Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with home

Free/cheap property ownership search for New York City

cloudscratcher — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 06:18:09 -0800

Looking for free or cheap property ownership data for co-op/condo units in Manhattan. General question has been asked before but doesn't yield what I'm looking for here. I am looking to find the name of the owner of a specific condo unit in Manhattan. I assume that this is public data (and don't want it if it's not) -- I just can't figure out how to get to it.

What should we know about homebuilding before we start?

Aleen — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 19:28:14 -0800

We've never built a home before. Help us not look or act like n00bs! My guy and I are thinking about building a home through Shea Homes using an FHA loan. We're both in our mid-to-late 20s and live in the suburbs of the Phoenix, Arizona, USA area.

Using a price sheet for options sent to us by a Shea sales representative, it looks as though we would be spending less than $200,000 to get exactly what we want in a home (we qualify for a loan of over $300,000). The base price for the home is about $157,000. We're estimating that we want approximately $55,000 in additional features like laminate flooring throughout the home, upgraded countertops, and the like. Shea is offering $25,000 for upgrades as an incentive, bringing our cost down to the $180's.

Neither of us are considering this a "starter house." We both agree that, unless something big and unforeseeable happens, this will be our "forever home." We haven't decided whether or not children are in the cards for us, but this house would allow for familial expansion should we elect to have any.

What do we need to know about the building and design processes? Is there anything we need to know about FHA loans that isn't readily available online? What questions should we be asking? What can we negotiate (base price, upgrade costs, etc.), if anything?

We welcome any and all advice on the topic of building in a preplanned community with a large builder such as Shea. Thanks for your insight!

Selling an underwater house?

antipode12 — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 18:15:48 -0800

Previously I was considering bankruptcy, but now I'm considering selling my house. My fiancee has left, I have $50k in CC debt, student loans, and a mortgage that is under water by $15-25K. Renting it out will only cover 2/3 of the mortgage/taxes/ins., and nowhere to live. I'm thinking about selling it, but what happens if I sell for less than I owe? Also, I'd be responsible for the realtor's fee (4-6%= appx. $20-25K). Add those together, and it's 30k to 50k to SELL my house and get out from under the mortgage. What happens to the balance that I would owe? Thanks!

Looking for an Ideal Home Theater Set Up

dearleader — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 08:12:06 -0800

I recently, finally, purchased an HDTV (a Samsung, from the 6000 LED series). I'm totally new to this, but as the sound is not great from the TV itself, I'm wondering what a good, not bank-breaking (but doesn't have to be bargain basement either) home theater set up is. Basically, right now I'm running the sound through a Linn Classik with a pair of Mission bookshelf speakers. This is OK, but as I understand it I'm missing a lot this way — not to mention that I'm running out of audio inputs. The other parts here are a Sci Atlanta DTV box (Time Warner) and I'm a Mac household. The last detail is that the TV etc. is stored in a quite large built-in piece of cabinetry, so there's room for hardware, but the room is not really set up to have, for example, rear channel speakers behind the viewer.

So I'm curious for tips on people's idea set ups. I've been looking at the best choices at CNET for example. An all-in-one Samsung blu-ray set up? An AV receiver with small Energy speakers? A soundbar? Use the existing receiver in some way? Thanks for helping school an amateur.

need attic insulation advice

cheemee — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:40:57 -0800

attic insulation question: I live in a split level home that has two separate attics. Is it counterproductive to have one attic better insulated than the other? (more specifics inside) Both attics were already insulated with fibreglass batting rated at around R-12 when I moved in. I recently added R-40 batting to one of the attics, and am contemplating leaving the other attic as is at R-12. I have heard from non-professionals that I should not leave it this way, as it's doing more harm than good; I would have been better off leaving both at R-12 rather than insulating one attic only.

Anybody with any know-how or previous experience care to share their thoughts? Basically I'm trying to decide if I should insulate the other attic, or if it's ok to leave it as is.

Possibly relevant info:

-the attic that I have already added insulation to is slightly lower than the other attic
-location is Vancouver, BC (temperatures range from roughly -5 to +30 degrees celcius)
-cost is not an issue
-house is approxmately 30 years old
-I did not enjoy adding insulation to the first attic

thank you!

Help me deal with my parents and their ass-eating dog.

granted — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 11:41:06 -0800

HomeForTheHolidaysFilter: Help me deal with my parents and their ass-eating dog. About a year and a half ago, my parents' 12-year-old longhaired German Shepard (Skye) was given about two months to live. My dad was heartbroken and immediately started looking for a replacement. My mother, however, was looking forward to the independence offered by not having a large dog in the house. But my dad begged my mother for a new dog, and eventually she told him, “I don’t want a dog but I can’t stand in your way either if you're willing to care for the dog.” He got a 1-year old Shepard (Maya) from a rescue shelter.

Fast-forward to the present: Skye is still alive but can barely walk (he requires a lot of care), and Maya has become a serious problem. I'm visiting for the month (usually I'm away at school), and I am finding the situation unbearable for the following reasons:

-THE HAIR: Two German Shepards shed an incredible amount and hair covers almost every surface, but my parents don’t vacuum often. I find the hair upsets my breathing a bit. Part of the problem is that they cannot brush Skye because it causes him pain. They also do not brush Maya (for reasons unknown to me). My dad is responsible for vacuuming but he doesn’t do it. Anytime I bring up vacuuming, it provokes a fight. I have tried doing it myself but I get resentful especially because the Maya ate some of the vacuum attachments, making it hard to get the hair up (and my dad won't replace them because he claims he "fixed them.").

-TRAINING: Skye is very well trained (we adopted him after his past family sent him to obedience school) but Maya has no training. My dad refuses to send her to obedience school, contending that they can train her himself. So far, he has done some haphazard clicker training but doesn’t do it often enough. Usually Maya finds a way to get to the source of the treats and eats them all in one fell swoop anyway. She has also taught Skye some bad new habits, like drinking out of the toilet. Maya has an oral fixation and typically destroys anything in reach. We now cage her when we go out but she still gets into trouble when we’re home.

-WALKS/EXERCISE: Traditionally, we’ve taken our dogs out three times a day for longish walks. But now, because Skye can barely walk, we just walk Maya about ½ block and my parents refuse to take them on separate walks. I think Maya just has too much energy. She runs out back sometimes but there aren’t any kids at home to play with her.

-HYGIENE: The dogs have just made the house super dirty, and it's disgusting. For example: Skye will take a shit, Maya will spend 20 minutes licking his ass and eating his dried shitballs, and then run around sticking her nose in everything.

-THE FIGHTING: Despite his frustration with her, my dad has grown attached to Maya. Meanwhile, my mother has grown more and more resentful. My mother's resentfulness and my father's distaste for household chores has led to a great deal of tension. "The dogs" have become a "third rail issue" meaning that we really can't talk about them honestly. We cannot have a dialogue, for example, about whether to put Skye to sleep and we cannot discuss how best to train Maya. Any suggestions I put forth cause a fight. Meanwhile, my mother refuses to do more than the bare minimum for Maya because my dad adopted her on the promise that he would take on the primary care role. To be fair, I do contribute to the tension by losing my patience with Maya and making my opinions about her odor, her behavior, and the state of the house known. I'm ashamed to say that I don't always express my opinions in the most mature way (a la, "get away from me, you stupid ass eater ")

I know there are obvious solutions to these problems, but anything I suggest turns into a fight. If I say something to my father, my mom just starts yelling at my dad, saying she hates the dog too. My parents resent my coming home and telling them how to live their lives, and they seem unable to commit any more time to the dogs (they put a lot of time into caring for Skye already - and, as I said, my dad will not entertain the suggestion of putting Skye down). How can I cope with this situation, given my physical discomfort, my resentment, and my parents' unwillingness to address the giant hairy elephant(s) in the room?

(Posting for my gf, who will respond to questions by proxy)

Where can I find attractive powered speakers?

bryanlacksfocus — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 10:13:21 -0800

Does anyone know of any attractive powered speakers? Ones that look like they belong on a bookshelf and not next to a PC? I'm looking for speakers to put in my living room that I would beam music to through an Airport Express. It could be one speaker or a pair, but they should be powered and stand-alone—I don't have room for a "system" with a separate amplifier. I don't need a radio, CD player, or iPod dock—just a power switch, a volume knob, and one audio input jack. The only powered speakers I'm finding are designed for use with a computer and are, in my opinion, unforgivably ugly—at least for use outside a computer workstation. I'm hoping to find something simple and modern with straight, clean lines—possibly a cousin to this Tivoli or this GenevaSound radio or the wooden-cased (non-powered) speakers our parents had in the 70s.

With everyone doing so much from their computers these days, it seems like these ought to exist! Have you come across any? Any ideas are appreciated!

Old Bosch jigsaw model equivalent?

Sebmojo — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 19:57:20 -0800

I'm looking for a second hand jigsaw that is equivalent in quality to a Bosch GST 100 BCE - any ideas? In a hilarious yet really damn annoying mishap, one of the tradespeople who worked on our kitchen recently took a jigsaw that a builder friend lent us. We've asked them all, but they claim not to have it - so, it's replacement time. Unfortunately the model of jigsaw, above, is no longer current.

What is a model of equivalent quality that I can look for second hand? Even better, any idea where I could pick up a GST 100 BCE in New Zealand for under $NZ200?

Best cure for a cold bed?

JoannaC — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 20:46:42 -0800

Best cure for a cold bed? I hate getting into a cold bed. Usually body heat warms it up after 15 minutes or so, but getting into it just is depressing and miserable. I have tried extra blankets, I have tried sealing the windows, I am just not sure what else to do. I used to think it was because I lived in a basement, but now I have moved and about a week ago, when we had our first snow, I started feeling the cold bed again. I even tried putting a space heater in, but the problem is not the temperature of the room, it's the temperature of the bed! So, flannel sheets? Electric blankets? What's the best next step here? Frugal options preferred. I just want to climb into a warm bed at night...

How do I build a balcony enclosure to reduce wind and noise yet preserve my awesome view of NYC?

jacquilinala — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 08:37:41 -0800

Help me make my noisy, windy city balcony more enjoyable. I recently moved into an awesome apartment in Brooklyn. It's on the 6th floor and has a balcony... which has an unobstructed, amazing view of the Manhattan skyline. However! My apartment faces the BQE and it's noisy. It's also freaking cold out now, and being on the 6th floor, it's very windy on the balcony.

I thought it would be a fun project to try to build a balcony enclosure of some sort. While I don't want to obstruct my view of the city, I would love to be able to go out there and not feel like I was going to blow away. Noise insulation of some sort would be great too.

I googled around and found this, and while that's the same idea, it's not what I'm looking for. I'm thinking more like going to a lumber yard, buying some kind of wood (?), and DIYing it. Some sort of noise insulation stuff. Maybe plexiglass on one side to preserve the view?

Of course, this would have to work in the summer too...

Ideas? Here are the dimensions... and a picture of the balcony.

129" wide (approx 126" within the railings)

49" deep (approx 46" within)

43" height of railing.

pic 1 and pic 2

Thanks!

Like me, but less hairy.

Foam Pants — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:09:26 -0800

If it works, Tria Beauty would change my hairy life. Anybody have any experience with a home laser hair removal gadget?

Please tell me about the coziest, softest, and most comfortable things in your home.

lalex — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:55:58 -0800

Please tell me about the coziest, softest, and most comfortable things in your home. After a recent luxury hotel stay, I'd like to make my apartment more comfortable...the kind of place with a sofa that's easy to curl up and nap on, an appealing reading nook, a bed that's ridiculously inviting after a long day.

To that end, please recommend your favorite comfortable home items. I'm looking for great throw pillows, blankets, bedding, really anything that makes you look forward to coming home.

"Buy a condo," they said. "It's the best investment you can make," they said.

Anonymous — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:11:45 -0800

Caught between a potentially troublesome mortgage and a bad job. How should I proceed? I moved across the country, largely to take a certain job. To do that, I had to rent out my condo because it would have been hard to sell in that market. (And would still be hard to sell now.) That condo is under a 5-year ARM (adjustable rate mortgage) that starts adjusting in almost exactly one year.

I went shopping for refinancing, and the condo's status as an "investment property" and the loss of equity is killing me. Only my current lender is able to offer me a reasonable (although not great) deal for a fixed rate mortgage. However, the refinance process will take about three months, and during that time, I have to stay at this job.

The problem is that I hate the job and was planning to move on around now. It's easily the worst job I've ever had. It is bumming me the hell out, and I'm at the end of my rope. I was planning to start looking for contract work for a while, and then get started on my own consulting business. I'd really like to not have to stay or to hop into another full-time job for a while.

So, I guess my options are to stick it out for the refi or to move on and see what happens with the ARM next year. Some lenders have told me that I might be OK with it because interest rates are so low, but can it be reliably predicted that the Fed won't raise them in the next couple of years? A friend of mine in finance says that knowing what happens

I completely missed the non-resident-owner problem with refinancing when I made my decision to move, and I'm hoping I'm not missing anything this time before I make my decision. Please let me know if I am.

Ventilation Problem

glenngulia — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:03:06 -0800

How do I determine why vent is not sending heat & A/C to one bedroom? Have a 3 bedroom house. 100-years old if that helps (A/C is brand new, furnace is probably 40+ years old).

2 bedrooms (the 2 larger ones) have vents that work fine. The 1 small bedroom only has 1 vent: absolutely no heat or A/C comes through this vent.

Where do I begin to figure out what the problem is?

Should I buy a home?

Anonymous — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:16:38 -0800

I'm looking to buy a home, am I ready to finance this? I have about $35k in private student loans at 5.25%, no other debt. I've been pre-approved for $150k at 5% for a 30 yr fixed and I currently have about $25k in cash. The homes I'm looking for are between $140k-175k, with most being on the low-end of that band. On the high end I'd be paying just shy of 25% of my monthly take home pay, which seems like a lot.

I'm a first time buyer so it looks like I would get the tax credit along with being able to deduct interest payments.

I would only be in trouble if I were to lose my job within the year, as I plan on using all but $5k for down payment and closing costs. I'll still be saving around $300 a month. I'm young and single, I would expect my salary to rise in the field I'm in, but the economic collapse taught me that nothing is set in stone. Any thoughts on how if this is a good idea or not? Am I missing anything?

Wireless keyboard for a home theater PC?

thewalrus — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:30:24 -0800

Please suggest a quality wireless (RF) keyboard that has an integrated touchpad, trackpoint or trackball for use with a home theater PC setup. There's a lot of different things available from Newegg ($35 to $150+) and the other usual sources, but I'm wondering about some first-hand experiences... I'd like to keep the cost to the lower end of the price range if possible, without getting something that is a total piece of junk. It seems that wireless keyboards designed specifically for desktop use usually don't include a pointing device. I don't want to have a separate mouse and keyboard, the pointer should be integrated.

Where would I find quality, curved, wooden hangers?

decrescendo — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:38:26 -0800

Where would I find quality, curved, wooden hangers? I was just at Nordstrom and I bought some dress shirts that were hanging on some really nice, curved, wooden hangers in the store.

Where would I find something similar?

I see a lot of wooden hangers online but I'm afraid they're probably pretty junky.

Target
Target
Walmart

Help me with a bit of passive home defence

Anonymous — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:26:38 -0800

Looking for a GSM alarm system for my house. I don't live in the States, so the answer should ideally be non-US specific. I was wondering about the Panasonic BL-C131A, but that needs presumably a decent amount of light and a working internet connection to alert me of break-ins. And without push email, fifteen minutes could pass before I get the alert. It's not really ideal, I don't think... A GSM alarm seems like a better idea, but they all seem so expensive and if not expensive then Chinese. Does anyone have a recommendation for a basic all-in-one system with GSM alert for under $200? I only need one PIR, with bonus points for expandability. I noticed Ontech GSM Mini 9009 (+ Ontech GSM Relay 9010) but they are fairly expensive considering the actual alarm isn't included here. Any thoughts? Surely in this digital age the home security market has moved on from closed solutions like a monitoring centre?

Oh what a tangled web we weave

Anonymous — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:58:09 -0800

I need some advice about how to move my life forward. Relationship, job, and home. A simple question: should I stay here or should I go back home, but with the usual tortured backstory that I will try to keep as relevant as possible! Backstory: I am a male, mid 20s, in the UK. I moved 200miles for a job that I loved. It came with own accommodation. I met a great girl (X) there, and started going out with her. Lost job (and therefore place to live) when company collapsed. X was very supportive. Moved in with her for a couple of weeks, she helps me look for jobs. Relationship is strained for a little while due to being in each other's company 24/7. (X is about to start full-time job, after finishing masters degree, so has previously had a lot of free time to be with me)

I want to stay in area, and not go back to my hometown, partly because I would need to do exactly what I am doing here; find jobs, place to live etc, and also because I now have a reason to stay= girlfriend. Decide to stay in area, and stick it out. Decide to find a place to live locally. Ask X whether me living locally is going to work out for both of us. She agrees that it will. Find a small, cheap apartment, fairly close to X. We're happy. Both looking forward to *ahem* christen... new apartment.

I move in. X excuses herself for a few days. Week later, X decides she wants to be friends only. I am heartbroken. Several weeks go by where X causes more grief by "not knowing where she stands", and giving me [false] hope. In the meantime, she's still being supportive, helping me move in other stuff, lending me furniture, still looking for jobs etc. We still do things together when we can; shows, sports and movies. And still talk a lot. Has been platonic only.

I still have feelings for this girl. She is awesome, intelligent, gorgeous. But it means that any glimmer of mutual feelings she shows I jump on (in my mind) as her wanting to get back with me. This is not good. I know that going from 'boyfriend' to 'just friends' is a bad idea. But she is honestly a good friend too.

However, I do want to get back with her. But if I can't, then she is a really good friend I don't want to lose. But even though she's quite happy being friends, I'm not at that stage yet. If there is no hope of getting back together, then I need to get over her.

~~~Meanwhile~~~

Looking for jobs still. The job market is rubbish, as it is back in my hometown. Doing all I can. Get part time job at low pay, whilst still searching for other jobs.

Here's a catch: In a few weeks, I have the final selection process (week-long) to gain entry to Sandhurst, the British Army Officer military academy (please, no comments on whether this is a good thing or not). If I pass, then entry will be in May 2010. If so, then I will have a career sorted for a few years at least.

But until May, or god forbid, if I don't pass, then I still need a better paid job.

The crux: I am barely scraping by here. I can just afford rent now, but I haven't been paid by this job yet. My gas, electricity, water is all metered so I can just about keep on top of those.

My parents, back home, have said that I can live with them for as long as I need. Ultimately I would still be in the same situation, looking for jobs, possibly looking for place to live (parents have small house).

However, I kinda feel settled here. I'm making friends; there's possibly better jobs on the horizon; I like my new apartment; and if I pass this selection course, I would only need to be here for a few months. And I feel like I should man up, and stick it out. I don't want to give up!

So, sorry for the length. With all the above information, can you help me out?

Should I stay here? And try to get over X, carry on looking for jobs (and working part time), and hope that I pass the course.
Or should I move back home? Never see X again probably, still look for jobs (losing part time job), hope that I pass the course.

Throwaway email: hereorhome@googlemail.com

_{(Ideal happy ending: X gets back with me. I get a (temporary) job that pays well. I stay living where I am. Bonus points to get me all three! )}

Assisted living? Retirement home? Help!

Raze2k — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:13:34 -0800

Assisted living? Retirement home? Help! I could write a book about my family and our dysfunctions, but I'll keep it as brief as possible.

My grandmother has lived with my father since they came to the United States in the 1960s and that includes moving into the house that they've lived in ever since my parents were married. These three are the extent of any family my sister and I have ever known (my mother was cut off / lost contact with her family in PA and my father has no family that he's aware of in Romania).

There have been a lot of ups and downs over the years with arguments between all three adults, the likely cause being that they've all essentially become shut-ins, with only minimal contact with the outside world and virtually no friends at all. My mother and father claim to be happy with this arrangement, but you can imagine how stir crazy that might make a person. As a result, when arguments do break out, there's limited outlets for venting and everything escalates needlessly. Now throw in the fact that they've basically spent years of their lives watching television rather than having social lives and we get a bit closer to my actual question. My grandmother is 89 years old and as such, she's been hit the worst by the lack of regular social interaction and essential seclusion in her room watching television. There's a lot more detail that I could go into, but basically she's tired of feeling locked in and a recent, extremely explosive situation has left my mother not speaking to her. Consequently she feels angry, unwelcome and has spoken to my sister about moving out.

At 89 years old, her options are limited but she clipped an advertisement from the newspaper for an assisted living residence that she has asked my sister to look into; my grandmother receives less than a thousand dollars in Medicare a month and is under the impression that the residence wouldn't cost more than $1000. Unfortunately, that's most definitely not the case, as my sister's initial investigation turned up a yearly amount of close to $90,000.

So, I turn to you hive mind. Please give me your wisdom and insight into this situation.

My grandmother is far from invalid. She's lost some mobility (and feeling in some fingers), but has minimal -- if any -- difficulty going up and down large flights of stairs, getting into and out of bed / chairs herself, bathing herself and still loves to bake and cook. What she wants isn't a live-in nanny or person to make sure she takes her pills. My sister is completely in support of either taking her into her apartment or finding a 2 bedroom apartment, but I think that might be lacking.. in the sense that she'd still be a bit limited during the day in terms of social interaction. My sister says that my grandmother seemed very excited by the prospect of talking to other seniors and using amenities like an on-site hair salon; this from a woman who hasn't really left the house by herself (or more than a few times a year for that matter) in well over a decade.

What are my options in New York (either Queens or Long Island) that are affordable (Medicare + help from my sister and I) for someone who craves social interaction with other seniors (something she hasn't had in perhaps 30 years)?

Note: Despite my sister's suggestions, my grandmother hasn't gone on day trips with my sister while living with my parents mostly because she feels guilt or anger reflected back from my father. She has given up so much of her life for her son (and there's a huge back story here).

My stubby amplifier...

rleamon — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:12:01 -0800

Home amp filter: Shallow cabinet, 5.1-channel, three-input-HDMI, two-zone, good-quality amplifier-receiver -- does it exist? The missus and I just moved into our remodeled house -- the custom bookshelves are only 12" deep, so my 16" deep Denon amp that does most of what I want juts out unacceptably.

Is there such thing as a 13" (or less) deep, 5.1 or better surround, three-input-HDMI amp/receiver, that can play to two or more zones (i.e., 5.1 in the living room and 2 only in the kitchen?).

Fried crossovers/voicecoils for Mission speaker towers

omidius — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:28:30 -0800

Audio Trust: I suspect the crossovers & voice coils on my Mission speaker towers (the 5 driver + tweeter rosewood cabinet ones) have fried. Where can I possibly find replacements or knowledgeable people to help me solder in new ones?

What should I get my Grandpa?

smartypantz — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:23:40 -0800

You: a man in your mid eighties, in a "nursing home"
Me: Granddaughter visiting for just a day.
Question: what would be the most awesome gift that I could leave with you that would provide amusement or happiness? I searched and found a similar question, and I will check out the idea of a bird feeder (like if there is one already or if it would be allowed). I have given him cd's before and I don't know how easy it is for him to access the cd player, plus he has a "roommate" so that might complicate things.

I know that a visit and my company is the best gift, but this is not easy for me as we are not in the same city. I will be visiting him this weekend - just overnight, but I want to leave something that he will enjoy. My Grandma died last year so I really want to give him something special.

He was a mechanic in the air force, an avid square dancer and used to be a real fix it kind of guy. He's not much of a reader, I don't think. Also, he is/was a "naturalist" - (ie nudist) a fact I only recently found out!

In the past I have got him things like: a calendar of old cars, a Johnny Cash cd, a nice bolo tie, various foods.

Need help fixing a roll up shade

kbar1 — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:27:22 -0800

Please help me to repair a roll up matchstick shade or refer me to a web site with directions in plain English. I bought an 8ft. matchstick shade and spent hours just installing the 3 hooks and hanging it, then discovered the drawstring on the right side had pulled loose from the pulley mechanism.

Obviously, I'm not mechanically inclined, but I'd rather try to fix it than return it to the store and start over. The problem string attaches at the top-back of the blind and should loop down under the bottom, and up to the pulley. The string is attached as it should be at the back, but just hangs straight down. I've tried feeding it through the pulley, but there doesn't seem to be room - and even if it did fit, it seems like it must need to attach to something - but what?

I know this is a longshot, but I'm hoping it will make sense to someone with experience fixing roll up blinds. Thanks!

Holiday lights: hang 'em high!

Bardolph — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:58:49 -0800

How can I conveniently and safely affix a string of Christmas lights to the edge of a second-story roof? Halloween's over, and it's officially time to start planning holiday decorations, hurray! My challenge this year: to get a string of lights (preferably icicle, but standard C4s in a pinch) hung along the eave of a ~22'-high roof.

It sounds simple, but the roof is really too high and treacherous to go with the standard plastic light clips that have to be manually stuck on and pulled off the gutter every season. I think I could probably make it up there once, to install whatever hanging hardware may be necessary, but after that the lights will have to be hangable from the ground exclusively.

My current thought is to screw metal hooks into the underside of the eaves, then hoist a string of lights onto the hooks using a tall pole of some sort-- but without any way to close the hooks, I worry that the lights might blow down in a gusty wind. Ideally, there'd be some more secure way to make sure the lights stay attached, but can still be hung and removed easily by someone reaching out a window or standing on the ground.

So what might be some clever alternatives for hanging long strings of lights across high places? Has anyone had any success with pulley/clothesline-type apparatuses? Or with these dodgy-looking lighting tracks? Any other bright ideas?

Details:
--There's a small dormer in the middle of the roofline which it'd be nice to outline as well, although in theory the lights could be strung straight across that.
--The gutter is also accessible at wide intervals from second-story windows, as shown in this crude drawing.

Any and all suggestions welcome-- thanks!