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Whattup my dead grass comrades. I bought a house that had a pristine lawn back when there were weekly rains and mild spring weather, but now the rain is gone and it’s 100+ degrees every day. Most of my lawn is in good condition, but I’d like to learn more about rehabbing the burnt sections and prepping for fall/winter.
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Aug 22, 2019 21:57
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| # ¿ May 9, 2024 06:31 |
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How the hell am I allowed to use a string trimmer without a license. I think that thing has a soul, but it’s an evil and blood thirsty soul.
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Sep 9, 2019 15:23
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Yesterday I found myself conscripted into the anti-armadillo army after suffering a devastating first strike on my lawn. Hopefully we can win this hellwar during my lifetime.
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Oct 6, 2019 22:37
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Armadillos can poo poo anywhere they want as long as they aren’t digging up my yard, thems the breaks
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Oct 7, 2019 00:55
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Update: I retract my initial hostility to armadillos after new scatological evidence was discovered at the scene of a second attack. Suspicion is now shifted to skunks or raccoons as the perpetrators.
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Oct 8, 2019 15:24
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A “tiny touch up” project spiraled out of control and now I’m nursing a beer after 3 trips to Home Depot and repainting the biggest wall of my home. Curse the prior owners and their love of cast iron wall decor 
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May 25, 2020 00:22
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Behr Premium Plus ($25/gal) for me because it’s the interior paint on all my walls and the second I put anything nicer on one wall I will have signed a binding agreement with my wife to repaint the whole house.
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May 25, 2020 16:20
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I’m ready to build a small shrine to my laser level after installing a >100 inch curtain rod yesterday. I used a ruler and normal level to mark the drill holes, but having the laser as a second layer of measurement verification helped calm the mid-project “this is all going to poo poo” jitters.
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May 31, 2020 21:44
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If you have to hang a bunch of stuff, a laser level is like $30 and saved me a ton of frustration hanging curtains. I wouldn’t call it essential, but it’s neat.
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Jun 28, 2020 02:20
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Residency Evil posted:What's the best way to get "good" grass? I've been putting down the Scott's stuff since last summer, but now I'm finding myself trying to fight off clovers in my grass. I bought some Orwin stuff today and put it down. Hopefully that'll help. Very interested in this as well. I’ve got some spots where the grass had died out that I let overgrow with clover because green>dirt, but I know I’ll want to get it sorted out eventually.
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Jul 13, 2020 01:35
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The PO of the house I bought did a good job having weed barrier in all necessary areas, but it’s getting pretty torn up and letting weeds through. I know I need to give it all a refresh but I missed the perfect window of quarantine weekends + March/April weather. Spending 2-3 weekends outside in July/August 100 degree weather is a no go without a teenager to...delegate... the work to.
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Jul 27, 2020 00:37
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StormDrain posted:Unless you only need a couple bags of mulch I would not reccomend buying mulch in bags. Either call a tree company and have them drop it off or call a landscaping company if it needs to be fancy. Yeah but then they drop a bunch of mulch on your curb and you realize you don’t own a wheelbarrow and make the quick, but shameful, drive to Home Depot.
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Jul 27, 2020 01:20
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My neighbors are replacing their A/C unit that was running drat near 24/7 and gave off loud pulsing hums audible everywhere but my kitchen. So long as the new unit sounds like a normal A/C unit, my home life is about to noticeably improve and I don’t have to lift a finger.
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Jul 27, 2020 19:17
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Replacing a lawn mower blade has to be my least favorite home owner task so far. Switching out the blade was easy, but it’s nerve wracking to start the mower again and hope you tightened the bolt enough to keep the blade from whirling out at ankle/shin height.
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Aug 9, 2020 03:14
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Watching my lawn slowly shrivel in three digit temperatures is making me want to be That Guy who ignores the local drought restrictions of only running sprinklers once a week, but so far I am settling for being the guy who judges That Guy who is watering 4 nights/week and is best buds with the HOA president and will never get in dinged for it
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Aug 12, 2020 21:17
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This weekend was a hard lesson that the time and efficiency difference between a 1 man homeowner and a 3 man painting crew is gargantuan.
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Aug 31, 2020 06:49
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I’m in the market for a garage beer/meat/frozen meal fridge. Are the most basic fridge models any more reliable than the ones with all the bells and whistles?
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Sep 5, 2020 17:37
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tater_salad posted:Keep in mind if you are in a cold climate you might end up having a freezer freezer when it's super cold. True, but I’m in an area where winter averages highs in the mid-60s and lows in the mid 40s. The impact of an extended freeze would be grocery stores running out of beer as everyone restocks at once.
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Sep 6, 2020 18:56
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Is replacing wired smoke/CO detectors an easy DIY task, or should I hire it out? The process seems straightforward, but the combination of electrical work and risk of an incorrectly installed system not catching a fire or carbon monoxide leak has me willing to pay an electrician.
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Oct 30, 2020 17:16
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ntan1 posted:I would recommend hiring a handyman to do this for you. I would charge you $400/hr + a flight to your house myself Ha ha, okay great !
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Oct 31, 2020 01:42
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My parents had a minor home repair project pop up last night. What do y’all think, will $400 and a trip to Home Depot do the trick? Driver got a DWI once they pulled the garage doors away to get him out of the car
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Jan 11, 2021 22:40
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Inner Light posted:Also if I'm not mistaken that looks to be a nearly new ('20 or '21 ish) Cadillac Escalade which could be totaled. That car starts at ~$75k. Fun night! It was an Escalade, and in surprisingly good shape for a car that plowed through a building with no attempt to brake. Both cars in the garage are looking rough, so I’m sure his insurance will love that he potentially totaled three cars and took out a garage in one go.
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Jan 12, 2021 00:08
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H110Hawk posted:If there is a gap under your door plug it. Then add white noise machines: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GFSF402/ in your room and the rooms generating the noise. You might be surprised how much better your life is with them. I actually should pickup a new one for my kid's room, because after several years of it being on literally 24/7, plus traveling in a suitcase, plus him playing with the thing, the bearings in it are starting to have a pronounced rattle. As I recently found out, a white noise machine may inhibit your WFH productivity when you try it out for the first time and sleep so well you don’t wake up until 9:15am. Still in the office by 9:20 though.
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Jan 27, 2021 00:43
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H110Hawk posted:Oh certainly. Lord knows if we got a hard freeze all of the exterior pipes in my house would be goners. We sleep with a white noise machine with ocean noises because it absolutely knocks out our newborn, but lord knows I’ve gotten an adrenaline rush waking up to the noise of water these past few days. Texas is absolutely not built for these temperatures.
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Feb 17, 2021 17:08
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It’s been long enough that I’m forced to admit the Great Freeze of Texas turned my yard redo plans from a “nice to have” project to a “get off your lazy rear end and fix the yard, all the good plants are still dead and the weeds have established strongholds in the planting beds” project.
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Mar 25, 2021 23:53
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GoGoGadgetChris posted:Hell yeah get it done. I had 300 feet of French drain installed around half of my house/yard yesterday and I'm so excited for the lawn to be usable year round next year It is exciting to rebuild and design what we want. The bummer is our prior owners left a lovely yard that we were entirely happy to maintain while we focused on more pressing areas. Unfortunately all the thoughtful highlight plants were not built for an extended freeze and did not grow back. I can’t call myself a Dad, homeowner, or grillmaster if ignore ugly plants to flip burgers.
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Mar 26, 2021 00:37
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Reasons to do yard work: -10% I hate looking at dead or overgrown plants -10% I know the old neighbor who is always in her yard is judging me -80% the post-yard work shower beer
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Mar 27, 2021 23:26
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StormDrain posted:Way too many variables to tell you. How much wall square footage, where you live, how many colors, what's the state of the house (empty, occupied), moving furniture, ceilings, trim, doors... Even in an unoccupied house I think I would pay for someone else to do doors/ceiling/trim/prep work, but at that point it’s probably better to just pay for everything. Having a helper to do all the prep work is definitely key for DIY painting.
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Apr 5, 2021 15:09
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My parents had a water heater replaced under warranty. The warranty company took 3 weeks to respond and installed the new water heater upside down.
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Apr 18, 2021 20:15
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Our latest project is finally getting all of our rooms furnished and walls decorated. I have newfound respect for interior designers and homeowners with good decorations, especially when they can make disparate pieces that all look great together.
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Apr 25, 2021 18:14
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Chad Sexington posted:Anyone ever get a timeshare-esque sales experience from a contractor? I doubt they were doing work down the street, that’s just a door to door guy. Generally best to not let them past the door, and to keep the door open for a short a time as possible because of all the reasons in your story.
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Apr 26, 2021 18:28
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Anyone have oven brand recommendations? We’re looking to switch from a gas oven to an electric oven.
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May 6, 2021 22:29
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tater_salad posted:Just the oven or cooktop too? Couldn't wait to get a house so I could do a gas stovetop. Ideally a combo, I love the gas stovetop despite my wife’s apprehensions. I can manage the stovetop emissions with the range hood though.
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May 7, 2021 01:13
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Gin_Rummy posted:I always love when I get a door-to-door salesman that just doesn’t take “thanks but no thanks” (multiple times) for an answer and insists on continuing with his pitch, and then has the audacity to be mad at me when he wastes ten minutes of his own time. At this point I’ll just be passive aggressive and not come to the door, even when it’s clear we’re home, especially if I see them walking around with an iPad. They’re trained to keep talking and do anything to get in the door, so it’s easiest to just not open it in the first place.
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May 8, 2021 19:14
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I’ve held off on demo’ing the shed in my backyard because of the cost of labor and the fact it will necessitate some fence work post-demo, so of course a critter moved under it and brought fleas with it. The fleas either hitched a ride on my shoes or are getting into the house through the wall, so now I’m spending the day outside the house while an exterminator does his thing. This saga is definitely cutting into my enthusiasm for getting a dog.
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May 12, 2021 21:39
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Dik Hz posted:Get the dog. If you're already dealing with the downside, might as well get the upside too. It’s out of the picture while we have an infant, but I’ll make sure my daughter is able to connect these dots when she’s old enough to make a “why we should get a puppy” presentation.
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May 12, 2021 22:11
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Clover mite IMO
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May 22, 2021 23:12
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mattfl posted:4-5 years ago was a different lifetime in the world of home repairs lol The recent acceleration of time is not fun. I see and installation date in 2016 and think it’s a recent install, then realize it’s already 2021 and we probably need to start planning replacements.
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May 27, 2021 15:07
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H110Hawk posted:Nothing is going to cut a fire station siren, and nothing is going to make their air siren quiet even if you tried. What’s wrong with a speaker for a noise machine?
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May 28, 2021 18:38
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| # ¿ May 9, 2024 06:31 |
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H110Hawk posted:Having used both, mechanical is an order of magnitude better. It feels more immersive, like you're swimming in white noise, rather than "blasting" white noise. Oh god I sound like an audiophile. We were gifted several white noise machines with our first kid and bought a mechanical one for ourselves. I feel bad we made our kid listen to the sound blaster for 2 years before we bought mechanical ones. It was apparently some bougie $85 one from "that friend" too, no better than the $15 battery operated one for the car. We bring the mechanical ones with us when we travel, including when I'm solo at a hotel for work. That makes sense, I asked because we’ve got a speaker one at our house and my parents and in laws have mechanical. We can only have the speaker at ~25% max volume or it definitely gets into “blasty” territory. Either way I will say having any form of white noise machine is a necessity with a baby. The ocean waves setting on our speaker one will send my daughter straight to sleep.
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May 28, 2021 19:52
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