Projects/Home Improvement Thread

[koonja]

Thanks - GowerND11, NEIIrish, and NDaccountant for the quick advice.

He's coming out today. Only $30 for them to come out but then who knows after. It's the sticker that was on the door so just going to go with them, assuming they can make quick work of it.

 

[BGIF]

http://https://www.diyforums.net/garage-door-only-opening-1-foot-4448124.html

 

[dshans]

Koon, go with the pro. I had a similar problem quite some time ago. I'd installed the opener myself (also a Sears model) and was used to adjusting the chain tension and lift strength, etc.
It turned out to be one of the springs.

Having worked with an attorney on a civil case involving a "death by faulty garage door opener," I learned enough to not take it on as a DIY project.

It didn't help that it was mid-February in MN, and you know what that can mean.

 

[koonja]

Garage Door Serviceman came out and fixed it last night.

Total cost to me was $419, and it's more than I expected but I'm just happy this was a quick turnaround.

The 2 large springs broke, and needed to be replaced. Some center mount, and some bearings. All in all I don't really care because I have a lot going on right now and don't have time to penny pinch or shop around.

His original quote was over $700 if I replaced everything he pointed out, so I just said let's change what's absolutely necessary and not replace every part that's old but working fine.

 

[Irish#1]

Be careful messing with garage door springs. It can end badly if you dont know what you are doing.

Koon, go with the pro. I had a similar problem quite some time ago. I'd installed the opener myself (also a Sears model) and was used to adjusting the chain tension and lift strength, etc.
It turned out to be one of the springs.

Having worked with an attorney on a civil case involving a "death by faulty garage door opener," I learned enough to not take it on as a DIY project.

It didn't help that it was mid-February in MN, and you know what that can mean.

To late to help on the garage door, but for any future repairs, this is for everyone. NEI and Deshans hit the nail on the head. Those springs have killed a lot of people who didn't understand how dangerous they can be. Back in '78 we had a tornado come through our neighborhood Dozens of homes were destroyed and/or badly damaged. One neighbor had damage and decided to remove the garage door springs. Uncoiled and pierced him right through the heart. Died instantly.

 

[Irish#1]

Working on a patio upgrade. We have a concrete patio with pavers. Doubling the size of the patio, adding this pavilion and building a pergola to attach to the pavilion. I'm not a fan of pergola's, but my wife saw this setup at the Flower and Patio show and loved it, so we're doing both. The pavilion is free standing, so I didn't need a building permit and my taxes won't jump because it's not attached to the house. I had the concrete guys pour 3ft footers for the columns, then anchored it. It sits close enough to the house that the overhang from the house extends over the pavilion so it's still dry in that small area. I have the pavers (990) down on the new part of the patio, but I still need to glue the ones on the outer row. Hope to finish the pergola by the end of the week.

 

[Irish#1]

My wife wanted a pergola to sit next to the pavilion, so we bought a kit. I need to raise it up about 8"-10" so it matches the bottom of the pavilion. I'm going to build four individual bases, one for each post obviously. I was thinking of making them out of wood, but also thought about using a concrete block then covering each with wood. Anyone ever do this before? Thoughts?

 

[NDRock]

My wife wanted a pergola to sit next to the pavilion, so we bought a kit. I need to raise it up about 8"-10" so it matches the bottom of the pavilion. I'm going to build four individual bases, one for each post obviously. I was thinking of making them out of wood, but also thought about using a concrete block then covering each with wood. Anyone ever do this before? Thoughts?

If you used block, could you use the same type of brick that is on your house? I usually like to match up existing materials.

 

[NDRock]

Something like this?

 

[Irish#1]

Yeah, but I was thinking more about the process of making them. I was wondering about building with block as the core and finishing with wood or just making it all out of wood,
pros & cons?

My inclination is to finish in wood so it matches the base of the pavilion. Given these will only be about 8" tall, I'm not sure brick or stone would look good unless I bring the brick or stone up higher like yours.

Thanks

 

[BleedBlueGold]

Interior window recess color? Same as walls, or white?

 

[Irish#1]

Interior window recess color? Same as walls, or white?

same IMO

 

[BleedBlueGold]

same IMO

Agreed. I was torn and painted them white last night. Doesn't look right. Going back to wall color.

 

[dublinirish]

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)?

 

[BleedBlueGold]

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)?

Buddy of mine installed them in his new home. Not old enough to know long term issues. But at the moment, they work amazing an let in a ton of light in his upstairs hallway.

 

[Wild Bill]

Agreed. I was torn and painted them white last night. Doesn't look right. Going back to wall color.

If you have a mitre saw and a table saw, you can dramatically change the look of the window by installing wood casing. If you have over a half an inch of space from the window to the drywall, it's not that difficult and you can buy primed pine casing for relatively cheap. Makes a big difference for a relatively low price, provided it's a diy project.

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)?

Most roofers will tell you it's not a matter of if it will leak, it's when it will leak. I'm not sure I agree. Really depends on the quality of the window used, quality of the installation, pitch of the roof and the weather. I would avoid them if you get heavy snowfalls. I have one skylight and it leaked once after we had heavy snowfall and it melted. I searched for the leak and really didn't find anything so I just re-applied some silicon and it hasn't been an issue again.

 

[Rack Em]

What's the best crabgrass killer out there? I'm looking for one that won't kill my existing grass either. I've got some crabgrass in the front I want to kill and then overseed in the bare spots where it grew this Fall.

Grass in the backyard never took hold because of 1) the warm Spring we had and 2) a lot of clay in the soil. I'm going nuclear back there and Roundup-ing the shit out of it. Any ideas on amending the soil once the weeds are dead? Should I aerate it a lot and throw some gypsum down? Or should I buy a couple yards of compost and put it over the clay?

 

[Irish#1]

What's the best crabgrass killer out there? I'm looking for one that won't kill my existing grass either. I've got some crabgrass in the front I want to kill and then overseed in the bare spots where it grew this Fall.

Grass in the backyard never took hold because of 1) the warm Spring we had and 2) a lot of clay in the soil. I'm going nuclear back there and Roundup-ing the shit out of it. Any ideas on amending the soil once the weeds are dead? Should I aerate it a lot and throw some gypsum down? Or should I buy a couple yards of compost and put it over the clay?

I use Ortho and add about 25% strength to what they recommend.

Aerating is always good, but is more for the roots of existing grass. Now is the time to get seed down so the cooler fall weather can allow it to take hold.

If you can, I would till the area, rake it out, put the seed down then cover with top soil. Tilling makes it a lot easier for the seed to take hold.

I've never used gypsum, but it's supposed to help clay soil.

 

[ACamp1900]

I miss grass...

 

[Bluto]

What's the best crabgrass killer out there? I'm looking for one that won't kill my existing grass either. I've got some crabgrass in the front I want to kill and then overseed in the bare spots where it grew this Fall.

Grass in the backyard never took hold because of 1) the warm Spring we had and 2) a lot of clay in the soil. I'm going nuclear back there and Roundup-ing the shit out of it. Any ideas on amending the soil once the weeds are dead? Should I aerate it a lot and throw some gypsum down? Or should I buy a couple yards of compost and put it over the clay?

For the backyard I would till in organic compost to about 12” deep to build better soil structure and profile. As to the crab grass after tilling in the compost I would water the area until new crab grass emerges then till it back in before it bolts (sets seed heads). Repeat this a couple of times to deplete the existing crabgrass seed bed. Rake it out, seed, roll the area lightly and top dress with a thin 1/2” layer of compost.

 

[no.1IrishFan]

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)?

This may sound obvious, but the key to solar tube/skylight happiness is installation, installation, installation. Nearly every home I inspect with leaky tubes can be directly related to improper installation and flashing issues. When done properly, they really look great, imo.

 

[dublinirish]

Slightly OT but I need recommendations for a new washing machine. will be getting a lot of work in near future as the family grows so ability to handle large loads (hello) and reliability are important. Can't trust any online reviews as everything is so contradictory. thanks lads

 

[Irish#1]

Slightly OT but I need recommendations for a new washing machine. will be getting a lot of work in near future as the family grows so ability to handle large loads (hello) and reliability are important. Can't trust any online reviews as everything is so contradictory. thanks lads

We raised five kids and wore out several washers. Speaking from experience, you buy cheap you get cheap. Electrolux and Bosch are top of the line and will cost more, but it may be the only one you buy for 20 years.

 

[Irish#1]

Wrapped up this project last night. I had the pavilion built, but did the staining, patio extension, pavers and pergola. The wife needs to finish the landscaping around it.

 

[ThePiombino]

Wrapped up this project last night. I had the pavilion built, but did the staining, patio extension, pavers and pergola. The wife needs to finish the landscaping around it.

Looks great! Nice work.

 

[NEIIrish]

Wrapped up this project last night. I had the pavilion built, but did the staining, patio extension, pavers and pergola. The wife needs to finish the landscaping around it.

That looks fantastic.

 

[Irish#1]

Looks great! Nice work.

That looks fantastic.

Thanks...........We're really happy with the pavilion. The company that makes them is an amish company in Ohio. All of the wood is knot free. You don't see a single nail or screw poking through. The pergola was a kit from Sams Club. I'm not real happy with the way it was manufactured. I built some bases to raise it to match the pavilion.

 

[dublinirish]

Thanks...........We're really happy with the pavilion. The company that makes them is an amish company in Ohio. All of the wood is knot free. You don't see a single nail or screw poking through. The pergola was a kit from Sams Club. I'm not real happy with the way it was manufactured. I built some bases to raise it to match the pavilion.

Amish know their shit. BIL bought a shed from some crowd up north here and its beautifully made

 

[SonofOahu]

Wrapped up this project last night. I had the pavilion built, but did the staining, patio extension, pavers and pergola. The wife needs to finish the landscaping around it.

Many a cigar could/should be smoked on that patio. Well done!

 

[no.1IrishFan]

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.

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