The Home Improvement Thread

[Silverback]

Oh and filling the pool is going good, its just about covered the first step in the shallow end, so the whole thing has water in it. Hopefully by morning it will be close.

 

[PSU Taco85]

how many gallons is it total any idea?

 

[Oswego]

Also.. anyone know of a good wood sealant/stain I can use on the kiddo's play house? Its cedar (I believe) but the summers have been brutal on it. Want something water based so I can wash it down if i get some on the concrete.. also want something that I can spray out of a cheap weed sprayer. Thoughts? I would ask at Home Depot or Lowes but figured I would ask folks who might actually know or who have used something. When I do it I will cover the firepit area with a drop cloth as the playset is only about 15-18" away from the area.

Only thing Ive ever stained cedar with is natural food grade cutting block oil because it doesn't mess with the birds like real stains do. No ideas for any other applications besides birdhouses

 

[Silverback]

how many gallons is it total any idea?

15500... give or take. They said if I went above 18000 then it was a whole new game.. costs for everything skyrocketed. Maintenance, water, electricity.. chemicals.. you name it. But under 18000 is much more manageable.

 

[tex]

Speaking of pools the city has scheduled to drain the pool of the vacant house across the street next week.
I did some digging and found the new owner. Found 2 phone numbers but 1 was disconnected and the other just rings. It looks like he has 5 or 6 houses that I'm guessing are rentals. Hope his plans are to fix and flip this one since I don' want a rental house right across from me.

 

[Silverback]

So I was talking to the guy who owns the company who sprayed in the quartz plaster in the pool. Very knowledgeable guy, he even teaches a class to pool guys. Anyhow he said if I ever drain the pool don't drain it all the way.. leave a couple feet of water in the bottom. A big rain storm can actually lift the pool out of the ground, he said he has seen it 10 times or so.

 

[tex]

Yea but the city will drain this one dry. It will probably cause several thousand in damage since the pool needs the weight of the water.

 

[balakay]

So I was talking to the guy who owns the company who sprayed in the quartz plaster in the pool. Very knowledgeable guy, he even teaches a class to pool guys. Anyhow he said if I ever drain the pool don't drain it all the way.. leave a couple feet of water in the bottom. A big rain storm can actually lift the pool out of the ground, he said he has seen it 10 times or so.

Yep, happened to my cousin when her and her husband bought their new house. Theirs didn't lift but it shifted and cracked it. They had to have it all refinished. It was costly.

 

[Anathollo]

Also.. anyone know of a good wood sealant/stain I can use on the kiddo's play house? Its cedar (I believe) but the summers have been brutal on it. Want something water based so I can wash it down if i get some on the concrete.. also want something that I can spray out of a cheap weed sprayer. Thoughts? I would ask at Home Depot or Lowes but figured I would ask folks who might actually know or who have used something. When I do it I will cover the firepit area with a drop cloth as the playset is only about 15-18" away from the area.

Go to your local boat shop for a hard core marine grad sealer. It's $$$ but you won't have to worry about it for a couple of years

 

[Oswego]

Go to your local boat shop for a hard core marine grad sealer. It's $$$ but you won't have to worry about it for a couple of years

..... Can't believe I forgot that. Grew up at a marina and watched my mom refinish teak and woodwork on the boats my entire lifetime

 

[Silverback]

Pool is full.. spa is full. No pumps are on or anything yet, but Kenna and her friend decided they would try it out. I warned them it was cold.. they said it wasn't. LOL Parent of the Year material right here.. I let them jump in.

 

[Silverback]

Boss Lady has been asking if we could get one of these for the house. I've said NO. Here is a good reason why?

 

[tx_shooter]

Anyone ever replace the mixer valve in their shower? Mine has recently upgraded a random drip to a decently annoying trickle. I am debating getting a real plumber to fix it vs doing it myself.

 

[Silverback]

@Anathollo is probably your best bet on that one. For that kind of stuff I call a friend or family member. (father in law and brother in law are both plumbers)

 

[PSU Taco85]

Got the tv mounted tonite. 65" looks tiny, Maybe should have went 75" . Going to the cable company tomorrow to get an HD box and have to finish splicing up the f connectors in the shop

 

[PSU Taco85]

Anyone ever replace the mixer valve in their shower? Mine has recently upgraded a random drip to a decently annoying trickle. I am debating getting a real plumber to fix it vs doing it myself.

What kind of diverter is it? The valves usually take 10 minutes to replace, super easy. I would do it as a plumber would charge you another $100 on top of the parts to come in for 10 minutes

 

[tx_shooter]

What kind of diverter is it? The valves usually take 10 minutes to replace, super easy. I would do it as a plumber would charge you another $100 on top of the parts to come in for 10 minutes

Not sure; will have to check it out.

 

[PSU Taco85]

Not sure; will have to check it out.

If it's a moen the cartridges are free you just have to send your old one back. Many people don't realize it and end up buying a new one

 

[xJuice]

If it's a moen the cartridges are free you just have to send your old one back. Many people don't realize it and end up buying a new one

I just buy mine, because once I'm ready to replace it I've already taken it apart and I'm not putting it all back together to wait for mail order ones. Nor am I leaving the shower disabled in the mean time.

But yes if that's all that you have to replace, it's not a hard job. Takes a little finesse and grunt to get the old cartridge out though.

 

[tx_shooter]

What kind of diverter is it? The valves usually take 10 minutes to replace, super easy. I would do it as a plumber would charge you another $100 on top of the parts to come in for 10 minutes

If the job can be done for that little then it is worth it for someone to do it right the first time. The costs if I screw it up or start breaking tile for some reason is not worth it. I could not find a brand name on the shower head, mixer control, or faucet.