c/atlanta-homeowners

My water heater died in the middle of a cold shower last Tuesday

Had to pay $1,800 for an emergency replacement from that Roto-Rooter guy in Decatur because the pilot light assembly rusted through and I couldn't wait three days for a plumber - has anyone else dealt with those Rheem models failing after just 6 years?

My 15 year old water heater finally died in the middle of a shower last night

I was in the middle of washing my hair when the water went ice cold. Took me a minute to realize it wasn't just a pipe issue. That water heater was here when I bought the house back in 2010. I called around this morning and three plumbers quoted me between $1,200 and $1,800 to replace it. Now I'm wondering if I should have replaced it years ago before it became an emergency. Anyone else gone through this and have advice on how to pick a good replacement?

Talked to a roofer who changed how I look at my gutters

He told me most Atlanta homes have gutters that are too small for our heavy rain, and that 5-inch gutters just overflow during a storm like we had last week. Anyone else dealt with water pooling around their foundation after a big downpour?

Lawn mower saga ended with an air filter change

My mower was dying after 10 minutes for three weekends straight. Took it to a shop in Decatur and they just swapped the air filter for $12. Feels dumb but at least it runs now. Anyone else have a simple fix they put off way too long?

That fiberglass inspection hatch I installed saved my bacon yesterday

I finally got around to putting a $30 crawlspace access hatch in my laundry room floor after putting it off for 2 years. Yesterday morning I heard water running and found a busted pipe right under the washing machine. Instead of cutting through drywall or calling a plumber to find the leak, I just popped the hatch open and fixed it myself in 15 minutes. Anyone else put off a simple improvement like that and then kick yourself for waiting so long?

I finally dropped $600 on a new water heater after mine burst at 2am

Standing in ankle-deep water at 3am, calling a plumber who charged me $150 just to show up, totally regret waiting on that $400 inspection last year - anyone else ignored the rusty tank signs until it was too late?

Switched from a lawn service to doing it myself after getting a $400 quote for monthly mowing.

I was paying $180 a month for someone to cut my grass in Decatur for two years until I saw the invoice breakdown and realized I could buy a nice Toro mower after just three months of skipping them, so now I do it every Saturday morning with a podcast and a beer, anyone else save money by ditching a service?

Found a hidden water leak with a $8 thermal camera trick

I was at a hardware store in Decatur last Saturday and the guy at the return counter told me about renting a thermal camera for cheap. I had a high water bill for 3 months straight and couldn't find the leak in my crawlspace. Rented one from the store for $8 for two hours and spotted a pipe sweating near the foundation behind some insulation. Fixed it myself with a $5 clamp and saved about $60 on my next water bill. Has anyone else tried using those rental thermal cameras for weird house problems?

Hit 10,000 gallons of water saved this summer with my rain barrel setup

I set up a couple of rain barrels off my downspouts back in May just to see if it made a dent in my water bill. Didn't really track it until last week when I added it up. 10,000 gallons. That's pretty wild for just two barrels catching runoff from a 1,200 sq ft roof in Atlanta. The surprise was how much it helped during those dry spells when the city watering restrictions kicked in. Anyone else actually keep count of what their rain collection does?

Question about HOA fees in Buckhead: have they really gone up that much in 3 years?

Honestly I just pulled my old HOA statements from 2021 when I bought my place near Piedmont Park and I was paying $285 a month. Now in 2024 it's $375 and I'm trying to figure out if that jump is normal for the area or if my board is just spending like crazy. Some neighbors say it's the insurance costs going up but others think the board is padding reserves for a new clubhouse. Anyone else around Atlanta see their HOA shoot up by 30% in 3 years?

Paid $300 for a french drain that flooded my crawlspace anyway

Hired a guy off Nextdoor to install a french drain around my foundation. He charged me $300 for materials and labor, dug a trench, put in the pipe, and covered it up. First heavy rain in Decatur and water was pooling under my house worse than before. Has anyone else here had luck with a specific drainage company around Atlanta that doesn't just throw pipe in the ground?

TIL I spent over 15 grand on HOA fines in 2 years before I even noticed

I was looking back at my bank statements from the last couple years and added up all the HOA violation fees for my place in Buckhead. Turns out I paid $15,230 just for stuff like leaving my trash bin out an extra day and having a flower pot too close to the sidewalk. I had no idea it was that much until I sat down and actually counted. Has anyone else done the math on their HOA fees and gotten shocked?

The week my basement flooded changed my whole view on sump pumps

Last month after 3 straight days of rain, I woke up to 2 inches of water in my finished basement off Piedmont Road. Had to rip out carpet and baseboards, cost me $800 just in repairs. Has anyone else dealt with a sudden flood like that and found a good backup pump system?

Rented a pressure washer vs bought one for my deck job

I borrowed a buddy's gas pressure washer last spring for my 800 sq ft deck and it took me 4 hours with all the setup and cleaning. Bought a cheap electric one at a hardware store for $90 and did the same job in under 2 hours with way less hassle. Has anyone else found that renting big tools just isn't worth it anymore?

Shoutout to the guy who told me to paint my fence with a paint sprayer instead of a roller

I spent two full weekends last summer rolling my backyard fence with a brush and roller. My arms ached like crazy and I only got through half of it before I gave up. Then a neighbor walked by and said just rent a sprayer from Home Depot for $60 a day. I thought it was gonna be a mess but I finally tried it this past Saturday. Taped up some plastic over the plants and went for it. Finished the whole fence in like 3 hours and it looks way smoother than the brushed parts. Has anyone else found a tool that totally changed how long a chore takes?

Shoutout to the old timer who told me about his 90s water heater

Ran into my neighbor Bill at Home Depot last week, he's been in his house since 1995 and said his original water heater finally gave out last month. Made me realize newer stuff might be more efficient but it sure ain't built to last 25 years like that old Rheem. Anyone else wish they still made appliances like they used to?

My neighbor made me rethink my whole approach to lawn care

Been trying to get a perfect lawn for like 3 years here in Decatur, dumping money into fertilizers and treatments. Last week my older neighbor saw me out there and just laughed, said I was fighting the clay soil instead of working with it. He pointed to his yard that's mostly native plants and said he spends maybe $50 a year total. Kinda made me realize I've been obsessed with the wrong look this whole time. Anyone else ditched the grass fight and gone native here in Atlanta?

Shoutout to my neighbor who fixed my water heater with a wire hanger

Guy from two doors down came over last month when my 15 year old Rheem started leaking, and he had it patched with a coat hanger and some epoxy in ten minutes. Has anyone else had a neighbor save them a huge plumber bill like that?

Tried that new HVAC zoning system for our 1920s bungalow...

We spent $2,800 on a dual zone setup for our old house in Decatur. The upstairs was always freezing while the downstairs felt like a sauna. Well, the contractor installed it and now the downstairs never gets cool enough because the ductwork is so old and leaky. I learned you really gotta check your existing ducts before throwing money at fancy zone controllers. Has anybody else dealt with old house HVAC problems like this?

That water leak I ignored for 2 months cost me $600 in drywall repair

PSA: Watch out for that new paving crew working around Decatur

I saw a crew resurfacing driveways off Glenwood Avenue last Tuesday and something felt off. They were pouring asphalt way too thick in some spots and barely a skim coat in others. One of the guys was just standing there on his phone while the roller sat idle for 15 minutes. My neighbor down the street got a quote for $2,800 and they promised to finish in one day. Now his driveway has these weird low spots that collect water every time it rains. I called a paving company I used before and they said that crew is not even licensed in Fulton County. Has anyone else run into these guys around the Avondale area?

Spent $500 on a radon mitigation system and it was worth every penny

I bought a fixer-upper in Decatur back in March and didn't think much about radon. My realtor kept pushing me to test it but I figured it was just a money grab. Finally caved and bought a $15 test kit from Home Depot. Results came back at 8.2 pCi/L which is way over the EPA action level of 4.0. Got a quote from a local company for $495 to install a sub-slab depressurization system and it dropped to 1.3 after they put it in. My neighbor laughed at me for spending the money but my wife found some research about lung cancer risks and that sealed the deal. Anyone else in Atlanta dealt with high radon levels? Feels like nobody talks about it down here.

PSA: my HOA fined me $200 for a doormat that was 'too festive'

Last Tuesday I put out a fall-themed doormat with pumpkins on it and got a violation notice the next day. The board member told me it violated rule 4.2 about 'seasonal decor before October 1st.' Anyone else dealing with HOA nitpicking over the dumbest stuff?

Hot take: That $400 leaf gutter guard I installed last May was a total waste

I put in these mesh gutter guards on my house in Decatur back in May thinking it'd save me from climbing a ladder every fall. By last week the gutters were still clogged with pine needles and those little seed pods from my neighbor's oak tree. The mesh holes got so gunked up that water was just running right over the top and pooling around my foundation. I spent Sunday afternoon ripping them all off and cleaning out the mess underneath. The guards themselves cost me $400 plus a full day of installation time. Now I'm back to just using a leaf blower from the roof edge twice a year. Has anyone else tried those foam inserts instead or should I just stick with regular cleaning?

My HVAC unit died in the middle of that heat wave last week

Last Tuesday my AC just stopped blowing cold air. Temp hit 98 that day and my house was getting up to 85 inside by noon. Called three different HVAC companies and the soonest anyone could come was Friday. Ended up being a bad capacitor, cost me $280 for the emergency service call and part. Has anyone else had to deal with surprise AC failures during peak summer down here?