Home Improvement Today?

It is a .... well... hybrid in my opinion. Arts and crafts is probably closest. It would be marketed as a Tudor in this area. Very steep roof pitches, interior sconces that I would say lean hard to deco. Leaded stained glass double hung windows with geometric tulip patterns that I hope to riff on for other future elements, like landscape gate design, cabinets, or similar.

 

I'll be hitting YOU up to critique/advise on my planned bullnose repair approach with Miller tapered dowels.

How's your nut case pal?

 

getting better

 

Eddie Hazel was an excellent guitarist in that group...

 

Installed a reverse osmosis setup this weekend. Didn’t like the Chinesium saddle valve they included to get the water supply so Bezos sent me a couple solid brass 3 way fittings with a ball valve quarter turn shutoff on the 1/4” branch that feeds the RO system. Also used the same fitting to split the output to the spigot and fridge supply. Now I can isolate a few different ways to troubleshoot, replace filters or fittings with minimal impact to the rest of the system. I’m glad to get rid of both the Brita filter as well as the dishwasher air gap. I forgot to shut off the ice maker for the 1st batch of water so I ended up with gray cubes from the sediment filter. Ah well. Super happy with this Amazon Black Friday deal for $150. Once the disposal shits the bed I’ll replace it with a slim model and relocate the collection tank to the right side.



And bonus that the faucet that came with it is a pretty close match to the Kohler faucet we have. Brushed nickel vs stainless but design wise pretty close without getting a lawsuit.

 

I wish my fridge wasn't on the opposite side of the room of the kitchen sink. It's so primitive to make R.O. ice cubes in freezer trays.

 

no, i haven't started modding it yet. just the included blade for now. the thought has crossed my mind. maybe this summer i'll take it to the healing bench for some upgrades...

i just use the klein tape measures. lifetime warranty. i bought 2 sometime back in 2015 or so. never bought another one, just keep warrantying them out every few months when they break from the blade wearing out.

i believe a standard 'vent free' unit would work there.

absolutely. i'm learning that being single is a lot like being retired. everyone expects that you're never doing anything, and can no longer relate to a simple human condition like time management, so there's this constant expectation that you have time for all of their projects as well...

my boss is constantly asking me how i'm so busy all the time, like i've got a maid, laundry service, lawn service, and don't serve on 3 committee's at church...

that line("you don't have kids, you just can't understand") was also one of the last things my estranged brother told me before he cut all contact with me, which is a different story all in itself...

 

heresy

 

Well, I hate to say you don’t understand, but you just don't understand. You can't. I didn't until I started a family. But it doesn't mean anyone should expect to to be their bitch. It sucks about your sibling estrangement. My childless older sibling did that to me. So I do understand that.

Also how do you know about what it feels to be retired? That seems quite unlikely.

Everybody is different. It might be better for you in the long run to stop gnawing on that bone and give some people some grance.

 

Player Piano was already written in the 50s.

Nothing is actually square change my mind.

 

So it goes.

 

@soundman98 I really appreciate and value your insight and contributions on various topics. If I irritated you, apologies, I do that to many.

I’ve written a half dozen replies attempting to explain my challenges but nothing comes out coherent.

One thing I will say is that I was much busier before kids. Much. Stressed about maximizing every waking moment. I did a lot in those days. Accomplishments were super validating. Parenting pulls the rug out from under that.

What sucks for me now is the idleness. Referee-ing. Validating. Pretending to listen to verbal diarrhea and potty humor. It’s a common challenge for dudes with smaller kids. My wife doesn’t care for it either. We have to shoulder the burden as a tag team sometimes.

I do find it absurd when I take the kids for a weekend and she wrecks herself demo’ing the laundry floor. I have to bite my tongue about the inefficiencies of equality.

It is not a contest for who is busiest. It’s about the dilemma associated with negotiating between a rational brain (at least I think I’m fairly rational) and an emotional brain (whether kids or spouse) where the balancing act of time and money has no clear formula.

The worst possible outcome is a 3 hour argument over a 90 minute job. I’ve had my share of those.

 

Ya know, you'd be surprised how many people your post resonates with.

 

Progress pics. We got the front room popcorn scraped and 2 thick coats Kilz Restoration Primer added. My goto primer is PPG Gripper but the ceiling plaster guy requested the Kilz. My painter buddy did the scraping so I can't take any credit for getting it done. To reduce popcorn dust he sprayed lots of water first then scraped with a 6" drywall knife and caught it with a cardboard pan that a case of Monsters ships in. It took him three 8 hour days to scrape the whole thing. We decided to take it slow to reduce dust.

For the first time I made a diy air scrubber with four 19x25 HEPA filters and a box fan-- it really helped keep the dust down.

On the domestic side, I asked my better half what she thinks about it, and she said this the best it ever looked up here lol. This part of the house has been a wasteland while other parts got fixed first, so it is a relief to finally be getting this last large section under control.

Ceiling gets plastered next wknd and hopefully I finish the front door by then too.

I have been taking half time off work to do this stuff, which is a priceless head clearing exercise. The 1 : 1 return of input : output on house projects makes it a favorite hobby lately.

 

$379 Natural Gas Patio Heater Adjustable Height (55in-78in), 12ft Hose Included, Passed CE CSA Certification, It’s Really Too Cold To Sit Outside In The Spring And Autumn,Its Heat Output Will Get Very Warm

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HRPSG3D

 

I actually like that Amazon one. Affordable and with the hose I can move the heater around the deck. At 55” height it’ll be plenty short to keep on our covered deck. Thanks!

 

Anyone know code or real world requirements/ recommendations on a kitchen range hood for a 6 burner as far as vent ducting? Double wall is required? Good idea? Or unnecessary?