All Forum Posts by: Cathy B.

Raquel,
The answer to your question may not be cut and dry.

You may want to investigate whether or not the wiring was, as it was installed, code compliant.  Outdoor wiring is usually pretty beefy and not intended to be strung across a lawn (you would bury it under those conditions)

Was the wiring in a location that made it venerable to yard equipment? or was the tenant careless and let the grass grow into areas that had previously been mulched and therefor eliminating a natural buffer between the AC unit wires and the grass?

Anthony,
I found have found this link really helpful when I needed it:
https://tilecleaning.org/removing-shower-mold.htm

Also, I didn't realize this before, but re-sealing grout should be done 1x / year.  A lot more maintenance than I anticipated for sure.

In my own home (1x per year) and also between tenants at the rental, I wash the walls and ceilings in the bathrooms to keep the soap scum from building up and growing mold on its own.  (Here in Oregon, it can get quite moist regardless of having a bathroom fan.)

Sorry some people are here are being annoying and unhelpful.
Good luck!

Neil,

See this article:
https://bettersoundproofing.com/soundproofing-existing-walls...
Item 2 would be a good, inexpensive place to start and see if that helps (enough?).

Also, have you considered having someone on the other side of the wall talking/ yelling while you are there?  It may help you identify the issue.

Lastly, are either of them sleeping with the window open?  That is what I'm doing this time of year, but luckily no snoring neighbors. 

Good luck!
-Cathy

Morgan,

It sounds like the kitchen grout cracking would be easy to repair.  I know you want to replace with LVP, but in the meantime you could easily hire a grout clean/ repair company.  The cracked tile in the bathroom is more tricky without spare tiles, which is probably why you want to do it now.  It wouldn't hurt to have the same grout company look at it and see what their suggestions are.  This could save money and hassle until the tenants are gone and you have found the right person and time for the job.

-Cathy

Portland, OR story here . . .

Some friends had a house next to an abandoned commercial property.  A homeless encampment started up . . . very close to their house.  They called police, but the police would not do anything as they were not owners of the property.  It took some time, but they were able to contact the owner and set up an agreement where they would call in trespassers so the police could remove them.  After things got cleaned up . . .they sold and moved on.

The HOA or the security could be the person that calls, but I have to believe if it can be done in Portland, it can be done in Texas.

Good luck!

A lot of larger mom and pop hardware stores do screen replacement where can bring in the frames and they will re-screen either on the spot or within a few days.  Its pretty affordable, like $15-ish, depending on the size of the screen.  There also might be mobile screen repair people that can do this one site in your area . .  just check yelp or similar.
Good luck!

Caitlin,
Gate hardware is unique in the hardware world.  I've had good luck with Lockinox both on projects that I've worked on and for my own single family home.  The people at that company are really helpful and can provide you with multiple suggestions.  https://www.locinoxusa.com/
Good luck!

As a designer, I have a thing against beige.  It represents mediocrity.  It might be acceptable if you  typically find yourself renting to the older crowd though.
Warm white is great and seems to be trending.  The tenants will add their own accents with furniture and art and it makes good backdrop.  The warm color makes the space look sunny and inviting.  The lighter tone will make the space look larger too.

I use Miller Paint "Pale Quartz"  I don't think they do business outside of the Pacific Northwest, but you can look up the color for reference here:
https://www.millerpaint.com/digital-fandeck/

Good luck!

As a designer, I have a thing against beige.  It represents mediocrity.  It might be acceptable if you  typically find yourself renting to the older crowd though.
Warm white is great and seems to be trending.  The tenants will add their own accents with furniture and art and it makes good backdrop.  The warm color makes the space look sunny and inviting.  The lighter tone will make the space look larger too.

I use Miller Paint "Pale Quartz"  I don't think they do business outside of the Pacific Northwest, but you can look up the color for reference here:
https://www.millerpaint.com/digital-fandeck/

Good luck!

Epoxy paint is pretty typical in commercial kitchens and bathrooms.  It has a bit of a unique finish.  I would think you could get away with it in those spaces, but in a living room or bed room it might seem quite odd.

For durability use semi-gloss for trim and doors.  Eggshell is typical for walls, and flat paint for ceilings.  Anything glossy on the ceiling looks tacky.  Oh ,this is the designer side talking, not the landlord one. 

Also, your local paint store people probably can advise the best on durable paint systems, etc.  

Good luck!

-Cathy