Extension cords as well as those light socket adapters are for temporary use only.
Since the extension cords are fastened into place with staples and hooks, I'd say it's permanent rather than temporary and this calls for proper receptacles to be installed. |
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That's what the old homes that received the REA hookup looked like. A single bulb in the center of each room with the light socket adapters. A string attached to the pull chain turned the lamp on and off.
What keeps installations like OP's from burning down is anyone's guess. |
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1 recommendation |
I saw that at Disney World at "Carousel of Progress" (actually originally saw it at the 1964 New York Worlds Fair, but didnt want to say that cause it says damn I'm old) lol |
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fartness (banned)Donald Trump 2016 join:2003-03-25 Look Outside |
to Jack_in_VA
My grandmother's house had a similar setup in the 2nd and 3rd floors since it was built in the 1880's. Only the 1st floor had 2 prong outlets installed. I always wondered why they never installed outlets in the 2nd or 3rd floors, but instead used those socket based outlets. |
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said by fartness: I always wondered why they never installed outlets In the early days of electrification lighting was the dominant electrical device. Other devices (toasters, irons, etc) used the same Edison screw base in order to connect to light fixture. Even fuses used the Edison base. Don't know when two prong receptacles were invented. /tom |
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TheMG Premium Member join:2007-09-04 Canada MikroTik RB450G Cisco DPC3008 Cisco SPA112
1 recommendation |
to fartness
said by fartness:Only the 1st floor had 2 prong outlets installed. The need to power electrical devices other than light bulbs on the upper floors of a house (typically bedrooms and washrooms) is a fairly recent thing. People just didn't have TVs, radios, and computers in their bedrooms nor did they have electric toothbrushes, hair dryers, etc, back in those days. The primary location where electricity was used for something other than lighting would have been the kitchen and living room areas, on the first floor. |
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leibold MVM join:2002-07-09 Sunnyvale, CA Netgear CG3000DCR ZyXEL P-663HN-51
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to fartness
said by fartness:BTW, I snapped the pull chain (you can kind of see it in the picture since what remains is small). How do I repair that? Get a replacement pull chain at any hardware store ($3). It will come with a closure that allows two chain ends to be connected together (for example if you need to extend the length of a pull chain). Since there is still some chain extending from the fixture you can attach the new chain without having to take the fixture apart. A much more serious problem then the broken chain is the cheater plug and three-wire extension cord. Whatever is plugged in on the other end should be grounded but isn't. I would leave the light fixture alone but have an electrician bring in a new circuit (or two) for some properly grounded and GFCI protected outlets in the garage (including one ceiling outlet for the garage door opener). |
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fartness (banned)Donald Trump 2016 join:2003-03-25 Look Outside |
fartness (banned)
Member
2014-Apr-21 7:16 pm
I have a two car garage. Not sure if I will need one or two garage door openers and/or outlets? I also need an outlet for my camera, too. Other than that, just lights are needed so I can see in the dark. |
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robbin Mod join:2000-09-21 Leander, TX |
robbin
Mod
2014-Apr-21 9:36 pm
You need an opener for each door. |
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leibold MVM join:2002-07-09 Sunnyvale, CA Netgear CG3000DCR ZyXEL P-663HN-51
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to fartness
There are two car garages with two single car doors and there are two car garages with one wide door for both cars. As robbin correctly states, it is the number of doors that matters not the number of cars. |
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