Home Improvement Today?

Final coat tomorrow

 

I posted pics of my deck project a month or so ago. Just finished (mostly) painting everything.

 

Black spindles look great. Was that a kit or something you did yourself? Thinking about doing something similar to my deck

 

Out with the pine straw and in with 2-4 rocks…..

 

Did it myself. Here's the video I used that showed me how.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w62A0bW2ZoY

 

Another view in progress

 

Another vid shows how to do the stairway. He's using square balusters, I used round.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lT4ccFyIqus

 

You could almost jump into the pool from up top.

 

My 'puter is now broked bro

 

That looks good.

 

I'm way too old for that *hit...
It would be close...

 

Ladder to the roof then deep end.

 

Dirt work is done for now. We'll get the track loader back in probably next year to clean up; mess with grades, terrace our yard for more raised beds, narrow-up the gravel, re-rock, etc.

Made a little platform with a ramp going to the platform and up to the grass for my shed I'll build next summer after the shop is done. Got the drainage right so everything slopes away from the shed and toward the woods. It's good to let the ground settle before I build that shed; give it a good year and I won't need to mess with compaction much.


There's a little V-notch coming off the shed platform where built a solid drain pipe that is going to pump-out all of the water from behind the retaining wall. Just so everyone knows... 3" PVC is expensive as hell. You can see it sticking out closer to the camera and it comes out the other side of the hill. That piece next to the camera is going to connect to a flex pipe.


Hey my glue job wasn't too bad! You can see in the background how the track loader put a lot of the fill against the shop; previously it was cut out waaaaay too deep. So much that the shop had exposed footings... previous owner didn't really know what he was doing. So now it's nice and braced against some earth.


To finish up there was a lot of work to be done to get the retaining wall prepped. First had to remove 6" of soil, and then back-fill with 4" of 3/4" minus and tamp the crap out of it. Then filled another 2" of fine 1/4" minus and tamped that as well. The base is like concrete. I worked with them to get it level; it's pretty close. I'd say maybe 1/4 - 1/2" across the 85 feet of compacted footing so I'll need to throw some sand here and there under the first block course. The wall will sit 4' off the face of the foundation stem wall and will be 4' high at the tallest point.






A keen eye can probably see the little channel dug into the back of the base; that's where my flex pipe is going to go below grade. Eventually, when the wall is finished, I will be back-filling the space between the wall and the building with another 2" of 1/4 minus to lock the wall in place, and I'll slope the rock back toward the wall a bit. That way anything that drips off the roof will run into the ground and to the drain pipe just like anything coming off of the hill will do the same thing. Typically you put those drain pipes right at grade, but with this setup we can catch water from building (if any).

We'll put a fabric between the native soil and drape it under the drain pipe after I get the first course in, and then we'll back-fill with 3/4 clean rock and tamp it, working our way up course by course back-filling every couple of courses.

Under the walkway is my electrical conduit I had to finish; I think I used all 360 degrees of directional changes I was allotted . Anyway at least it's in there. Finishing framing of the front gable today or tomorrow and then pouring concrete in the shop first thing Monday morning. While it's curing I'll have some time to stack blocks.

 

Finally got and appointment with Best Rooter…….July 18!


I did ascertain a direction and it looks to go DEEP

Could not locate on other side of sidewalk

 

try buying 6" perforated pvc lol

Nice progress

 

Painters, I would like your opinion. I will be getting some exterior, semi gloss for some trim.

Lowe's has Valspar and HGTV Home by Sherwin Williams.
Both are offered in 3 grades, I would buy the middle or top one, the Vlaspar is a bit cheaper across the board.

Experience/opinions please.

 

So, I've been shopping for a pool table the past few weeks and have been shocked by the extensive markup on these things. I wanted a slate table that had the ability to upgrade parts in the future if needed. Most local shops were $5k-$7k for something 8ft, slate, solid wood and new. Craigs Billiards in Scottsdale (Craig Connelly) builds some really awesome custom tables in any kind of style/wood/sight option you want, but they start at $16,000.

Not wanting to spend that I started looking for used. I stumbled across this old Hugh Hefner special on craigslist for $700. It's an 8ft slate Connelly Tucson. I'm having a local shop pick it up next week, deliver it to my house and put some new felt on it.

 

I've used Sherwin Williams satin Super paint on the interior and Duration flat on the exterior. Very high quality stuff. HGTV Sherwin Williams in the garage and closets in flat, meh quality, but gets the job done. Valspar has some nice primer for not a lot a Lowes. I'd probably opt for the Valspar over the HGTV Sherwin Williams.

The box store Sherwin Williams stuff isn't all that great tbh.

 

Refurbished vintage beats new in my book, you will be money ahead too.
Looks great, are you going with the traditional green felt?

 

I was leaning towards championship blue or maybe a light grey.