Enough of COVID...what are you doing to the house? | Page 461 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Enough of COVID...what are you doing to the house?

mimico_polak said:
I've got these things around a few trees on my lot (actually these are City of Mississauga trees) that my wife doesn't like any longer. She wants to get rid of them but feels the tree will fall out. I believe they're only ornamental and will have zero effect on the tree.

View attachment 66398

Thoughts on removal? I assume there's a chance that the roots are within the enclosed area, and that could cause issues.

As for soil, I called a few of the shops recommended here and all of them said the same thing 'No soil deliveries until April', so that's unfortunate as I wanted to get going on this before the house work starts.

Also....aeration BEFORE or AFTER the soil gets here?
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@shanekingsley seems to know lots about trees. My understanding is those raised rings probably do far more harm than good. They don't have enough weight or structure to provide any support to a tree and they bury the transition between roots and trunk which can encourage rot there.

If you do remove them, I would consider mulching a circle. Makes it much easier to cut the lawn when you don't need to cut right beside the tree.

I don't know for sure, but I think aeration before soil makes sense. Open up the dense layer you've got. I have the aerator that punches two holes at a time. It takes a while but it's free.
 
mimico_polak said:
I've got these things around a few trees on my lot (actually these are City of Mississauga trees) that my wife doesn't like any longer. She wants to get rid of them but feels the tree will fall out. I believe they're only ornamental and will have zero effect on the tree.

View attachment 66398

Thoughts on removal? I assume there's a chance that the roots are within the enclosed area, and that could cause issues.

As for soil, I called a few of the shops recommended here and all of them said the same thing 'No soil deliveries until April', so that's unfortunate as I wanted to get going on this before the house work starts.

Also....aeration BEFORE or AFTER the soil gets here?
Click to expand...
No expert but you may have roots in the raised soil, is so lowering the soil around the tree to lawn level is likely a no go, specially city trees... You can do some light digging to check. If so and you want to remove the bricks you might be able to add soil around the outside and make the transition gradual.
 
mimico_polak said:
I've got these things around a few trees on my lot (actually these are City of Mississauga trees) that my wife doesn't like any longer. She wants to get rid of them but feels the tree will fall out. I believe they're only ornamental and will have zero effect on the tree.

View attachment 66398

Thoughts on removal? I assume there's a chance that the roots are within the enclosed area, and that could cause issues.

As for soil, I called a few of the shops recommended here and all of them said the same thing 'No soil deliveries until April', so that's unfortunate as I wanted to get going on this before the house work starts.

Also....aeration BEFORE or AFTER the soil gets here?
Click to expand...
What does it cost to aerate? Do you rent or hire a service?
 
nobbie48 said:
What does it cost to aerate? Do you rent or hire a service?
Click to expand...
It's a few hundred for the full day from HD. I booked a machine for last weekend in March, but not sure whether I should re-schedule as I won't get soil until April. I plan on aerating my place, and my parents' on the same day.

Although they said they don't DELIVER until April...they may have soil at the property so I'll assemble my trailer tonight with the uprights.
 
mimico_polak said:
It's a few hundred for the full day from HD. I booked a machine for last weekend in March, but not sure whether I should re-schedule as I won't get soil until April. I plan on aerating my place, and my parents' on the same day.

Although they said they don't DELIVER until April...they may have soil at the property so I'll assemble my trailer tonight with the uprights.
Click to expand...
I'll be glad to split the cost of I can borrow it for the other half of the day
 
oioioi said:
I'll be glad to split the cost of I can borrow it for the other half of the day
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I'll text you. I'm tentatively booked for March 23. Still debating on whether to hold off or not. Parents may want it also.

EDIT: It would be cheaper for you to rent your own instead of going half with me, especially considering you're a 30-40min drive away.

1709660267652.png
 
Ug, Now to deal with a cluster fly infestation. Little buggers are out from hiding under the siding etc.
So many flies, place looks Amityville Horror....
Going to see what it will cost to have the house sprayed yearly...
 
Jampy00 said:
Ug, Now to deal with a cluster fly infestation. Little buggers are out from hiding under the siding etc.
So many flies, place looks Amityville Horror....
Going to see what it will cost to have the house sprayed yearly...
Click to expand...
The joys of country living...I don't miss those stupid little flies when we lived by the lake.
 
mimico_polak said:
The joys of country living...I don't miss those stupid little flies when we lived by the lake.
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Yeah, not a surprise but still needs to be dealt with. Found a local company that will come out and spray inside and out twice a year for a decent price. Plus we make a game of vacuuming them up... good times!!
 
GreyGhost said:
@shanekingsley seems to know lots about trees. My understanding is those raised rings probably do far more harm than good. They don't have enough weight or structure to provide any support to a tree and they bury the transition between roots and trunk which can encourage rot there.

If you do remove them, I would consider mulching a circle. Makes it much easier to cut the lawn when you don't need to cut right beside the tree.

I don't know for sure, but I think aeration before soil makes sense. Open up the dense layer you've got. I have the aerator that punches two holes at a time. It takes a while but it's free.
Click to expand...
Agreed!
It would be better for the tree to get rid of those and as @backmarkerducati says, make a nice gradual transition from the base of the trunk to the level grass several feet away. Use a nice non-coloured mulch for a professional, but natural look.

It’s still a bit cold to aerate. You have to think about soil temperatures, not air temperatures. Wait until April and then aerate and topdress shortly after. The aerated cores will take about 3 weeks to naturally break down and you won’t be cutting your grass during this time, so make sure you cut your grass prior to aerating. Grass roots severely damaged by core aerating take about 6-8 weeks to properly recover. So core aeration should ideally be done no later than 6 weeks before the first major heatwave - July 1st. If your lawn is irrigated then you can mitigate heatwaves a great deal by watering.
 
Neighbour installed a new sauna over the course of 2023. I was doing my Reno, he was building a shed, gazebo, and sauna.

Finally had a chance to go check it out today, wow…120C is effing hot.

Talk about rabbit holes…I’m probably NOT building a sauna at our house.
 
mimico_polak said:
Neighbour installed a new sauna over the course of 2023. I was doing my Reno, he was building a shed, gazebo, and sauna.

Finally had a chance to go check it out today, wow…120C is effing hot.

Talk about rabbit holes…I’m probably NOT building a sauna at our house.
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120°C??? Who was he boiling. Washing dishes, my limit is 125°F for a fast dunk to grab the next plate.
 
nobbie48 said:
120°C??? Who was he boiling. Washing dishes, my limit is 125°F for a fast dunk to grab the next plate.
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It's what the thermostat said when we were there for 30min.

It was actually a great feeling when you step outside and splash cold water on yourself to cool off. Then back in for another 15min. Come out. Splash again, and finish off.

So total about 45min or so. And I'd be lying if I didn't feel very light headed the rest of the evening. But I slept like a baby.
 
Any suggestions for good drywall anchors? I am done with the regular plastic plugs, and the big threaded anchor plugs are not much better.

I like butterfly/toggle bolts, but they need a large and/or messy hole. I have not used molly bolts before, but they look promising. I'd prefer something that doesn't only work with a single exact drywall thickness.
 
Ash said:
Any suggestions for good drywall anchors? I am done with the regular plastic plugs, and the big threaded anchor plugs are not much better.

I like butterfly/toggle bolts, but they need a large and/or messy hole. I have not used molly bolts before, but they look promising. I'd prefer something that doesn't only work with a single exact drywall thickness.
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What is it that you want to hang?
This would help determine the best possible solution.
 
Jampy00 said:
What is it that you want to hang?
This would help determine the best possible solution.
Click to expand...
Random stuff. Half of the rooms in the house were painted this week, and everything is ready to go back on the walls.

The little brass nail & flat hooks work fine for hanging wall art.

The rest consists of small shelves, a freestanding cabinet in the kitchen, a freestanding coat rack in the hallway, maybe a toilet roll holder and a hand towel bar. The anchors for the freestanding things are just to keep them from banging against the wall and falling over. I should be able to hit a stud for both of those, so they're not a big deal. The hand towel bar is the sort of thing that bugs me the most since it's handled frequently and works the plastic anchors loose very quickly.

I mostly just want to throw away my plastic anchors so I'm not tempted to use them anymore, and have a bulk pack of something better on hand in their place.
 
This is what I use for anything other than a picture frame.
TOGGLER SNAPTOGGLE BA Toggle Anchor with Bolts, Zinc-Plated Steel Channel, Made in US, 3/8" to 3-5/8" Grip Range, for 3/16"-24 UNC Fastener Size (Pack of 10) https://a.co/d/fI3WLmt
 
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Ash said:
Random stuff. Half of the rooms in the house were painted this week, and everything is ready to go back on the walls.

The little brass nail & flat hooks work fine for hanging wall art.

The rest consists of small shelves, a freestanding cabinet in the kitchen, a freestanding coat rack in the hallway, maybe a toilet roll holder and a hand towel bar. The anchors for the freestanding things are just to keep them from banging against the wall and falling over. I should be able to hit a stud for both of those, so they're not a big deal. The hand towel bar is the sort of thing that bugs me the most since it's handled frequently and works the plastic anchors loose very quickly.

I mostly just want to throw away my plastic anchors so I'm not tempted to use them anymore, and have a bulk pack of something better on hand in their place.
Click to expand...
For things like the towel bar, do your damnedest to get at least one screw at each end into a stud. That one will do the work.

For anti-tipover, I wouldnt trust drywall anchors. Again, hit a stud. Anchor doesn't need to be in the center of the furniture. Careful locating or decorating hides it.

Wall-mounted shelves are the worst. Tons of leverage on the anchors. Studs ideally or toggle bolts if studs aren't possible.
 
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