Home Improvement Today?

X2 for frog tape, we wont use blue tape again

 

I went through this painting the exterior of my house and pool deck this past Spring. I highly recommend green frog tape over the generic blue painters tape. Frog tape also comes in a blue contractor version as mentioned, but the green is my favorite.

I've also used Sherwin Williams orange masking tape with 3m's hand masker for (window film and paper masking), but it's really tacky and not good for paint lines. It's more for generic paper masking, but it's much stronger than 3m's generic vanilla/tan colored masking tape.

A tip I learned from (The Idaho Painter on Youtube) with the green frog tape is to mask whatever line you're working with and then just before you paint run a light bead of latex caulking over the edge of the frog tape. After the paint starts to tack up, but before it dries completely peel your tape off. You'll get perfect clean lines every time. I think it works better than the water method and especially well for around exterior windows with stucco walls.

If you want to know more about paint tip sizes or airless sprayers he's got a ton of neat tips and tricks on his channel.

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

 

Another year is gone and it time for annual household maintenance. This year I was looking forward to seeing what the magnesium anode rod in the water heater looked like. As you can see there is quite a difference. The magnesium rod still has 2 or 3 years left in it. Also when I flushed the hot water tank there was none of that nasty jelly like schmoo created by the aluminum rod.

PLT check your water heater's anode rod. Replacing them isn't hard and they are way cheaper than a new water heater.

 

Looking for some opinions from the weekend structural engineers of the group. I’m picking up an old craftsman jointer/planer this weekend. Cast iron monstrosity that probably weighs upwards of 500 pounds. The plan is to use a come along to lift it just off the truck bed, then lower it to the ground. Now, do I need to wrap my chain around the ridge beam, or will the bottom chord of my 1970’s hand framed rafters suffice?

 

Thanks, this reminds me I need to flush my Rinnai tankless water heater again. I don't think tankless water heaters have anode rods though.

 

I don’t even stay at a holiday in but if u hang 500# 3’ up from a single point on a rafter with that span you might regret it

 

Took down the metal wall and tore out the nasty shelf in the garage and made a new wall, much nicer now.

 

double up a temporary 2x6 beam , lay it so it spans across 4 or more ceiling joists , lift from that

 

Has anyone used these for replacing wooden balusters with metal?

Tap and Twist 1/2 in. Hollow Metal Baluster Pro Pack

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Stair-P...er-Pro-Pack-92001-TNT-HD30S/306837088#overlay

 

Thanks, probably should have been more specific in that i would not just pull from a single bottom chord, but would span them as suggested. I figured 500 pounds would not overly tax them, but the ridge beam is designed to displace weight so i wasnt sure if that was a better option.

 

Looking at your pics , you have a ridge board and not a ridge beam at the peak of the roof

 

yes, you are correct, everything is hipped on the roof, so just a single ridge board.

 

What our brother from the north is saying is any weight hanging from the ridge will become lateral load on the tops of the walls as opposed to a ridge beam which would be supported at each end by a post

 

There just has to be a better venting system for a clothes dryer.

New dryer ariving tomorrow. Has anyone tried the magnetic vent tube? Few styles available, one at Lowes.

 

Dryer vent box

 

X3

 

I used this adapter, don't have to use it, but it works like a charm
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-4-in-Round-to-Oval-Dryer-Duct-Adapter-R2OHD/300456306

 

Don't know what is at Lowe's but when we moved our dryer I added a dryer vent box (so the vent is recessed in the wall instead of stocking out) and used the

$78 MagVent MV-90 Magnetic Dryer Vent Coupling

MagVent MV-90 set (ordered on Amazon though). Love the setup. Just slide the dryer back and it connects together. No more having to slide the hose on then move it back.

 

Under slab insulation complete (R-24 EPS under slab , R-20 XPS slab edge) , 6 mil poly vapour barrier installed with all seams taped , all penetrations sealed . 10m rebar grid at 36" on centre with 6x6 welded wire mesh

Rebar and mesh will be chaired 1" , hydronic tubing goes in Friday , inspection Mon , pump the slab on Wed

 

Thanks! Just ordered it.