What's new
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Home-owners...What are your current projects? (4 Viewers)

Put the touch lock in. Solves a couple problems. Locks automatically when you leave and let's you forget about a key. Can program 60 codes and set up one for one time use. Easily worth $125. Took 15 minutes to install.

 
Doing crown molding around my kitchen cabinetry.

Never did it before... first this is that it is not as hard as it looks.  The second thing is - that doesn't mean it's easy

Made a mistake on a key piece, now need to go buy a new 12 foot section, stain and poly it :bag:   Will be $25 or so so not expensive but sucks to not be finished

 
Slider said:
https://m.lowes.com/pd/Schlage-Touch-Camelot-Aged-Bronze-Universal-Electronic-Entry-Door-Lever/50297625

Then go to eBay and buy the 1.59 10% off email coupon and buy online. Pick up at your local store.
Click to expand...
Thx, unfortunately my nearest Lowes is an hour away. I think I'd rather have the option of a key too. What happens when the battery dies? I've read funny reviews about that.

I picked up plants for a couple small salsa gardens for the new rock gardens in back. 4 tomatoes, 6 peppers, 2 tomatillos, a six pack of cilantro and a bag of onion bulbs. I was hoping to get them in before the final four starts, but I'll do a better job with weedblock and drip lines taking my time in the morning.

Also, I hate crown moulding.

 
On the outside of the unit there's two posts that you can touch a nine volt battery to and basically jump it to get in. Has a warning light for low battery too. Pretty fail safe really.

 
wilked said:
Doing crown molding around my kitchen cabinetry.

Never did it before... first this is that it is not as hard as it looks.  The second thing is - that doesn't mean it's easy

Made a mistake on a key piece, now need to go buy a new 12 foot section, stain and poly it :bag:   Will be $25 or so so not expensive but sucks to not be finished
Click to expand...
Crown is a pain in the ###. Going either around (outside) or in-and-out (inside) of corners takes some planning to get the angles and coping correct. You almost have to think backwards. If you only messed up one cut, you did well.

 
Uruk-Hai said:
Crown is a pain in the ###. Going either around (outside) or in-and-out (inside) of corners takes some planning to get the angles and coping correct. You almost have to think backwards. If you only messed up one cut, you did well.
Click to expand...
The only way I'll ever do crown again. Hell, I used corner blocks for the new baseboard in the house I sold last fall. Caulked and painted they look great, in some ways even a little dressier.

 
wilked said:
The big thing is to replace the anode. I did it myself a couple months ago - very easy

figure out where your anode is in the heater via google. Order one online (got mine from supplyhouse I think. - 20 bucks) 

you might need to cut a pipe to access. - buy a shark bit coupling and a pipe cutter (pipe cutter was $10 and fitting was $5)

cut pipe, pull out anode. One of two things at this point - either anode is completely gone or there is a little left. 

If a little left you are good - install new anode (may need to cut a little off with a sawsall if you don’t have the clearance) and you just doubled your heater life. If not you are likely going to buy one soon, but keep up with the monthly flushes our the drain

Everyone reading this should be replacing anodes every 8 years or so 
Click to expand...
Monthly flushes??

 
wilked said:
Doing crown molding around my kitchen cabinetry.

Never did it before... first this is that it is not as hard as it looks.  The second thing is - that doesn't mean it's easy

Made a mistake on a key piece, now need to go buy a new 12 foot section, stain and poly it :bag:   Will be $25 or so so not expensive but sucks to not be finished
Click to expand...
They make corner pieces so all you have to do is cut the straights.

https://www.lowes.com/pl/Crown-moulding-blocks-Crown-moulding-blocks-Moulding-millwork/4294518247

 
The exterior is done and I have basically the whole interior to refresh before getting this on the market. Ceilings are popcorn and probably getting polystyrene tiles to mimic wood planks. They weigh a few ounces each and glue up easily. It would cost less to scrape the popcorn and hang dry wall, but that work is just horrible. Walls are in good shape but the paint is probably ten years old. The kitchen cabinets need a plan but the counters and sink are nice. Appliances need upgrading or I can sell it with empty spots. The washer and dryer are already outside. Ha. Doors, trim, window treatment all need help. Probably paint the doors and replace the hinges and knobs along with all the trim including baseboards. All the floors need done. There's a nasty carpet, two kinds of laminate, two kinds of messed up tile and some painted concrete. It will be the last project as I was taught years ago to work from the ceiling down.

So what am I doing today? Making fake boulders from concrete and cardboard. I'm doing this  but framing cardboard and chicken wire around hose bibs and irrigation valves front and back. I found spray paint that looks exactly like some of the rock I put in. No particular reason for this other than I have a few extra bags of quikrete, it's friggin' beautiful outside and all that interior works sounds horrible. 

 
Washing machine on the fritz.  Metered and checked door switch and capacitor.  All good.  Narrowed it down to timer (which was my first guess).

Took it out and took it apart mostly just out of curiosity.

The contacts on two leaf switches were fried.  Four tiny dollops of silver alloy, not even half the size of a matchhead, renders the entire thing useless.  $100 to replace the timer.   Crazy.

 
A few comments on some of the threads here - 

1) I see people recommending that you clean your dryer vents every year.  I cleaned mine out 4 years ago when we put a new dryer in.  It was a nightmare to get to the back of the dryer the way it's situated.  2 years ago I called a guy to do it.  He said he didn't get much out and that cleaning it every year was overkill.  He recommended 3 years...Just FYI.  It's in the cleaning company's best interest to recommend a year, but I don't think it's necessary based on my experience, but YMMV.

2) Hot Water Heaters - I've literally never cleaned one.  Ours died 2 years ago and we replaced it with one with a composite tank (vs. Metal), so guaranteed to never rust out.  What's the benefit of draining that sediment?  Heaters typically discharge from the top where the hottest water is, so why bother draining stuff off the bottom?

3) My next project is to re-do some landscaping.  Garden center has a 30% off sale this Saturday...so I was excited to go...until I saw it was supposed to snow 4".  Seriously Mother Nature.  Quit.

 
Fat Nick said:
A few comments on some of the threads here - 

1) I see people recommending that you clean your dryer vents every year.  I cleaned mine out 4 years ago when we put a new dryer in.  It was a nightmare to get to the back of the dryer the way it's situated.  2 years ago I called a guy to do it.  He said he didn't get much out and that cleaning it every year was overkill.  He recommended 3 years...Just FYI.  It's in the cleaning company's best interest to recommend a year, but I don't think it's necessary based on my experience, but YMMV.

2) Hot Water Heaters - I've literally never cleaned one.  Ours died 2 years ago and we replaced it with one with a composite tank (vs. Metal), so guaranteed to never rust out.  What's the benefit of draining that sediment?  Heaters typically discharge from the top where the hottest water is, so why bother draining stuff off the bottom?

3) My next project is to re-do some landscaping.  Garden center has a 30% off sale this Saturday...so I was excited to go...until I saw it was supposed to snow 4".  Seriously Mother Nature.  Quit.
Click to expand...
#2 - look at a hot water heater diagram

https://www.hometips.com/how-it-works/hot-water-heaters.html

sediment from water build on the bottom over time. Not flushing that out (via drain) causes both inefficiencies in heat transfer and corrosion. Prob more important for gas than electric 

and changing your anode every 8 years is the easiest thing you can do to double the heater life (corrosion is typically the reason for replacement and the anode is the primary defense)

 
McJose said:
Washing machine on the fritz.  Metered and checked door switch and capacitor.  All good.  Narrowed it down to timer (which was my first guess).

Took it out and took it apart mostly just out of curiosity.

The contacts on two leaf switches were fried.  Four tiny dollops of silver alloy, not even half the size of a matchhead, renders the entire thing useless.  $100 to replace the timer.   Crazy.
Click to expand...
Sorry to hear that. It was gorgeous outside last night doing my laundry. srsly.

 
wilked said:
#2 - look at a hot water heater diagram

https://www.hometips.com/how-it-works/hot-water-heaters.html

sediment from water build on the bottom over time. Not flushing that out (via drain) causes both inefficiencies in heat transfer and corrosion. Prob more important for gas than electric 

and changing your anode every 8 years is the easiest thing you can do to double the heater life (corrosion is typically the reason for replacement and the anode is the primary defense)
Click to expand...
Nice diagrams.  Thanks.  Agree. re importance being more for gas based on that diagram.  In my case, with a composite tank that won't corrode, is there any benefit to the annode?  Would I even have one?  (I legitimately don't know if I do.)

 
Fat Nick said:
Nice diagrams.  Thanks.  Agree. re importance being more for gas based on that diagram.  In my case, with a composite tank that won't corrode, is there any benefit to the annode?  Would I even have one?  (I legitimately don't know if I do.)
Click to expand...
Even if the tank is not metal I would assume there are metallic components inside.  

Just google the model with the word 'anode', it should tell you

 
Fat Nick said:
A few comments on some of the threads here - 

1) I see people recommending that you clean your dryer vents every year.  I cleaned mine out 4 years ago when we put a new dryer in.  It was a nightmare to get to the back of the dryer the way it's situated.  2 years ago I called a guy to do it.  He said he didn't get much out and that cleaning it every year was overkill.  He recommended 3 years...Just FYI.  It's in the cleaning company's best interest to recommend a year, but I don't think it's necessary based on my experience, but YMMV.

2) Hot Water Heaters - I've literally never cleaned one.  Ours died 2 years ago and we replaced it with one with a composite tank (vs. Metal), so guaranteed to never rust out.  What's the benefit of draining that sediment?  Heaters typically discharge from the top where the hottest water is, so why bother draining stuff off the bottom?

3) My next project is to re-do some landscaping.  Garden center has a 30% off sale this Saturday...so I was excited to go...until I saw it was supposed to snow 4".  Seriously Mother Nature.  Quit.
Click to expand...
1. The last dryer hookup for my dryers was ridiculous for access. I cleaned it twice in 15 years. Both times when a new machine was coming. It really needed it both times.

2. I drained the HW heater in my old house regularly when the sediment build up started making knocking noises. Maybe every 18 months. This may depend on how crappy your water is. I never changed the anode and sold the house with the 15 year old HW heater that was in it when I bought it. It was new at the time and had no issues when I sold.

3) I'm in the SoCal desert where the weather has been as nice as weather can be. There's no way to improve it. Windows open 24 hours a day for over a week. I can't stop messing with the landscape project because of it. Walmart had flats of drought resistant ornamental clumping grasses on clearance for $3 because they forgot to water them (normally $12). I found 7 that I'm confident will come back fine. Perked up overnight with a light soak. I'm not sure what to do with them. Ground cover in one big spot or planted here and there in the new rock gardens. It will be ridiculously hot soon enough and yard work will be for those much younger than me.

 
belljr said:
How much should you flush though?  gallon or 2?
Click to expand...
Gallon or two every month or so.  Basically when you are in the basement and it's been a month or so.  They have a drain at the bottom, just grab a bucket, fill it halfway, try not to get burned, and you're set

 
wilked said:
Gallon or two every month or so.  Basically when you are in the basement and it's been a month or so.  They have a drain at the bottom, just grab a bucket, fill it halfway, try not to get burned, and you're set
Click to expand...
So you don't do a full cold water flush?

My heater about 2 years old now and I've never done it I never did it with my old one

 
Finished up my crown molding

prob ended up with 40% scrap from errors but:

1) cheaper than hiring it out

2) now I actually know how to do it

will post a before / after for my kitchen tonight. Pretty happy with the results 

 
After 2.5 years of BS, we finally excavated for the foundation last week and poured cement for the footers this week. It finally starts and I can't be happier. The Mac Daddy of home projects: getting one built from the ground up....

 
ragincajun said:
Hitting up the HD this weekend to see if I can score a deeply discounted compressor.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?s=9c1581dcbd6668ebbf8bf0c9b847f3eb&t=379493&page=31
Click to expand...
This is my 2nd favorite message board after FBG - So many deals.  The HD/Lowes stuff is almost never available at my local stores though.  Best deals I got were some Bessey pipe clamps and bar clamps when Lowes was clearing those out a few years ago to move to the Irwins.

 
wilked said:
Even if the tank is not metal I would assume there are metallic components inside.  

Just google the model with the word 'anode', it should tell you
Click to expand...
Just googled and looked at a few things including a youtube video where somebody cut one in half.

-No anode

-Basically the only metal parts inside are the heating elements.  The trick with those is they are non-standard, but somebody sells an adapter that basically lets you use standard in those.  May be investing in one of those at some point because the OEM ones are like 2-3x the price of normal elements.

-Bottom of the tank is like a bowl, so they basically say you can drain nearly 100% of the water easily.

 
wilked said:
FN, looks good man, appears to be maintenance free. Interesting 
Click to expand...
...#### thing cost enough.  It should be.  :angry:

All in the interest of making sure we have enough hot water when my in-laws come to town (mainly my Sister-in-law who takes literally 30-45 minute obscenely hot showers).

 
Fat Nick said:
This is my 2nd favorite message board after FBG - So many deals.  The HD/Lowes stuff is almost never available at my local stores though.  Best deals I got were some Bessey pipe clamps and bar clamps when Lowes was clearing those out a few years ago to move to the Irwins.
Click to expand...
Same here.  It’s an addiction now.  When I travel for business if I have a few hours in the evening I will lookup the local HDs for deals.

Best deals: 5 - 50’ heavy duty hoses for $5 down from $60

3 pack led Maglite $5

 
The neighbor who sold the house next door invited me to use his yard sale if I wanted. I have a couple hundred in my pocket and traded an electric tiller for a dry wall hoist. No longer need the tiller and will need the hoist soon enough. Should be fun. Ephen ceilings.

I was going to have a small lawn in the back, but the clumping grass I picked up fills the space perfectly (pure luck). 36 plugs per flat x7 = 252 plugs to plant at 12" spacing. My spot is 16' square. I need 256. So I'm going cut three corners with my fake boulders (which turned out better than expected) and build a garden bench for the fourth. Perfect. This will take me a few days going slow, but the weedblock is stapled down and a $10 an hour guy is planting the plugs, saving my back. 

 
Fat Nick said:
This is my 2nd favorite message board after FBG - So many deals.  The HD/Lowes stuff is almost never available at my local stores though.  Best deals I got were some Bessey pipe clamps and bar clamps when Lowes was clearing those out a few years ago to move to the Irwins.
Click to expand...
I must be an idiot.  How are they finding these deals and how do I get the same?  I looked up some of the ones mentioned in that thread online (after setting my store location) and they were either sold out or full price.  

 
rascal said:
I must be an idiot.  How are they finding these deals and how do I get the same?  I looked up some of the ones mentioned in that thread online (after setting my store location) and they were either sold out or full price.  
Click to expand...
It is very very hit or miss.  Some of the guys that find them go almost daily checking the shelves.

 
wilked said:
Finished up my crown molding

prob ended up with 40% scrap from errors but:

1) cheaper than hiring it out

2) now I actually know how to do it

will post a before / after for my kitchen tonight. Pretty happy with the results 
Click to expand...
OK, here's the before and after

https://i.imgur.com/yx8cs31.jpg

And a (not great) shot of some of my miters (still need to fill the nail holes)

https://i.imgur.com/undefined.jpg

On the kitchen, hard to tell but I gained about an inch in ceiling height due to pulling down multiple layers of ceiling

Edit to add - also bought some new stools (bought unfinished and finished myself, saving a few bucks)

 
Last edited by a moderator:
rascal said:
I must be an idiot.  How are they finding these deals and how do I get the same?  I looked up some of the ones mentioned in that thread online (after setting my store location) and they were either sold out or full price.  
Click to expand...
Agree with what @ragincajun said.  I think it also varies by store.  Some stores just seem more "buttoned up" about pulling penny items from the shelves, and some just discount more.  I tried to price-match a sale at a Home Depot a few states away at my local store, and the GM flat out said, "No."  He didn't even care that it was HD to HD pricing.  The managers seem to have a lot of autonomy as to when to discount and to what extent.  The only ones I've ever gotten are brand close-outs when they clear whole brands out.

 
ragincajun said:
Same here.  It’s an addiction now.  When I travel for business if I have a few hours in the evening I will lookup the local HDs for deals.

Best deals: 5 - 50’ heavy duty hoses for $5 down from $60

3 pack led Maglite $5
Click to expand...
I got 10 packs of Coax wire clips for $0.01 each.  I didn't need even 1, but I bought them because they were a penny.  

 
Fat Nick said:
Agree with what @ragincajun said.  I think it also varies by store.  Some stores just seem more "buttoned up" about pulling penny items from the shelves, and some just discount more.  I tried to price-match a sale at a Home Depot a few states away at my local store, and the GM flat out said, "No."  He didn't even care that it was HD to HD pricing.  The managers seem to have a lot of autonomy as to when to discount and to what extent.  The only ones I've ever gotten are brand close-outs when they clear whole brands out.
Click to expand...
I think it also depends on how well that store manages their inventory.  One store near me is a cluster while the other is on top of everything.

 
Otis said:
Adding built in ceiling heaters to my outdoor porch project. Flip a switch and you can comfortably sit out there on colder nights too. Genius. Will be usable 3/4 of the year, if not more. 
Click to expand...
They have these in the bays at the TopGolf that I go to, and it is really nice to be able to be out there in the 50s or so with a sweatshirt and be nice and toasty, especially when you are waiting.

 
Bossman said:
So I'm planning on building this work bench tomorrow... Work Bench

Nice simple design. I'm making it a full 96" vs the 65" that is shown.

One question that maybe a fellow FBG can answer for me ...

What is the purpose of adding the 1.25" cleat that the top is fastened too? Why wouldn't you just fasten the plywood top to the 2x6's? 

Is there some structural advantage that I'm not aware of?
Click to expand...
My work bench spawned a renovation in that corner of the basement. 

Before: some silver paper which I guess is some type of fire block since this wall is against the garage;

Re-purposed some used lumber that I had outside. Frozen and globs of pine-needles and leaves all over the floor there.

 http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg190/Z47Bossman/IMG_20180319_110405843.jpg

During; sheetrock http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg190/Z47Bossman/IMG_20180319_134443917_HDR.jpg

And after; deviated from the bench plan to make it a full 96" and taller for more storage underneath. (color scheme matches the bike :P ):

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg190/Z47Bossman/IMG_20180403_202844730_HDR.jpg

added an LED light under the cabinet to light up the bench.

Not sure what I'll hang on the slatwall now as everything fit in the cabinets or under the bench, ha!

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Uruk-Hai said:
If you can, post progress pics
Click to expand...
Here are a couple of pictures from the Googles prior to demolition. The house was built in the 50's but hadn't been maintained for quite a few years prior to us buying it despite it being lived in. The central air had quit working, there was a pretty bad leak in the roof. It was around 1100 sq ft. with 3 bedrooms, one bath, a small kitchen, living room and breakfast nook. 

Front view

Side view

 
Most recent project:

Tore out carpeting and put in 1,200 square feet of laminate flooring. 

Current project:

Taking out the sod that is between the raised beds in my garden, putting in a drip system for it, rerouting the old sprinklers to be outside the garden, getting the deer fence put up around it, putting in some mulch between the beds, then getting the thing planted.  After that comes putting the fence around my little bunch of fruit trees.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

WDIK2
What kind of personality trait/disorder do I have?
Replies
16
Views
547
SWC
SWC
Hastur
Cookbooks - An ongoing obsession
Replies
34
Views
2K
Hastur
Hastur
GordonGekko
What Are Current Bad Habits You Have That You'd Like To Give Up? (12/30)
Replies
10
Views
1K
Jakey
J

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 3 (members: 0, guests: 3)
Back
Top