The Home Improvement Thread

[Bill Bumface]

Seems like a great view to have from the dock, with the option of a cozy cabin in the trees above if some madman didn't mow down the forest. Statement left unrevised. Cedar forests are one of my primary sources of happiness.

[topfiverecords]

Can’t see the forest for the trees.

[Maritime Q-Scout]

Can someone explain why foor transitions cost $18,000 and only come in 4 mile lengths when all you need is 32 inches?

[Fuzz]

They used to come by the inch, but everyone would always take mile, so they adapted.

[Texas]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

This is the view from the main house about 200 feet up the drive, facing the same direction, with the trees in front already removed.



Please feel free to revise your statement.

What lake is that?

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by Maritime Q-Scout

Can someone explain why foor transitions cost $18,000 and only come in 4 mile lengths when all you need is 32 inches?

Ha ha yeah. I laid LVP in a room a few years ago, the transition piece cost like $35.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by Texas

What lake is that?

The Great Pacific one. Corsi should chop down those mountains so you can see it better

[Sliver]

I want to replace the light switch that operates my gas fireplace. Right now you just flick the switch up or down for on/off. I want to put a timer there like we have in our bathrooms for the fans.

Do I use just a normal bathroom fan timer switch, or is there something different about fireplace switches? The reason I ask is all my switches are decora, but the fireplace switch is the old school pokey out one. Has me wondering if a special timer is required.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

This is the view from the main house about 200 feet up the drive, facing the same direction, with the trees in front already removed.



Please feel free to revise your statement.

Have y’all erected a statue of your grandfather on the land yet? What an unbelievable legacy to leave for your family to enjoy.

[PaperBagger'14]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I want to replace the light switch that operates my gas fireplace. Right now you just flick the switch up or down for on/off. I want to put a timer there like we have in our bathrooms for the fans.

Do I use just a normal bathroom fan timer switch, or is there something different about fireplace switches? The reason I ask is all my switches are decora, but the fireplace switch is the old school pokey out one. Has me wondering if a special timer is required.

You’re fine to replace it with a timer. Open up the existing switch and look behind it and see if you have a neutral (white) wire that is spliced through or not. There likely won’t be one so you’ll need a timer that can work without a neutral. Old mechanical timers can do this, some new ones can as well, but make sure it’s compatible with no neutral wire if you don’t have one.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by PaperBagger'14

You’re fine to replace it with a timer. Open up the existing switch and look behind it and see if you have a neutral (white) wire that is spliced through or not. There likely won’t be one so you’ll need a timer that can work without a neutral. Old mechanical timers can do this, some new ones can as well, but make sure it’s compatible with no neutral wire if you don’t have one.

Okay sweet. Thank you so much.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

Have y’all erected a statue of your grandfather on the land yet? What an unbelievable legacy to leave for your family to enjoy.

Really my great grandfather who's originally responsible. My grandfather sort of expanded things.

It you look at the 2nd photo in that post you'll see a chair by the fridge that looks sort of like a viking throne, that's my great grandfather's chair that he made. So that's sort of a statue to him I guess. I don't really know what to do with it, though...

[Bill Bumface]

Do you have a covered spot outside where it won't get trashed by the weather? It would be pretty cool sitting in his chair looking over the same water that he did.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by Bill Bumface

Do you have a covered spot outside where it won't get trashed by the weather? It would be pretty cool sitting in his chair looking over the same water that he did.

There will eventually be a pergola or something over the deck so I can hang out outside even when it's raining, but I have to actually build the deck first. There's a lot of stuff that's like... 5 year plan timeline, 10 year plan timeline, etc. I'm hoping to do one big project every year and by 2035 it'll be what I'm envisioning. Stuff like,

• Build my deck (this spring / summer)
• Build a carport next to the east side of the building
• Finish the rock wall across the front
• Create an outdoor area and walkway on the west side of the building
• Build a garden and path down to the dock on the west side of the building
• Create a completely new driveway for the main building so there is separate access to both houses (this is going to be like $150k)
• Build an outbuilding to use as a separate office / den thing on a 10x10 footprint in the orchard area behind the house
• Build a picnic / seating area out front overhanging the water

Lots of stuff for the future... In the meantime I think I'll just have to find a spot for the chair indoors, outside is probably not going to be kind to it.

[Titan2]

Originally Posted by Maritime Q-Scout

Can someone explain why foor transitions cost $18,000 and only come in 4 mile lengths when all you need is 32 inches?

That's what she said?

[Maritime Q-Scout]

A friendly reminder that when the instructions say to anchor a Murphy Bed, it's not a suggestion or CYA like a bookcase or China cabinet... no... anchor that sh*t down.

On an unrelated note, I'm pulling up and replacing some flooring tomorrow.

[Manhattanboy]

Question on hardwood floors.

We are doing a renovation and used engineered floors on the stairs with square nosing. Casual look. Rounded nosing might have been too formal.

But the edging is getting rough in places. I’ve pointed it out to my contractor and they might replace the nosing on one or two stairs where it’s bad, and sand the edges in other places.

I’m worried that this will be a recurring problem over time with all the traffic. Maybe the contractor did not select the best quality hardwood floor?

Have others run into this?

Thanks.

[Bill Bumface]

Can you use wood nosing and stain to match? We have prefinished hardwood (actual wood, not engineered) and all of the nosing was done out of unfinished wood they stained to match. This was like 20 years ago and it's held up great. That said, it's rounded nosing.

Also, I really like runners on stairs because slippery stairs are scary. That's another option.

[Manhattanboy]

Thanks. Ours is prefinished hardwood as well.

Hopefully they can sand and touch up and it will hold up over time as we like the look without a runner.

[Bill Bumface]

Yeah I can understand the preference for no runner. We live in an ancient house, so the runner fits the look. In something more modern I haven't seen it pulled off well.