Home Improvement

BrutulTM · May 20, 2022

If anyone cares our chicken house is 16x20 and set up in two rooms. The plan is to have egg chicks in one side and meat birds in the other as we have found the egg chicks chew up the meat birds when they're together. We leveled the spot with gravel and drove the skid steer on it a bunch to compact it, then poured a slab. We designed it with a single pitch roof which, in retrospect, was probably the wrong way to go. 16 feet is a pretty long span and to even get a 12:2 pitch on it we had to make the back wall 5' 6" so we'll be bumping our heads in the back side of it although that will hopefully only be an issue when cleaning it out.

Aside from that it's coming along pretty nicely. Almost ready to finish sheeting and put on the steel siding.

Daidraco · May 20, 2022

Nija said:
The battery requirement is what killed solar for me in AR. I was looking at a giant installation (on my shop building, which is perfect for solar) - 64 panels. $70-90k depending on the vendor. Spending that kind of coin on a solar installation that stops working when the grid goes down? That's ridiculous. I was looking at the Sunpower stuff ( SunVault the Solar Battery Storage System for Homeowners ) and needed 2 or 3 batteries, each of which adds $12-14k (not sure about the install costs for 3 batteries vs 1) each.

I was looking at a $100k spend. 14-16 years before I break even. 25 year warranty / lifespan on the panels. This was to provide ~70% of my monthly kWh usage. The math just doesn't work, IMO.

I pay ~143 a month in Virginia for my 3200sq/f house with an HVAC zone system. Switching to solar, even at 0% financing, still wouldnt get that low.

But I was curious how much the Tesla batteries go for that are big/small enough for a houses solar output.

Soygen said:
I'm telling you, man. All the most helpful YouTubers are in the frozen north. Maybe I'll start a Florida Man DIY in the Swamp channel. As of now, I'm considering going this route. Cheap and, if the dirt is too soft, it can at least be easily removed/fixed.

View attachment 413384

I had a place close to Fort Myers years ago - my shed was probably a lot smaller than what you're looking for (iirc 8x10), but the guy that installed it used 4x4's as the base and the big drill spikes (idk what theyre called) for Hurricane/Wind requirement.

Pescador · May 23, 2022

We just got new carpet installed in a house we bought (removed 20 year old carpets, 1 story w/ concrete slab underneath). Each bedroom has carpet, and It transitions to tile in the connecting hallways. I can definitely feel the edge of the tile when I step between the two floors. Is this normal? Or is it typical to have a transition piece to eliminate that feeling? I'm going to head over to other people's houses to feel it out, but my impression was that you can have zero transition between tile and carpet and have it feel seamless if installed properly. Wanted some feedback before I complain. Can provide pictures later.

Hateyou · May 23, 2022

Pescador said:
We just got new carpet installed in a house we bought (removed 20 year old carpets, 1 story w/ concrete slab underneath). Each bedroom has carpet, and It transitions to tile in the connecting hallways. I can definitely feel the edge of the tile when I step between the two floors. Is this normal? Or is it typical to have a transition piece to eliminate that feeling? I'm going to head over to other people's houses to feel it out, but my impression was that you can have zero transition between tile and carpet and have it feel seamless if installed properly. Wanted some feedback before I complain. Can provide pictures later.

There are transition pieces built specifically for this. Carpet butter up against tile should have a transition piece.

I’m typing this from a shitter at a hotel and it has one.

lurker · May 25, 2022

A transition piece isn’t necessarily needed when transitioning from carpet to tile if the job was properly planned but it’s clear that’s not the case here. Regardless of whether you use an extra piece or not, the transition should have taken place under the door not in front of it.

Deathwing · May 28, 2022

What sort of resources do people use for finding contractors? General, I guess, but specialized ones too.

So far I've tried:

Googling for contractors in my area.
Angie's List(now known as Angi)
- I haven't actually tried this, the requisite form felt cumbersome.
Asking friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues for recommendations.
Asking previous successful contractors(that don't do the work I need done) for references.

None of it has really developed into a reliable process where I can feel confident that I can find someone to fix a problem. For example, I have a leak in the ridge vent of my garage. It's nothing major, but about a 2-inch circle of the plywood has rotted, I'd like to get it fixed. I'd also like have the gutters on the garage fixed, they are sagging and leaking, not really doing their job. Lastly, and probably related to the gutters not draining properly, the fascia behind them is getting wet somehow. Really love that last one, you cannot see it without getting on a ladder and happening to look at it.

Compile a list of contractors, get a response from maybe half of them, a few come out, one says he'll get me a quote(doesn't), another actually does. I tell him I'm still fielding quotes and I'll get back to him in a week. He interprets this as "fuck off" and ghosts me when I decide to accept his quote for lack of choices.

It's not even a money issue, I've had money earmarked from covid checks, the jobs are essentially free.

So fucking frustrating. Makes me want to do the work myself, but I have no confidence that I won't make a mistake(that I don't know I'll be making).

Hateyou · May 29, 2022

Deathwing said:
What sort of resources do people use for finding contractors? General, I guess, but specialized ones too.

So far I've tried:

Googling for contractors in my area.

Angie's List(now known as Angi)

I haven't actually tried this, the requisite form felt cumbersome.

Asking friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues for recommendations.

Asking previous successful contractors(that don't do the work I need done) for references.

None of it has really developed into a reliable process where I can feel confident that I can find someone to fix a problem. For example, I have a leak in the ridge vent of my garage. It's nothing major, but about a 2-inch circle of the plywood has rotted, I'd like to get it fixed. I'd also like have the gutters on the garage fixed, they are sagging and leaking, not really doing their job. Lastly, and probably related to the gutters not draining properly, the fascia behind them is getting wet somehow. Really love that last one, you cannot see it without getting on a ladder and happening to look at it.

Compile a list of contractors, get a response from maybe half of them, a few come out, one says he'll get me a quote(doesn't), another actually does. I tell him I'm still fielding quotes and I'll get back to him in a week. He interprets this as "fuck off" and ghosts me when I decide to accept his quote for lack of choices.

It's not even a money issue, I've had money earmarked from covid checks, the jobs are essentially free.

So fucking frustrating. Makes me want to do the work myself, but I have no confidence that I won't make a mistake(that I don't know I'll be making).

Try Thumbtack. Had good luck with that in the past.

Deathwing · May 29, 2022

Hateyou said:
Try Thumbtack. Had good luck with that in the past.

Perhaps a complication to this issue overall: I live in a relatively rural area. I've never heard of that website, but searching for "roof repair" has no hits in my area. I do appreciate the suggestion though.

BrutulTM · May 29, 2022

Deathwing said:
Perhaps a complication to this issue overall: I live in a relatively rural area. I've never heard of that website, but searching for "roof repair" has no hits in my area. I do appreciate the suggestion though.

Try living 50 miles from the nearest town. People just blow you off or give you a quote that's double what it should be just because they don't want the job unless you're willing to severely overpay for it.

I've heard that Angie's list is kind of pay to play. I like the idea of asking other contractors who have done good work for you in the past. Adam Corolla always said get 3 estimates and take the middle one but that can be pretty tough in a rural area.

Xarpolis · May 30, 2022

Daidraco · May 30, 2022

Just make a post on Facebook (if you're still using it.) I did that, got a dozen different suggestions. Contractors all seem to flock together. So basically, once you find one guy that you like - he can refer you to another person in another profession and the chain continues. Not only that, people love to act like theyre helping you on Facebook, so it usually works out in your favor. Depending on the severity of the job, you might look on Craigslist too. If its some labor heavy non-skilled work, thats usually a good spot to look.

Lanx · May 30, 2022

Deathwing said:
What sort of resources do people use for finding contractors? General, I guess, but specialized ones too.

So far I've tried:

Googling for contractors in my area.

Angie's List(now known as Angi)

I haven't actually tried this, the requisite form felt cumbersome.

Asking friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues for recommendations.

Asking previous successful contractors(that don't do the work I need done) for references.

None of it has really developed into a reliable process where I can feel confident that I can find someone to fix a problem. For example, I have a leak in the ridge vent of my garage. It's nothing major, but about a 2-inch circle of the plywood has rotted, I'd like to get it fixed. I'd also like have the gutters on the garage fixed, they are sagging and leaking, not really doing their job. Lastly, and probably related to the gutters not draining properly, the fascia behind them is getting wet somehow. Really love that last one, you cannot see it without getting on a ladder and happening to look at it.

Compile a list of contractors, get a response from maybe half of them, a few come out, one says he'll get me a quote(doesn't), another actually does. I tell him I'm still fielding quotes and I'll get back to him in a week. He interprets this as "fuck off" and ghosts me when I decide to accept his quote for lack of choices.

It's not even a money issue, I've had money earmarked from covid checks, the jobs are essentially free.

So fucking frustrating. Makes me want to do the work myself, but I have no confidence that I won't make a mistake(that I don't know I'll be making).

try nextdoor also, to ask your neighbors

mkopec · May 30, 2022

I remember when we did your driveway concrete job the wife just asked around on Facebook. We got like 3 quotes and went with the med one, the cheapest was a huge company and we sort of did not trust the price vs the others. I think it cost like 15Kish to do driveway and the back patio, but the cheapest quote was 13K.

Intrinsic · May 31, 2022

Play area all wrapped up. I’m happy. 3yd of gravel and 7yd of cedar mulch. We’ll see how it stands up, but pretty close to how I envisioned it.

And no, I didn't do that shit. I started it and walked away. Landscaping isn't for me. Gave it an honest try but think I'll stick to woodworking as my hobby.

Landscapers did it for $1,200 starting at 8am today and just wrapping up.

The far back left lowest corner ended up being 5 piers I believe, maybe 6, b/c of the grade.

Lanx · May 31, 2022

i've done basic plumbing both with copper solder and pex so i'm not worried, has anyone used this type of garden faucet/silcock?

my current one leaks from the anti siphon, i "fixed" this when i moved in replacing the stopper and o ring and now it leaks "gushes" out again.

so i'm just gonna replace the whole thing, i saw this new type of faucet and it's not that much more than a new faucet.

Goatface · May 31, 2022

Lanx said:
i've done basic plumbing both with copper solder and pex so i'm not worried, has anyone used this type of garden faucet/silcock?

my current one leaks from the anti siphon, i "fixed" this when i moved in replacing the stopper and o ring and now it leaks "gushes" out again.

so i'm just gonna replace the whole thing, i saw this new type of faucet and it's not that much more than a new faucet.

i remembered matt risinger talking about them, figured they just went away.
looks different than 4 years ago

Lanx · May 31, 2022

Goatface said:
i remembered matt risinger talking about them, figured they just went away.
looks different than 4 years ago

yea i wanted the smaller model, i believe the anti siphon towards the back on the one i ordered, while the one you linked has anti siphon as that big knob still the same 3/4 size, just didn't want twice the footprint cuz i "think" i might have to go through brick/cement

Oblio · May 31, 2022

My Basement remodel should be complete by the end of next week with the exception of the granite counter top in the bathroom and the glass for the shower. Both of those items are getting templated next week.

So with it all finally coming to an end I pulled the trigger on a Hisense L9 today. I am pretty excited, should be a blast to game and watch movies on with the fam.

Been eyeing this thing for a few months, so the $1,200 price drop was a nice surprise.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/hisense-100-l9-series-trichroma-laser-tv-with-alr-screen-black/6485138.p?skuId=6485138

Ortega · Jun 1, 2022

Backyard is finally done. Contractor took a lot longer than he said he would, but turned out great in the end. Hopefully my wife will be content for a while now. Everything pictured was added. Garden/Play area was all grass, and raised beds was just rock.

Intrinsic · Jun 1, 2022

Is that a below ground trampoline!? AFK to call my guy back over the fuck to my house….

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Home Improvement

BrutulTM

Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun.

Daidraco

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Pescador

Trakanon Raider

Hateyou

Not Great, Not Terrible

lurker

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Deathwing

Hateyou

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Deathwing

BrutulTM

Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun.

Xarpolis

Life's a Dream

Daidraco

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Lanx

mkopec

Intrinsic

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Lanx

Goatface

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Lanx

Oblio

Utah

Ortega

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Intrinsic

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