How the fuck do I properly seal this goddamn gaping huge fucking hole next to my dishwasher?
Fucking American cockroaches coming in non fucking stop hence the diatomaceous earth
it's pointless coz roaches will just find a way around, like crawling under the dishwasher. your problem is not the hole, it's the roaches. you can fix that, you cant plug every hole in the house.
>>1017998
>coming in non fucking stop hence the diatomaceous earth
are you saying it doesnt work?
i had high hopes for it maybe just wait day or two(?) till it dries them out
unlike what another poster said you can seal up your house but it takes a lot of work. You should start by pulling the washer out of its home and uncovering what is really back there. Newer houses are better sealed houses, if it is an old house you probably have a lot of work ahead of you
>>1017999
>you can fix that
you can't fix american cockroaches coming into your house. they are not german cockroaches
>>1018006
this is an apartment. i want to seal the hole. can you guys please just fucking tell me how to seal the hole? i cannot do anything but seal the hole.
Sealing the hole will stop them from coming into the kitchen trhough the hole. it's at least something.
>>1018007
google "how to seal hole" you fucking lazy ass douchenozzle
do you have a hand saw and a piece of 2x4 or another piece of wood? No? Any other solid materials you can shape into a block that the roaches won`t eat through?
Why don't people here use a proper 'kill everything' spray?
you cut a piece of wood, acrylic, sheet metal, or whatever to the approximate size of the hole. use caulking, hot glue, wall plaster, wood putty, plasticine, or whatever to make a perfect seal. not exactly rocket science.
>>1018018
Roaches can eat wood.
>>1018020
i don't think i would spray that next to my dishwasher
>>1018018
>>1018015
>>1018024
I know this may surprise some of you but some people are generally looking for an answer on how to do things correctly when they ask :)
it should be pretty much self explanatory that i am asking how to fix this in a way that looks congruent with the existing skirting. Again, this is an apartment
>>1018046
rotting wood is their main dietary constituent, but they can't fuck with treated/healthy wood.
>>1018053
>how to do things correctly
Nobody there's fucking with you, caulking something that fits is the proper way to do it, your skirting already looks like an amateur job anyway.
>>1018061
kay, I'll look into it. Basically, I don't want them realizing it was done, which they probably won't.
>>1017998
>>1017998
That hole isnt the cause of the roaches. And that hole isnt the only way the have access to the kitchen. Block that gap and they'll find another way in.
The roaches only exist because of food being present. Either in your unit or a neighbors. All foods need to be in sealed in airtight containers. The stove needs to be cleaned after cooking, and the floor swept regularly.
As to pest treatment, that is a maintenance issue and needs to be handled by the landlord. The presence of an infestation is itself deemed by trade practice and law to be a breach of contract if the landlord fails to remediate.
>sauce: im a landlord with over 80 properties and 15 years of experience.
Diatomaceous Earth needs to be applied in a very particular way. Just spreading it on the ground will not work since the roaches will go around it.
The bottle should be half empty. Empty out any excess into a tupperware container and seal it, set aside. Clear the area to treat. Treat under the fridge, stove and under the cabinet in question.
To treat:
Leave the cap on the half full bottle of DE.
Shake the bottle vigorously.
Quickly remove the cap and hold the bottle about a foot over the area to treat and point the nozzle away from your eyes.
Squeeze the bottle hard to eject the dust infused air in the bottle out.
Thats it. No more DE than this is needed to combat roaches. Again, if you apply too much the roaches will avoid it. With just the thin dusting theyll fly right through it casting the dust up onto their shell. Once a week sweep up the area thoroughly and reapply a new dusting of DE.
>>1018075
>The stove needs to be cleaned
including behind and under the stove... who knows what food crumbs the previous tenents dropped behind/under there. see if you can slide the stove out and see whats going on. I'm 99.9% sure there is more that will need to be sealed off then just the hole/gap in the skirting.
>>1018081
kys
>>1018063
>I don't want them realizing it was done
Who? The cockroaches?
If the landlord bitches, just make whatever you do reversible when you leave. And have the next tenants welcome the cockroaches.
It's an apartment. Call the fucking apartment manager. Make them fix that shit, AND get an exterminator out there to take care of the problem.
Get a bit of mdf the same colour,glue around the hole with some waterproof shit idk the glue gun should work anyway stick it in and that will cover it
Get a pizza wood.
Get a piece of moulding for the floor in front of pizza wood.
Caulk caulk caulk.
For safer measure fill hole with expanding foam shit prior to putting wood moulding and caulking.
>>1018075
Mr landlord, I'm thinking about renting out the bottom floor of my house. Any protips on not getting fucked over by shitty tenants?
>>1019060
Yeah. Dont rent out parts of your personal home unless they're completely seperate dwelling units that are physically seperated with individual entrances and utilities.
Back ground and reference checks including work confirmation finally a written contract. Most importantly, trust your gut. If ANYTHING feels off about someone, dont rent to them.
If the utilities in your place are shared then work that into the rental price to avoid the hassle of "xxx dollars per month and your share of the utilities." That never ends well and leads to disagreements. Renters prefer to not have surprises. Include it in the price and say "which includes all utilities and wifi internet, cable" etc.
If its a shared living arangement where theyll share the kitchen then establish ground rules about the use of the kitchen and cleanup afterwards. Ideally, even if its a shared unit household there should be a kitchenette in the space your renting. They're relatively easy to install and greatly increase desirability of the rental space because they reduce the feeling of cohabitating and increase the feeling of privacy.
Furthermore the tenant has certain rights. Including but not limited to privacy even in shared unit housing. A landlord generally needs to provide at least 24 hours notice before going in to do work on a unit and cant just willy nilly wander into an apartment for no reason. Just as your space is off limits, so are theirs.
Get a deposit and first months rent.
Rent is due ON or before a certain day of the month, either the day tenancy is started or the first of the month. If you do the first, then get the first partial prorated month's rent and the next full months rent at move inif prorated month is less than 21 days.
Rent is considered LATE if it is not paid on or before the due date.
Late fees are optional and need to be in the contract if you will accept them.
>>1019144
Eviction procedings start when rent is not received by a certain date. If you DO start eviction for non-payment or any reason do not accept any partial or full payments. Acceptance of payment is a continuation of contract and limits certain recourses you have legally.
And a deposit is just that. A deposit. An amount of funds set aside for cost recuperation at the end of tenancy. A deposit can be used to repair tenant damage that exceeds wear and tear, unpaid rent, and things like light bulb replacement. Any unused deposit must be returned to the tenant at the end of tenancy along with a statement of expense. Deposit cannot be used for things like maid services, or a post exit cleanup like vacuuming, carpet cleaning that resulted from normal wear, painting (except in exceptional cases), and the like.
And finally. Your tenant is NOT your friend. You don't hang out with them. You dont drink with them socially or otherwise and you dont socialize.
>>1019145
Oh. Yeah. Always always always give a receipt for cash payments. Write out the receipt when cash is tendered. Not "tomorrow", not in advance, when payment is made. Buy a receipt book and keep it locked up in your closet if a shared unit. The reciept and carbon copy are proof of payment for both parties. I personally provide receipts for all payments, cash, check, transfer and credit.
If a dispute arises they're what the courts will look at. They can provide evidence of a history of late payments if eviction is started and can protect you from claims.
>>1018053
>how to do things correctly
Rather than getting all fixated on aesthetics of this project you should be more worried about results, while you piss about how it looks cockroaches are climbing all over your kitchen at night and spreading disease and germs on all you cooking surfaces and utensils.
Get an off cut of wood and cut it to fill the hole then give it a coat of white paint and caulk it in nice and neat, unless you can find some more of the baseboard they used on the cupboard bases, then use that instead.
>>1017998
don't worry about closing the hole. pour a bunch of borax in there :O
>>1018053
Buy cheap, similar-looking wood piece. Buy identical trim. Buy white paint. Buy wood glue, caulking, or anything else that makes things stop moving.
Measure hole. Cut wood to exact hole size. Glue wood in place. Cut trim to size. Glue trim to wood.
Fuck using anything more. You don't owe your apartment a professional repair job. You now have no excuses.
>>1019149
Thanks for the heads up. How do you usually determine the rent amount, googling comps or on a case-by-case basis? I've been using zillow and such, and rent around here is expensive as fuck so I'd like to compromise a bit to retain reliable renters.. Or is this a bad idea and should I just rent for as much as I can get?
Mix borax with powdered sugar and/or flour, it's poisonous to them
>>1021642
Imo get as much as you can get. Cheaper deals bring in cheaper tenants. Once you have a good tenant don't raise the rent to encourage them to stay.
>>1018081
This.listen to the emperor,op.
