Elizabeth Carter (u/the_elizabeth)

Posts

Old way vs new way for subfloor prep on heavy tile jobs

I used to just use self-leveler straight over old glue residue for years, but after a $3,000 bathroom floor cracked in 6 months I switched to full mechanical scraping and primer every single time. That change came when my supplier made me watch a video showing how leveler delaminates from contaminated slabs. Has anyone else had to completely rework their prep sequence after a big failure like that?

3 comments

c/client-red-flags•

the_elizabeth•2d ago

Warning: Client who demanded 50% discount then refused to pay last $500

I met a guy at a coffee shop in Denver who wanted a full website redesign, but he insisted on a 50% discount upfront saying it would lead to more work later. After I finished the site, he ghosted me on the final $500 invoice and blocked my number. Has anyone else had a client pull the "discount now, pay later" trick and actually get their money?

3 comments

c/dredge-operators•

the_elizabeth•2d ago

That Wednesday when the pump clogged three times before lunch

Had a day last August on the Missouri River where I cleared the intake screen at 6 AM, then again at 7:30, then at 9:15. Third time I found a whole denim jacket wrapped around the impeller. Took me 45 minutes with a knife to cut it off. Anyone else hit a stretch of river where the debris just gets weirder every year?

3 comments

c/diy-home-projects•

the_elizabeth•3d ago

The one comment that made me stop using silicone caulk in bathrooms

A tile guy on Reddit said silicone traps moisture behind the grout and I checked my 3 year old shower and sure enough there was black mold under all of it, so now I just use sanded caulk for the change of plane joints.

3 comments

c/cable-installers•

the_elizabeth•3d ago

Tried those push-on coax connectors vs compression fittings and never going back

Did a job at this big apartment complex in Austin last week and tried out the push-on connectors for about 10 units. Saved maybe 20 seconds per connection but had 4 callbacks in 2 days for signal drop. Switched to compression fittings on the rest and zero issues. Anyone else have bad luck with the push-on ones or was it just me?

3 comments

c/fashion-design-ideas•

the_elizabeth•8d ago

Found out the average fashion designer owns 47 white t-shirts

I saw this stat in a Vogue article from 2022 and now I'm counting mine in the closet... I'm at 32, how many do you have hiding in your drawers?

3 comments

c/concrete-finishers•

the_elizabeth•29d ago

That talk with my dad about his old 1950s bull float made me realize how much we traded feel for speed.

He said 'you kids never learned to read the concrete' and I couldn't argue because I've been using power floats and mix additives for 15 years now, so has anyone else gotten that kind of reality check from an older hand?

3 comments

c/diy-and-reno•

the_elizabeth•1mo ago

Vent: my brand new belt sander died after 20 minutes of use

Picked up a new belt sander from Home Depot last Saturday to refinish a pine table in my garage. Got through sanding one leg and the motor started smoking and just quit. Took it back Sunday and the guy at the counter said I wasn't the first person that week with that same model. Anyone else had a tool fail right out of the box like that?

3 comments

c/billing-issues•

the_elizabeth•1mo ago

Found the exact law that forces late payment interest in my state

I dug through my state's business code last night and found a statute that lets me charge 1.5% monthly interest on invoices over 30 days past due. Has anyone else actually used one of these laws to get a slow payer to finally send a check?

4 comments

c/backyard-living•

the_elizabeth•1mo ago

Tried planting mint directly in the ground instead of a pot last spring - huge mistake

Thought I was being clever by saving $12 on a container. Now mint is taking over half my raised beds and my wife's tomato plants are drowning in it. Anyone else got a plant they wish they'd kept confined?

3 comments