Enough of COVID...what are you doing to the house? | Page 489 | GTAMotorcycle.com

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

If you can’t get rid of it, make it prettier.

The stump will eventually come out in pieces but not until I learn to sharpen chainsaw blades. Root work is brutal on blades.

Until then it’s a flowerpot holder and step to the deck.

Do the HD sharpeners work or are they wishful thinking.
 

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If you can’t get rid of it, make it prettier.

The stump will eventually come out in pieces but not until I learn to sharpen chainsaw blades. Root work is brutal on blades.

Until then it’s a flowerpot holder and step to the deck.

Do the HD sharpeners work or are they wishful thinking.
I'd cut it off close to ground level and deal with the roots some other way (hydraulic jack, fire, drill holes and fill with saltpeter, add some top soil and forget about it, etc). Roots and dirt are brutal on chains.
 
If you can’t get rid of it, make it prettier.

The stump will eventually come out in pieces but not until I learn to sharpen chainsaw blades. Root work is brutal on blades.

Until then it’s a flowerpot holder and step to the deck.

Do the HD sharpeners work or are they wishful thinking.
Not much help now (maybe a bit).

I cut the trunk higher up so I have leverage. Then I use a sawzall with a pruning blade on the roots, blade right in the soil, cut a circle around the entire tree base a bit out. Not as fast as a chainsaw but fast enough, safer, less digging and less tool damage. Then I use that leverage to my advantage, go back to get any roots you may have missed, repeat as needed. I have taken down bigger than that one by myself with this method. Trees with true tap roots require some digging to get at that root as the final stage. Fill the hole with soil afterwards.

I have done some that someone else cut down close to the ground where I did not have leverage. I used the sawzall as above but dug a hole and put a jack in it under the trunk/roots--more work.
 
Not much help now (maybe a bit).

I cut the trunk higher up so I have leverage. Then I use a sawzall with a pruning blade on the roots, blade right in the soil, cut a circle around the entire tree base a bit out. Not as fast as a chainsaw but fast enough, safer, less digging and less tool damage. Then I use that leverage to my advantage, go back to get any roots you may have missed, repeat as needed. I have taken down bigger than that one by myself with this method. Trees with true tap roots require some digging to get at that root as the final stage. Fill the hole with soil afterwards.

I have had some that someone else cut down close to the ground where I did not have leverage. I used the sawzall as above but dug a hole and put a jack in it under the trunk/roots--more work.
On the leverage front, if he has a hole-shooter, he may be able to sink in a fence post to increase leverage. If it's trying to collapse, guy wire down to far edge of stump should be sufficient.

Sawzall instead of chain saw is a great idea.
 
On the leverage front, if he has a hole-shooter, he may be able to sink in a fence post to increase leverage. If it's trying to collapse, guy wire down to far edge of stump should be sufficient.

Sawzall instead of chain saw is a great idea.
A dozen years ago I took out an ash root. The neighbor thought I was putting in a swimming pool.

I’ve made this one into a plant holder for the time being as I poke away at it. I figure if I get it down to ground level in a year or so Mother Nature can make it into a mushroom farm.

There are some interesting videos of serious root removal machines but space and budget make them impractical

A pressure washer does a good job of exposing the roots so you know if you’re cutting a root or a rock. It’s a bit like solo mud wrestling though.
 
They might suit your M-I-L as I assume she would still have access to the main abode for storage and chilling out. Renters that would tolerate the restricted space long term would concern me. Add the LTB and life gets ugly. Does a granny flat escape the LTB wrath and sloth if rented out down the road?

Family flat, no problem for when the firstborn needs a start on life. Possible WFH peace and separation option also.

Plumbing and drain hook ups down 5 feet won't be easy. Line to gas furnace or big panel upgrade for electric heat /heat pump.

Brick veneer avoids the trailer park look

I'd look at point of use hot water and a furnace alternate to eliminate the utility room and increase usable or storage space.
My 'flat' is about 20' from the corner of my house, above a detached garage. the mechanical trench is 4' down, I laid 3 a 4" drain, and 3 separate conduits 4" PVC conduits for water, electrical and gas. The gas conduit is a spare as I have no need for gas, minisplit for HVAC, hot water from out existing 60gal unit, and a100A panel for my garage and apt above.

I dug the trench by hand (not my hands, got a couple of high school kids to do it for beer).
 
Lifetime achievement today…removed all baby gates around the stairs.

Then went into the attic to see about insulating the walls…turns out they’ve got BATT insulation on them but not a vapour barrier between the lower floor attic and upper floor wall.

Installed a few ‘walkways’ and tried to open up the soffits to let the attic breathe better. No go. There so much stuffed insulation in there I couldn’t get through. Cut up my bald head and had sweat dripping off me.

Not sure how to approach. Maybe a 2” PVC pipe along the rafter to the soffit could break through. Not saying they’re all blocked, but most are 50-60% blocked. None 100%.

Then found an old chop saw which had something growing / living there…but brand new so will clean it up and potentially sell or keep.

Oh and found some damp insulation so got rid of that…didn’t see any trace on the roof but can imagine it’s coming from the vent above it. Replaced old plywood there with a small fresh sheet just in case.

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Are you sure the soffits are not bricked up to the roof deck and "sealed" by design? I believe your house is double brick and that was a common method. Over the years some mortar may have cracked and they may be letting in some air but they were never intended to be vented like a modern home. So before getting too dirty check if this is how it is built:

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Typical inside view above, 2X wood is the rafter and the brick/block goes right to the decking and all is (was) mortared in.

Outside view below, the soffits were intended to be exposed. The 2X going side to side between rafters covers the brick that goes up the the decking. Where I have exposed from the inside I get some minor air "leakage" but not very much and not what is expected via vented soffits..

It is common to see "modern" aluminum soffits installed (even with vents....) as someone decided to go "maintenance free" but they just covered the below up.

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Good call @backmarkerducati but unfortunately I can’t get much closer than I did already.

The top of my head is now bald with multiple nail strikes where I touch the roof …

It’s very possible that it’s the way you stated. I didn’t even consider it. Just assumed soffits need to vent as is.

I didn’t see any mould or any real issues outside of the minor leak. But next rain I’ll go up and see what’s what.

As for today…

Primarily cleaning up and cutting up all the materials no longer necessary. Brackets for hanging scaffold and ladders off the shed. Installed a new threshold to old shed, and general cleanup of materials.
 
And to add…tried out some scratch remover on wife’s odyssey to clear up the scratches where the top box fell. Works great! Think I may buy a buffer and go through the entire car!

Wife was on a cleaning frenzy so apparently today was a good day to disassemble the entire dishwasher on the inside and clean it up…fun times. Disgusting…but learned something new.
 
And to add…tried out some scratch remover on wife’s odyssey to clear up the scratches where the top box fell. Works great! Think I may buy a buffer and go through the entire car!

Wife was on a cleaning frenzy so apparently today was a good day to disassemble the entire dishwasher on the inside and clean it up…fun times. Disgusting…but learned something new.
I have this one and it's excellent. Customer service is amazing if you ever have a problem as well. Including three pads (waxing, compound, polish) is a nice bonus as well.
 
I have this one and it's excellent. Customer service is amazing if you ever have a problem as well. Including three pads (waxing, compound, polish) is a nice bonus as well.
I did an airplane (Piper Cherokee) with a Makita constant variable speed buffer. With the constant speed control it doesn't vary when you change pressure, minimizing chances of scorching. Got rid of 25 years of chalking.
 
It looks like my 'frugality' is teaching me a lot of things! LoL

I'll go pick up the fiberglass repair kit tonight at CT for the box. Maybe it's salvageable. Then deal with the buffing out the scratches.

Still waiting on the condo corp to get back to me on the amount of damage my wife caused...
 
I did an airplane (Piper Cherokee) with a Makita constant variable speed buffer. With the constant speed control it doesn't vary when you change pressure, minimizing chances of scorching. Got rid of 25 years of chalking.
I bought mine to do my 13yr old black SUV and it turned out amazing. A little over a year later I was having an issue with the switch on it so I emailed the company and they sent me a new one along with pads no questions asked.
I donated the first one on Marketplace for free and a local popped by and grabbed it with thanks.
Fast forward 3yrs I listed that SUV for sale and the same guy that took the free polisher messaged me wanting to see the SUV for his wife. Sold it to him 20 minutes later and he told me he cleaned the switch on that polisher and it works great.
 

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