Home Improvement

Steve Jackson

15:15

@JayBazuzi that's an interesting compromise and probably fine for a shed. It feels under-built to me, small poles, 14' spacing, but then again it's not very tall either (for a pole supported roof).

Tim_P

16:50

Morning gents

wax eagle

@Tim_P morning

Steve Jackson

17:18

Good morning!

Tester101

Good afternoon.

Tim_P

17:32

No work today. Trying to decide between being productive and eating chicken wings and drinking bloody mary's :)

Tester101

Wait... is that deciding between being productive and eating chicken wings, or being unproductive and drinking bloody mary's?

How is eating chicken wings productive?

Tim_P

Being produtive...or wings and bloody marys

Tester101

wings and bloody mary's, seems like an odd combo.

Tim_P

Hows that? I think it's natural that they go together

Ugh, finding a replacement 8 1/4 blade for an old Delta mitre saw is annoying.

Tester101

how many teeth?

6 pack $27.97 at HD.

Tim_P

17:44

-_-

I kid you not that I was just browsing through the HD site and didn't even see those.

Tester101

24 teeth $20.99

Add to cart. Mission accomplished! back to chicken wings!

Tim_P

:P

Wife is only going to be gone an hour :(

wax eagle

18:21

anyone know anything about thermostats?

Tim_P

Very little on my end, I'm afraid

wax eagle

@Tim_P k, just bought my house and looking to upgrade to programmable....

Tim_P

What is your question regarding it?

Tester101

18:41

@waxeagle I know a bit about them (or at least installing them).

wax eagle

@Tester101 k. Trying to figure out what kind I need. Looks like I need one that supports a 2 stage hp...

Tester101

18:59

@waxeagle are you looking for any special features (iPhone compatibility, WiFi, etc)?

How much are you looking to spend?

wax eagle

@Tester101 straight up programmable and relatively inexpensive (I need to buy 2) wi-fi would be awesome, but probably not in the cards

Tester101

Honeywell PRO 4000 Programmable Heat Pump Thermostat

Tim_P

That's the same one I have :)

Tester101

OK. So what is wrong with the one you have? Why do you want to upgrade, and what does upgrade mean to you?

wax eagle

@Tester101 currently digital non-programmable

Tim_P

19:05

For 10 more dollars you can have a wi-fi enabled one

homedepot.com/…

Well...20 more...

wax eagle

I'm looking at this one amazon.com/Lux-TX9100E-Universal-Programmable-Thermostat/dp/…

Tester101

@waxeagle Looks good to me.

The Manual includes wiring diagrams for a bunch of different setups.

wax eagle

awesome, hadn't found that yet. thanks!

here is another question, both thermostats are in a hall way basically right next to each other...is that a good thing? bad thing? nuetral thing?

Tester101

19:20

Do you have 2 stages, or 2 zones? Why do you have 2 thermostats?

wax eagle

@Tester101 2 2 stage zones...

Tester101

So, you have 2 zones, but they are both controlled from the same place?

wax eagle

@Tester101 yes. the house is a linear layout. so one zone is the bedrooms, the other zone is the living room, kitchen etc. each side has its own thermostat but they are in the same hallway (about 10' from each other)

Tester101

I see, so I'm guessing that's where the zones intersect (furthest place for heat source in each zone).

If that's the case, I wouldn't move them.

wax eagle

@Tester101 k. half the house is old ('56) but heavily remodeled and half the house is new ('06). I just bought the thing and still figuring out how it works.

Chris Cudmore

19:51

I love the way the avatars float in. That's really slick.

Steve Jackson

Well you see most door knobs can only be used on one door. That's wasteful.

BMitch

Let's get this show on the road...

Welcome to Project Update Thursday

Chris Cudmore

I came across some old Livejournal posts I made about 4 years ago. Let me know if you want me to re-write them as blogs. 1:mightybaldking.livejournal.com/29850.html

2:mightybaldking.livejournal.com/30147.html

3: mightybaldking.livejournal.com/30308.html

Aarthi usually doesn't show up until someone invokes her. "Aarthi, Aarthi, Aarthi"

JNK

Try @aarthi

BMitch

/me reads blogs

Aarthi

20:04

Sup, DIY?

BMitch

@Aarthi I think @ChrisCudmore felt lonely

Chris Cudmore

See! she needs invoking.

Aarthi

But there's 12 people in this room! :o

BMitch

and what's up getting Shirlock in here after I head out last Thursday, looks like you all had lots of fun

JNK

shirlock knows how to get into chat?

Chris Cudmore

20:06

We taught him how to use the "upload" button.

Steve Jackson

We wait till you split to turn on the disco ball @BMitch

JNK

nice

BMitch

haha, I can dance too!

Steven

(waiting on sub panel comment)

BMitch

►

Steve Jackson

20:07

@ChrisCudmore I like your blogs. I think #1 could go as its own, #2 and #3 work better together.

Chris Cudmore

Ok. I'll try and pretty them up over the weekend. Also remove the Canuckistani references.

BMitch

We should do one on how to use a plumb bob and why it's superior to a long level (at least in terms of accuracy, speed, not so much)

Steve Jackson

Cool - you want a blog account? Send your email to blog.diy.se [at] gmail and we'll send you links. Or if you just want us to move them into wordpress, that's cool too.

Tester101

BLOGS!

Chris Cudmore

They're definitely for a less experienced audience. It was a reply to someone else's complaining about how there was no man around to put up a bookshelf for her. It was part of my emancipation project.

@SteveJackson done

I always use a plumb bob for verticals.

I can even jury rig one.

BMitch

20:12

So anyone have a DIY method to remove those anti-theft tags from clothing stores?

Steve Jackson

@BMitch - The public needs this information! Did you know "Secrets of the Tape Measure" is our most read page ever? You passed up @TheEvilGreebo's "Romancing the Floor"

@BMitch Cut a hole in the clothing?

Tester101

@ChrisCudmore After you post your first blog entry, see @Aarthi for your free pencils!

Chris Cudmore

That was actually a good post. I didn't know that was why the hook end was always loose.

Any excuse to talk with Aarthi.

BMitch

We had people at Habitat that wanted to glue those end tabs so they wouldn't move

Chris Cudmore

My dad and I long ago discovered the "He who marks it, cuts it" rule.

Aarthi

20:15

@ChrisCudmore Aw, shucks.

Tester101

The Family Handyman liked the post so much, they published their own article in this months issue!

Chris Cudmore

@Tester101 link?

BMitch

@Aarthi, so how goes the HD gift cards for the contest winners? ;oP

Chris Cudmore

blog link is gone from the header.

Aarthi

@ChrisCudmore diy.blogoverflow.com

BMitch

20:16

@ChrisCudmore blog link only shows up when we post something new, there's one in the footer

I think there should be a blog box on the right like there is for chat

Chris Cudmore

Yeah, that would be good.

auujay

Is there a way we can make it more visible. I think it is really hard to find, especially when it is not in the header after a few days

Aarthi

@auujay Actually, yes -- meta.diy.stackexchange.com/questions/461/…

Chris Cudmore

Enough with the Meta! I just want to scream and bitch, not actually participate.

Tester101

Steve Jackson

20:19

Oh yeah. We need us an ARTIST. I've seen it on the sidebar for gaming.

Isn't someone around here good with MS Paint? Like maybe they even designed a mascot from scratch?

Captain Construction wants YOU to read DIY blog.

Tester101

3

Q: Community Promotion Ads - 2012

What are Community Promotion Ads? Community Promotion Ads are community-vetted advertisements that will show up on the main site, in the right sidebar. The purpose of this question is the vetting process. Images of the advertisements are provided, and community voting will enable the advertiseme...

Chris Cudmore

This is about as good as I get in paint:

after several decades, I finally learned how to hold down the shift key to get circles and horizontal lines.

Steve Jackson

What is this magic you speak of?

<kbd>Shift</kbd>

Chris Cudmore

I don't know if you're being sarcastic or not, but holding shift while using the oval tool will give you a circle.

Jay Bazuzi

Project Update: I framed my first wall panel:

It almost qualifies for a thereifixedit

Steve Jackson

20:26

@ChrisCudmore Honestly didn't know. [status-shift-key-is-magic]

Steven

@JayBazuzi thats not exactly drywall :P

BMitch

I believe it's "softwall"

Jay Bazuzi

It's really a beautiful rug, hand-stiched from the middle east, and it sucks on the floor.

But we'll replace it with thrift store sheet, stretched tight & smooth, later.

And we'll attach it to the outside wall with something more reliable than a bar clamp.

BMitch

I hung a tapestry on the wall, couldn't believe how much sound it absorbed, walking next to it one ear will go silent

Jay Bazuzi

We just wanted a hint of privacy around that bucket toilet before guests come tomorrow.

Steven

20:29

how much per night?

Jay Bazuzi

$50/hr, $500 for the night.

Wait, what are you asking about?

BMitch

:)

Chris Cudmore

Leave the bar clamp. That way people will know it's DIY

Jay Bazuzi

yeah, I was worried about that.

Chris Cudmore

Are those 4x4's?

Jay Bazuzi

20:31

The lumber is full-dimensioned 2x4 from trees we cleared for this space

Chris Cudmore

So it's just the camera angle.

@SteveJackson The shift key is magic. It only took me 20 years to learn that trick. After bitching about "This useless lame program", I stumbled across it by accident.

I do like the toilet!

Jay Bazuzi

There is a second wall panel, too, but I was all out of 2x4, so I used full-dimensioned 1x6 instead.

I love sawdust toilets.

Although that one is the "temporary" one that we happen to use most of the time.

here is a nicer model:

i'll upload:

auujay

I was just watching Karl Pilkington empty "honey buckets" the other night on TV

Chris Cudmore

Are you going to dig a septic system? O

Jay Bazuzi

I have a septic system already.

Paid $14,000 for that thing, and I've never used it.

But the wouldn't give me running water otherwise.

auujay

20:37

so what do you do with your "waste"

?

Jay Bazuzi

When you use the toilet, you put a scoop or two of sawdust on top.

When it's full, I swap in a fresh bucket.

Chris Cudmore

I assume Liquid waste goes to the woods?

Jay Bazuzi

Pee goes in the same bucket.

Once/week, I dump all the full buckets in a compost system.

Chris Cudmore

So it's kitty litter for people.

Jay Bazuzi

Yes, people litter.

the compost pile gets hot, usually around 120 degF.

And let it go for a long time (a year or more)

Chris Cudmore

20:40

It's not safe for veggies though.

auujay

I assume you can't use that compost for human food?

Jay Bazuzi

It is fine for veggies.

And fine for tubors.

As long as you let it compost for long enough.

Here is a video comparing regular compost to humanure compost:

►

Chris Cudmore

@SteveJackson What's the Trello acct for and why won't it load in firefox?

auujay

I guess Alaska is too cold for that approach (or more likely they just can't do it when people are living in town in close quarters) science.discovery.com/videos/an-idiot-abroad-honey-bucket.html

Steve Jackson

@ChrisCudmore We use it to track post progress. No idea on FF, I'm using chrome.

Chris Cudmore

20:43

5 minutes? You expect me to watch 5 minutes? If it can't be expressed in 140 characters or less, I don't want to know it!

The Evil Greebo

@SteveJackson I must hunt down this author and dispose of them.

Jay Bazuzi

The humanure compost produced much better plants than the regular compost.

Chris Cudmore

I'm in the city. I'm not going to try it.

Jay Bazuzi

there's no smell from the compost pile

Chris Cudmore

How did it compare to cow/sheep manure compost?

Jay Bazuzi

20:46

why wouldn't you do it in the city? do you have a back yard?

Steve Jackson

@TheEvilGreebo Uh-oh. And BMitch has provided photographic proof of locations near his house :)

Chris Cudmore

I've also got 2 5-year old boys.

Who love to dig.

Jay Bazuzi

It sounds like you don't want to try it, but if you wanted to make it work:

Build the compost pile in a sturdy manner (4 posts set in the ground, wood panels surrounding it)

Put wire mesh over the top.

Mostly use the flush toilet, because 4 of you will produce too much volume for a small compost pile.

Chris Cudmore

I've got a city provided bin:

Jay Bazuzi

There are 5 of us (me, wife, 10yo, 6yo, 6yo) and we homeschool + work at home, so we produce a LOT of volume.

Chris Cudmore

20:50

Something like that, but a bit sturdier.

Jay Bazuzi

Humanure piles need to be big enough to hold their heat.

Tester101

@JayBazuzi any plans to heat the yurt with the compost?

Chris Cudmore

afk

Jay Bazuzi

we've pondered it. There's a lot of heat in there.

When it snowed, the compost pile melted the snow right away.

But if you extract the heat from the compost pile, then it won't work properly.

Tester101

Isn't the air around the compost pile extracting heat already?

Jay Bazuzi

20:53

Yes, so you could put the compost pile under the yurt, for example.

Aarthi

Jay Bazuzi

But if you, say, run tubes of water through the compost pile to move heat to the yurt, it will cool off the pile.

Aarthi

@Tester101 :D ^^^

Tester101

Or an overly elaborate heat collection system above the pile.

@Aarthi Nice!

Jay Bazuzi

And a flock of chickens under the yurt while I'm at it?

Aarthi

20:55

There's the base, for trying different fonts

Jay Bazuzi

The best way to efficiently keep the yurt warm is to keep the the heat from escaping. The insulation is not great.

Tester101

@Aarthi you have to add it to the meta question, so we can upvote it.

Chris Cudmore

Is it wool?

Jay Bazuzi

The outer wall is an artificial canvas; inside that is a foil-faced bubble-wrap insulation.

Tester101

@Aarthi you can have it link to the meta question:

6

Q: How can I contribute to the DIY community blog?

I'd like to contribute to the Home Improvement Stack Exchange Blog, how do I get started?

support blog

Jay Bazuzi

20:56

If I was doing it again, I would double the bubble wrap, and possibly triple on the roof.

There's 2" foam under the floor, and I wish it was more, too.

But at some point, it just makes sense to build a gasp well-insulated house.

Or head somewhere warmer for the winter.

Chris Cudmore

We didn't get winter this year.

Aarthi

@Tester101 Ah it's too small -- one sec....

Jay Bazuzi

afk to dump humanure buckets

Chris Cudmore

Blogs don't go public until I submit for approval right?

I can put up rough drafts without proofing.

shirlock homes

Good afternoon folks

Chris Cudmore

21:04

Cause I'm getting Visibility: Public showing.

Steve Jackson

@ChrisCudmore Yep. You let us know it's ready (trello or chat) and we'll take a look.

Chris Cudmore

ok. Just wanted to be sure.

Aarthi

Steve Jackson

If you could put it to the blog you'd have a publish button. Don't press that one :)

Heya @shirlock

@Aarthi I LOVE IT!

shirlock homes

Are we doing yurts today? hehe

Steve Jackson

21:07

Oh hey, @JayBazuzi I bet Shirlock could weigh in on your shed foundation.

Aarthi

shirlock homes

Oh Jay, tell me you didn't!!!!!! lol

Aarthi

1

A: Community Promotion Ads - 2012

Vote up!

Steve Jackson

Everyone go vote! We need six votes!

shirlock homes

is it on meta?

Aarthi

21:09

Yep! :D

shirlock homes

ok brb

Aarthi

:D

I have a meeting, sadly. :( I'll be back later, I promise! /waves

shirlock homes

oh nooooooo don't leave me

boo hoo

Aarthi

(hugs)

/runs away to the meeting

Chris Cudmore

Yeah, aarthi always leaves when Shirlock shows up.

shirlock homes

21:11

UMMMM suspecious

guess I always scare her away, sorry

Steve Jackson

As I recall they have this gigantic video chat meeting at 4 on Thursdays. Like that's more important than Project Update Thursday. Sheesh.

shirlock homes

what was Jay trying to do now?

Ya, like we are doggie do do..... lmao

Chris Cudmore

He was about to dump his poop bucket..

shirlock homes

Waht project we gonna update?

A true pioneer

Steve Jackson

Heh. Jay is going to build a shed outside his yurt. Here's a link to the chat.

chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/111/2012/2/13

shirlock homes

21:17

Two words: porch posts.

love those things

I only read the first couple of entries however, I probably missed a lot

Steve Jackson

@shirlockhomes The fiberglass things? Use those for the corners then build a stud wall in-between?

shirlock homes

nope, they are concrete pyrimid shaped posts 24, 36 or 48 inches long. put them in the ground

they have treaded inserts on the top to attach 4X4' mounts

Chris Cudmore

Steve Jackson

Chris Cudmore

Like that?

Steve Jackson

21:22

Ha. I call those piers :)

Chris Cudmore

Beat ya!

shirlock homes

because they are pyrimid shaped, when buried, front won't lift them

The pics are close .. those are for frost free areas, but the mounts are the same

the ones I use we bury with about 6 to 12 inches exposed

Jay Bazuzi

Back from dumping the buckets.

shirlock homes

the other name is frost piers

Tim_P

Oh wow, there's a lot of people in here now!

shirlock homes

21:25

just looked on my concrete preform supplier web site, but no pics

@Jay: I haven't done that since I was an Airman in the Air Force in the desert

Jay Bazuzi

And I do it by choice :-)

shirlock homes

OMG!!!!!!!

Chris Cudmore

shirlock homes

I'm gonna send you a septic system. lol

Jay Bazuzi

@shirlockhomes I have one of those, don't use it.

shirlock homes

21:28

getting closer. lolol kinda look like the top part only without the large base

Jay Bazuzi

Our specified frost depth is only 12", and I think that's deeper than we really need.

shirlock homes

the ones in the pic are for some heavy loads

Chris Cudmore

I found these plastic forms.

northlandconstruction.com/product/footing-tube-10-12

Which might be easier to use.

shirlock homes

in this area they sell them at HD

they are simple 36 in tall, maybe 9 inches at base, 4 inch at top

the shape keeps frost from listing them

we cheat and use an auger on a kabota, then we got the kabota bucket to lift them and tamp them into place

we actually use the post to tamp the bottom of the hole, get the grade we want, set the post and backfill

only take maybe 15 to 20 mins per unit

Jay Bazuzi

I don't do nearly enough to justify a tractor, but there are definitely times when it would be nice to have one on hand.

shirlock homes

21:34

those are cool forms. look nice, but still gotta mix concrete

Chris Cudmore

But I can manage concrete. I can't lift a pier.

shirlock homes

I'd use those forms over sauna tubes

Chris Cudmore

Although, I tend to avoid wet-work. It's more of an art than a science. YOu have to have the feel for it.

shirlock homes

it all dries out eventually. lol

Chris Cudmore

ONe would hope...

shirlock homes

21:36

come on jay, spring for a tractor. you will love it

i always rent them when I need them

Jay Bazuzi

Then I'll need to build a pole building to store it in, ha ha.

shirlock homes

there ya go, a new project we can all work on

Jay Bazuzi

One thing I didn't like about concrete pier blocks last time was that the metal brackets weren't very stiff.

shirlock homes

did you get the ones that bolt on and are adjustable?

Jay Bazuzi

no, they were epoxied in

shirlock homes

21:42

ummmm

I bet those above ground pier blocks would be fine for your shed, btw

Jay Bazuzi

ok

shirlock homes

a little frost isn't gonna hurt a small shed usually

be a lot different if was a structure attached to a house etc

Jay Bazuzi

OK, i'll probably bed them in a few inches just to stabilize things, but nothing deep.

shirlock homes

yep, that will work fine

Ok change of subject. here in Maine it was 56F and sunny. had lunch on the back deck of my boat in the yard. lololololol

Jay Bazuzi

nice

what is the boat?

Chris Cudmore

21:50

41 and grey in Toronto.

It's a vessel that floats on water.

shirlock homes

a tease of spring in the middle of Feb... usually buried in 4 feet of snow

Chris Cudmore

No snow this year.

shirlock homes

ground here is almost bare

all rain this winter

Jay Bazuzi

wondering if @shirlockhomes does lapstrake

Chris Cudmore

We had one 2 inch snowfall, but it rained the next day. The only snow I see is the piles at the corners of parking lots.

shirlock homes

21:52

nope. fiberglass baby!

yep same here

I have a buddy that resores old wood boats however, not my thing

Chris Cudmore

Are you in Portland? or further north?

BMitch

@ChrisCudmore "but that's not important" hahaha

shirlock homes

windham, just 15 miles west

Chris Cudmore

So we're at the same latitude.

@BMitch RIP Leslie Nielson.

shirlock homes

Bummer, he was so funny

didn't even know he was sick

no one tells me anything

Chris Cudmore

21:56

He died Nov 2010.

shirlock homes

@Chris, you're in NB, right?

double bummer

missed the funeral

Chris Cudmore

Nope. Toronto.

shirlock homes

OK.... My son is in Rochester

across the lake

Chris Cudmore

No ferry anymore. Gotta drive around.

They screwed that up so bad.

shirlock homes

he sings up there alot with his group

they do tags for food and drinks. lololololo

Chris Cudmore

22:00

tags?

or gigs?

shirlock homes

tags, short requests

usaually barber shop or four part harmony stuff

of popular music

Chris Cudmore

Anyway, gotta run... Taking the wife out to the Symphony tonight. Beethoven 5.

shirlock homes

have fun

Chris Cudmore

Also, Iron Maiden just anounced another tour... I'll go to that without her.

shirlock homes

lololol

Chris Cudmore

22:03

She'll got to Roger Waters with me, but I can't get her out to a Maiden show.

shirlock homes

I'm more of a Paul Simon type

Chris Cudmore

That's listening music. It doesn't do well as background.

shirlock homes

OK, then Beach Boys works too. lololol

BMitch

Thanks for joining this week's Project Update Thursday

shirlock homes

bye all

BMitch

22:07

Feel free to talk amongst yourselves, I just figured we were done with project updatey things

Unless Jay has more compost tips :)

Project Update Thursday - 16 Feb 2012

2 hours ago, 2 hours 8 minutes total – 301 messages, 12 users, 1 star

Bookmarked 8 secs ago by BMitch

I always feel bad for killing the conversation

maybe I can step out and @SteveJackson can turn the disco ball back on :)

Steve Jackson

Aarthi

22:31

@KarlKatzke :D

Karl Katzke

23:53

@Aarthi was just temporarily popping in. :)

Project Update Thursday - 16 Feb 2012

Transcript for