mnicholls

We had 2 windows that were caulked shut for the last 30 years or so. I just pulled up my receipt. It was $220 to repair the windows and another $160 for new screens. I researched DIY as well, but am glad I didn't. Apparently,it's common for our windows to not have access panels for the weights, so he had to cut out access panels. One of my sashes needed to be repaired as well.

I used George (AKA sashguy) for my windows/screens and would recommend. http://www.sashguy.com/

Well, it turned out to be a much simpler problem than we thought.... The fumigation company never turned the gas to the house back on. We turned the stove on a few days ago and it burned for a little while - so we assumed we had gas coming into the house. That must have been gas that was still in the pipes. We tried to use the stove last night and it wasn't working. Fortunately, Centerpoint came out right away and fixed the problem!

There were a few things done to our house before we moved in. We had it fumigated and the insulation removed and new cellulose insulation blown in. I'm going to call around today to see who might have a gas control unit. If I don't have any luck, it looks like I'll be finding a plumber to check it out.

Yep - this is the same style. Even while I'm holding that down I can see the pilot light gradually get smaller and smaller. I guessing this is a problem with the gas flow in the main control unit(not sure of the official term)? Not sure how much that costs to replace relative to replacing an entire water heater...

Thanks guys... I guess I didn't think they were that accessible. I found one at Lowe's and swapped it out. Unfortunately - the pilot light still won't stay lit. I'm going to take it off, clean it, and try again.

We had the insulation replaced at our house this past week. Unfortunately, now the pilot light won't stay lit for the water heater, so we don't have any hot water. After looking online, it appears this is most likely the thermocouple that's not allowing the pilot light to stay lit. It seems to be an easy fix, once I can find a replacement. Does anyone know where I can purchase one of these? Are they different for different brands of water heaters?

Thanks everyone! We have no experience at landscaping. Can someone elaborate on what's necessary to properly train this vine? The fence is a series of iron rods, rather than a lattice... will this make it more difficult? Does it matter what time of year we plant it?

Our new house (closing this week) has a wrought iron fence along the side of it. We're looking to add a bit more privacy. Searching online, we came across Star Jasmine, which sounds perfect. Does anyone have any experience growing this in Houston?

I'm a house virgin so please set me straight! I had no idea what the premium to abate asbestos would be. I was able to speak with someone this morning who guesstimated it would cost $4000-$5000 to remove the asbestos roof, if we ever needed to. Add maybe $4000 for new shingles and I feel a lot less worried about having to replace the roof. I was able to locate 2 people who do work on asbestos tile roofs who are willing to check out the house. So we'll see what they say! Yankee_In_TX: I called a number of roofing companies this morning and the majority haven't called back. The few I did speak to wouldn't mess with asbestos roofs.

Thanks for the replies guys... We actually have an advantage since there was a previous inspection done on the house, that we have access to. This is our first house, but after reviewing this inspection document, we feel comfortable about the house and it's "quirks", with the exception of the roof and possibly mold. The inspection doesn't have details about the roof needing replacement. Overall the main points it listed were a sagging roof, one missing tile and a few broken tiles. It did mention that the roof most likely contained asbestos, which makes us worry. From what I understand asbestos tiles shouldn't be a problem, unless we need to replace the roof. After 80 years, how can we expect it to last much longer? I'd hate to spend $20,000 (or however much it would cost) a few years down the road...

Hi all. We found a house and have an accepted offer! We have a list of inspectors from our agent. I was wondering if anyone on here had recommendations? This is an 80 year old house so I'm worried some inspectors won't be as familiar with what to look for, etc. My fiancee and I are also a bit worried about the roof, as it is the original roof. Depending on how the inspection goes, we might want an extra inspection for that. Does anyone have recommendations for someone to do this? Thanks!

Thanks for the advice! We're still early in our search so things are subject to change. My fiancee and I are still negotiating the 1 bathroom topic and whether that's enough space. We might be increasing our price range to give us some more options. It's already a learning experience, but a fun one.

Thanks for the quick responses all! cwrm4: You pretty much identified why Norhill Heights appeals to us, since there are established land use rules and a lack of new construction. We have time to wait for something to come on the market, but are open to expanding our search to other areas. I've found this website to be very helpful in our home search and also being aware of everything going on in town. So thanks to the Admin/Owner!

My fiancee and I just started our home search in the Heights and we both love the Norhill Heights area. We were surprised at the asking price for some 2/1 bungalows. We are looking for a 2/1 bungalow with a garage, on a good street, for less than 275k. Our ideal street is Cottage Street. Is this unrealistic? Looking through HAR - that seems to be the case. We haven't found a realtor yet, so if there are any recommendations for one that knows this area - we'd appreciate it!