Quote :

"anybody know any tricks for reducing thatch? i've got fescue that's in decent shape, but I've also got tons of thatch that will be a pain when I try and overseed in the fall. how can i cut down on that?"

get yoself one of these, but unless it's really out of control, you probably don't need to dethatch until before you seed.



If you're getting excessive thatch, and you're mowing frequently at proper height, you could also be over fertilizing or your pH is off and possibly causing the clippings to not decompose properly. Some thatch is ok, good in fact, because it keeps water from evaporating, but too much will cause new grass to establish a poor root system which leads to sickly ass grass.

[Edited on June 23, 2009 at 11:08 PM. Reason : page whatever]

6/23/2009 11:07:59 PM

polybutylene pipe

Quote :

"As of May 1, 2009, the filing deadline for all new Cox v. Shell, et al. claims has EXPIRED. For status or questions regarding an existing claim, please call CPRC at 1-800-392-7591 x301."

Awesome! Less than 2 months late on this one.....

[Edited on June 29, 2009 at 11:34 AM. Reason : ]

6/29/2009 11:25:11 AM

^ There is nothing wrong with polybutylene pipe so long as it was properly installed.

The reason PB pipe was recalled was that some people weren't installing it according to the manufacture's instructions. PB pipe thermally contracts. Thus, unless you left some slack in the pipe like you were supposed to do, the pipe would pull itself off of its fittings. Chances are that if the PB pipe is more than 5 years old it's not going to fail and it should give you years of trouble free use.

6/29/2009 2:15:41 PM

My house / neighborhood was built in 1986.

Sunday morning I noticed a small lake in my front yard where the polybutylene broke. In the last three months, both of my neighbors supply lines also broke.

Maybe the pipe is defective, maybe its only defective when installed incorrectly. Either way, I end up with the broken pipe in the front yard.

I'm just glad I noticed it when I did. I don't think the meter can spin any faster than it was before I shut it off.

6/29/2009 5:39:12 PM

damn, that really sucks.

6/30/2009 8:47:26 AM

Quote :

"and you're mowing frequently at proper height"

plz to define. i've currently got the mower on the highest setting as i read youre supposed to keep it taller in the summer. nm i just saw this: http://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/Turfgrasses/Default.aspx#MC004377. that rake thing looks cool, i'll pick one up if hte regular spring rake doesnt work.

drought resistance is the name of the game at this point right?

i'll check the ph soon, i was planning on putting down some lime as long as the ph isn't too high.


http://www.gogoraleigh.com/2009/06/29/summer-heat-begs-prudent-watering/
http://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/

[Edited on June 30, 2009 at 10:05 AM. Reason : ]

6/30/2009 10:00:22 AM

Quote :

"My house / neighborhood was built in 1986. Sunday morning I noticed a small lake in my front yard where the polybutylene broke. In the last three months, both of my neighbors supply lines also broke. Maybe the pipe is defective, maybe its only defective when installed incorrectly. Either way, I end up with the broken pipe in the front yard. I'm just glad I noticed it when I did. I don't think the meter can spin any faster than it was before I shut it off."

One of my friends had this problem about three years ago. After the first break it didn't take long for the second and third ones to pop up. You can dig it up and repair it, but if it breaks again you might want to consider just renting a trench digger, running a whole new line, and being done with it.

6/30/2009 11:33:23 AM

Quote :

"Sunday morning I noticed a small lake in my front yard where the polybutylene broke."

Purely for my own personal curiosity, do you know if the pipe or a fitting broke, or if the pipe came off the fitting?

6/30/2009 2:45:07 PM

Finally got around to framing/sheathing the new roof for the solar install (with my father-in-laws help).





Next steps are to put down the tar paper and the shingles, then install the solar panels.

Im on vacation all this week, and my dad is coming in tomorrow through the weekend to help finish it out.

6/30/2009 4:40:55 PM

Quote :

"Purely for my own personal curiosity, do you know if the pipe or a fitting broke, or if the pipe came off the fitting?"

Don't know for sure but I'd guess pipe as it was 20 feet plus from the meter and another 30 feet to the house. I'm assuming it was a single length of pipe from the meter to the house, but that could be a invalid assumption.

Quote :

"You can dig it up and repair it, but if it breaks again you might want to consider just renting a trench digger, running a whole new line, and being done with it."

Hindsight being 20/20, that's what I should have done. Instead, I hired a licensed, bonded plumber to do that, not realizing how simple and how much cheaper it would be to do myself.

[Edited on June 30, 2009 at 9:07 PM. Reason : ]

6/30/2009 9:05:51 PM

Just locked in a fixed rate refinance to replace my stupid 2-year ARM. I hate mortgage bullshit. They make it purposely complex so the layperson can't really understand what's going on.

7/1/2009 10:57:18 AM

It's not really that complex.

7/1/2009 11:14:23 AM

After having our current house on the market for almost a year, we are finally moving on the 31st.

After three tries, we finally got under contract with the new house. Now it is time for all the fun stuff: appraisal, inspection, packing, etc.

7/1/2009 12:58:44 PM

nice looking place, congrats!

7/1/2009 4:10:59 PM

nice marshall, very nice.

7/1/2009 5:11:10 PM

thanks...we're really excited about it

7/1/2009 10:55:51 PM

where is that? Looks like new construction.. who's the builder?

7/2/2009 8:59:00 AM

It is new construction, but it has been on the market for two years. The builder is Palm Bay homes.

It is out between Clayton and Smithfield near the Talecris plant. It is a little further out than we wanted to go, BUT for the all-brick exterior, we couldn't find anything equivalent for the money anywhere closer to my work.

7/2/2009 9:04:48 AM

sweet... the all brick is key.. don't have to bother with a power washer.

cept maybe that one section on the second floor.

7/2/2009 11:29:55 AM

One of the 1st orders of business shall be a fence.

Here are the three options:

Wood - Cedar Stained
Vinyl - White
Brick columns and rat wall with black stained wood pickets between

Which should I choose (aesthetics being the only factor)?

7/2/2009 12:46:21 PM

wood

7/2/2009 12:54:17 PM

wood

I recommend Ralph Brown at American Heritage. He's done two fences for me, and you just can't go wrong with them.

http://www.ahfencecompany.com/
919.554.2848

[Edited on July 2, 2009 at 12:58 PM. Reason : the only downside is that you'll want to stain/seal a wood fence to prevent it from turning grey. ]

7/2/2009 12:57:09 PM

I've got a wood fence now that I did myself and I am very happy with it, but I am not convinced that wood will look as good as another material given the color of the brick.

7/2/2009 1:40:58 PM

wrought iron (or the aluminum version) would look better, but that's $$$$$

7/2/2009 2:11:05 PM

Yeah that is what i want, BUT i would have to plant a hedge and wait three years before we had any privacy.

7/2/2009 2:31:16 PM

Nothing screams high quality like chain link

7/2/2009 2:31:37 PM

I have seriously considered black (vinyl coated) chain link as well. it is practically no maintenance

7/2/2009 2:49:57 PM

Do you have an hoa?

7/2/2009 2:56:33 PM

yeah, but they are very lenient on fencing materials. they do allow chain link only if it is coated (not galvanized)

7/2/2009 3:15:42 PM

Quote :

"Hindsight being 20/20, that's what I should have done. Instead, I hired a licensed, bonded plumber to do that, not realizing how simple and how much cheaper it would be to do myself."

Ouch...You probably paid $65 an hour for someone to dig a really long hole. Next time hire a TWWer to do the hard work and just pay someone to hook it up at each end (assuming you don't want to do that yourself.)

[Edited on July 2, 2009 at 3:45 PM. Reason : l]

7/2/2009 3:44:46 PM

Woes = New HVAC Required - $6K

7/3/2009 8:26:42 AM

^actually a good time to do it....the gov will pay for $1500 of it if you get a energy certified one.

7/3/2009 1:46:19 PM

It's never a good time to have to get a new HVAC unit.

7/3/2009 3:39:09 PM

Finished installing the solar heating panels for the pool:

7/4/2009 2:08:06 PM

Quote :

"^actually a good time to do it....the gov will pay for $1500 of it if you get a energy certified one. "

can you google this for me?

i'm in the same boat.

compressor failure -> replaced compressor, flushed lines, blah blah blah ($1300 parts + labor) -> unit failure -> found accumulator had big leak that should have been found the first time -> deciding between new unit and replacing accumulator...

the company that did the fucked up compressor job will actulaly give me the entire cost of the compressor job as a credit towards a new unit, which is sweet considering the money is already sunk. and a $1500 credit would be very nice.

nm. looks like 30% up to 1500 on approved models according to the energystar site (for heatpump sourced systems).

[Edited on July 6, 2009 at 9:23 AM. Reason : e]

7/6/2009 9:12:42 AM

I am doing a complete guest bath remodel, minus a new shower (which cleans to like new state, so Im not concerned. I am about 80% done. Need to put down quarter round, need to touch up paint a few things, need to repolish the marble, install vanity and top, install new toilet...

So far I have installed the fancy baseboard, beadboard, chair-railing, replaced shower/tub hardware, replaced light fixture, painted room, installed marble tile... Plans were to see how this works in the guest bath, and potentially replicate something similar in the master bath. Very pleased with the outcome thus far...

7/7/2009 10:42:06 AM

where'd you get the beadboard?

is it wood or vinyl?

I got done with a beadboard job recently, and want to add some in a bathroom, but don't want to use wood (due to humidity) and did you have to paint it?

7/7/2009 11:07:14 AM

I used MDF sheets. I didnt like the way the vinyl looked. It came prefinished in 8 feet by 4 feet planks. I ripped them into two 36 inch by 4 foot sections, which sat on top of the 6.5 inch baseboard. I think the humidity consideration is probably way overdone as long as you follow some precautions.

I applied a large amount of liquid nails to the back of each piece, with brads thoughout. There was a healthy dose of caulk around all joints and seams, and I put on 3 coats of semi-gloss paint, overtop of the already primed board. At this point, I am not concerned about humidity warping the boards. This is also a guest bathroom, and will not be utilized very often.

It looks super nice. I chose an understated beadboard cap.

[Edited on July 7, 2009 at 11:29 AM. Reason : /]

7/7/2009 11:24:20 AM

I like the tile. Nice job!

7/7/2009 11:33:04 AM

Thanks. The tiling was a ton of work. I was covered in thinset

7/7/2009 11:47:58 AM

ah, I didn't know it came in MDF, that should address the same issues. I used pine in the other room that i installed beadboard, and just the ambient humidity in the house made them warp some.

looks good man.

7/7/2009 12:02:50 PM

I've noticed more and more people are going with a taller chair rail. Is that just because people don't want to cut the boards lengthwise? Only reason I ask is the chair rail in my home is 3 feet, as opposed to what looks like 4+ in these pictures. Just curious. We'll be putting in beadboard in our den, hallway and foyer, but will likely leave the height of the rail as is, seeing as there's no real reason to replace what's there.

7/7/2009 1:24:10 PM

The board is about 42.5" high as it sits ontop of the rail. The way the boards came, ripping them this way was the most appropriate. It allowed each board to be ripped into (2) 4 feet sections, with 2 feet waste in the middle. I didnt want them any higher than they were.

I believe I paid ~21 per sheet. I did this room with (4) sheets. The baseboard was $2.50 a foot.

7/7/2009 1:47:26 PM

Yeah...it just makes the job easier to live it as is. It's tedious to rip them to specific heights. I've got to re-do our hall bath and I've debated going with beadboard in there, but not sure if it would flow right with the rest of the house.

7/7/2009 3:29:27 PM

for me, 4x8 sheets are easier to rip using a skil saw and a rip fence and lots of clamps

measure the distance from the blade of the saw to the edge of the plate and offset your fence that far from your mark and voila! instant table saw without the need for a second person

(this only works if the plate on the saw isn't loose; if it is, varying degrees of accuracy are achieved)

hell, larger sheets are better than actual bead board as far as ease of installation, if you were to ask me

7/7/2009 3:56:05 PM

6/15 we noticed our fridge/freezer was busted
6/16-6/18 browsed Craigslist, Lowe's, HH Gregg, Home Depot, Sears & Best Buy for a new one
6/18 we ordered an LG from Best Buy...earliest delivery date was 7/9. yuck...but it's the one we want, and we're willing to wait 21 days for it.
7/8 Best Buy Delivery calls at 3:46 pm and leaves me a VM to say the fridge is backordered...didn't tell us when we ordered it...didn't tell us at any point in the 19 days beforehand that it became backordered...but the DAY BEFORE delivery

during said vm...the rep said earliest delivery date, AT BEST, is July 26th...

I called back and sat on hold for 20 minutes for a BB rep to find out "wth!? why didn't you call us earlier when you KNEW it was backordered?!" but never got anyone. they took my name and number to call me back (HA! yeah right). I'm gonna call again today, and call the customer care hotline.

grrrrrr

7/9/2009 3:52:03 PM

If all goes according to plan I'll be a member of this club by the end of the month.

7/9/2009 7:18:34 PM

Inspection was this morning and there was nothing major that turned up, so no woes today!

7/10/2009 1:37:02 PM

^^^
The Consumerist is your friend....
http://consumerist.com/

If you get them to bite on your story you will have it taken care of shortly. I would send your story over if you don't have any feedback in a day or so.

[Edited on July 10, 2009 at 1:48 PM. Reason : ^^^]

7/10/2009 1:47:39 PM

add me to the HVAC unit needing to be replaced (i think) club. i was very unhappy about it at first...but then i looked and saw the $1500 tax credit, and sears has some $1275 carrier rebate and this could end up being not that bad.

we'll see...hope to have an HVAC guy come out tomorrow and confirm my suspicions....

7/12/2009 7:37:20 PM