The Home Improvement Thread

[Anathollo]

Finally installed the large sail that goes over my mom's pool. It was a bitch to put up and took about ten hours total over two days to set up along with multiple helpers. Hopefully I don't have to mess with it for awhile... At least the kiddo's will have shade and the pool temperatures will stay a little cooler.
This damn sail took about a week's worth of labor to get everything ready again to go back up.

 

[tx_shooter]

No pic? Looking at doing something for shade at my community pools

 

[Oswego]

dang - thats become an expensive storm in the end.

 

[Anathollo]

No pic? Looking at doing something for shade at my community pools

Yeah I was too busy to snap one at the end. I'll post one up later when I get home.

 

[balakay]

Closed on the house Friday. Been taking care of a few small things the past couple days. Still have a few more things I want to get done before I move in. Going to end up replacing the door and frame between the garage and kitchen while I wait I think. And solar screens are definitely needed on the front two windows. But I'll probably make some for every window. Everything is taking much longer than I thought it would. Ordered my refrigerator on Friday and it wont get here until Thursday even though it was in stock at the warehouse. And Home Depot is custom cutting blinds to fit all my windows and installing them but it's going to take two weeks. Good thing I'm not in any time crunch.

 

[Anathollo]

Closed on the house Friday. Been taking care of a few small things the past couple days. Still have a few more things I want to get done before I move in. Going to end up replacing the door and frame between the garage and kitchen while I wait I think. And solar screens are definitely needed on the front two windows. But I'll probably make some for every window. Everything is taking much longer than I thought it would. Ordered my refrigerator on Friday and it wont get here until Thursday even though it was in stock at the warehouse. And Home Depot is custom cutting blinds to fit all my windows and installing them but it's going to take two weeks. Good thing I'm not in any time crunch.

Do yourself a favor and pick up a exterior door and frame as a set. Also get a fiberglass door since metal doors will rust out in a few years. Fiberglass doors last forever.

Also, there's a window tint product called Tru-view. It comes in a 5%, 15% and 35% IIRC. It cuts out quite a bit of sunlight coming into your house. Also keeps people from seeing into your windows as well. You can call window tint places to get a quote.

 

[balakay]

Do yourself a favor and pick up a exterior door and frame as a set. Also get a fiberglass door since metal doors will rust out in a few years. Fiberglass doors last forever.

Sweet I'll look into fiberglass.

 

[TacoXpo]

Do yourself a favor and pick up a exterior door and frame as a set. Also get a fiberglass door since metal doors will rust out in a few years. Fiberglass doors last forever.

Also, there's a window tint product called Tru-view. It comes in a 5%, 15% and 35% IIRC. It cuts out quite a bit of sunlight coming into your house. Also keeps people from seeing into your windows as well. You can call window tint places to get a quote.

And also do the door your self! I remember a published report years ago when the EPA started it's Lead Paint Based profit center. The article described a home owner that wanted to replace a door. The home owner hired a EPA approved contractor and they had to take three samples of the jamb and door to test for lead. - just Googled it... I was wrong on the details but spot on about the profits....

New paint for old home? Be prepared to pay more – Orange County Register

 

[Oswego]

If the garage door holds a car and is the divider between the living space and garage - look into rated doors. US building code sucks for this exact application and most will never ask for a rated entry. This is the only code I know of where Canada has it right. They make you use smoke & fire rated doors with closer's for this application. Last thing I want is my crappy wiring killing me in my sleep when it shorts out and takes my house w/it.

of course all this is wasted $$ if your walls are not sealed well or slightly fire proof.

 

[TacoXpo]

Congrats on being a home owner!!!

 

[balakay]

All good points. I'll definitely look into them and do some research before I buy something. Every other door in the house was replaced except this one. Not sure why they didn't replace it too. Oh well. I work the next three days and then in off for a week so I'll get it knocked out then.

 

[Anathollo]

And also do the door your self! I remember a published report years ago when the EPA started it's Lead Paint Based profit center. The article described a home owner that wanted to replace a door. The home owner hired a EPA approved contractor and they had to take three samples of the jamb and door to test for lead. - just Googled it... I was wrong on the details but spot on about the profits....

New paint for old home? Be prepared to pay more – Orange County Register

Yeah...like any contractor is gonna follow this

 

[achirdo]

And also do the door your self! I remember a published report years ago when the EPA started it's Lead Paint Based profit center. The article described a home owner that wanted to replace a door. The home owner hired a EPA approved contractor and they had to take three samples of the jamb and door to test for lead. - just Googled it... I was wrong on the details but spot on about the profits....

New paint for old home? Be prepared to pay more – Orange County Register

Yeah...like any contractor is gonna follow this

My welding instructor in school legit told the class that if they need to sweat pipes together, lead is the best and easiest material to use.

 

[tx_shooter]

Lead still makes for some of the best body repair material.

 

[Silverback]

 

[tx_shooter]

In high school we used lead to repair sheet metal on an old John Deere tractor we were restoring. Smelled great by made my nose itch.

 

[Oswego]

My welding instructor in school legit told the class that if they need to sweat pipes together, lead is the best and easiest material to use.

My moms been doing leaded glass the past couple years. Ive been trying to get her to start using an exhaust fan when soldering and stop dong it in the house. She reads none of the directions or caution labels on anything. I guess at this point after beating death many times she really could care less. I told her her dog could be huffing those fumes and walla..... now she cares and follows the processes I found online for her + she uses a fan now. People are interesting ~ She cares more about the dog then herself and this isn't the first time I had to use that tact.

 

[Anathollo]

My moms been doing leaded glass the past couple years. Ive been trying to get her to start using an exhaust fan when soldering and stop dong it in the house. She reads none of the directions or caution labels on anything. I guess at this point after beating death many times she really could care less. I told her her dog could be huffing those fumes and walla..... now she cares and follows the processes I found online for her + she uses a fan now. People are interesting ~ She cares more about the dog then herself and this isn't the first time I had to use that tact.

We always use the tactic that guys need to be careful because they could bring germs/viruses home to their kids & wives. They always seem to pay better attention after we say that.

 

[TacoXpo]

Yeah...like any contractor is gonna follow this

It's not so that they follow it. It's so that they can fine people and so that little old ladies and unintelligent folkes can be screwed by shady contractors!!! So effed up!!!

 

[TacoXpo]

My moms been doing leaded glass the past couple years. Ive been trying to get her to start using an exhaust fan when soldering and stop dong it in the house. She reads none of the directions or caution labels on anything. I guess at this point after beating death many times she really could care less. I told her her dog could be huffing those fumes and walla..... now she cares and follows the processes I found online for her + she uses a fan now. People are interesting ~ She cares more about the dog then herself and this isn't the first time I had to use that tact.

I would be shocked if the current supplies contain lead.