tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58046672063265174832024-03-07T19:32:34.194-08:00It's all about my Ryan, homeFollow along as we live in our Ravenna from Ryan homes.Sgt.Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06908060926056178459noreply@blogger.comBlogger110125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804667206326517483.post-11690165442651463162014-07-23T05:12:00.004-07:002014-07-23T05:12:36.860-07:00Custom Built Art Frameswell if you haven't deleted me from you list yet, then you will get to see my latest project.<br />
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I have a new respect for the cost of framed art work. <br />several months this has been in the making. First with finding the outstanding “handtools” poster (<a href="http:///">http://popchartlab.com/products/the-chart-of-hand-tools</a><a href="http://popchartlab.com/products/the-chart-of-hand-tools">http://popchartlab.com/products/the-chart-of-hand-tools</a>)<br />and
then touring Antique Archeology in Nashville (you know, the Mike guy
who is on “American Pickers”) and finding a print of the ‘48 Harley
KnuckleHead engine Mike picked.<br />
First I’m a pretty lucky guy to have a wife that thinks a harley
engine and a hand tools poster hanging in her house is a good idea!<br />
The hand tools frame is Walnut with a Maple inlay and Maple corner
splines. I finished it with several coats of BLO and then paste waxed
over that. A great friend Steve Brown hooked me up on the glass, and
Hobby Lobby did the matting.<br />
The knucklehead frame is Oak. Actually, they are Oak stair treads
ripped down to size! Even though no one can see them, I double pinned
the corners with Oak dowels. Finished with two coats General Finishes
Expresso and wipe on Poly.<br />
First time out, I like ‘em. Now I just have to hang ‘em.<br />
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<br />Sgt.Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06908060926056178459noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804667206326517483.post-62516344944750120362014-04-07T06:03:00.001-07:002014-04-07T06:03:03.548-07:00Screen Door InstalledI know, this is a little like double dipping for compliments. But I have to!<br />
The boss took the screen door home this weekend and installed it; took some pictures and sent them to me this morning.<br />
I'm tell'n ya, I may have modify the design for windows (instead of screens) and build a custom storm door for MY house.<br />
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<br />Sgt.Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06908060926056178459noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804667206326517483.post-71946580138550033502014-04-04T05:12:00.002-07:002014-04-04T05:12:47.260-07:00Closet and Screen Door - I know....it's been a while.Holy crap it's been a long time! <br />
I have been knocking out some projects lately and thought I would share.<br />
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First, my closet.....<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First photo is the finished shot</td></tr>
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What we have here is Maple plywood finished with Amber Shellac and trimmed with "select" pine covered with an expresso stain. I planned to use maple for the face frame but the expresso is dark and didn't want to "waste" good maple by covering it up. The rods are 1.375" Poplar stained with the same Expresso finish.<br />
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Next, the boss's screen door.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was the jacked up screen door the owner of my company brought to me to fix or replace. I replaced.</td></tr>
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Here, we have a cedar door with removable screens.<br />
I lapped the joints (except the center style, I used wood dowels for that) and pinned them with 1/2" Oak dowels. Then I finished the whole thing with a couple coats of teak oil.<br />
The owner comes back from vaca Monday. I know he is happy with it, let's see what his wife thinks.<br />
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I am getting started on some custom picture/art frames so stay tuned my friends.<br />
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that is all, carry on.Sgt.Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06908060926056178459noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804667206326517483.post-15269899957923666142013-09-09T09:52:00.000-07:002013-09-09T09:52:17.035-07:00Let's talk basic maintenanceI was lazy and did not grout the kitchen backsplash. That will be done next weekend....I promise.<br />
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In the meantime, I thought this would be a great time to talk maintenance. I find most move in to a new (or "used") house, hang the tv, place the couch, maybe paint a wall, and relax. There are many small things you can do to ensure your house will last. I will tell you what I do and you can comment on what you do or how you do it different.<br />
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Of course this list will cover what I do and what I plan to do. I will note when it's something I plan to do.<br />
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<li>Water Heater - Most will tell you to drain fully once a year. That's a bit of a chore as I did this in my last house. When I moved in, I checked the water heater manual and it recommends draining one gallon a month. This removes sediment extending the life of your water heater. Draining a gallon is easy, just keep a hose and bucket handy. </li>
<li> Furnace - change your filter. Seriously, change it. I buy the more expensive and change every 2-3 months. I am amazed when I talk to people that have no idea this should be done. Do you want your furnace to last longer then a few years? change it!</li>
<li>Caulk - This one could get a list of it's own. It really isn't hard. I have already re-caulked the edge of the counter (in kitchen), around the tub faucets, and around the tub surround. It cracks, splits, etc... It's not hard (but can be time consuming) to cut/pull out the old stuff and throw some new down. If you don't know WHAT to buy, ask your local Home Depot. Don't know HOW to do it, google it or youtube it. I use painters tape and get a perfect edge. But I can be anal like that.</li>
<li>Tub drain - If your house is like mine, your tub has a little flippy disk that can be pushed "level" to stop the water. I found it works great to catch my wife's hair. I check that thing every couple days and pull out the hair that would otherwise head into the pipes and possibly create stoppages. My daughter is not so diligent which is why a week back, I went at the drain with one of these <a href="http://www.homedepot.com/p/BrassCraft-Zip-It-Bath-and-Sink-Hair-Snare-BC00400/100665735#.Ui34bj8RO2k">http://www.homedepot.com/p/BrassCraft-Zip-It-Bath-and-Sink-Hair-Snare-BC00400/100665735#.Ui34bj8RO2k</a> easily the best, and cheapest drain snake every home owner should have. I managed to dig out her "hair turd". Now I go in there every few days and check my damned self. kids......hmmmpf</li>
<li>Driveway - have you sealed it yet? It really isn't hard. It took a few hours to power wash (rent one if you need to), then I borrowed the neighbors pump sprayer (Because a friend of mine ruined mine! friends......hmmmpf) Time consuming, but easy. Now I have a gratifying sheen on my drive way and I am ready for winter!.....kinda, I hate shoveling. </li>
<li>Deck stain - Do you have a wooded deck? do you have plans to have it look nice longer then a couple years? I suggest you get out there and get it stained/sealed. It's a crappy chore, but the few hours you log maintaining your deck will be worth it. I let me last deck go and it looked like a hairy dog's ass. I did a bunch of research and found ReadySeal is the shit! seriously, it's worth the shipping. <a href="http://www.readyseal.com/">http://www.readyseal.com/</a> I have used other sealers and I get permanent drips. ReadySeal is "goof proof". </li>
<li>Lawn - I find this can be very confusing. What, when, how.......ugh. I found this article to be the most help, the most detailed on when and what. <a href="http://www.familyhandyman.com/landscaping/lawn-care/lawn-care-how-to-repair-a-lawn/step-by-step">http://www.familyhandyman.com/landscaping/lawn-care/lawn-care-how-to-repair-a-lawn/step-by-step</a> I have yet to find the SoilActivator. But I am a chicken poop convert. That stuff is great. My back yard was seeded and has lots of weeds to deal with. I am still using Scott's Yellow bag in the back. The front gets Chicken poop.</li>
<li>Lawn cont. - Do you aerate? you could! Myself and two neighbors split the cost of a rental aerater and have done it last fall and this last spring. We have plans to do it again. Ryan's landscapping sucked and the soil needs all the help it can get. So for $20, I aerate. Followed this year with re-seeding.</li>
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I am sure I am missing something, but this covers what I do or have done. <br />
Consider this, how much time have to dedicated to your favorite tv show versus time you spent on your house last month? You got one house, take care of it.<br />
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carry on.<br />
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<br />Sgt.Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06908060926056178459noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804667206326517483.post-30692910601753911612013-09-03T10:49:00.001-07:002013-09-03T10:49:35.000-07:00A Back Splash of colorWARNING, I'm not done. But I can't wait to post and I can always throw up another post with the finished results.<br />
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We finally got the Kitchen Back Splash tile up.<br />
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So you should know, a kitchen back splash, under cabinet lights, and nice sink/faucet were a requirement for me when buying a house. See, I completely tore out and rebuilt my last kitchen. When looking, I told my wife that I want a kitchen as nice or nicer then what I left. I decided, to save money, I could do all three items myself. Well, you move in, spend money, and things get pushed back....a year and half in this case. <br />
In our defense, a year back we found a mosaic tile we liked and proceeded to buy a sheet or two every pay day. We missed some here and there, but we kept going until we had about 30 sheets saved up. Then along the way, we got the pencil tile, grout, caulk, and seal. So we managed to spread the cost over a year. Not bad.<br />
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But HOW to do it? For Ravenna owners, you totally understand the difficulty to figure out how to navigate the area around sink where the upper cabinet ends and the bar counter begins. I found this image on pinterest a while back and it gave me some inspiration.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">note: I did smaller tiles diagonally in the last kitchen....what a pain! </td></tr>
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I liked how it wrapped around and down to the bar counter. My wife wasn't sold on this one. So I modified it a bit, added some pencil tile and think it worked great.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our "Before" picture</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my "at work" picture.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I had just finished putting up the pencil tile and took a pic</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My solution for the area of concern. Found a black pencil tile that we liked. A few measured cuts on a tile saw and boom! I used the pencil tile at the end of the counter as well.</td></tr>
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So I still have to grout, caulk, and seal. I will post some better, finished shots when done. <br />
All total, we spent about $325. <br />
Tile sheets were $5 each. I believe we used 30 (12"x12"). <br />
4 sticks of pencil tile at $10 each. I used 3. <br />
About $60 for seal, caulk, and grout. <br />
$35 for tile saw rental. <br />
$25 for the pre-mixed tile set <br />
Bought a plastic v-notched trowel for $10-ish (can't remember as I bought months ago). <br />
I already had tape, painter's plastic. <br />
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Next....under cabinet lights and sink/faucet. <br />
stay tuned kids<br />
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<br />Sgt.Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06908060926056178459noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804667206326517483.post-7842774399592367902013-08-26T05:18:00.001-07:002013-08-26T05:18:32.298-07:00Ryan's Roomnope, this one is not about the builder Ryan; rather, my son.<br />
You build and have all these grand ideas on what you want to do. Some you act on pretty quick while others slip away in time. My better half and I have wanted to give Ryan a cool room. Something a 12year old will enjoy and also something that a future 16-17 year old would be good with as well. Think to the future here people! It took us a 1.5years, but we did it.<br />
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Please excuse the blurry photos, what do you want from a crappy phone camera!?<br />
I don't have before pictures. But it's not hard to imagine. a bed and dresser in a flat paint "whole wheat" color. bleh.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--yreO33ZHZM/UhtFZj-3ICI/AAAAAAAAAo4/c3rfjt9LpGU/s1600/IMG_20130824_133214_247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--yreO33ZHZM/UhtFZj-3ICI/AAAAAAAAAo4/c3rfjt9LpGU/s320/IMG_20130824_133214_247.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The blue chair and desk legs are from Ikea. The desk top I cut and edged myself. The magnetic board, magnets, and "towel bar thingy" are from ikea. The curtain rod is galvanized pipe.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y13ZTaWrryE/UhtFZIKo7FI/AAAAAAAAAos/14imGek1CUQ/s1600/IMG_20130824_133228_570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y13ZTaWrryE/UhtFZIKo7FI/AAAAAAAAAos/14imGek1CUQ/s320/IMG_20130824_133228_570.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hex shelves I built with 3/4 ply. They were glued and then I added 1" brackets for both assembly reasons, but also because I thought it looked cooler.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSZRi2aTFqE/UhtFZFdRmVI/AAAAAAAAAoo/lHFAeySMCRA/s1600/IMG_20130824_133243_996.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZSZRi2aTFqE/UhtFZFdRmVI/AAAAAAAAAoo/lHFAeySMCRA/s320/IMG_20130824_133243_996.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The skateboards are held up with skateboard brackets we found at Ikea.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vfT1ZdeO2xo/UhtFaOH_qtI/AAAAAAAAApA/gd9I85vnaok/s1600/IMG_20130824_133336_442.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vfT1ZdeO2xo/UhtFaOH_qtI/AAAAAAAAApA/gd9I85vnaok/s320/IMG_20130824_133336_442.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I cut Ryan's nickname out of sentra and attached with 3M poster strips. The bedspread, again, purchased from Ikea.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The room was painted with Behr "lunar surface" gray (in satin). <br />
My wife wanted an orange stripe around the room. While I have mastered the ability to paint stripe with no bleed, I was not looking forward to measuring, marking, taping, painting the stripe. I came up with another idea. What if we ripped (11.5") strips of 1/8" hard board, paint those orange and nail to wall with finish nails. Way easier and keeps with the theme of his room.<br />
<br />
Needless to say, Ryan loves his new room.Sgt.Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06908060926056178459noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804667206326517483.post-58063201936984065452013-08-05T04:45:00.002-07:002013-08-05T04:46:10.865-07:00The Driveway's SEAL of approvalI, at times, can procrastinate.<br />
<br />
There, I said it. whew, I feel better.<br />
<br />
We moved in to the new house January 2012. So it's been about 19 months! wow. My PM heavily encouraged us to seal the drive way as soon as possible. Turns out "asap" was 19months. Don't judge!<br />
<br />
I bought the stuff I needed to seal the driveway late last year and then read the instructions that said the temps should not drop below 60degrees for 24 hours. Did I say I bought it late? yup, it was getting down to the 40's at night. So I sat on the can.<br />
<br />
Literally, we have sat on that huge 5 gallon bucket now for several months. Sat on it, put drinks on it, books, phones, etc.....<br />
<br />
Until this weekend! This weekend I took back the driveway. The snow, ice, and salt will not win this year.<br />
<br />
I used this SealBest Concrete Sealer. I bought it at Menard's, which by the way I believe is an awesome store! I wish it was closer.<br />
<br />
<br />
For those that want to seal your driveway (which should be everyone reading this), know that it was pretty easy.<br />
<br />
First, I pressure washed. It was rather therapeutic watching 19months of dirt get stripped away.<br />
Second, I grabbed a 3" paint brush and brushed around the porch columns.<br />
Third, I borrowed my neighbors pump sprayer. This is a must! Made the job go very fast <br />
With the nitty gritty paint brush work knocked out, I began to spray. That 5 gallon bucket gave me enough to do two coats on my porch, walkway, driveway and sidewalk.<br />
<br />
Now my concrete is pimp'n with a little sheen to it.<br />
<br />
<br />Sgt.Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06908060926056178459noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804667206326517483.post-29221939826636107502013-07-22T05:57:00.003-07:002013-07-22T05:57:59.866-07:00The Trashcan SolutionSeriously, this could be the idea of the year!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cO5PYqBM82c/Ue0qQoipagI/AAAAAAAAAlc/DGN2dwnN2XI/s1600/trash+can+idea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cO5PYqBM82c/Ue0qQoipagI/AAAAAAAAAlc/DGN2dwnN2XI/s1600/trash+can+idea.jpg" /></a></div>
Most of us building in a new neighborhood have various HOA restrictions and guidelines for trash can. Some more extreme then others. Ours is pretty laid back, by that I mean it states trash cans can not be visible except on trash day BUT since most of us in my 'hood have hilly yards many of us have it "hiding" somewhere in front. Why? Well you either leave the cans in your garage OR you develop an invisibility cloak and leave in the front. I try the garage, but it gets real stinky this time of year. I hate it being in front, looks ....wait for it....TRASHY!<br />
<br />
Being that we recycle (I take the recycling myself to local drop off point....why pay for it?) we do not have a lot of trash. In fact, our kitchen trash can uses the plastic bags we bring groceries home in. <br />
<br />
So what if I buy a barrel for $90, cut it (I have a jig at work from when I cut up barrels for a job) for holding a can and place it conveniently in front like decoration? Place a large garbage bag in the can and when it gets full, tie it up and place it out front for trash pick up.<br />
<br />
Genius! who ever did this and posted on pinterest deserves a great trash salute!<br />
<br />
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<br />Sgt.Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06908060926056178459noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804667206326517483.post-49669364661803254542013-07-17T09:21:00.000-07:002013-07-17T09:21:18.512-07:00Batteries, my arch nemesis!<span class="hw">nem·e·sis</span> <span class="pron">(n<img align="absbottom" src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/ebreve.gif" />m<img align="absbottom" src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/prime.gif" /><img align="absbottom" src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/ibreve.gif" />-s<img align="absbottom" src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/ibreve.gif" />s)</span><i>n.</i> <i>pl.</i> <b>nem·e·ses</b> <span class="pron">(-s<img align="absbottom" src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/emacr.gif" />z<img align="absbottom" src="http://img.tfd.com/hm/GIF/lprime.gif" />)</span> <b>1. </b> A source of harm or ruin<br />
<br />
If you would rather skip the whining, let me sum this post up for you....<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">change out your back up batteries in your smoke alarms!!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Did you get that?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Why the large type you ask? Well because I am driving home the point that laziness and/or cheapness may cost you sleep.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Two "mornings" ago, at 0400 (and having gone to bed late the night before) my bedroom smoke alarm decides NOW is the time to let me know the back up 9volt is dead. How does it do this? With a chirp every 60 seconds. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;">"change it out you say", if I kept 9 volts, I would. So once I kicked the dancing unicorns ridden by lucky leprechauns in fields of cotton candy dreams from my brain housing group and figured out what may be the cause of the incessant chirp I began to root through the house for a 9volt. I have a lifetime supply of AA, but I have been reduced to scrounging through my son's toys for a 9volt. I found one.....but it was dead as well. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;">The chirping continues.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;">I know! I will swap it out with the basement. 5 minutes later, success! except I can hear that damned chirping all the way into my bedroom creating a blockade to sleep and dreams of unicorns. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Exasperated, my wife decided to halt my quest to just disconnect the alarm (or shoot it) and headed out to Walgreens. Twenty minutes later, we had some new, expensive as shit, 9volt batteries. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Crisis averted....at 0505. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Back to bed for about 40 minutes before the day started.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Having lived in the house for 1.5years, I have every intention to mark and replace back up smoke alarm 9volt batteries every 12 months.....as long as cheapness doesn't take hold and I wait for the next one to chirp; I mean hell, them 9volts must be filled with rare diamonds to cost $15 for 4! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> </span> Sgt.Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06908060926056178459noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804667206326517483.post-21757682692052329372013-07-01T13:34:00.003-07:002013-07-01T13:35:42.928-07:00Lubing the Garage Door and Corn holeEasy killers,<br />
I didn't mean that this post was about lubing your corn hole! sickos.<br />
I merely am referencing two topics of this blog post.<br />
<br />
First, and with no pictures; sorry, but I am pretty sure you don't need me to post pictures of the garage hinges!<br />
Since the day we moved in, our garage door has sounded LOUD and horrible. Specifically it squeeks, pops, and generally sounds like it's 100 years old. The opener itself is quiet, but the door sounds like it's going through the grinder. I mentioned it at the 10month inspection and I received the "you just need to lube it" speech. I would have thought they would do that for me, but what do I know. I knew I needed to do it, and I was tired of hearing it. The catalyst for action was when I went into my friends garage for something and it was whisper quiet. THAT'S IT, I'm doing something about this.<br />
So off to Home Depot I go and purchase this...<br />
<a href="http://www.homedepot.com/p/Blaster-11-oz-Dry-Lube-Silicone-Lubricant-16-SL-THD/202529794#.UdHky5wqS5M">http://www.homedepot.com/p/Blaster-11-oz-Dry-Lube-Silicone-Lubricant-16-SL-THD/202529794#.UdHky5wqS5M</a><br />
WARNING, you can go back to garage doors and purchase "garage door lubricant" for twice the cost OR buy this shit! I used to work with mechanics who swore by Blaster products.<br />
<br />
I went home, watched a quick video on "how to lubricate a garage door" (thank you youtube for solving most of my questions). The video was helpful, I suggest you watch it.<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1lUm7koF2A.">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1lUm7koF2A.</a><br />
why did it help? well for starters he points out you should lube the TOP of the track versus the bottom like most suggest.<br />
<br />
Out to the garage I go with my new can of Blaster in hand and get to spray'n. It took about a half hour, but it did the trick. Initially the result was better, but not perfect. But as the days passed, and the lube worked it's way in, it got quieter and quieter. Now I barely hear it and almost enjoy listening to it open and close. <br />
<br />
Second, I made some cornhole boards. My daughter asked me to make her boyfriend (and this one I like....he is
a Marine) a set of cornhole boards. He was just thinking I might paint
a simple image for the Bengals, Reds, or USMC theme. But I decided to
run with it. I designed the boards with his MOS and rank in mind. Add
that to the fact I work for a kick ass company that has kick ass
printing abilities and voila.....kick ass USMC cornhole boards.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Po8n_Rco5Jo/UdHnAaS4HPI/AAAAAAAAAkw/z7f2xh2JlSA/s1500/USMC+CornHole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Po8n_Rco5Jo/UdHnAaS4HPI/AAAAAAAAAkw/z7f2xh2JlSA/s320/USMC+CornHole.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
And if you don't know what cornhole is? google it....I dare ya! haha.....j/k it's become a pretty popular yard game. Web search is a lot less shocking in the last ten years. <br />
<br />
that's all I got for now,<br />
carry onSgt.Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06908060926056178459noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804667206326517483.post-36436960400812742462013-04-08T05:30:00.000-07:002013-04-08T05:30:02.702-07:00It was just too mulchWhat do you do when you lack vision in respects to landscapping?<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SuMM4AimIkI/UWK2nGR6dII/AAAAAAAAAjg/HrLayHlAIT8/s1600/Too+Mulch+Sod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SuMM4AimIkI/UWK2nGR6dII/AAAAAAAAAjg/HrLayHlAIT8/s320/Too+Mulch+Sod.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
You dig out the year old mulch and lay sod!<br />
<br />
All last year my wife and I debated on how to edge this huge mulch bed area. Kids and dogs jump off the front porch and into the mulch, kicking it up on the concrete walk way. They when I mow, it throws clippings into the mulch. Add to that our lack of vision in figuring out what to plant in this huge area that will look nice without costing an arm and leg. In a moment of lucid thought, I considered laying sod. I ran the idea past my better half and she loved it. One week later we knocked it out. <br />
Next steps are to build a straight, few course stone wall separating the smaller mulch bed from the new sod. Then plant a couple hydrangeas and call it done. <br />
<br />
In hindsight, I wish I would have had sod put there when they did the front lawn. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />Sgt.Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06908060926056178459noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804667206326517483.post-37596576950253920962013-03-19T06:07:00.000-07:002013-03-19T06:07:00.875-07:00Miter Saw station part 1I so often show my projects at home. I figured I would show one from work. I am responsible for the (wood) shop at work. For three years now, I have been using my Dewalt sliding compound miter saw on a collapsible Dewalt miter stand. These stands work in a pinch, but I have a strong dislike for an everyday use. <br />
With some un-used metal cabinets, left over melamine and birch ply, and some purchased Poplar (Trim&Fence), I put this together.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RyPsLK8bMnQ/UUhh6zRYxxI/AAAAAAAAAjM/mvoxmhPMT-k/s1600/2013-03-18_16-26-27_336.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RyPsLK8bMnQ/UUhh6zRYxxI/AAAAAAAAAjM/mvoxmhPMT-k/s320/2013-03-18_16-26-27_336.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I am not finished yet. I decided to use the left 50" cabinet as a router table as well. Last night I purchased T-Track that I will route and install in the table top. This will allow my saw and left fence to move forward and backword with a quick release lever. I will also have a piece that runs the length of the cabinet for add-on like feather boards, guides, etc....<br />
<br />
When finished, I will have a highly useable miter station/router table for a fraction of the cost.<br />
<br />
When this is done at work, I will have to start on one similar for home!<br />
<br />
that is all<br />
carry on<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Sgt.Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06908060926056178459noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804667206326517483.post-75491194250554724542013-02-20T06:13:00.001-08:002013-02-20T06:13:23.506-08:00It's that time of year to review hints and tips when buildingI want to re-visit a some of these as you would have to dig way back in
my blog history to find these. I will also add in some I have heard
from others.<br />
<br />
-Getting an island? Add an outlet to both sides of it. We got the
standard one outlet and found a second one on the opposite side would be
great for laptop charging cable, phone chargers, etc...<br />
-Add a tube running from the attic to the basement. I ran a 3/4"
flexible smurf tube. This allowed me to run an attic antenna to the
basement. My neighbors have a satellite dish on the roof with the coax
strapped to the siding all the way down. The tube would have saved them
this.<br />
-Running rear speakers? I put in a low voltage electrical box in the
family room on the TV wall with some smurf tube punching into the
basement. I put another on the opposite wall. When I moved in, I just
ran my speaker wire down to the basement, strapped it across and back up
into the family room. Perfect!<br />
-TV over the fireplace? Don't pay for Guardians pre-wire (it was quoted
$500 for us). Just run a PVC pipe from the side to where you want it
above the fireplace. When you install it, run a string and tape it off.
That way, after move in, you just tie the string off to the cables and
pull. Don't forget to get Ryan to put in an outlet. <br />
-Hate stacking pots and pans? check out the pull out shelves from
Rev-a-Shelf. We bought one from Lowes. Easily the best damn thing in
my kitchen. I actually show it off to visitors. <br />
-Under cabinet lighting? Don't pay Ryan's obscene cost. Just buy the
puck kit for $30-ish and install yourself. They come with a toggle
switch you can opt to install. Mount it behind the front edge of a
cabinet and run them in line. Then run the power cord up between two
cabinets, drill a hole in the top of the one over the micro. Cut the
end off and hook up a 90degree plug. Then just plug it in to the microwave
outlet and you're good to go. <br />
Note-if you pay for a switched outlet to be put in a cabinet, you can have a wall switch and skip the toggle.<br />
-Have a dog or plan to get one? Put a 1" PVC pipe down below the
driveway when they pour concrete. I have one so that I can run a
underground dog fence through it and not deal with a concrete saw.
Consider the size of pipe. Running a sprinkler line through would work
too. Depending on your layout, running one under the walkway would be
smart too.<br />
<i><b>Update-dog fence installers can just as easily use a concrete saw and caulk at a joint. But if I ever run a water line....the pipe is there for me.</b></i> <br />
-Mount a TV on the wall in a room? Screw in some chunks of 2x6 between some studs pre-drywall. Makes screwing brackets in a breeze not having to find a stud. <br />
-Second floor laundry? Get the dryer exhaust vent put high enough to
hook up AFTER you have pushed the dryer in place. Trust me on this one.<br />
-Second floor laundry part II, screw some chucks of 2x6 or 2x8 between
the joists under the washer. We have dealt with the "high speed
shakes"and finally minimized it by removing the pedestal, adding
anti-vibe feet and pushing pieces of those foam pool tubes between the
washer and wall/dryer.<br />
<i><b>NOTE: I don't know if this will help or not, but it can't hurt can it?</b></i><br />
-CONSIDER LIGHT SWITCH PLACEMENT. I like the idea of the garage coach
lights operated from front door. Many have chosen to get the garage
interior light switched INSIDE house. Some even prefer the basement
light switch at the top of the stairs. <br />
-Hose bibs. You get two at the plumbers discretion. I advise you
hammer your PM for specific locations desired. I would also consider
getting a third or fourth as well. You have four sides of your house
with grass all around. Seems getting four hose bibs would have been
brilliant. <br />
-plan to put a laundry tub in the garage. But one could have considered paying for the plumbing outlets and drain roughed in.<br />
-I have heard of some getting a drain in the garage. Seems like a good idea<br />
-HUGE TIP....Work a deal with the concrete guys to push the width of the driveway to the edges of the garage (approx. and additional 2' on each side). We paid $300 on the side to the concrete guys to do this. I cannot explain how great that additional 2' on each side is. <br />
<br />
more ideas added from comments in the past.<br />
- On the kitchen island, depending on your model, you may be able to
move the island over and extend the countertop to give your family
additional seating in the kitchen. Costs a little extra, but definitely
something I wanted.<br />
- 6" higher master closet shelf run to help make space for a 2nd lower course of shelving <br />
<br />
If you have more, add them in comments.<br />
<br />
Good luck and remember two things:<br />
1. It never hurts to ask<br />
2. Persistence wears down resistance.<br />
<br />
<br />
Sgt.Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06908060926056178459noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804667206326517483.post-18529203524729537912013-02-18T18:08:00.000-08:002013-02-18T18:08:30.492-08:00Ravenna Owners unite! An idea is born for the foyer!We are now 13 months into our new Ravenna. I still love it. <br />
Shortly after moving in, I built two picture ledges (found at AnnaWhite.com). I liked them but always felt there was better use for this 7+ foot wall then two picture ledges. Not to mention, where the hell do we put jackets, hats, and what not when walking in the front door. Or for guest's stuff.<br />
I found this on Pinterest....yeah yeah yeah, I peruse Pinterest. Ran it by the wife and she likey. So I jumped on it. <br />
Tada<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pTJldkBiaSw/USLdBwaxmTI/AAAAAAAAAis/siYBISqmrzs/s1600/2013-02-18_20-46-16_803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pTJldkBiaSw/USLdBwaxmTI/AAAAAAAAAis/siYBISqmrzs/s320/2013-02-18_20-46-16_803.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XgeYvWDiXXs/USLdCKBInBI/AAAAAAAAAiw/Fg5ztcShtbI/s1600/2013-02-18_20-46-39_906.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XgeYvWDiXXs/USLdCKBInBI/AAAAAAAAAiw/Fg5ztcShtbI/s320/2013-02-18_20-46-39_906.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
I originally planned on 6 hooks, BUT 16" O.C. studs don't line up right if I wanted to hide the mounting screws BEHIND the hooks. So 5 hooks it is. We may add more down the road, time will tell. I can say that 5 hooks works nice without having coats "stacked" on each other. <br />
<br />
Again, sorry for the bad pics. A photographer I'm not.<br />
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<br />Sgt.Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06908060926056178459noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804667206326517483.post-77775194461154815322013-02-12T10:20:00.000-08:002013-02-12T10:20:59.332-08:00Remember me? I re-finished a Magnavox AstroTunerI know it's been awhile. Many new people have come, and some old favorites are still around. My friend (<a href="http://ravennaroad.blogspot.com/">http://ravennaroad.blogspot.com/</a>) is still busy knocking out big improvements in his Ravenna and blogging about it. Being slightly competitive in nature, I decided it was time to knock out something of my own I can wow you with.<br />
Behold, a cedar planter.....<br />
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I decided we needed something to flank the garage door and add curb appeal. The whole thing is out of cedar except the legs. Those are 2x2 pine stained to a cedar tint. <br />
<br />If you like, I sell them as well. email if you are interested.<br />
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But wait, there's more.....<br />
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Several months ago, I scored a 60's Magnavox Astrotuner. A co-worker bought his grandfather's house and wanted to pitch it. I can't find an original pic, but it looked close to this:<br />
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It seemed like it could be a great piece for the family room to hold the TV and components in a more stylish way then the crappy Ikea piece we have had since moving in a year back.<br />
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Tammi (<a href="http://ifyoucouldseewhatisee.blogspot.com/">http://ifyoucouldseewhatisee.blogspot.com/</a>) motivates me with her blog furniture projects. I decided to jump in and try it. Worse case scenario, I bust it into pieces and burn it with a beer in hand.<br />
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So I gutted it. I pulled out all the old stereo, turntable, speakers, amp, etc..... in it leaving it in this state:<br />
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Then my wife went to work sanding and cleaning it. I already had measurements and started making saw dust. With it still in pieces, I primed it with grey tinted Gripper primer.<br />
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Then we painted it going with Benjamin Moore "Ben" paint. Black. Eggshell. I applied it with a foam roller and my trusty Purdy brush.<br />
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With it painted, it was time to build "in-place" the shelf box you see in the above two pictures. I used 3/4 MDF and a select Pine 1x2 for the shelf lip. The sides, shelf, and lip are secured with pocket hole screws. The top (of the box), which is unseen, is literally just sitting in place. Then I tacked on a 1/8 hardboard cover on the back. The very top is again, 3/4 MDF cut in roughly a 1/3 - 2/3 pattern. You will see why here:<br />
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The space above the shelf box and below the very top is dead space I used to hide router, speaker wires, plug strip, etc... I drilled holes in the top of the shelf box to route components plugs. Two holes in the back to get wires in and out of. Then I put the 2/3 size lid on and place the TV. <br />
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The 1/3 size lid, with a finger hole, allows me easy access to router and plug strip without having to remove the TV. <br />
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Not the greatest pictures in the world. But you get the idea. The bottom shelf holds the speakers. I have also added some books, a picture, and some glass globe. I am sure my wife will re-decorate it promptly.<br />
The only thing left to do is add some handles to the front for the faux drawer appearance. That one is up to the wife to find and like. Then I will install. But I am thinking a nice brushed nickel would be nice.<br />
So, there you have it. My latest project. I am halfway through some wall boxes and will post those soon.<br />
That is all for now.....Carry on.<br />
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<br />Sgt.Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06908060926056178459noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804667206326517483.post-6912500051190030342012-12-12T04:58:00.000-08:002012-12-12T04:58:17.398-08:00Almost a yearIt really is hard to believe that we are just about 1 month out from our anniversary in the house. When we decided to jump into this; i.e. sell the old house, build a new, I was worried that at some point I would regret it. We had to take a loan to cover the difference in the old house sale, our new house payment jumped up with the new. <br />
But you know what? I don't have any regrets. "Money well spent" I believe is the term here. In fact, paying less for something I was no longer happy with was the money wasted. <br />
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So here we are. Our ten month was completed in whole. Ryan did a great job. They installed that new hose bib on the back of the house. They fixed the wavy/bunched flashing on the porch. And of course they fixed numerous nail pops. <br />
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My wife has every intention to increase our holiday decorations every year. But for now, she is happy with a decorated fireplace mantel and some lights and decoration on the front porch.<br />
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So go forth fellow Ryan home owners. Live your holiday....assuming we make it past the end of the world. I got a box of MRE's and several gallons of water just in case. And bullets...don't think about trying to get my MRE's, I love them things!<br />
<br />Sgt.Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06908060926056178459noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804667206326517483.post-48939489510274853152012-11-14T10:20:00.002-08:002012-11-14T10:20:25.655-08:00"ten month" touch up done....almostWarning, no boring pictures of drywall repairs will be produced in this post. But if you have perused my blog before, this won't surprise you.<br />
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We got the letter about a month back asking for a list of discrepancies that needed rectified. The letter specified yesterday as our 10-month inspection day. I took our running list and sent off as an email. <br />
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I would not consider anything strange or out of the ordinary. A few issues, like the front door deadbolt binding has rectified itself in the cold weather but was still listed and attended to for record purposes. We had the normal assortment of doors to be adjusted and nail pops to fix. <br />
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The supervisor, Gary, and two other gentleman handled the issues. Everyone was very nice, cordial and polite. No complaints what so ever. <br />
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A couple of high notes. <br />
-I listed the lack of hose bib on the back of the house. I was told front and rear at pre-construction meeting and then when I got front and side installed, PM told me it was "plumbers discretion". I should have pushed it then but thought I could live with it. I can't. More glaring to me was the other three Ravenna's around me that had front and rear. I wasn't sure if Ryan would install a (third) hose bib on the back of the house, but I asked anyway. And sure enough, the plumber will be back Monday to install the hose bib on the rear of the house. Awesome! Ryan Homes gets big kudos on this one.<br />
-The electrician came out and dropped another outside outlet down to reachable heights. I still have the 10ft off ground outlet, but I will use that for xmas lights. I then got him to give me a estimate for a new 220circuit and three outlets in the basement for my wood shop stuff. Bonus.<br />
-The flashing on the porch has been bunched up since install and can look pretty shitty when you see it. Gary has the siding guys scheduled to come out on that one.<br />
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For you second floor laundry owners, you are not alone if you deal with high speed shakes. I asked Gary about it and it's considered normal in every second floor laundry. If you are building, I would highly recommend installing cross bracing on the joists below the laundry. <br />
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So I am happy. Ryan has continued to impress me with their post sale attentiveness. <br />
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That is all for now,<br />
Carry on.Sgt.Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06908060926056178459noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804667206326517483.post-59428827620382765412012-10-14T04:13:00.001-07:002012-10-14T04:13:11.706-07:00Family Pics in the new house<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
My oldest son came home for the weekend. My daughter moved home about a month back. So with everyone in the house, it seemed a great time for a family pic. I am looking for that big 11x17 framed shot to hang on the wall. Plus a few others for smaller frames, collages, etc... We borrowed a nice camera from our friend Dawn and went to town. We had better luck with nice shots outside as the interior shots seemed to be a bit blurry except for a few. But we took probably 50-ish out front so we have some choices. </div>
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Having this house gave us a chance to include it in our "family" shots. We used the fireplace and front porch.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unfortunately this is one of those "not perfect" shots. But it will be fine in a smaller 5x7 frame.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was one of my wife's favorite fam pics. This will likely end up in a nice large frame. </td></tr>
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<br />Sgt.Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06908060926056178459noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804667206326517483.post-73240803745458069392012-10-05T13:15:00.002-07:002012-10-05T13:15:57.821-07:00Second Floor Laundry, who knew?It's me again.<br />
I know, you missed me and my pearls of wisdom. <br />
Today, I want to talk second floor laundry rooms and even remind you about something.<br />
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First, the reminder. It seems fitting that if we are talking laundry rooms, I should remind you that having your PM install the dryer vent higher on the wall so that the dryer hose can be attached AFTER it's moved into place is a fantastic idea. One that I wish I would have thought of BEFORE I moved in. But, hind sight is 20/20 and I didn't discover this morsel of ingeniousness until I had to hook up my dryer. What a pain in the .... any way. Some have heeded my warning and had the vent moved up. Lucky.<br />
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Moving on. The Ravenna has a second floor laundry. My wife enjoys the proximity and I like not having to lug several baskets overflowing down two flights of stairs to the laundry dungeon.<br />
BUT, did you know that you COULD deal with house shakes when the washer is on it's spin cycle? I should preface by saying this seems to limited to certain front loaders. Do you know one of the worst offenders of high speed shakes? The LG Trom series. Wanna take a bet which I own? Winner winner chicken dinner.<br />
So we move in, hook up the washer and start a load. When it gets to the high speed cycle, it sounds like a helicopter is hovering over the house, and everything is shaking just a bit. A little research and it's not uncommon for second floor laundries to have this issue. <br />
I blogged a recommendation to have your PM nail in some cross bracing under the washer during the build as a precaution. Again, wish I would have known during my build. Hindsight gets me again.<br />
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I took it off the pedistal, added anti-vibe feet, shoved swimming noodles between the washer and wall/dryer. We got some improvement, but left something to be desired. <br />
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The current solution.<br />
We had two choices. Buy a new washer ($700 +) or buy a 0Vibe washer stand.<br />
Behold:<br />
<a href="http://0vib.com/">http://0vib.com/</a><br />
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The 0vibe stand costs $200. I called and talked to the designer/engineer. According to a test they ran on a 2008 LG Trom Washer, they realized a 85% improvement in shaking transferred to the floor.<br />
We decided the stand was worth the cost.<br />
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We received it last weekend and have done several loads. It's not perfect but there is enough improvement to believe it's worth keeping and not returning.<br />
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We will go through another round of laundry this weekend and make our final mind.<br />
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Cliff Notes:<br />
move dryer vent up<br />
some washers cause shaking houses more then others<br />
LG Trom is evil<br />
0Vibe stands are expensive and do not make a good birthday gift for your wife.<br />
the couch is comfortable<br />
Sgt.Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06908060926056178459noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804667206326517483.post-34697657699447802452012-09-21T05:01:00.002-07:002012-09-21T05:03:55.802-07:00Updates and Changes Well folks,<br />
I'm still here. I wish I could blog more, but I have to build stuff or have stuff happen to make it interesting for you to read.<br />
First let me start by passing on a tip for purchases. We are horrible with keeping track of receipts. The Morning Room fan has been an issue for months. The light turns off after about 15mins of use. That's no good AND we could not find any of the receipts for stuff we bought at move in (but I did write the purchase date on the manual). Luckily, Lowe's helped me out by exchanging out the parts. So last night I got it taken care of and we are good to go.<br />
What about the tip you say? If you are like us and never lose a manual but horrible with receipt, staple the receipt to the manual. <br />
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Updates,<br />
We chose a darker brown carpet through out the house minus the Living room and "office". So in the Family room, we moved in with a darker brown couch and two lazyboy chairs. It looked very un-colorful. Brown Blah.<br />
So rather then replacing furniture at higher costs, we chose to "decorate".<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We chose Sherwin Williams "Peppery" for the fireplace wall. Hobby Lobby had 50% metal, hence the designs hanging. Also added some flowers on the fire place hearth. Replaced brown couch pillows with color. Moved a lazy boy into the Master BR and moved a Paong chair in it's place. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Took the brown dimensional blinds down and put up curtains with pull backs.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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We are very happy with the results. I have a late 1960's AstroTuner console I am refinishing/updating to use for the TV in the Family room. Then I will take the Ikea table it currently sits on, add a wood top and use it as a coffee table.<br />
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The Change<br />
My daughter has moved home. We put her in the "game room" (first door top of stairs for you Ravenna owners). We moved the "game room" down to the "office". We like the change. The game room being just inside from the garage means the neighborhood kids will no longer trample up and down the stairs dragging their dirty hands on my walls.<br />
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Next up, Kitchen back splash and corner shelves. Stay tunedSgt.Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06908060926056178459noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804667206326517483.post-88895027577401777932012-09-06T10:19:00.002-07:002012-09-06T10:19:55.559-07:00Curtain RodsI love that industrial feel to interior decorations. My wife on the other hand needs to be sold a bit. Luckily, in this case I was a good sales person.<br />
My wife wanted a curtain in his room to replace the dimensional blind we put up initially. Having picked out a grey curtain, I pushed for a "different" kind of curtain rod. <br />
I like it and now I will make some basic shelves using pipe for the brackets. Pictures to follow.<br />
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Not the greatest pics, but you get it. What you don't see is the pipe "pull-back" on the side that allows my son to pull the curtain to the right side. <br /><br />Sgt.Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06908060926056178459noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804667206326517483.post-44268926583645914822012-08-15T05:45:00.004-07:002012-08-15T05:45:50.179-07:00No firepit, no worriesOf course, I plan to get a firepit before the temps start dropping for evenings in the driveway. Until then, what to do. With my niece and nephew visiting and a personal desire to impress them in my imagined awesomeness, I decided we should do smore's. What to do? Pinterest saves the day. <br />
Did you know you can toast marshmallows (or kebobs for that matter) over a 10" terracotta pot lined with foil and filled with charcoal briquettes?<br />
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you can. and it works great. Sgt.Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06908060926056178459noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804667206326517483.post-35095269293088838662012-08-12T19:28:00.002-07:002012-08-12T19:29:15.420-07:00Deck Sectional DONE!So as promised, here is a completed pic with a bonus....me enjoying a cup of coffee.<br />
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The little inserts are my creation. I may build two more as they work great for end tables, mid tables, coffee tables, foot rests, or another place to sit. <br />
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And they are working out great. My wife's parents are in town and we are finding ourselves hanging out on the deck. <br />
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Again, construction is super simple and I can provide plans for the small inserts.Sgt.Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06908060926056178459noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804667206326517483.post-90985942156665356212012-08-10T04:52:00.003-07:002012-08-10T04:52:53.987-07:00Deck Sectional updateLast night I finished the 5th section and built a end table to match.<br />
Leah made a great point that the cushions look like they would fall through. They do. So I built in two vertical pieces to combat this.<br />
I have to add these vertical pieces to the other four, and build one more endtable.<br />
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Bonus, the end table can be used as a foot rest or another place to sit.<br />
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For those that are interested. These are super simple to build. Start to finish, it takes me about 2 hours. A drill and a miter saw is all you need. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the photo is a little grainy. I took it this morning and then lightened it a bit in Photoshop.</td></tr>
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</tbody></table>Sgt.Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06908060926056178459noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5804667206326517483.post-37235334422413978532012-08-09T05:37:00.000-07:002012-08-09T05:37:05.221-07:00Deck Sectional; Phase 1As you may or may not know, Ryan built us a 14' x 12' deck off the morning room. Until now, only a grill has occupied the space. I have been wanting something...anything out there. The deck is shaded until early afternoon and would be a great place to enjoy a morning cup of coffee. But where to sit.<br />
So with kudos to AnnaWhite.com, I am almost done building my deck sectional. AnnaWhite has plans for the armless and armed sections.<br />
Behold,<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-thL699A1-Ao/UCOsrLYSdjI/AAAAAAAAAYs/I7aEjJicEGQ/s1600/2012-08-07_12-57-07_200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-thL699A1-Ao/UCOsrLYSdjI/AAAAAAAAAYs/I7aEjJicEGQ/s320/2012-08-07_12-57-07_200.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's a pic of two of them together. What the photos or rendering below doesn't show are the back supports I still have to add to help keep the back cushion from falling through.</td></tr>
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I built this out of Red Cedar found at the closest Menards for $4.60 per 8' stick of 1x4. I had to modify Anna's plans as it called treated pine 1"x (which is actually 3/4"). I used Cedar 1"x (which is actually 7/8"). My wife found the cushions at Improvements.com.<br />
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So I said phase 1. Here's why. We have one more cushion set to use and I am almost done building the 5th section piece. Then I have modified and made my own design for a end table/stool to use in the set. <br />
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You can see the smaller piece inserted between the sections and then used back to back as a coffee table. I have the wood to build those and will have them done by the time my In-Laws fly in this Saturday.<br />
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Stay tuned for more pics. <br />
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<br />Sgt.Richhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06908060926056178459noreply@blogger.com9