Summer Projects

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gpraceman
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Summer Projects

Post by gpraceman »

So, anyone have interesting projects that they did this summer?

I've been keeping quite busy this summer with work and a couple of summer projects. My first project was building a new PC, which is detailed at http://derbytalk.com/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=4925. My other one is below.

Before
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During
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After
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We replaced our flagstone patio with a deck, obviously. I really hated having to keep the weeds from growing up between the flagstones, but the bigger problem was that the outside edge was falling apart, making it a safety hazard.

It was a ton of work that took about two months to complete. First moving all of that heavy flagstone out of the way, busting up the concrete stoop, doing the framing (I contracted that part out), putting rock under the deck, and then putting the composite decking down. I had to redo some of the framing because as the joists were drying out a couple warped quite a bit and I didn't want a deck that looked like it had hills and valleys. So, I had to pull up several of the decking boards that I had already put down to fix that problem, then put those decking boards back on.

Putting the decking on was made much more challenging due to our not wanting a boring rectangle shape and wanting a two tone look. We also wanted the field boards at a 45 deg angle. This required us to have the joists 12" O.C. instead of 16" and required a lot of blocking to support the board ends. In combination with how we did the two board border, there was a lot more cutting and angles to deal with.

The whole project isn't really done quite yet. The deck was the biggest part, but all of that flagstone, now sitting in several piles, will be made into a small patio off the corner of the deck. That is where all of the rock that is now under the deck came from. There we intend to have a fire pit and seating and will be the home for my new smoker (smoked turkey - yum!). I still also have to do some landscaping. Adding edging around the deck for a rock and plant border. Then there is running the electrical out to the power the pond pump.

We also needed to get some concrete work done this summer, but that is something that I contracted out. Our front sidewalk had dropped a few inches next to the front stoop (poor work by the builder in combination with Colorado's expansive soils), which became a safety hazard, so we had it torn out and repoured. We also poured a sidewalk going from the driveway to the back yard. Now it is much easier getting the lawn mower to the back yard, without trying to push it through rocks.
Randy Lisano
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Stan Pope
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Re: Summer Projects

Post by Stan Pope »

Very nice, Randy! Well done.

Just think about all the armadillo burrows you can hide under there! Naw ... no armadillos that far north, right? Ahhh, yes, polecats! They can rearrange those rocks nicely. :(
Stan
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gpraceman
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Re: Summer Projects

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Stan Pope wrote:Just think about all the armadillo burrows you can hide under there! Naw ... no armadillos that far north, right? Ahhh, yes, polecats! They can rearrange those rocks nicely. :(
No armadillos or polecats, but we have lots of rabbits around here. Occassionally we see red foxes roaming around (looking for bunnies not doubt). A black bear wandered into our development not too long ago, but that is a rather unusual occurrence. They usually stay in the state park.

My older son helped quite a bit with this project. He was the assistant to our framing contractor (an older gent from our church) and helped me quite a bit with the decking. Reminded me of when I was growing up, learning how to do these type of projects from working with my dad and granddad.

This project was also nice in that it gave me an excuse to get a new circular saw :D
Randy Lisano
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Stan Pope
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Re: Summer Projects

Post by Stan Pope »

gpraceman wrote: No armadillos or polecats ...
None ... yet. With such an inviting area, they will surely come. They weren't too far away, before, and now with this inviting shelter ... :) Watch out around May when mama skunk looks for a nice place for her litter!
Stan
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gpraceman
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Re: Summer Projects

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Stan Pope wrote:None ... yet. With such an inviting area, they will surely come. They weren't too far away, before, and now with this inviting shelter ... :) Watch out around May when mama skunk looks for a nice place for her litter!
Never even smelled one around here, so I'm not worried. More of an issue of keeping the bunnies out of the back yard.
Randy Lisano
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Re: Summer Projects

Post by Stan Pope »

I'm "yanking your chain" a bit, Randy ... Yes, they are indigenous but usually avoid the urban and suburban environments. Even here in "Skunkville, Illinois" we seldom get a whiff except when one has been hit by a car on a rural highway.

My only close encounter was many years ago when a friend and I set up our radios for a 24 hour exercise outside of his parent's trailer by a lake. In the middle of the night I heard (leaking through my headphones) the rattling of tin cans in a bin about 8 feet away. I looked up between the gear and saw two black eyes looking back at me... and then noticed the musky BO. I was anxious to get back to the radios since it was a timed contest, but did not want to startle the polecat nor to lose track of what he might be doing. Ended up just shuffling my feet in the gravel enough to assure he knew I was there. He was just uneasy enough that he headed elsewhere. Apparently the polecat was nesting under the trailer. All was well until my friend used a .22 a few weeks later to remove the rascal. He should not have fired the second shot, as the severed musk glands stunk the place up badly.

Anyway, the deck looks great.

For the original stone patio, grass killer keeps the growth between the stones clear by sterilizing the soil. So, if you lay them again, keep in mind to treat them once or twice each year.
Stan
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gpraceman
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Re: Summer Projects

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Stan Pope wrote:I'm "yanking your chain" a bit, Randy ... Yes, they are indigenous but usually avoid the urban and suburban environments. Even here in "Skunkville, Illinois" we seldom get a whiff except when one has been hit by a car on a rural highway.
We had them around or old neighborhood, in San Diego. Quite often, we could smell them, as well as see them wandering around the front yards of houses. We do have racoons in CO, but have yet to see any in our neighborhood.
Stan Pope wrote:Apparently the polecat was nesting under the trailer. All was well until my friend used a .22 a few weeks later to remove the rascal. He should not have fired the second shot, as the severed musk glands stunk the place up badly.
When my dad was little, he let my granddad know that there was a black and white "kitty" that wandered into their basement. Well, my granddad shot it with a .22 and he either hit the scent glands or it sprayed. Needless to say, it stunk up the whole house.
Stan Pope wrote:For the original stone patio, grass killer keeps the growth between the stones clear by sterilizing the soil. So, if you lay them again, keep in mind to treat them once or twice each year.
I'll be doing that, though some of the weeds around here seem immune. The weeds this year were rather a nuisance, since we had a very wet spring and summer.

There is this stuff that my neighbor used between the paver stones of his patio. It is a sand like substance, but when exposed to water, it gets rubbery. So, it seals out the weeds. I'll have to try to find that stuff.
Randy Lisano
Romans 5:8

Awana Grand Prix and Pinewood Derby racing - Where a child, an adult and a small block of wood combine for a lot of fun and memories.
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