Projects/Home Improvement Thread

[Irish YJ]

thinking about installing solar tubes in my roof. We have cathedral ceilings in the living room but i want to get more natural light in there.
Anyone got any experience with them? Any issues down the road (leaks etc)?

I have 3 in my house. 2 kitchen, and one hallway. They are awesome, and a great source of free and good, clean light. Had them for over 7 years, and zero leaks. I had them installed when I put a new roof on. I actually had the roofer install the roof component, but did the tubes and drywall install myself. Very easy. Not sure how they will work in a true cathedral ceiling as there really won't be a tube.

Hey, Dublin, this is what I was talking about in regards to proper solar tube installation. I inspected this home today. This was done by a licensed contractor who had no clue what they were doing.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's really bad lol.

 

[Wild Bill]

Anyone have a cedar fence? I have a vinyl fence at the moment but it doesn't enclose the entire yard, and it's old and kinda brutal looking too. I need to fully enclose the yard so I can either install about 20 feet of mismatched fence (it'll be similar but not exact) or I can install an entirely new fence. The cedar fence is about $3000 cheaper than the vinyl option but I'm not sure the savings is worth the additional maintenance. Just looking for some opinions regarding the maintenance and how well they hold up in a midwest climate.

 

[ACamp1900]

 

[Bluto]

Anyone have a cedar fence? I have a vinyl fence at the moment but it doesn't enclose the entire yard, and it's old and kinda brutal looking too. I need to fully enclose the yard so I can either install about 20 feet of mismatched fence (it'll be similar but not exact) or I can install an entirely new fence. The cedar fence is about $3000 cheaper than the vinyl option but I'm not sure the savings is worth the additional maintenance. Just looking for some opinions regarding the maintenance and how well they hold up in a midwest climate.

I’d go with the cedar. Looks nicer and you can pre-treat with a preservative prior to installing or post installation. Copper Green is a commonly used brand name. If you use a stain/preservative you’ll have to reapply every three years or so. Depending on the soils, the expansion due to freezing and thawing and height I would put the posts on concrete footings and use a column base with a stand-off. That will help keep the posts from rotting at the base. Another option would be a a slip fence system using powder coated aluminum posts and mounting brackets (they’re sold as a kit) along with cedar slates that run horizontal. Good luck.

 

[Irish YJ]

Cedar looks better, but requires more maintenance.
Vinyl is less effort.

Regardless, like Bluto said, use footings if you plan to live in that house for a while. If you're out within 5 years, not sure I'd worry about it.

 

[Irish#1]

cedar

We have cedar privacy fence that's 15 - 20 years old. Last year I pressure washed it and it looked brand new. I followed up by spraying a stain and preservative combo. A year later it still looks almost new.

 

[Irish#1]

Did this over the weekend. Glad the Irish played at night or I wouldn't have gotten it done. Wife bought patio furniture (L- shaped sofa, chair and table) No place to store it for the winter, so I extended the back another five feet. Got the base and walls up, then took off the back roof, ran new rafters, then took down the old back wall. Haven't taken a pic of it finished but you can get the idea.

 

[wizards8507]

Isn't your whole house tile?

 

[Rack Em]

Don't know what type of seed you need since we live in different parts of the country, but don't half-ass it and just throw seed down. You need to till it up (rent a tiller from Home Depot for $100 bucks), and then seed it.

Had a very similar situation. Spotty backyard in the city due to dogs ripping it up, little sunlight due to large tree. Tried it the quick and easy way and got almost nothing. Tilled it and planted, kept the dogs off obviously, and it came through in about 5 weeks looks really nice.

I would look for a COOP or seed/fertilizer place near you. They should be very knowledgeable about your area and what works best. The one I go to by me will also mix a batch of seed they recommend (something like 75% fescue, 15% bluegrass, 10% rye). I much prefer bermuda for my area but that's another discussion.

Aren't you in the Cincy area? Perennial ryegrass is a little better suited for your area then the types of fescue. I would do a mix like Koon said, but would up the bluegrass to around 30%. Also, get some bags of top soil to put on top of the seed.

NDRock has a good thought. They sell in bulk so you can get the right amount and they can mix it for you. If you don't have something nearby, I have always had better results with Scott's over Pennington or any other brand.

Before you get that tiller - make sure the yard wasn't previously sodded with material that had mesh in it. Will wrap up in the tiller and make you want to kill yourself after about 10 minutes.

Another route is to aerate the piss out of it and overseed. Fescue/bluegrass do not spread like bermuda so reseeding seems to be essential for us. We also once had a yard that invariably would find a big rock not far under surface where there were persistent patches. Builder sold off the topsoil and sodded over clay/rock - complete disaster trying to grow grass in Wisconsin on that. In NC - Bermuda would be tolerant to that situation (also uses the least water) - needs tons of sun though.

I ended up with a yard full of weeds when I tried renovating last Spring. About a month ago I threw down a few yards of compost, tilled the ever living shit out of it, fertilized with Milorganite, smoothed the yard. A week later I put down a starter fertilizer and then put down a tall fescue blend of seed. So far, I'm pretty pleased with the growth. My plan is to overseed with Bluegrass in the spring.

Anybody have experience with Milorganite? I was thinking about putting a bag of it on the backyard when I hit the 6-8 week mark, which would coincide nicely with a late fall dormant feeding. Or do you all recommend just using a synthetic fertilizer to help it next spring?

 

[Irish#1]

Sorry, no experience with it. It's a nitrogen fertilizer, correct?

If your heavy clay soil, you might want to consider an application of ag lime. I have a friend who's a farmer. We built on farm land that was heavy clay. I was having trouble getting the lawn to "blossom" for lack of a better word. I told him I was using Scott's when he asked if I was using ag lime? Of course I wasn't. He said with clay soil every fertilizer needs some help to do its job. Next thing I know, his son shows up on a tractor with a front scoop full of ag lime. Worked pretty good.

 

[Irish#1]

Finally remembered to take a pic of the finished project. Hopefully the weather will be good enough for me to paint it this weekend.

 

[Rack Em]

Got another question:

We have a porch light in the back which hasn't worked since we moved here in February. The light is on a single switch and the wiring runs from the switch, through an awning/covering over the back door, inside the column, and connects to the light. I've tried replacing the bulb and I've checked to make sure the light was wired correctly, but no dice.

What else should I check?

 

[shortynd01]

Got another question:

We have a porch light in the back which hasn't worked since we moved here in February. The light is on a single switch and the wiring runs from the switch, through an awning/covering over the back door, inside the column, and connects to the light. I've tried replacing the bulb and I've checked to make sure the light was wired correctly, but no dice.

What else should I check?

Do you have power at the switch?
Make sure the switch is good (bypass it if you do have power to confirm)
If you have a multi-meter, make sure you didn't lose the neutral at the light.

 

[Rack Em]

Do you have power at the switch?
Make sure the switch is good (bypass it if you do have power to confirm)
If you have a multi-meter, make sure you didn't lose the neutral at the light.

I haven't taken the switch off to check for power or whether it's good. I don't have a voltage tester though. Do I need something like that to check for power?

What do you mean by "losing the neutral at the light"? I've re-wired and installed new switches and receptacles before, but that's about the extent of my electrical knowledge.

 

[shortynd01]

I haven't taken the switch off to check for power or whether it's good. I don't have a voltage tester though. Do I need something like that to check for power?

What do you mean by "losing the neutral at the light"? I've re-wired and installed new switches and receptacles before, but that's about the extent of my electrical knowledge.

Get one of these, I believe every home owner should have one. Its a non-contact voltage tester. You can stick it in the light socket without having to worry about being shocked. You will know if you have power there.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-T...PIPHorizontal2_rr-_-100661787-_-205951747-_-N

As far as "losing your neutral", sometimes you will show power to the light/receptacle with the above tester...but sometimes the neutral (the white wire) may have come lose at a joint somewhere.

 

[GowerND11]

I haven't taken the switch off to check for power or whether it's good. I don't have a voltage tester though. Do I need something like that to check for power?

What do you mean by "losing the neutral at the light"? I've re-wired and installed new switches and receptacles before, but that's about the extent of my electrical knowledge.

You can get one of the voltage tester pens for like $20.

 

[Wild Bill]

I haven't taken the switch off to check for power or whether it's good. I don't have a voltage tester though. Do I need something like that to check for power?

What do you mean by "losing the neutral at the light"? I've re-wired and installed new switches and receptacles before, but that's about the extent of my electrical knowledge.

You can get one of the voltage tester pens for like $20.

You should have a hot wire and a switch leg connected to the switch, which are most likely black. You should have the neutral wires connected with a wire nut in the box, and they are more than likely white. The light fixture should be simple - white connected to white, black to black and copper to copper.

Like Gower noted above, you can get a power tester pen for cheap and check to see if you have power. If you have a hot wire, remember which one it is and turn off the breaker. Come back to the switch, check for power again to be safe, and check the connections at your switch and light. It's common that inexperienced people wire a switch or a light and they fail to properly secure the wires in the wire nut at the light and the wires in the switch. Check those first. Again, make sure you check for power when you are checking the connections at both the switch and fixture.

At the fixture, make sure the wires are properly connected in the wire nuts. Get a good connection, tape the bottoms off and make sure the wire nut opening is facing down when you pack them into the box to prevent water and debris from falling inside. Go to the switch and make you have a tight connection with the neutral wires. Tape that wire nut off and pack it into the box. Secure the proper lines, the hot and switch leg, to the switch and then tape around the switch for additional security.

Turn the power back on and try it again. If you still have an issue, it may be the actual switch. Just buy a new one and try it again. If it's still an issue, it may be the fixture.

And if it's a three-way switch, it gets a bit more complicated.

I realize it's cliche but safety first. If you're not used to doing electric work, make sure you aren't doing it after work when you are tired and out of it, and take your time.

Good luck.

 

[Irish#1]

And if it's a three-way switch, it gets a bit more complicated.

Tell me about it. My wife is still mad at me for even suggesting a three way.


All kidding aside, lots of good advice. Having said that, test at the light first and work your way back. Good luck.

 

[NDBoiler]

Put the black wire and the white wire on your tongue. If it tingles, you have power.

 

[Irish#1]

I never posted final pics of my bathroom remodel. Pretty happy with the results.

 

[RDU Irish]

Sooooo I'm looking at a Ring type doorbell but want something that can integrate with an outdoor camera for the back yard, wife wants an indoor camera but I think that is creepy, too big brother (she doesn't need to see I only watch football while she works weekends). Any suggestions for a good system? Would prefer battery camera in the back so I don't have to mess with placement - obviously replacing batteries is a PIA but I don't want wires all over.

Anyone have experience with these things? Avoiding/minimizing a monthly service fee to have some level of video backup is a thing too.

 

[wizards8507]

The wife is trying to convince me to go with an aquamarine TV stand. I sort of don't hate it. The rest of the room is a lot of beige, brown, and brick. Two walls are windows so there's loads of light in the daytime, but it's a bit dark at night (but good ambiance with the fireplace insert going 24/7).

 

[ACamp1900]

If you find accents, rugs, vases, frames and such that blend that shade of whatever that is with brown and such it could work,... def need something to transition it... it’d be easiest to find a multi colored rug with brown and that shade,... they’re “in” right now... something like this with the proper shades obviously:

https://www.wayfair.com/rugs/pdp/wrought-studio-mott-street-aquadark-brown-area-rug-vrkg2611.html

 

[IrishLion]

The wife is trying to convince me to go with an aquamarine TV stand. I sort of don't hate it. The rest of the room is a lot of beige, brown, and brick. Two walls are windows so there's loads of light in the daytime, but it's a bit dark at night (but good ambiance with the fireplace insert going 24/7).

I don't understand the current fad with this stuff.

My FIL just sanded down like three separate furniture sets for different people, and then sprayed them at his paint booth to be aquamarine.

I understand sanding old furniture, and then refinishing it with stain for a new wood color, or sanding and painting white, off-white, or even grey... but why the aquamarine that all the ladies want these days?

Was it pervasive in home design at some point in the past, and now it's a "what's old is new" thing?

 

[wizards8507]

If you find accents, rugs, vases, frames and such that blend that shade of whatever that is with brown and such it could work,... def need something to transition it... it’d be easiest to find a multi colored rug with brown and that shade,... they’re “in” right now... something like this with the proper shades obviously:

https://www.wayfair.com/rugs/pdp/wrought-studio-mott-street-aquadark-brown-area-rug-vrkg2611.html

I live in a center hall colonial in central Connecticut. Right color scheme, wrong pattern. We're thinking something like this.

I don't understand the current fad with this stuff.

My FIL just sanded down like three separate furniture sets for different people, and then sprayed them at his paint booth to be aquamarine.

I understand sanding old furniture, and then refinishing it with stain for a new wood color, or sanding and painting white, off-white, or even grey... but why the aquamarine that all the ladies want these days?

Was it pervasive in home design at some point in the past, and now it's a "what's old is new" thing?

It's a retaliation against the design aesthetic of 10 years ago, which was to paint everything white. Everyone's house looks like Irish#1's bathroom, only they would have painted his nice dark trim white, too.

I would also never, in a million years, tolerate an entire furniture set that color. Our coffee table and side tables are from the Hooker Tynecastle line.

 

[RDU Irish]

The wife is trying to convince me to go with an aquamarine TV stand. I sort of don't hate it. The rest of the room is a lot of beige, brown, and brick. Two walls are windows so there's loads of light in the daytime, but it's a bit dark at night (but good ambiance with the fireplace insert going 24/7).

I'd work on upgrading your VHS to VHS pirating rig first.

Whole lot of Metrosexualling going on last few posts. My wife can do whatever TF she wants with furniture since agreeing our 50" TV would be worth upgrading to 60". 20 years to admit that size matters.

 

[wizards8507]

I'd work on upgrading your VHS to VHS pirating rig first.

Whole lot of Metrosexualling going on last few posts. My wife can do whatever TF she wants with furniture since agreeing our 50" TV would be worth upgrading to 60". 20 years to admit that size matters.

That's part of it. The positioning of our studs doesn't allow for mounting a TV in the corner any bigger than 48.

 

[RDU Irish]

That's part of it. The positioning of our studs doesn't allow for mounting a TV in the corner any bigger than 48.

Easy decision there - sell the house.

 

[ACamp1900]

I live in a center hall colonial in central Connecticut. Right color scheme, wrong pattern. We're thinking something like this.

It's a retaliation against the design aesthetic of 10 years ago, which was to paint everything white. Everyone's house looks like Irish#1's bathroom, only they would have painted his nice dark trim white, too.

I would also never, in a million years, tolerate an entire furniture set that color. Our coffee table and side tables are from the Hooker Tynecastle line.

Yeah pattern doesn’t matter as much as the colors,...

 

[ACamp1900]

I'd work on upgrading your VHS to VHS pirating rig first.

Whole lot of Metrosexualling going on last few posts. My wife can do whatever TF she wants with furniture since agreeing our 50" TV would be worth upgrading to 60". 20 years to admit that size matters.

I actually control the entire house,... TV size, placement,.... room usage and decor,... dead serious. My wife couldn’t care less, which is great because I love all that stuff lol