Home Improvement/Remodel Thread

[MWil23]

On 3/21/2021 at 11:28 AM, Daniel said:

after that I too am making a large table, but mine will be a modest 8 feet, made from an old door.

As @NateDawg can attest to, I've made an 8 foot farmhouse table. That old door look will be really nice and rustic. The base is actually surprisingly easy. If you have joining to do, I'll be intrigued to see if you go with the kreg or dowels and glue. Any bread boards, or no?

[Daniel]

3 minutes ago, MWil23 said:

As @NateDawg can attest to, I've made an 8 foot farmhouse table. That old door look will be really nice and rustic. The base is actually surprisingly easy. If you have joining to do, I'll be intrigued to see if you go with the kreg or dowels and glue. Any bread boards, or no?

Dowels are annoying because they're round, but we want simple plain legs because of the top.  I'm planning on using the square portions of wheelbarrow handles for the legs.  Other than that, a simple build of a base box with a couple pieces of advantech on it, legs on the inside of the box, and the advantech screwed to the door from the bottom.  Then just a couple of pieces of lumber under the edge for stability.

Plan may change depending on how much I have to frame it on the edges though.  It's a down the road project, way after we finish the garden and tearing out the old fencing in the middle of the yard.

[NateDawg]

I just finished a 10 foot farmhouse table and a 9 foot bench for the table with a matched design. Fun job, pretty happy with it, but lots of steps so I’m also glad it’s done.

[MacReady]

@MWil23, the big bags of mulch are 5 for 10 dollars here.

You should pull a Kramer and Newman to get some.

[MacReady]

Anyhoo, projects for this spring and into the fall:

*Re-seed my back yard.  Lots of it came back up this year after three summers of trying.  I think all my failed attempts have added enough nutrients to the soil for it to finally work this year.  One full side came up except for a few brown patches that I reseeded.  Have it all fenced off with chicken wire so it has time to establish before I let my dogs on it, probably in September.  Will be doing about 10x5 patches each weekend.

*Finish a brick-lined border on the front end of my house, fill with mulch.

*Paint my detached garage exterior.

*Insulate and drywall the top of my garage.

*Epoxy my garage floor.

*Paint my interior garage walls.

*Build cabinets in my garage.

*Install about 20 feet of Formica countertops I got for free from work in my garage to have a bitchin work area.

[MWil23]

3 hours ago, Outpost31 said:

@MWil23, the big bags of mulch are 5 for 10 dollars here.

You should pull a Kramer and Newman to get some.

I just laid 4.1 ton of River rock last weekend to finish out my edging around my house, but I mulch around my trees and some garden produce like strawberries 

[MacReady]

1 hour ago, MWil23 said:

I just laid 4.1 ton of River rock last weekend to finish out my edging around my house, but I mulch around my trees and some garden produce like strawberries 

I still hate river rock.  I remember this conversation from last year and how shocked you were at the price of mulch where I live.

Im still 100% doing concrete all around my next house.  It’s the only edging that doesn’t look like absolute **** after each winter.

The stuff I learned on my first house... Just crazy.

[NateDawg]

Just to jump in, I edged my landscaping this past week with some black edging staked into the ground. Last year’s mulch is currently in place, but new mulch is getting brought in on Monday. Eventually I am going to put a line of pavers inside the edging on top of quick dry concrete. Basically like a one row retaining wall. We planted mostly perennials last year after moving into the place so we don’t have much to plant this spring. 

Some of my effort is just going to go into keeping up with the grass. I have a couple acres, so it takes an hour and a half each week to get things cut, weed whacked, etc. And I’m working on over seeding to fill in some dead spots. I did notice some improvement in the front of my property from last fall, and I think I am going to attribute it to spreading some Scott’s down. I’m so backed up on my project list though that I haven’t even gotten a chance to spread anything this spring. I do have some crab grass stuff I might put down this week sometime now just to keep that from coming in. 

Edited April 11, 2021 by NateDawg

[sdrawkcab321]

Just bought my first house last year so I don’t have a lot of experience with lawn care besides cutting it. I’ve got some patches in my back yard that need to get fixed. I got some grass seed and was just going to rake the area and lay it down then put some hay or something on top of it to keep the birds from eating and and then moisture in. Anything else need to be done to it? Aside from watering?

[BobbyPhil1781]

54 minutes ago, sdrawkcab321 said:

Just bought my first house last year so I don’t have a lot of experience with lawn care besides cutting it. I’ve got some patches in my back yard that need to get fixed. I got some grass seed and was just going to rake the area and lay it down then put some hay or something on top of it to keep the birds from eating and and then moisture in. Anything else need to be done to it? Aside from watering?

In my experience, as long as it gets good light, you've got it down. Lawn care is a lot of fun!!................ No, no it's not. If you live in an area where people give a **** about their lawn like I do, enjoy edging. Nothing irks me more than wrapping that line lol

[NateDawg]

Not always necessary but certainly helps, I would recommend some Scotts Turf builder Starter for New Grass. If you have a spreader on hand. It’s a specific product from Scott’s. New grass is hit or miss, and giving it a good feed and obviously watering it will help it’s chances. 

[sdrawkcab321]

38 minutes ago, NateDawg said:

Not always necessary but certainly helps, I would recommend some Scotts Turf builder Starter for New Grass. If you have a spreader on hand. It’s a specific product from Scott’s. New grass is hit or miss, and giving it a good feed and obviously watering it will help it’s chances. 

Is the spreader necessary? I was going to just sprinkle it down by hand since I just have a few spots not the entire lawn. 

[sdrawkcab321]

2 hours ago, BobbyPhil1781 said:

In my experience, as long as it gets good light, you've got it down. Lawn care is a lot of fun!!................ No, no it's not. If you live in an area where people give a **** about their lawn like I do, enjoy edging. Nothing irks me more than wrapping that line lol

Light is an issue in some spots. I have a few trees that keep some spots shaded. 

[MWil23]

1 hour ago, sdrawkcab321 said:

Is the spreader necessary? I was going to just sprinkle it down by hand since I just have a few spots not the entire lawn. 

Yes, you’ll absolutely need a spreader with the corresponding setting for all fertilizer and/or weed control products, or you’ll kill everything. 

[MWil23]

Just now, MWil23 said:

Yes, you’ll absolutely need a spreader with the corresponding setting for all fertilizer and/or weed control products, or you’ll kill everything. 

@sdrawkcab321 if it’s “just grass”, then hand sprinkling those areas will work, but typically you’re best hitting it in 3 passes to account for wind, birds, moisture, etc.