Home Improvement

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    Who's been the biggest Asshat in the last year? Give us your worst ones!

Sludig

Potato del Grande
9,925
10,575
Wife works for a construction company and in turn had lots of contacts for subs. Not sure if I'm thrilled with these French drains. Supposed to link up to the gutters out front. But i feel like they should be deeper as growing grass over the rocky areas once filled over won't work well.
only saving grace is rural oklahoma the lawn is half clover and a big mix so maybe something will grow alright.

I've not been home yet to see it myself

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Mist

REEEEeyore
<Gold Donor>
31,202
23,387
New heat pump splits have cut my heating bill by like 70%. Even with the fact that they jacked up the electric prices ridiculously.

I installed a new high efficiency oil burner w/ an indirect and a new Roth oil tank and it's going to end up being a huge fucking waste of money because all it's doing is making domestic hot water most days. When I get solar at least the oil will be able to handle the heat if I lose power in the winter, otherwise it's nearly pointless aside from emergencies.
 
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Kiroy

Marine Biologist
<Bronze Donator>
35,325
102,359
Wife works for a construction company and in turn had lots of contacts for subs. Not sure if I'm thrilled with these French drains. Supposed to link up to the gutters out front. But i feel like they should be deeper as growing grass over the rocky areas once filled over won't work well.
only saving grace is rural oklahoma the lawn is half clover and a big mix so maybe something will grow alright.

I've not been home yet to see it myself

View attachment 452729View attachment 452730View attachment 452731

when they get clogged you'll be glad they're shallow I promise you, the gutters not being connected is odd
 

Sludig

Potato del Grande
9,925
10,575
when they get clogged you'll be glad they're shallow I promise you, the gutters not being connected is odd
That was in progress they did end up linked up, and put in some mounds kinda on one corner to deflect water, not sure I believe that will work well since most of it sheets across driveway from front, but in the end, mostly happy, just need to see it in action. Not sure if the ends are cleanouts, or will pop up when flowing enough water. (Green little cap)
 

Lanx

<Prior Amod>
65,290
147,213
That was in progress they did end up linked up, and put in some mounds kinda on one corner to deflect water, not sure I believe that will work well since most of it sheets across driveway from front, but in the end, mostly happy, just need to see it in action. Not sure if the ends are cleanouts, or will pop up when flowing enough water. (Green little cap)
it would say it on the cap look closer
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Fucker

Log Wizard
12,639
28,767
Got the house plumbed in for emergency power. Transfer box + 30A external service box. Took two electricians 7 hours to wire it all in. Could have done it for less, but I hate fucking around and half-assing things. Now, all it takes to switch from county power to generator is a few flipped switches. Everything but the range, AC, washer/dryer...I think. $1800 all in. I could have gone a bit less, but...fuck it. Do it right the first time is my firm belief.

I got a basic generator. Inverter type. They are all the same Chineseium, but some have a LOT better support than others. I picked Champion. They have good customer support whereas most of the others have none. It is 7000 watt continuous...made exactly for light home backup. Decently quiet too. Can be converted to tri-fuel. Pump gas, LPG, or natural gas.

We did a test of it running the house, pretty quiet-ish. It was sitting 10 feet away from the living room windows, not a bother at all. Total cost $3k. Prolly add $500 for tri-fuel and getting an external natgas spigot for it so it will run as long as I want.
 
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Intrinsic

Person of Whiteness
<Gold Donor>
15,032
13,125
So $4,800 all in or so? I was budgeting for one this year and based off both parents and a few neighbors going with Generac and an ATS it seemed like $10k would be my ballpark.
 

Fucker

Log Wizard
12,639
28,767
So $4,800 all in or so? I was budgeting for one this year and based off both parents and a few neighbors going with Generac and an ATS it seemed like $10k would be my ballpark.
Nah. Very slightly less than $3k so far. It will be $3500 total once I get the natgas line plumbed to outside and put a converter kit on the Champion. This includes the generator and the Xfer box and all the other things.

I have to wheel it out when the power goes out, but for this use...fine. Once I get the natgas line plumbed in, I won't have to think about getting fuel gas or anything.

Generac really sucks.

I am kinda surprised at how well it works and cheap. The generator sits 20 feet off the back porch and isn't annoyingly loud. A tornado hit last summer and power was out for 5 days, and then there are the random snow fall outages and stuff. I don't have to think about any of that and triply so once I get it plumbed for tri-fuel.
 

Intrinsic

Person of Whiteness
<Gold Donor>
15,032
13,125
Nah. Very slightly less than $3k so far. It will be $3500 total once I get the natgas line plumbed to outside and put a converter kit on the Champion. This includes the generator and the Xfer box and all the other things.

I have to wheel it out when the power goes out, but for this use...fine. Once I get the natgas line plumbed in, I won't have to think about getting fuel gas or anything.

Generac really sucks.

I am kinda surprised at how well it works and cheap. The generator sits 20 feet off the back porch and isn't annoyingly loud. A tornado hit last summer and power was out for 5 days, and then there are the random snow fall outages and stuff. I don't have to think about any of that and triply so once I get it plumbed for tri-fuel.
I’m surprised with your opinion on Generac. My view comes from the commercial side though. I’ve used them at probably 400 Public Safety RF sites in varying sizes, capacities, and fuel sources and haven’t had any more issues. No client has suggested we swap vendors but we also have a somewhat strong dealer support network. They also seem to be the de facto brand for the electrical service companies I’ve asked about our home install.

Good data points though. He have a gas line already directly adjacent to the potential install location. But will need a pad and the unit and ats, etc…
 

Lanx

<Prior Amod>
65,290
147,213
so ever since i came back from vacay, one side of the house (the side the bed is on) rattles in the night, i walk out one night and figure it's the tree slapping against the house (yes idk but there is a tree planted literally 6in from my foundation...)

it's also the only tree w/ leaves, everything else in the area is all leaf less, so i chainsaw any branches that might hit the side, and lopp off a good 6ft off the top

i still hear the leaves, but maybe it sounds like scurrying now? so maybe an animal? but the sound is coming from the side of the wall, not top of the attic, whatever

buy two of these
b79ccd794d483e1efe72803dffce56a4.png


mind you i don't plan on keeping it alive, if i catch it, i'm drowning that fucker, i just don't know if it's a rat or a squirrel, either way its dead if it's caught (nothing yet)

maybe cuz i also put out pelletized pee? in the attic too, not like piss but the urea of bears or wolves or whatever.


then i here it again and i just looked outside at night and point at my wall, and a bird or two fly out, i'm not da fuq?

i guess 2 birds are hanging out underneath my gutters, but theres no nest (that i can see) and theyre causing the noise.

how do i kill these birds?
 

Edaw

Parody
<Gold Donor>
13,283
88,044
so ever since i came back from vacay, one side of the house (the side the bed is on) rattles in the night, i walk out one night and figure it's the tree slapping against the house (yes idk but there is a tree planted literally 6in from my foundation...)

it's also the only tree w/ leaves, everything else in the area is all leaf less, so i chainsaw any branches that might hit the side, and lopp off a good 6ft off the top

i still hear the leaves, but maybe it sounds like scurrying now? so maybe an animal? but the sound is coming from the side of the wall, not top of the attic, whatever

buy two of these
b79ccd794d483e1efe72803dffce56a4.png


mind you i don't plan on keeping it alive, if i catch it, i'm drowning that fucker, i just don't know if it's a rat or a squirrel, either way its dead if it's caught (nothing yet)

maybe cuz i also put out pelletized pee? in the attic too, not like piss but the urea of bears or wolves or whatever.


then i here it again and i just looked outside at night and point at my wall, and a bird or two fly out, i'm not da fuq?

i guess 2 birds are hanging out underneath my gutters, but theres no nest (that i can see) and theyre causing the noise.

how do i kill these birds?
They are probably eating bugs (hopefully, not termites). When the source runs out they will move on. Leave them be.

EDIT: An alternative is to put up a bird house in the tree. Be a lot cheaper too.
 
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Goatface

Avatar of War Slayer
9,887
15,677
mind you i don't plan on keeping it alive, if i catch it, i'm drowning that fucker, i just don't know if it's a rat or a squirrel, either way its dead if it's caught (nothing yet)

maybe cuz i also put out pelletized pee? in the attic too, not like piss but the urea of bears or wolves or whatever.


then i here it again and i just looked outside at night and point at my wall, and a bird or two fly out, i'm not da fuq?

i guess 2 birds are hanging out underneath my gutters, but theres no nest (that i can see) and theyre causing the noise.

how do i kill these birds?

check your soffit. neighbor had some tiny little birds figure out how to get in there and built a condo.
 

Lanx

<Prior Amod>
65,290
147,213
check your soffit. neighbor had some tiny little birds figure out how to get in there and built a condo.
yea, but man, it's so sketch going up there and trying to lean in on that edge...

but you might be right, this house has 2 roof vent fans, thats a possible entry way
 

Kobayashi

Ahn'Qiraj Raider
783
1,960
Don't think it's this, since it sounds more like a tapping than a scratching, but might help. I had woodpeckers come and do damage to the house. Put up all the things to scare them away (ballons that look like owl eyes, shiny tape, shiny windcatchers, etc) and they'd work for about a week then be back at it. Thing that finally worked was putting out a suet cage and some suet away from the house. They only time they came by now was the time the asshole squirrels knocked it down.
 
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Lanx

<Prior Amod>
65,290
147,213
Don't think it's this, since it sounds more like a tapping than a scratching, but might help. I had woodpeckers come and do damage to the house. Put up all the things to scare them away (ballons that look like owl eyes, shiny tape, shiny windcatchers, etc) and they'd work for about a week then be back at it. Thing that finally worked was putting out a suet cage and some suet away from the house. They only time they came by now was the time the asshole squirrels knocked it down.
this thing?
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looks like a waffle holder, is there like some suet bird poison i put in or something?
 
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Edaw

Parody
<Gold Donor>
13,283
88,044
this thing?
db308bea2029d27d9a72f176ebdb9b98.png


looks like a waffle holder, is there like some suet bird poison i put in or something?
lol

Just feed the birds away from the house. There are way more of them than you and you will never win. You can cover your house in nets, spikes, etc., and it'll likely do nothing. Get a birdbath - go nuts with it. Your wife will love it.
 

Lanx

<Prior Amod>
65,290
147,213
lol

Just feed the birds away from the house. There are way more of them than you and you will never win. You can cover your house in nets, spikes, etc., and it'll likely do nothing. Get a birdbath - go nuts with it. Your wife will love it.
i woke up to my wife banging the wall w/ her phone

pretty sure she'd rather have bird stew
 
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