Enough of COVID...what are you doing to the house? | Page 472 | GTAMotorcycle.com

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

jc100 said:
I have a 10ft cast iron post in my yard that used to have a laundry line on it. I’d say it’s a 3” diameter post or thereabouts. It’s set in a big chunk of poured concrete and I think it’s about time to get rid of it and free up some garden space and get it out of my sightline.

So..how? I see cast iron is $320 a ton scrap price so this post is worth a few dollars I think. Not a massive amount but is it enough to put it on kijiji for free and have someone come and remove it and take it away? Probably not I’m guessing so that leaves me with a cut off disk and a bit of work to chop the thing up. Then I’m left with the big chunk of concrete. I may have to rent a jackhammer to break that up.

Thoughts?
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3” schedule 40 pipe is about 8 pounds per linear foot so if that is what it is the hundred pound value has to be seen against the removal effort. $25???

The more plumb the pole the more likely the concrete base will be substantial.

I’ve pulled a few similar bases and it was a lot of work and cussing. Levers and jacks and soaking the ground first to loosen the soil.
 
GreyGhost said:
That may work a little but you're only adding <16 sq ft of solar collection to 150 sq ft the pool already collects. It would make a bigger difference if heater was exposed to sun and pool wasn't. Friends have solar pool jester on their garage. Approximately equal to area of pool. It helps but I don't think they have ever gotten to 85.
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You’re increasing the efficiency by using black pipe to absorb more heat than is reflected though.
 
jc100 said:
You’re increasing the efficiency by using black pipe to absorb more heat than is reflected though.
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Pool absorbs more than 75% of the solar energy already. Even more if you use a solar cover. The black collection pipe will undoubtedly absorb more energy but it will also radiate more. It may end up being a few percent more efficient but nowhere close to an order of magnitude that would allow a small collector to make a big temp change.

Napkin math is 200 btu/sq ft (assuming 100% efficiency) so this heater is less than 3200 btu at peak sun (~1KW). Instead of spending 300 watts of energy on the air-cooled pump to drive the solar collector, just put a 300 watt heater in the pool and you should get similar temp change (or use a bigger heater run off peak if you want more change for less operating cost). Solar collectors can work but they need to be on the order of pool size.
 
Anyone know how easy / doable is the removal of brickmould around a window? Had an extra window (still have 2) so figured I'd add some more natural light to Kevin's old shed. While it's not 100% important, I'd like to make the trim around the windows match...

Left window has brickmould, right window does not.

1715170508667.png

I can always just rip the 4.5" trim to 3.5" and it would be the same thickness...but it would look more junk that now.
 
mimico_polak said:
Anyone know how easy / doable is the removal of brickmould around a window? Had an extra window (still have 2) so figured I'd add some more natural light to Kevin's old shed. While it's not 100% important, I'd like to make the trim around the windows match...

Left window has brickmould, right window does not.

View attachment 67625

I can always just rip the 4.5" trim to 3.5" and it would be the same thickness...but it would look more junk that now.
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I just had all the windows removed from my house, if I had known I would have saved you two of the same size/style you could have used
 
Jampy00 said:
Replacing all the windows and doors and topping up the insulation in the attic this week. Then the 2nd evaluation from Energuy for the Greener homes rebates, we'll be lucky to see $2000.00 in rebates but always happy to claw back any money I can from our wonderful Government.

I'm cautiously optimistic that the repoint work (hopefully) solved our water leaking issue and I am sure it will help keep the house at a more stable temperature etc. I'm still shocked at how many places there was mortar separation from the bricks. Many you could slide a credit card in or worse!

We had our neighbors over last night, they've lived there and told us some stories of the neglect and abuse our house had suffered from pervious owners. So now seeing the extent of work we've had to do kind of makes sense.

A bag of cash in and still a few projects to go... While not a lemon or house is certainly lemon flavored in some areas... LOL
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Well after that wicked storm we had last night I'm hopeful that we solved our water issue, basement was bone dry and the area's that the leaks were originally detected are bone dry as well. I'm going to leave them open for the rest of the year just to be sure before I invest in drywall replacement etc.
 
Another wall insulated, and clad with siding and trim before the rain started.

Tidy up the downspout tomorrow and off to the last wall and shed!
 
Rented a lawn aerator today.
Did my house along with 7 others on my street and my parents 20 min away.
All within 4 hours.

My upper body is beat up.
These machines need muscles to operate. Muscles I don't have.
 
oioioi said:
Rented a lawn aerator today.
Did my house along with 7 others on my street and my parents 20 min away.
All within 4 hours.

My upper body is beat up.
These machines need muscles to operate. Muscles I don't have.
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I just paid $160 for my house with seeding and fertilizer.

Done in 30min…I’m happy with that.
 
mimico_polak said:
I just paid $160 for my house with seeding and fertilizer.

Done in 30min…I’m happy with that.
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The guys were in the neighborhood last weekend.
$50 for the front and another $25 for the back.
I politely declined since I knew I was going to be renting one. They had a smaller machine that was probably easier to operate.

4 hour rental was $74 plus HST.

Hopefully I forget to do it again next year. 😂
 
oioioi said:
The guys were in the neighborhood last weekend.
$50 for the front and another $25 for the back.
I politely declined since I knew I was going to be renting one. They had a smaller machine that was probably easier to operate.

4 hour rental was $74 plus HST.

Hopefully I forget to do it again next year. 😂
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I did mine once. No noticeable improvement. I may do it every five years or so. I'd rather spend the money on top dressing and flattening which I think will have a far bigger impact over time.
 
GreyGhost said:
I did mine once. No noticeable improvement. I may do it every five years or so. I'd rather spend the money on top dressing and flattening which I think will have a far bigger impact over time.
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My front was looking "depleted"
It is the playground lawn of the street so I am sure that doesn't help.

I will add some top dressing regardless.
I don't have huge improvement expectations after the aerating procedure.
 
Building a pool automation controller. Mostly for fun but will solve a few niggling issues that I don't currently have a good solution for. I have raspberry pi controlling the relays happily but fighting with apache/php/python to allow control from a webpage.

Phase 1 is control of multi-speed pump, heat pump and swg. That could be done already if I wanted to use terminal to control the pi but I don't (and my wife sure as hell doesn't).

Phase 2 adds temp probes (air, heater in, heater out) so I can calculate heater efficiency and figure out the best times to run it.

Phase 3 will add sprinkler control because why not and the current controller is dumb. Sprinkler control will include auto blowout to cycle through valves and allow time for air pressure to rebuild between cycles.
 
Insulated another wall, fertilized the lawn, repaired some broken fence pieces, assembled some shelves, and ripped some wood pieces for MIL tomato plants.
 
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