The Home Improvement Thread

[GoinAllTheWay]

Originally Posted by photon

Also if anyone ever needs to get rid of soap scum, I was wasting tons of time and effort trying to clean a shower at a rental, and the retail stuff wasn't doing squat, so I looked online and tried the Dawn dish soap + heated vinegar solution (mix half and half, or 1/4 Dawn 3/4 vinegar if it's Dawn ultra) in a spray bottle and wow did it ever work. Almost no effort at all.

That sounds a hell of a lot better than gassing myself with CLR. Thanks!

[Nyah]

Originally Posted by #-3

Without seeing it to get anything close to a real answer,

Sqft?,
# & size of rooms?
how are you planning on finishing the ceiling?
Is the Taping down? Did they do a good job?
do you need Baseboard/Moldings/Door finished at all? how?

~700 sqft
Drywall is already sealed, just needs paint
Ceilings are just being painted white
No taping done
No moldings/doors - we'll do that after

[ranchlandsselling]

So my lawn is rather pathetic these days. Grass isn't a nice green it's more thin blades, light green, some brown still underneath. I think the prior owner neglected for a few years. I did have it power raked in the spring. It almost feels "squishy" and soft. I recently drove my car over the lawn and left a huge track (like 3" or more as a depression). Is that normal? I've driven over grass before and haven't left deep grooves, is this a sign there's something not quite right?

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by ranchlandsselling

So my lawn is rather pathetic these days. Grass isn't a nice green it's more thin blades, light green, some brown still underneath. I think the prior owner neglected for a few years. I did have it power raked in the spring. It almost feels "squishy" and soft. I recently drove my car over the lawn and left a huge track (like 3" or more as a depression). Is that normal? I've driven over grass before and haven't left deep grooves, is this a sign there's something not quite right?

Did you drive over it during this recent moist period? The wet ground will squish or compact much more readily.

[Madman]

Originally Posted by ranchlandsselling

So my lawn is rather pathetic these days. Grass isn't a nice green it's more thin blades, light green, some brown still underneath. I think the prior owner neglected for a few years. I did have it power raked in the spring. It almost feels "squishy" and soft. I recently drove my car over the lawn and left a huge track (like 3" or more as a depression). Is that normal? I've driven over grass before and haven't left deep grooves, is this a sign there's something not quite right?

Did you do anything to it after you had it power raked?

Power raking is massively destructive to the root structure of grass and should be followed up with a seeding to ensure proper regrowth.

It likely feels squishy and soft because you have torn out most of the grass roots and there is nothing to keep it strong.

[ranchlandsselling]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

Did you drive over it during this recent moist period? The wet ground will squish or compact much more readily.

Nope, this was sunday.

Originally Posted by Madman

Did you do anything to it after you had it power raked?

Power raking is massively destructive to the root structure of grass and should be followed up with a seeding to ensure proper regrowth.

It likely feels squishy and soft because you have torn out most of the grass roots and there is nothing to keep it strong.

I did a lot of watering, some fertilizing. It felt kind mushy prior to the power rake and looked crappy then too. No seeding though, didn't know I was supposed to. Front lawn isn't soft and seems stronger although I've got a large pine/fir/needle tree that creates a not strong area of grass regardless.

[Madman]

Did you power rake it with your lanwmower and a special blade? Or was it dethatched by a company?

[ranchlandsselling]

Originally Posted by Madman

Did you power rake it with your lanwmower and a special blade? Or was it dethatched by a company?

dethathed by a company. They had a machine that looked like the raking thing was the interior of a typewriter. Lots of little metal arms.

[Madman]

Yeah, then they should have recommended an overseeding after that.

Dethatching essentially just rips out the roots of healthy grass along with any thatch that is built up. While it is a recommended method of removing thatch, it should only be used in the worst of cases and then followed up by a seeding.

Either have those same guys come back and seed, or just do it yourself. Now that the surface of the soil is exposed and clear, it's the perfect time to do so.

[V]

I want to take down about an acre of trees and then bring in some dirt to level the space and then seed it. I think I can take down the trees myself, but don't know how to landscape at all. Any ideas what this is going to cost me? Would it be an option to rent a bobcat and order a big load of dirt and do this myself?

[puffnstuff]

Cutting down trees with a chainsaw is the fun part, it all sucks after that. Dealing with the stumps, collecting and dealing with the felled trees, leveling, moving the dirt...all that sucks.

[calgarygeologist]

Does anyone know how much a knockdown ceiling application costs? We have old school popcorn in our kitchen and dining room and I want to re-position some of our lighting at some point. As such, I would scrape off all the texture, do the electrical work and patch up the drywall. If the ceiling isn't too much of a mess I could leave it smooth and just paint otherwise I'll need to texture.

It is only about 500 sq ft of area.

[Knalus]

Anyone have any advice on where to buy appliances like washers and dryers for a good price?

[photon]

Bowwest Appliances has some used and new stuff, I've used them a bunch of times for rentals. There's a place on 32nd Ave NE too, in those new places between 12th and 19th on the south side, East of the shell station.

[Sylvanfan]

Looking to do some tile in my house, but it looks like the top layer of sub floor is an OSB product. The overall subfloor is 32mm thick and 38 x 235 floor joists at 400 centers with spans under 3 meters, so I think the floor is plenty rigid. As best as I know you can not use thinset directly over the OSB. I will either need to remove the OSB and replace it with plywood, or add something like Ditra over the OSB. Anyone have any experience recommendations with that product or something similar?

[photon]

Anyone know where to go to get replacement nozzles for Rain Bird sprinklers in Calgary?

Specifically 18-VAN?

http://www.rainbird.ca/documents/tur...AN_Nozzles.pdf

[Ducay]

HD sells Orbit brand, but they're all interchangeable. Just replaced ~20 rain bird popups and nozzles to Orbit. Only problem is they have the generic ones, you need to go to an irrigation supply house to get the more "custom" patterns. But the ones they have meet 80% of zone layouts for me

[Bagor]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

I will either need to remove the OSB and replace it with plywood, or add something like Ditra over the OSB. Anyone have any experience recommendations with that product or something similar?

I've used it, and like it. The advantage as opposed to putting down new plywood is (1) that it'll be quicker and simpler and (2) you won't have the risk of the plywood shrinking/expanding/moving and possible tile cracking.

Between the Ditra and OSB a modified (poymer added) thinset is recommended and a non-modified thinset between for the tile on Ditra.

http://www.schluter.com/6478.aspx

[photon]

Originally Posted by Ducay

HD sells Orbit brand, but they're all interchangeable. Just replaced ~20 rain bird popups and nozzles to Orbit. Only problem is they have the generic ones, you need to go to an irrigation supply house to get the more "custom" patterns. But the ones they have meet 80% of zone layouts for me

Thanks, Orbit ones would have worked but they only had 15' ones max.. I got one anyway thinking it would probably be fine, but somehow ended up with a 12' one lol. So went to Lowes and they sold Rain Bird ones and got the exact one I needed.

When I went to replace it the little mesh filter thing was broken off inside the popup, spent a while trying to fish it out, ended up just turning the sprinklers on with no nozzle on that one and after sputtering for 30 seconds the mesh thing popped out

Works great now, my near dead grass will be happy.

[woob]

Anyone know a good electrical supply shop that might be open on weekends where I could pickup one of the following?

http://www.elementalled.com/4-way-terminal-block.html

I've had a quick look at Home Depot but didn't find one like this. I like the design with the plastic guard on the front. Princess Auto has some, but they don't have the guard on them. Any direction would be appreciated.