The Home Improvement Thread

[balakay]

Yep, when I get a bigger yard, I'll be getting a zero turn. Got spoiled on my dad's when I used to mow his place. Whole different ball game. But for now I just need to get a good push mower. Debating a gas mower vs one of the new battery operated ones. Pros and cons to each, just trying to decide which risk I wanna take.

 

[Silverback]

I have a riding JD mower, not a ZT. With as many trees and bushes its a PITA to get around everything.. damn near makes a person dizzy... feels like I'm driving the Nürburgring.

 

[Silverback]

Fudge its HOT out. I decided to clean my pool filters and the salt cell. 2 hours to do both, no shade.. feels like 100 out. But they both needed it something bad. I am supposed to do it quarterly... yeah was more like bi-annually. LOL. Filters had a TON of sand in them. Little kids are lining up to play in the new sandbox it made.

 

[achirdo]

Fudge its HOT out. I decided to clean my pool filters and the salt cell. 2 hours to do both, no shade.. feels like 100 out. But they both needed it something bad. I am supposed to do it quarterly... yeah was more like bi-annually. LOL. Filters had a TON of sand in them. Little kids are lining up to play in the new sandbox it made.

My poor pool needs work. The 20 year old DE filter is completely shot, and the plaster is all chipping and falling off. I think next year I'm gonna redo the entire thing and drop a salt cell on it

 

[Silverback]

I have never owned a pool aside from this one (well my parents bought a house with an above ground pool when I was a kid.. but before we moved in they tore it out.. dicks). I had heard horror stories about how much maintenance it was for a pool. But salt is the way to go. When water temps are colder (below 70) I had to add some chemicals, but below 70 algae does not grow, or so they say. I added some liquid chlorine to the mix to prevent any possible growth. So far this summer/spring I have spent money on one bag of salt (after the initial salt the builder put in once it got warm), about 1/4 gallon of muratic acid and 1/4 gallon of base no neutralize the acid to clean the salt cell. Maybe 20 bucks and I have leftover acid and base.

 

[balakay]

One of the first things I have to do at the new house is put grass in the back yard before I can put the dogs back there. It's nothing but dirt right now. I've been looking at sod and figured out it's going to take about 7 pallets to get it done. I've gotten quotes around $900 and that's me picking it up and laying it. Got curious about hydroseeding. Did some research and called around. $450 to have the back yard hydroseeded. And I dont have to do anything except prep the ground just like I'd have had to do if I laid sod. So half price and I dont have to do the work. Sold!

 

[CowboyTaco]

One of the first things I have to do at the new house is put grass in the back yard before I can put the dogs back there. It's nothing but dirt right now. I've been looking at sod and figured out it's going to take about 7 pallets to get it done. I've gotten quotes around $900 and that's me picking it up and laying it. Got curious about hydroseeding. Did some research and called around. $450 to have the back yard hydroseeded. And I dont have to do anything except prep the ground just like I'd have had to do if I laid sod. So half price and I dont have to do the work. Sold!

How to Get a Gorgeous Lawn Using Hydroseeding | DoItYourself.com

"Once the spraying is over, you must take care to keep the mulch wet at all times for the first two weeks to get a healthy growth. You need to sprinkle it lightly with water at least two to three times a day for the first two weeks and taper it down to one to two sprinklings a day for the following two weeks."

 

[Anathollo]

How to Get a Gorgeous Lawn Using Hydroseeding | DoItYourself.com

"Once the spraying is over, you must take care to keep the mulch wet at all times for the first two weeks to get a healthy growth. You need to sprinkle it lightly with water at least two to three times a day for the first two weeks and taper it down to one to two sprinklings a day for the following two weeks."

This. You HAVE to water it period. Daily. No ands, if's or but's about it.

 

[balakay]

How to Get a Gorgeous Lawn Using Hydroseeding | DoItYourself.com

"Once the spraying is over, you must take care to keep the mulch wet at all times for the first two weeks to get a healthy growth. You need to sprinkle it lightly with water at least two to three times a day for the first two weeks and taper it down to one to two sprinklings a day for the following two weeks."

This. You HAVE to water it period. Daily. No ands, if's or but's about it.

Well yeah. Just like with sod. When I said I dont have to do the work I was referring to actually cutting and laying sod. Watering isn't exactly what I consider hard work.

 

[Anathollo]

Well yeah. Just like with sod. When I said I dont have to do the work I was referring to actually cutting and laying sod. Watering isn't exactly what I consider hard work.

Understood. My Hydroseed guy told me stories about contractors who installed hydroseed and didn't water it.

 

[Taco Loco]

1st decent rainfall and second rainfall event since April!!

Now I can mow the rest of my property without getting sand blasted and dusted out.

 

[Taco Loco]

Temp has dropped 25*

I'm out in the shop now drinking beer workin on stuff.

 

[tx_shooter]

Looks like you will be getting some mower therapy again.

 

[Silverback]

@Taco Loco What are those purple and white bushes?

 

[Taco Loco]

@Taco Loco What are those purple and white bushes?

Crepe myrtle https://g.co/kgs/VyKDke

Buy them small, fast growing, adapt to all soils, prefer full sun, drought tolerant, you can get them in several colors

 

[Taco Loco]

@Silverback I had some red ones at the old house and I thought they were pretty cool

 

[Taco Loco]

If I add some more, it will be this color.
We have some friends who live in North Conroe, former grower of landscape trees/plants, called Teas Nursery, they have Crape Myrtle bushes which are now 40yr trees, over 30ft tall, the neighborhood has tons of them that big.

 

[tx_shooter]

Do you cut them back every year?


:sits back with popcorn:

 

[Taco Loco]

Do you cut them back every year?


:sits back with popcorn:

Murder them!

 

[Silverback]

We had a couple crape myrtles at our last house and I would cut them down to a couple sticks 12” long and every year they would grow. 12’ or so. Not nearly as pretty as the ones @Taco Loco has though.