|
CzarChasm posted:How high up are the gutters we are talking about? Because something like this might help you The gutters that are clogged are a good 20'+ high. Second story on a house on a slope....I can stand up straight in the crawl space, if that tells you anything about the ground versus the gutters on that side of the house. I have no problem getting on a ladder for over the garage or anything on the 1st story...but this is pretty high up. That said, there is a balcony....so something like that I might be able to reach from the balcony maybe. I'd have to crook it around, but it might be possible. Is there any merit to the plumber snake idea? This would basically attack the clog from the bottom. I can swing by the hardware store tomorrow. I'm sure they have something similar to what you posted. I can get a hose up to the balcony, just need something crooked that can reach around.
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2017 04:20
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 3, 2024 03:48 |
|
|
I'd be surprised if you can do anything effective to your gutters by putting a snake up your downspout. If the hose attachment listed can't reach just call someone. Don't die falling off a ladder.
cakesmith handyman fucked around with this message at 06:14 on Apr 25, 2017 |
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2017 06:12
|
|
|
cakesmith handyman posted:I'd be surprised if you can do anything effective to your gutters by putting a snake up your downspout. If the hose attachment listed can't reach just call someone. Don't die falling off a ladder. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCNiNmP2l2I
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2017 17:21
|
|
|
I had my 24' ladder full extended with stabilizers and it barely reached my soffits, poo was coming out after the half way point up the ladder. Wish I had a bigger one so there would be less flexing from being fully extended, or maybe I should lose weight, idk.
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2017 17:32
|
|
|
So I have a couple windows that are really badly in need of replacement. I can do all that, but I'm curious about the outside trim, downstairs they are wood wrapped in aluminum, is that the best way to go or should I just use that fake vinyl wood instead?
|
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2017 21:34
|
|
|
My (now functioning) washer causes lights in our house to surge as it agitates. Our house is a on a subpanel from a larger residence - will their lights be surging as well? Thanks!
|
|
#
?
Apr 26, 2017 00:52
|
|
|
Who here knows about irrigation/sprinkler systems? System is reclaimed water from the city. I have 5 zones controlled by a Rain Bird ESP-6TM controller. Water days are setup for Wednesday and Saturday morning. Has been working fine since we bought the house 8 months ago. I came home monday afternoon for lunch to see that there was water coming out of my sprinkler heads. Not enough to actually pop up the heads, but enough that you could notice there was water. What was weird is that it was happening on all my zones, all sprinkler heads had water come up out of them. I checked the controller and it was still set in the auto position, tried turning it to the off position and nothing happened. In fact, nothing I did on the controller did anything to the sprinklers. I had to shut the water off at the main valve near the road to get the water to stop. I called the city and asked if there was something up. They said due to the drought we've been having around here they had to turn the reclaimed water off completely and while it was off they did some other maintenance on the system. Lady said normal water pressure should return by wednesday morning. I notice tuesday night that some neighbors have their sprinklers on and they are working so water pressure is back. I turned the main water source back on and the same thing happens, all zones are on, this time with a little more pressure, barely enough to pop up some but not all of the sprinkler heads but the controller still does nothing. I checked everything in the controller, battery/fuse/etc and the controller is fine. I asked my neighbor and he said he's had the valves in the backflow system blow out before when the city has turned off/on the water due to the sudden pressure increase on them. I noticed that this box is full of water now, so maybe an electrical short? I plan on checking those tonight and also make sure the 24v current is making it from the control box into the backflow system itself and check to make sure the valves aren't damaged. Is there anything else I should check specifically? It seems that something has caused all the valves to be open and the control box is not closing them. Basically after work I'm going to check to make sure everything in here  is ok.
|
|
#
?
Apr 26, 2017 12:20
|
|
|
cakesmith handyman posted:I'd be surprised if you can do anything effective to your gutters by putting a snake up your downspout. If the hose attachment listed can't reach just call someone. Don't die falling off a ladder. Yeah dying falling off a ladder is the last thing I want to do....not planning on it. I picked up this at Lowe's yesterday: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Orbit-Telescoping-Cleaning-Wand/4363277 Looks like a cheap POS, and it probably is, but I figure all I need is some extra reach, which this affords, and a way to angle water the right direction. Worst case, if this can't blast the clog, then I can strap a wire coat hanger to the end of it and just use it as a long stick to jam in to the downspout elbow and loosen the clog...then the rest of the year I can use it to actually wash debris out of the gutters BEFORE they clog up.
|
|
#
?
Apr 26, 2017 12:48
|
|
|
DaveSauce posted:Yeah dying falling off a ladder is the last thing I want to do....not planning on it. Might consider getting a few estimates to clean the gutters/downspouts and install gutter screens. Work can really slow down around now for roofers/gutter installers and you might find someone who'll give you a good price.
|
|
#
?
Apr 26, 2017 18:34
|
|
|
I borrowed a neighbor's pressure washer and this part, called a Garden Hose Plug, broke. Is there another place online I can order this product? This site charges a $7 "brokerage fee" and $15 shipping to Canada because they use UPS. Edit: Is this the same thing? Professor Shark fucked around with this message at 20:14 on Apr 26, 2017 |
|
#
?
Apr 26, 2017 20:05
|
|
|
Professor Shark posted:I borrowed a neighbor's pressure washer and this part, called a Garden Hose Plug, broke. Pretty sure you can just pick those up from Lowe's/Home Depot if you have them there. There's this thing that includes that part for 5 bucks. e: or a metal one for even less. CheddarGoblin fucked around with this message at 20:31 on Apr 26, 2017 |
|
#
?
Apr 26, 2017 20:29
|
|
|
Professor Shark posted:I borrowed a neighbor's pressure washer and this part, called a Garden Hose Plug, broke. You can pick up quick-disconnects for a garden hose at almost any hardware store. The trick is to make sure it's exactly the same design as that one. They do vary. I have sets of at least 3-different configurations, and they are not interchangeable.
|
|
#
?
Apr 26, 2017 23:24
|
|
|
Jerk McJerkface posted:So I have a couple windows that are really badly in need of replacement. I can do all that, but I'm curious about the outside trim, downstairs they are wood wrapped in aluminum, is that the best way to go or should I just use that fake vinyl wood instead? Siding installers use bent coil (that aluminum you've got) because it's fast, cheap and easy to color match. Vinyl board is a good replacement. It's a little expensive, but a hand saw is easier than renting (and getting good at using) a coil bender.
|
|
#
?
Apr 27, 2017 13:50
|
|
|
eddiewalker posted:Siding installers use bent coil (that aluminum you've got) because it's fast, cheap and easy to color match. I'm more than happy to use vinyl boards since it's only two windows and I have a bunch of Home Depot / Lowes GC from friends that gave me housewarming gifts. I'm just going to get that. I Just need to find it online. I figured I'd just get like a 2x4 in Vinyl and cut it down, but it's all trim. I'm a little concerned about not having house wrap on the old house, though, but I think that I'm not going to tear off all my siding (cedar shake) until next year when I plan on residing the entire house. Here's my plan in general:
Seems doable, I've never replaced a window before, but I've seen it done a ton of times when I worked in construction and I'm a good carpenter so I don't see an issue.
|
|
#
?
Apr 27, 2017 17:27
|
|
|
Jerk McJerkface posted:Seems doable, I've never replaced a window before, but I've seen it done a ton of times when I worked in construction and I'm a good carpenter so I don't see an issue. I've installed a grand total of 4 windows so far, and it's not really complicated. There's a set process to install your flashing to ensure that water doesn't penetrate, and you want to take your time with getting things level and sloped properly, but it's nothing you can't figure out from watching a few YouTube videos.
|
|
#
?
Apr 27, 2017 17:38
|
|
|
TooMuchAbstraction posted:I've installed a grand total of 4 windows so far, and it's not really complicated. There's a set process to install your flashing to ensure that water doesn't penetrate, and you want to take your time with getting things level and sloped properly, but it's nothing you can't figure out from watching a few YouTube videos. Can you suggest a reference on how to properly seal up? I like this one, but I don't know whats under the trim on my super old house: https://www.familyhandyman.com/windows/prevent-window-leaks-with-proper-window-installation/view-all
|
|
#
?
Apr 27, 2017 17:40
|
|
|
Jerk McJerkface posted:Can you suggest a reference on how to properly seal up? Uh, sorry, I don't remember what resources I used at the time. I just googled a bunch and compared different approaches. But it's basically something like this (using rubberized adhesive roll flashing): 0) Nail down a small piece of trim set back a bit from the sill. 1) Cut a length of flashing to cover the sill of the opening plus 6-12 inches at either end. Press it down along the sill (plus your trim) and sides of the jack studs. The trim makes a slope that runs away from the interior of the house. 2) Make an angled upwards cut at the corners of the flashing. 3) Press down the flashing along the outer wall, so that the sill flashing goes underneath the side flashing. 4) Cut lengths of flashing for each side wall, install. 5) Install window, use screws (with threads covered in caulk) to hold it to the wall per manufacturer's instructions. I didn't have any flashing along the header of the window, because I was able to just slip the window underneath the housewrap. I'm not sure how it works for installing a window when there's no housewrap. Probably you'd put the window in, then put flashing in that adheres to the wall and covers the top of the window flanges (edit: and then install the siding to cover over the top of the flashing). The overall goal is that as long as water is flowing downhill, it doesn't have a path into the structure. TooMuchAbstraction fucked around with this message at 18:25 on Apr 27, 2017 |
|
#
?
Apr 27, 2017 18:01
|
|
|
 Jerk McJerkface posted:So I have a couple windows that are really badly in need of replacement. I can do all that, but I'm curious about the outside trim, downstairs they are wood wrapped in aluminum, is that the best way to go or should I just use that fake vinyl wood instead? Yes x 1000, vinyl forever and always for trim. I would never put wood trim on a window, especially in 2017. I replaced all my downstairs windows a few years back and went with vinyl, and it's zero maintenance, it's fantastic. E: just a side note, but I would go ahead and get new construction windows and tear it all down to the rough opening. It's easier to install those. And pay careful attention to your flashing so you drain water without feeding it into the sill or behind the siding. E2: When pulling out nails with a claw hammer, bend to the side, not straight back like it looks like you should do. LiterallyAnything posted:Can anyone point me in the direction and/or recommend a good hotair soldering station for small-ish home projects? I'm seeing some on Amazon for $80 but that just seems way too good to be true. Probably too late to be helpful, but I would get a good hakko or aoyue soldering station and a separate hot air rework station if you feel like you need it, which isn't as likely. On the hot air station, don't worry about it being digital temperature, just get a cheaper analogue one because it's 100% feel, too many temperature variables so it's not like a soldering station. Catatron Prime fucked around with this message at 18:33 on Apr 27, 2017 |
|
#
?
Apr 27, 2017 18:21
|
|
|
TooMuchAbstraction posted:2) Make an angled upwards cut at the corners of the flashing. Good instructions, thanks! Can you clarify this one? Do you mean the sides that run up the side wall cut them angled downward towards the outside so water would flow downhill out of the house?
|
|
#
?
Apr 27, 2017 18:34
|
|
|
Jerk McJerkface posted:Good instructions, thanks! Can you clarify this one? Do you mean the sides that run up the side wall cut them angled downward towards the outside so water would flow downhill out of the house? I really recommend digging up some videos or photo walkthroughs for this, because it's hard to describe in words. But the basic problem is, you want continuous flashing covering three different surfaces: the top of the sill, the side of the jack studs, and the outside of the wall. You can't fold an uncut sheet of flashing to cover three surfaces like that without creating wrinkles and/or stretching the flashing, both of which are bad. So instead you need to cut it. But the cut introduces a potential area for water to intrude, so you need to make the cut in such a way that when you adhere the flashing to the structure, there's an overlap in the flashing, rather than a gap. Making an upward-angled cut is how you do that.
|
|
#
?
Apr 27, 2017 18:49
|
|
|
PainterofCrap posted:You can pick up quick-disconnects for a garden hose at almost any hardware store. The trick is to make sure it's exactly the same design as that one. They do vary. I have sets of at least 3-different configurations, and they are not interchangeable. I guess I lucked out- I found one today for $2.50 and it seems to fit!
|
|
#
?
Apr 27, 2017 20:10
|
|
|
Pouring concrete question: say I have this setup: I want to do three things: first, patch the gap in the concrete at the bottom of the image (which I cut when I dug the electrical/water trench). Second, replace those pavers with a concrete walkway. Third, add a short concrete path from the doorway around the corner to where the hose bib is. First question: these all seem like things that are small enough to be doable by buying concrete mix and mixing it on-site. I don't have a wheelbarrow; recommendations for an appropriate container to do the mixing in? I could get a wheelbarrow, I guess, but I wouldn't have much use for it otherwise. Second question: for the third pour, you can see my electrical conduit coming up out of the ground. Ideally I'd like the walkway to go right up to the edge of the workshop's slab. Is it OK to embed conduit, copper pipe, and the electrical grounding rod in concrete? Obviously I'd have to be very careful with my excavation prior to pouring, and smoothing the concrete around those protrusions would be rather difficult. I'd plan on doing this pour last for that reason, to get more experience. Third question: the existing sidewalk doesn't have a gravel base, and seems to have been fine; there's no cracking and I didn't notice any issues with drainage when I cut through that section. My soil's pretty hard-packed stuff. Adding a gravel underlayment isn't expensive of course, but it does mean more excavation; how necessary would you consider it to be?
|
|
#
?
Apr 28, 2017 14:55
|
|
|
TooMuchAbstraction posted:Pouring concrete question: say I have this setup: Hahahahahahahahaha. Go to Ace, or whatever your nearby rental shack is. Give them a $20 bill. They will give you a wonderful mixing machine, which you can use for four hours. The style that holds two bags and is basically a combo mixer/ wheelbarrow is great. Also digging and prep and foundations are everything in a project like this... That said I lazily put a "temporary" patch in my driveway that had no rights surviving even one winter, and it's still fine 5 years later.
|
|
#
?
Apr 28, 2017 18:44
|
|
|
I'm trying to figure out the most elegant solution for attaching a pergola to the side of the house. Without getting into all the details, the pergola is essentially a square over the driveway. The beams will run parallel with the driveway and the rafters will span across the driveway. On one end, the beams will be supported by posts on either side of the driveway. On the house side, I'm planning on having one of the beams supported by something like Sky Lift that bolts to the top plate of the exterior wall and pokes up through the roof to hold the beam. The other beam would run along the side of the house, so I can't support it on/though the roof. What I'm wondering is whether or not this second beam could be supported by some sort of steel bracket that sits on the top plate and pokes out through the siding on the side of the house to make a "shelf" for the beam. Essentially, I want to use big countertop support brackets to hold up one corner of a pergola. This is a top down drawing of the house and driveway. The green squares are the posts. The blue bars are the beams. The magenta square is the sky lift coming through the roof. The red bars are the support brackets I'm asking about. The picture shows the roof peaks, so that left side of the house is flat and these brackets could be bolted to the top plate/studs inside and then poke out through the siding. 
|
|
#
?
Apr 28, 2017 19:41
|
|
|
Raised by Hamsters posted:Hahahahahahahahaha. Yeah, I know the foundations are the important thing. I just found it interesting that my back yard has a sidewalk that appears to be in perfect condition that doesn't have the kind of foundation I'd normally expect to find. Thanks for the advice on the mixer. That feels kind of like overkill for a project of this size? I guess I don't have a feel for how many bags of concrete are involved here. There's also the issue of how I'd transport it, as my only vehicle is a Civic.
|
|
#
?
Apr 28, 2017 20:43
|
|
|
The previous homeowner had a chicken coop and after removing it they reseeded with grass that is different from what was on the rest of the lawn. It grows a bit faster and has what looks to me like more field grassiness to it than the rest? More solid blades that are kind of stemmy I guess? I'm not sure how to describe it properly so I guess a picture would have been helpful. I want to do something about this to make it match up with the rest of my lawn. How do I do this? Do I need to kill it all off and reseed with the correct grass?
|
|
#
?
Apr 28, 2017 21:36
|
|
|
Teabag Dome Scandal posted:The previous homeowner had a chicken coop and after removing it they reseeded with grass that is different from what was on the rest of the lawn. It grows a bit faster and has what looks to me like more field grassiness to it than the rest? More solid blades that are kind of stemmy I guess? I'm not sure how to describe it properly so I guess a picture would have been helpful. I want to do something about this to make it match up with the rest of my lawn. How do I do this? Do I need to kill it all off and reseed with the correct grass? Buy a sod plugger, swap the plugs and wait a year or two. This assumes that you have even sunlight in the area. Not all grass does equally well when shaded. This assumes you have spreading grass BTW. kid sinister fucked around with this message at 22:05 on Apr 28, 2017 |
|
#
?
Apr 28, 2017 21:59
|
|
|
kid sinister posted:Buy a sod plugger, swap the plugs and wait a year or two. This assumes that you have even sunlight in the area. Not all grass does equally well when shaded.
|
|
#
?
Apr 28, 2017 22:17
|
|
|
Mr Executive posted:I'm trying to figure out the most elegant solution for attaching a pergola to the side of the house. Without getting into all the details, the pergola is essentially a square over the driveway. The beams will run parallel with the driveway and the rafters will span across the driveway. On one end, the beams will be supported by posts on either side of the driveway. On the house side, I'm planning on having one of the beams supported by something like Sky Lift that bolts to the top plate of the exterior wall and pokes up through the roof to hold the beam. The other beam would run along the side of the house, so I can't support it on/though the roof. Idk if there is an elegant solution with running that symmetrical with both the house and driveway, assuming your drawing is accurate with how the driveway lies; so I don't know if it kills the thing to shrink it in at least even with the house. I really do not like the idea of that thing jutting off the edge of your roof like that. But, that's just me.
|
|
#
?
Apr 28, 2017 23:29
|
|
|
Okay I have no idea what I did or how to fix it... I have a Toro electric mower I got at an estate sale about a year ago. No idea how old it is (owner died and it was a service holding the sale), any repairs, etc. but it's chugged along pretty well the last year. Today I went to mow the lawn, got a few rows in, and it choked out (has happened before with the grass too tall/blade too low if I skip a week). Normally I just back up, pull the fuse key, clear any blockage, and keep going. I did my regular clear and...nothing. The fuse is fine and the battery is charged. The grass itself was dry but the ground is pretty waterlogged still - did I completely gently caress it up? What else could be wrong? What should I do to troubleshoot? Related, my side yard is always a little marshy. The grading is fine (in that it's nto pushing water towards my house and messing with my foundation), what can I do to make it less so?
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2017 02:51
|
|
|
TooMuchAbstraction posted:
Maybe this goes without saying but it's probably best to pour #2 and #3 at the same time. For determining how much concrete you need, I've found the charts provided by the manufacturers to be pretty accurate. I always buy an extra bag or two because it's better to have to return a bag than to run out at the tail end of a pour. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Quikrete-60-lb-Concrete-Mix-110160/100318478 TooMuchAbstraction posted:First question: these all seem like things that are small enough to be doable by buying concrete mix and mixing it on-site. I don't have a wheelbarrow; recommendations for an appropriate container to do the mixing in? I could get a wheelbarrow, I guess, but I wouldn't have much use for it otherwise. You're in that middle area where renting a mixer and figuring out how to transport it may be too much trouble but mixing it by hand/shovel is going to be a workout, especially if you're going solo because once you start you can't stop. If you mix by hand these work well enough: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Plasgad-Black-Large-Concrete-Mixing-Tub-887102C/205451585 It also helps to pour on a cool, overcast day or make a makeshift sun shade both for yourself and the concrete. The key imo though is not doing this alone. TooMuchAbstraction posted:Second question: for the third pour, you can see my electrical conduit coming up out of the ground. Ideally I'd like the walkway to go right up to the edge of the workshop's slab. Is it OK to embed conduit, copper pipe, and the electrical grounding rod in concrete? Obviously I'd have to be very careful with my excavation prior to pouring, and smoothing the concrete around those protrusions would be rather difficult. I'd plan on doing this pour last for that reason, to get more experience. I see conduit etc buried in concrete but I'd be inclined to box it on 3 sides with the 4th side being the slab (well technically it'll be the expansion material you'll line against the slab wherever the walkway meets the slab). Some day even if it's decades from now that conduit may have to be repaired or replaced and it would be easier if it wasn't embedded. The box could be level with the concrete or slightly proud and perhaps you can add pea gravel around the conduit for a more finished look. Also if possible it might be good to cut your expansion joints in the walkway such that if the conduit needs to be accessed you could cut out a single section along the expansion joints and not have to cut into two "separate" sections (each section defined by its expansion joints, if you catch my drift). TooMuchAbstraction posted:Third question: the existing sidewalk doesn't have a gravel base, and seems to have been fine; there's no cracking and I didn't notice any issues with drainage when I cut through that section. My soil's pretty hard-packed stuff. Adding a gravel underlayment isn't expensive of course, but it does mean more excavation; how necessary would you consider it to be? You'd probably be fine without it but I'd do it anyway, because if I didn't do it and it failed sooner than expected it would bug me for cutting corners even if the lack of gravel was not the cause. Watering the area for a couple days before excavating might make it easier. Tamp the gravel down hard; you can make a tamper with a piece of 2x6 screwed onto a 4x4. Good luck! That's one awesome project you've got going.
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2017 21:48
|
|
|
Teabag Dome Scandal posted:I'm guessing you're suggesting this to get both types of grass evenly distributed? Yep. 13Pandora13 posted:Okay I have no idea what I did or how to fix it... Got a multimeter? Time to start testing it like a circuit. Start from the battery and see how far the electricity gets. Is that just a low spot?
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2017 22:41
|
|
|
Thanks for the advice! Too bad by the time you'd posted I'd already poured the first job!  socketwrencher posted:Maybe this goes without saying but it's probably best to pour #2 and #3 at the same time. quote:You're in that middle area where renting a mixer and figuring out how to transport it may be too much trouble but mixing it by hand/shovel is going to be a workout, especially if you're going solo because once you start you can't stop. If you mix by hand these work well enough: For the patch job, I only needed to do about 200 pounds of concrete (2.5 80-pound bags). I ended up doing it with an 80-gallon tub I had lying around; that mixing tub would have been a lot easier. I'm not sure how realistic mixing by hand will be for the second pour, though, since there'll be so much more concrete involved. Just doing the walkway where I currently have pavers is about 25 square feet, or ~1200 pounds of concrete. Adding in a short bit of sidewalk around to where the hose bib is would probably get me to over 2000 pounds. quote:I see conduit etc buried in concrete but I'd be inclined to box it on 3 sides with the 4th side being the slab (well technically it'll be the expansion material you'll line against the slab wherever the walkway meets the slab). Some day even if it's decades from now that conduit may have to be repaired or replaced and it would be easier if it wasn't embedded. The box could be level with the concrete or slightly proud and perhaps you can add pea gravel around the conduit for a more finished look. Also if possible it might be good to cut your expansion joints in the walkway such that if the conduit needs to be accessed you could cut out a single section along the expansion joints and not have to cut into two "separate" sections (each section defined by its expansion joints, if you catch my drift). This is excellent advice, thank you. Making a little ~6"x6" gravel bed for the conduit makes a lot of sense to me. And yes, planning the grooves so that it won't be too much work to access the conduit again is smart. quote:You'd probably be fine without gravel but I'd do it anyway, because if I didn't do it and it failed sooner than expected it would bug me for cutting corners even if the lack of gravel was not the cause. Watering the area for a couple days before excavating might make it easier. Tamp the gravel down hard; you can make a tamper with a piece of 2x6 screwed onto a 4x4. I used gravel...didn't tamp it down though. I hope that won't get me into trouble.  I do find it kind of amusing that gravel is substantially more expensive than concrete. Anyway, photos from the crappy patch job I did. The site prior to starting: about 4' long and 15" wide.  Excavated (and I pulled that bit of greenery after taking the photo):  Poured, edged, and troweled into something vaguely resembling a smooth surface:  Getting a decent surface where the pour met the existing sidewalk was tricky. It probably would have helped if I'd bought one of those 4"x16" surfacing trowels; I did this with a pointing trowel instead. I'd thought I wouldn't need the surfacing trowel because I was going to go for a brushed surface, but the unfinished surface was so rough, even after application of the concrete float, that I needed troweling just to get something vaguely acceptable. Covered with some plywood covered in plastic wrap, because while I could have used a tarp, this job was too small to really warrant one.  Biggest takeaway: I used too much water. The mix got a little soupy at points. I don't think I used so much that it won't cure properly, but it took longer to cure enough to do the surfacing than I'd thought it would, especially considering the sunny weather. Also, keeping Pavlov (my dog) locked inside on a beautiful day is hard on my nerves, as he really wanted to be outside.
|
|
#
?
Apr 29, 2017 23:07
|
|
|
If I want to replace grass with mulch/a flagstone path/plants/giant rocks what's the best way? I've seen people put cardboard and newspaper over it, which seems easy enough. Or is it better to dig it out?
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2017 01:32
|
|
|
13Pandora13 posted:Related, my side yard is always a little marshy. The grading is fine (in that it's not pushing water towards my house and messing with my foundation), what can I do to make it less so? You're gonna need to drain it by installing some sort of drainage - how big is the side yard? Is there an obvious direction you could send that water?
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2017 03:05
|
|
|
TooMuchAbstraction posted:
The Quikrete link says 20 sq ft = ten 80 lb bags, so 25 sq ft is about 12-13 bags, and that's for a 4" thickness, which is overkill for a walkway. I think you'd be fine using 2x4s as forms and going 3.5" thick. Another 8-10 bags for the walkway near the hosebib so yeah that's a lot of mixing by hand if you're going solo. Get two of those plastic tubs and a helper and you're done by lunch. TooMuchAbstraction posted:I used gravel...didn't tamp it down though. I hope that won't get me into trouble. Eh no worries, it sounds like you're on solid ground. Tamp the rest of it though if the spirit moves you. TooMuchAbstraction posted:Getting a decent surface where the pour met the existing sidewalk was tricky. It probably would have helped if I'd bought one of those 4"x16" surfacing trowels; I did this with a pointing trowel instead. I'd thought I wouldn't need the surfacing trowel because I was going to go for a brushed surface, but the unfinished surface was so rough, even after application of the concrete float, that I needed troweling just to get something vaguely acceptable. Yeah the pointing trowel is probably not suited for this, I'd even prefer a 10" drywall knife. That first smooth-over doesn't have to be anything fancy, just flat with the rocks submerged. Maybe the extra water messed things up a bit because usually the concrete float brings that nice layer of cream to the surface and it ends up pretty smooth. TooMuchAbstraction posted:Also, keeping Pavlov (my dog) locked inside on a beautiful day is hard on my nerves, as he really wanted to be outside. Maybe Pavlov can get his name engraved in an out of the way spot in the fresh concrete. Paw prints a la Grauman's Chinese Theater. I like coming across things like that from years gone by.
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2017 09:46
|
|
|
just a quick question, but, uh, I know it is not an encouraging sign when my kitchen/few other spots sometimes have a fit and randomly gain/lose power, but I'm super curious how inappropriate it is for an oven burner dial to be able to turn on my microwave? and then my entire kitchen? i mean it's an old house but, uhhh, well, hm. i don't really understand the mechanism of action, there. i'm going to get an electrician, but I'm more wondering just how terrible a sign this is.
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2017 17:14
|
|
|
Tiler Kiwi posted:just a quick question, but, uh, I know it is not an encouraging sign when my kitchen/few other spots sometimes have a fit and randomly gain/lose power, but I'm super curious how inappropriate it is for an oven burner dial to be able to turn on my microwave? and then my entire kitchen? i mean it's an old house but, uhhh, well, hm. i don't really understand the mechanism of action, there. I am dying for a video of this.
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2017 17:16
|
|
|
Tiler Kiwi posted:i'm going to get an electrician, but I'm more wondering just how terrible a sign this is. You might also want to get an old priest and a young priest.
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2017 17:16
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 3, 2024 03:48 |
|
|
and those fuckers told me that they hadn't just moved the tombstones (in actuality, it was probably the handiwork of all those mice i killed a while ago, getting their posthumous revenge or ghost mice idk) e: and to be clear, by on i just mean, "gain power and beep ominously at me", not "start microwaving" Tiler Kiwi fucked around with this message at 17:41 on Apr 30, 2017 |
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2017 17:37
|
|