Yeah, I'm a fan of his. I want to try to make a couple of his HVAC filter dust collectors for my garage shop if I can ever source a cheap blower motor.
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Home Improvement
- Thread starter Picasso3
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Koushirou
Log Wizard
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Lawn mower’s out for warranty repair, but the bits are back ordered so it’s going to be a month or two. Hired a local place to cut twice a month for the next two months to cover and got the jungle taken down. But holy shit, underneath it looks like complete ass (this is after taking and bagging all the clippings). We had a week straight of rain before it got cut, but you can see my neighbor’s lawn is looking nice and fresh. Is it a question of more watering? Some kind of fertilizer? I don’t want to be “that house.”
Fucker
Log Wizard
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Acquaintance of mine is wealthy. He redid his interior by himself. Fancy woodwork from scratch. Quality of workmanship and the result was jaw-dropping. Level of work not easy to come by any more.
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Woodwork is def a dying art. Problem also is the price of wood as well. Good shit costs mega bucks, unless you stick with shit like oak or maple, and even that is getting pricey these days.
My grandfather was a cabinet maker by trade. And when he retired he made knick knacks and small furniture for craft shows to supplement retirement pay. I worked many summers with him as a kid and teen and learned a great deal. I did some shit around my house of course back in my 30s and 40s, but im too fucking lazy for that shit now, lol.
But what I really want to do when I retire is make guitars. IDK, I dont even play but for some reason that shit sparks an interest in me.
My grandfather was a cabinet maker by trade. And when he retired he made knick knacks and small furniture for craft shows to supplement retirement pay. I worked many summers with him as a kid and teen and learned a great deal. I did some shit around my house of course back in my 30s and 40s, but im too fucking lazy for that shit now, lol.
But what I really want to do when I retire is make guitars. IDK, I dont even play but for some reason that shit sparks an interest in me.
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Dandai
<WoW Guild Officer>
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I’m shooting from the hip here, but it looks like your grass is stressed. Rule of thumb for mowing is never more than 1/3 of total leaf material removed per mow. If they’re only gonna be coming around every other week, watering and fert will just make your lawn a bushy mess. It won’t fix the color until after it’s mowed again.
Does your lawn normally match the neighbors shade of green?
Koushirou
Log Wizard
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Feel like it was at least closer over winter. In general, though, how often should a lawn be cut?
Despite population growth, the only resource that is becoming more scarce over time is human labor (speaking over hundreds of years). Anything as intensive as woodworking is going to be strictly a hobbyist pursuit, as it's just an economic reality that almost no one can afford that much of someone else's effort. I don't think it'll die completely, as I think there's something intrinsically humanly satisfying to the craft that will keep people interested.
What's fucking crazy is it's almost getting the same way for things like plumbing and electrical work. I live in Los Angeles and I simply cannot find a plumber willing to do a small job for a reasonable price. Everyone with a good reputation is either booked 18 months in advance or price gouging for all they're worth. I lucked out and have a friend who isn't licensed but knows pretty much everything about everything in the housing trades and is willing to do the job right, but short of that lucky social network I'd be completely up shit creek.
tldr; If you want something done to a high standard either pay through the nose or do some research, roll up your sleeves, and do it yourself.
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Lanx
<Prior Amod>
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well your grass doesn't look dead.
does it look like hay up close? does it crack and crinkle when you step on it?
did the lawn guys mow too short? if you take a ruler and put it down, do you get 3inches of grass? if it's less than 3in of grass then they might have mowed off the "green" parts, and if it's too short it'll "stress out" the grass
ask them to mow it higher, basically what theyre doing is giving you a nice presentable razor shave, when you really should be going for a 5oclock shadow.
if you want a "greener" lawn you some iron in there, rather than buying a separate iron additive like ironite, just get 2 bags of stinky milorganite that has iron in it
it's organic and slow releasing and you don't have to worry about "burning" your grass by putting down the wrong amount.
if thats the size of your front lawn (small) you really don't need a push broadcast spreader and can just get by w/ a hand crank
if you wanna have a nice program to keep track of what to fertizle and when to fertile (maybe you want to weed and feed)
try the scott app
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IDK, my dad has stories of his dad bitching about contractor flakiness and lack of availability. I don't doubt what you're saying in the here and now as I've experienced the same thing myself. Does it seem like something has changed because this forum has grown up and has an increased demand for contractors and homeowner related jobs?
My friend wants to start a company where you essentially get a general contractor on retainer. I like the idea, probably wouldn't like how much it would cost.
I don't have the stats handy, but I believe there has been a significant loss of skilled tradesmen in the US over the last two decades, housing in particular. Something like 25% of workers left the industry in the aftermath of the 2008 crisis, which destroyed the replacement pipeline for people now retiring.
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Yeah, most of the shit I do myself. Most plumbing issues, hot water heaters, flooring, tile, I mean Ive done it all pretty much, even some electrical shit which I was weary of, but Ive even added circuits in my old house to wire in a finished basement. Only things I will not touch is Hvac, because I have absolutely no clue WTF is going on with all the circvuit boards and 24v. So if a furnace goes belly up, im calling someone. Shit like roofing, I mean I prob could do it, buit it would be WAY too much work for one or two people.
But the wealth of knowlege that exists on the net right now is crazy. And honestly unless youre rich you would be a fool to hire out every single homeowner/upgrade/fix job.
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Koushirou
Log Wizard
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well your grass doesn't look dead.
does it look like hay up close? does it crack and crinkle when you step on it?
did the lawn guys mow too short? if you take a ruler and put it down, do you get 3inches of grass? if it's less than 3in of grass then they might have mowed off the "green" parts, and if it's too short it'll "stress out" the grass
ask them to mow it higher, basically what theyre doing is giving you a nice presentable razor shave, when you really should be going for a 5oclock shadow.
if you want a "greener" lawn you some iron in there, rather than buying a separate iron additive like ironite, just get 2 bags of stinky milorganite that has iron in it
it's organic and slow releasing and you don't have to worry about "burning" your grass by putting down the wrong amount.
if thats the size of your front lawn (small) you really don't need a push broadcast spreader and can just get by w/ a hand crank
if you wanna have a nice program to keep track of what to fertizle and when to fertile (maybe you want to weed and feed)
try the scott app
Mower advertised cutting to 3”, but given how long it was at the time, some spots were a good foot high prior to the cut, so maybe it did give it a shock. Got a hand crank already so maybe I’ll try that stuff when I get my mower back and have more control over mowing time.
Lanx
<Prior Amod>
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yea since it's your first time putting down fertilizer i highly recommend organic like milorganite or this
honestly i tried em once, and i'd just stick w/ milorganite since i know it
it's not about being a hippy organic vs synthetic fertilizer it's that the organic won't burn your lawn if you put down too much in one area or you messed up and went over the same area twice or you just dump a big splotch of it and didn't clean it up. (and you will mess up)
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So I do some work on the side. I do electric, plumbing, and anything else. I don't get on roofs anymore because I don't want to. I only work a few hours a week, and I mostly do it for people I know and don't charge them much. But I could be booked solid from now until 2050 if I wanted to. For people I don't know I charge $75 per hour, and they say it's a bargain. Plumbers or electricians charge $300 just to show up. I am the guy willing to do the small jobs, though. All the companies want the full kitchen or bathroom renovation. I'll show up and install a new sink and make $150 for spending money.
It's impossible to find reliable people who just show up. I'm so glad I can do shit myself, I can't imagine paying someone to do it.
It's impossible to find reliable people who just show up. I'm so glad I can do shit myself, I can't imagine paying someone to do it.
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Daidraco
Golden Baronet of the Realm
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Unpopular opinion - you guys, just like in the d4 thread talking about increased fast food prices, are neglecting inflation and how bad it really is. Buying groceries gives you a clue, but actively asking someone to work for you in a manual labor capacity - you really get to see what its like out there. Me and my team are expected to know what the fk we are talking about when we suggest a repair, at least to an extent. Especially when its $75 just to visit / diagnose problems as an average.
My first wake up call that shits getting expensive? A sheetrock hole 12x12 (1 sq foot) that replaced the sheetrock, mudded, primed and painted the area to match. Thats $400 fucking dollars. FOUR HUNDRED FUCKING DOLLARS. I gathered a few tools, bought the materials and went over there and did it myself in two visits at 15-30 minutes a piece. Total cost for materials - Cut of Sheetrock, Mud, Paint - $43 bucks. $357 bucks for my time, gas and tool use. Insanity. But this isnt 2010 anymore.
Say thats too expensive all you want, but if you werent as handy (which you wouldnt be in this thread in the first place) - you would be forced to pay the 400 bucks.
My first wake up call that shits getting expensive? A sheetrock hole 12x12 (1 sq foot) that replaced the sheetrock, mudded, primed and painted the area to match. Thats $400 fucking dollars. FOUR HUNDRED FUCKING DOLLARS. I gathered a few tools, bought the materials and went over there and did it myself in two visits at 15-30 minutes a piece. Total cost for materials - Cut of Sheetrock, Mud, Paint - $43 bucks. $357 bucks for my time, gas and tool use. Insanity. But this isnt 2010 anymore.
Say thats too expensive all you want, but if you werent as handy (which you wouldnt be in this thread in the first place) - you would be forced to pay the 400 bucks.
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Heh. There's inflation and then there's $12-15k for roughing in a sink, shower, and toilet in a bathroom that's already demoed with existing water/drain/vent lines nearby.
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Fucker
Log Wizard
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Friend was a GC before he retired. Basically most of what were left of the pool of workers were meatheads and burnouts as of a few years ago. Chasing workers around got to him, and he was more than happy to be done with it. The pool now must be a trainwreck now that so many people can't be assed to work at all.
Local lumber yard can't find people to work at any price, and that's just for loading lumber. They have one guy in the back who works when he feels like it. I had him cut down some lumber, and he got half of it wrong. The guy is a 50 something burnout who works just enough so he can afford to fall off a bar stool 4 nights a week. Strange world we live in where cutting lumber to 6 feet is a task too great.
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Daidraco
Golden Baronet of the Realm
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Put it into perspective and separate yourself from politics. Lets base it off McDonalds. They are flipping burgers on average, at 15 bucks. Ill be that person - why the fuck would I go work my ass off, sweat and all, for a job that pays 17 an hour, when I can be a lazy fuck at 15 an hour? Just because YOU think that is a lazy attitude, that doesnt make a difference. Its some fucked up shit that is finally coming to fruition - in that people are finally starting to find their worth. How is our current government responding to this? Theyre opening the borders wide the fuck open.
Look, Im not really trying to be political about this shit - but its pretty easy to see that there is an attack on the lower and middle class by the upper class. Fuck the left, fuck the right - the people in charge are legit trying to work for corporations and its obvious as fuck.
Lanx
<Prior Amod>
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wait
thats 15bucks for the HARDEST job in mcdee's
you could also just be a basic cashier bitch and make the same amount
actually tbh, mcdees also has a program where they hire actual 1980s retards to do menial work (mop/wipe down tables), and they get the same amount too