The Home Improvement Thread

[Deviaant]

Cedar is very resistant to rot. I have and will use it again on any fence I have to build. Just make sure you get non kiln dried posts. Personally I like the look of a rough sawn post but I don't have children so slivers and whatnot are not a concern for me.

I like that expanding foam stuff for post holes instead of concrete. I'm having a brain fart and can't remember what it's called but I believe it's a quickcrete product?

Selkirk Cedar is the mill you want to imo. They produce a beautiful Cedar board. I believe Timber Town and the Cedar Shop carry that particular mill.

Or there is always composite fencing.

[sa226]

I think bases meant for decks aren't the greatest. The biggest concern for decks is load, lateral stability is inherent in the build of the deck. For a fence you don't need a ton of load capability but for strength lateral stability is pretty important for longevity.

If you're hell bent on not putting a post in the ground, you can look at the pylex screw piles and use them in a way that the brackets are providing the lateral stability for side to side and the build of the fence is providing the lateral stability for the run of the fence.

Other wise for post in the ground gravel pack is the best. But also consider what your timeline for the fence is. Jeeze, my parents have fences just pounded into the ground and they're still standing 20 years later the biggest threat is horses and cattle leaning on them.

[Fuzz]

That foam stuff is post-haste. I've used it on 4 foot high chain link fence, but I have no idea how it would hold up a real 6 foot wood fence in 70km/hour winds. I can move my chain link posts around a bit. And supporting a swinging gate? I dunno, I wouldn't trust it for that. Mine definitely has a little wobble.

I've got a short section to do of wood fence, and I'll be using presure treated 4x4 and probably compacted road crush. The ground is, surprise surprise, clay, so I want drainage that concrete won't provide.

I've used 4x4 cedar posts as corners for garden boxes, and after 10 years they have disintegrate anywhere they contact dirt. Not proper gravel, I know, and kept moist for plants, but I'm not sure I'd trust it without really good drainage.

[rain_e]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Kinda thinking out loud...

If you were to build a wood fence, wouldn't it be better to to put heavy duty galvanized steel posts (like for a chainlink fence) into concrete, then clad the posts in like 2x6 cedar or something?

I think when you put PT or Cedar wood directly into concrete, the expansion and contraction of the wood over a period of a few short years would crack the concrete making it useless. Especially if you are using 6x6 posts.

I'm not sure if it is common practice but I live in Mahogany and my back fence was built by the community since it backs onto a road. They did exactly this as I saw a neighbor remove a panel to access his yard and he damaged the cladding and it exposed a metal post.

[Calgary14]

How often do people clean their gutters and do you do it yourself or hire someone to do it?

[LChoy]

Just I thought I ask CP since Google wasn't really coming up with an answer

Is there a LED equivalent to the 7cm halogen stick lights? The bathroom vanity light burnt out and I thought maybe switching to LED, but so far all I can find are 11cm for spotlights, or the pot light style ones.

[Fuzz]

I believe those are J78 bulbs:


https://www.amazon.ca/Klarlight-Equi...3&s=hi&sr=1-10

[Wormius]

I have noticed that the garage door kind of jitters and slows down a bit while closing. A few of the rollers aren’t responding the the lubrication very well, not exactly seized, but not spinning freely like others. Before I get some replacement rollers, is this likely the cause of any garage door sluggishness or should I be looking at other things also?

[missdpuck]

Anyone have experience with Bosch kitchen appliances?

[photon]

Only their dishwashers which I've had good success with.

[indes]

Steel isn't nearly as expensive as you think, especially compared to treated lumber.

Call Apex distribution and ask for a price on 20' lengths of 4" * 1/4" HSS.

[missdpuck]

And how about range hoods vs. just the regular over-the-range microwave ventilation. I’m noticing so many kitchen packages come with over-the-range microwaves, and the prices on some packages are about the same as a Bosch refrigerator. I have a crappy old fan vent thing over my stove. I assume it’s a similar performance? Not so great.

I’m also worried about noisy refrigerators as my house is tiny. I don’t care about the sound of ice dropping. It’s the odd whining and groaning sounds that get me. My choices are more limited as I need a counter depth.

I’m probably going to go with a Carrier Ac as the air handlers are quiet and the closet it would be in is right near my bedroom.

[guzzy]

Originally Posted by missdpuck

Anyone have experience with Bosch kitchen appliances?

check the recalls. Their dishwashers have a tendency to set on fire. Over 6,000,000 recalls and that was 6 years ago. Mine set on fire, I replaced it and called Bosch and they told me it wasn't on the recall list. I told them they should consider it for recall.

[photon]

Anyone use some kitchen planning website before? Would like to plan putting in a kitchen in my basement. The only one I've used before is Ikea's, but though maybe there's a highly recommended one.

I guess not just kitchens, I'd like to plan out my office too with new shelves and stuff.

[Ducay]

I always used Ikea tbh. I've done 2 kitchens, a bathroom, and a laundry room with it, along with various other odds&sods including a number of bedrooms, many of them not really being Ikea Kitchens I was designing for.

Some people swear by Sketchup (which would probably be the next big recommendation out there), but for a layman I find the Ikea kitchen tool pretty easy to use and you can basically make use of all the objects they have included to do any type of room.

[FLAME ENVY]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

That foam stuff is post-haste. I've used it on 4 foot high chain link fence, but I have no idea how it would hold up a real 6 foot wood fence in 70km/hour winds. I can move my chain link posts around a bit. And supporting a swinging gate? I dunno, I wouldn't trust it for that. Mine definitely has a little wobble.

I've got a short section to do of wood fence, and I'll be using presure treated 4x4 and probably compacted road crush. The ground is, surprise surprise, clay, so I want drainage that concrete won't provide.

I've used 4x4 cedar posts as corners for garden boxes, and after 10 years they have disintegrate anywhere they contact dirt. Not proper gravel, I know, and kept moist for plants, but I'm not sure I'd trust it without really good drainage.

I built my cedar fence 20 years ago with my father-in-law and we used pressure treated 4x4 posts for the reasons you mention, we also used concrete in heavy clay to set the posts. Sikkens semi-transparent stain every 6 years and it is still in near perfect condition.

[sa226]

So I'm sure everyone was on the edge of their seat waiting for the results of my zero flow register investigation. I headed to Amazon to find a snake camera and everything. Loading up on supplies and preparing like I was going to war with my HVAC system.

What I should have done first was pull up the register. Turns out it was a fake register and was tied in to the cold air return on the other side of the wall, giving every room on the top floor a cold air return.

I know very little about HVAC so I'm not sure if it was clever or lazy to do that. It doesn't change the fact that, that particular room has temperature issues.



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[Swayze11]

Originally Posted by sa226

So I'm sure everyone was on the edge of their seat waiting for the results of my zero flow register investigation. I headed to Amazon to find a snake camera and everything. Loading up on supplies and preparing like I was going to war with my HVAC system.

What I should have done first was pull up the register. Turns out it was a fake register and was tied in to the cold air return on the other side of the wall, giving every room on the top floor a cold air return.

I know very little about HVAC so I'm not sure if it was clever or lazy to do that. It doesn't change the fact that, that particular room has temperature issues.



Sent from my SM-G973W using Tapatalk

but now you have an awesome snake camera.

[Nufy]

Roots from some poplar trees have extended into the alley and warped the pavement to the point that I can't open my gates to move my trailer.

They are my trees...approx 60 - 70 feet high each.

Would this be a city issue or a private issue...If I hire someone to cut the pavement and remove the roots do I have to notify the city ?

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by sa226

So I'm sure everyone was on the edge of their seat waiting for the results of my zero flow register investigation. I headed to Amazon to find a snake camera and everything. Loading up on supplies and preparing like I was going to war with my HVAC system.

What I should have done first was pull up the register. Turns out it was a fake register and was tied in to the cold air return on the other side of the wall, giving every room on the top floor a cold air return.

I know very little about HVAC so I'm not sure if it was clever or lazy to do that. It doesn't change the fact that, that particular room has temperature issues.

I moved into a new house (to me) this year and there were quite a few stuck registers with no airflow. I bought the tools to diagnose and fix it, popped off the register and stared blankly at duct tape holding the thing closed that must have been at least 5+ years old.

Originally Posted by Swayze11

but now you have an awesome snake camera.

This.