Home Improvement Today?

Sometimes you just have to let them help and have it take 5 times longer.

 

i think there's a lot more to your individual family dynamic than you're letting on that is playing a major factor in your line of questioning.


responding to only what you've posted; the gatekeeping about the 'you just can't understand if you don't have kids' thing is really irritating. how you and your wife choose to spread out your adult duties is fine, but i constantly get it from married people with children that they have this very clear impression that without children or a wife, i have numerous hours of free time that i spend just staring at a corner somewhere in the house. this past week, friday was the first day i got home after work at 6:30, stayed home for dinner, and was the first time to even turn the laptop on to even read this forum. i haven't been on here all week because i haven't been getting home until close to 10-11 every night after other meetings and duties i've got.

we're all busy in different ways, i can't stand someone discounting someone else's busyness just because of their personal reasons.




one thing that hasn't been mentioned is that DIY projects definitely always involve some personal qualities with 'stubbornness' in them. i, and most DIY'ers definitely have a mindset that "we can do this ourselves, and don't need to hire every little thing out"


i don't know how old your kids are, but i understand if both of you work, and your kids are young enough that they can't be left to their own devices for hours at end without adult supervision. my nephews are currently in that position(4, 6), and i help my brother out where i can with them for that reason. he talks about how even mowing the lawn with the tractor takes an extra couple hours as the boys argue who gets to 'help' drive the tractor.

that does change with time though, but is also greatly affected your kids individual mechanical interest/abilities. my entire family has what i would call an extreme mechanical interest in everything. when i was a kid, it was normal to help dad fix the toilet flapper, or learn how to run a circular saw to cut down 2x4's, we wanted to learn, and wanted to use the tools. my dad's work bench was always a constant disaster because us kids were always stealing tools to 'work' on something. in all reality, it likely took a lot longer for many of those projects to get done while he made sure we weren't cutting off fingers, or starting tools we weren't old enough to run, but my dad still talks about those moments.

in the moment, the goal was to get the project done, and there was definitely some frustration on all of our parts with the timeline getting screwed up, or as i learned about kerf width.. but there's so much now that i have a 'natural' ability at because of those moments. i remodeled my own bathroom because i had previous knowledge from those dad moments on how to approach the entire project, but also gave me skills in how to frame walls, solder plumbing, and drywall work, all that i wouldn't have as quickly without that experience with my dad. and it definitely gave me the confidence to get into other projects myself as well, things that i don't even really consider DIY so much anymore as is just stuff that needs doing.

so while i understand the 'childcare cost' your insinuating of having to watch the kids for a time while your wife does necessary stuff, there's also dad-time cost, that IMO, is much more valuable in the long run to your relationship with your kids. even if it means it's just running to the hardware store with them and showing them the difference between the 3/8" plumbing fitting you accidently bought, and the 1/2" fitting you were supposed to buy. or just simply 'helping' by holding the flashlight and you explaining how the sink drain flows, or how faucet water shut-offs are supposed to work, and why you're under the sink in the first place!

 

Just hire a pro , problem solved

 

I guess I’m lucky there aren’t any diy prostate removal videos.

 

Have you looked?

 

The problem is actually finding the Pro out of all the people who call themselves a 'Pro'.

 

true story

 

Product review here, I go through tape measures like crazy. Constantly breaking them, losing them or getting them 5 finger discounted when I leave it somewhere. It is hands down the biggest, most used tool for what I do other than a computer.
I got this at Lowes, the thing is great, it will hold ridged for 12', and its nylon coated which I personally like. It has a finger hold on the bottom to lock the tape with your finger. The retract is great so far, they tend to break eventually so that is a time will tell gripe. It isn't very heavy as far as fat tapes go. It was IMO reasonably priced at about $25.
It has my recommendation in case anyone is in the market for a new tape, it's worth a shot IMO.





https://www.lowes.com/pd/TOUGHBUILT...VeObjBx1g2gXWEAYYASABEgJP-vD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

Stanley FatMax is what I always end up going back to. Tried DeWalts tapes, Milwaukee's tapes, and a bunch of others. Stanley just does it better.

My saw horses are ToughBuilt and they've held up remarkably well to the abuse I put them through. Let me know what you think of that tape after a month.

 

I have access to natural gas on my screened in deck, does anyone know of a heater that would hook up to this and be acceptable for covered deck use?

 

I use 35' Fatmax

 

You feel attacked, don't you?

 

I've got an interesting challenge with stair treads on our wacky old 1932 staircase. Just received the custom cut bullnose carpet runners, but I need to repair a badly cracked oak treatd bullnose first.

The carpet tread template process...

 

I definitely will. Like I said, its a new product, just happened to pass by it, put it through its paces in the store and I liked it. I'm with you on Stanley Fat max's, Milwaukee had a run of a couple tapes for me but I am done with them, they tend to get week in the first 10', then try and measure up to a ceiling in the wind, nope, 80 year olds dick is what you get, DeWalt...nope. I actually still like the original Stanley silver body tape.
The way I go through them I figure why not.

 

You'll probably want something wall mounted as opposed to free standing. I don't know what building code dictates or which btu rating to recommend though.

https://www.bbqguys.com/sunpak/tsh-...red-patio-heater-stainless-steel-s34-s-tsh-ng

https://www.bbqguys.com/patio-heate...MI47nsvZDD_gIVBy2tBh0tsA7CEAAYASAAEgLqs_D_BwE

 

Yeah that’s some pricey stuff…

I’m hoping for a standing unit just I could move it if necessary. But the ceiling is only like 7ft tall so can’t do the typical ones you see like at Sam’s or Costco that take propane.

 

funkadelic