My Next Diy Project

Discussion in 'Home Improvement' started by Von Jones, Mar 4, 2016.

  1. Don Alaska

    Don Alaska Supreme Member
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    Before chemical lawn fertilizers were a thing, they actually marketed grass seed with a percentage of Dutch clover seed. It is the small white-flowered clover that fixes nitrogen and feeds the grass as all clovers do. As weeds go, it is pretty innocuous.
     
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  2. Von Jones

    Von Jones Supreme Member
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    My most recent destructive home improvement project was switching out the door handle from a standard one to one that locks. I bought a kit at the flea market for $7 got home and was at it for three days straight. :oops: Chiseling, hammering, even used my multi-tool. The door knob was okay but the latch on the frame wouldn't keep door shut when locked. So I went to Youtube I found out it wasn't lining up. As suggested I used toothpaste on the bottom of the thing-a-ma-jig and it was way off. So I removed the old hardware and started the demo to put on the new piece. Well, that didn't work. I just didn't understand what I was doing wrong so I read the instructions again. I had followed them correctly. On the third day I emptied the bag of the remaining items and found a piece that I thought just might work. After I dug out longer screws I tested it and by golly it worked. Now I just have to put some wood filler in to make it look pretty. :rolleyes:
     
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  3. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    And she's baaaaaaaaack!! So good to see you, Von.
     
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  4. Don Alaska

    Don Alaska Supreme Member
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    Sounds like you finally got it solved @Von Jones. I have been dreading hanging an exterior door on our entryway. The door I got must weigh a hundred pounds, and I can hardly move the thing. I am hoping one of our sons stops by to help out (or do it for me;)).
     
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  5. Tony Nathanson

    Tony Nathanson Very Well-Known Member
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    Re Mosquitoes: They love me. After a few miserable summers, scratching & bleeding, I did some research. Some of it was interesting.
    First of all, those big mosquitoes you see flying around & sitting on your wall are male mosquitoes. They don't bite because they live on nectar.
    Only female mosquitoes bite & they are tiny; you won't usually see them. And you won't feel them bite because they apply a topical anesthetic from their saliva. They also inject a blood thinner to prevent clotting during their meal. That anesthetic & blood thinner are what causes the swelling & itching by triggering your immune system; it's a type of allergic reaction.

    I first bought the "Off" spray repellent & also tried a few other repellents. They don't work because the ingredient that works (DEET) is in very small concentrations. I'd get at least 10 bites after using them.
    After more research, I got "Repel 100" and "Ben's" 100. They are 100% DEET. Not one bite all summer. DEET interferes wth the receptors on mosquitoes' antennae that detect Carbon Dioxide and Lactic Acid - both present in humans. That prevents mosquitoes from locating you. When first applied, DEET smells strange, but the smell goes away in a few minutes. The 100% DEET is effective fpr 10-12 hours. When I've missed a spot, that's where I get bit. Last week, I went out for a walk, then remembered I forgot to eat (not good, since I'm diabetic). I washed my hands, ate a couple of apples, then went back out. I got two bites on each hand. When I washed the DEET off, they knew where to bite. Ain't mosquitoes smart?
    I don't spray it on; I spray it in my hands & smear it on me. That keeps it out of my eyes & mouth.
     
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  6. Don Alaska

    Don Alaska Supreme Member
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    If you stay in one place, Thermacell devices work great. If you start one, it will remove all mosquitoes within a 15-foot radius in a bout 10 minutes and it will stay mosquito-free as long as the device is running. I first discovered these when canoeing on the Yukon River. Literal hoards of the buggers all around...except where I was eating lunch. A lot of people joined me to eat lunch.
     
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  7. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    Our power washer crapped out last year and we haven't replaced it yet. We were considering renting one instead of buying a new one, since that way we don't have to figure out storage and maintenance on another gasoline engine. But then I decided to hire a power washing service instead.

    The young man and a helper showed up at 8:30 this morning with a professional looking rig. His power washer is mounted on a trailer and has a huge rotating sweeper. They were done with all our front yard concrete... porch, driveway, and sidewalks, by 9:30. I think it took them longer to set up than to do the actual washing. He charged $200 which I thought was fair; he did a really good job.

    It would have taken us the entire day to do all that, plus we'd have had to buy or rent a new machine. So one more "DIY" job that will not be DIY any longer.
     
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  8. Marie Mallery

    Marie Mallery Veteran Member
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    We sometimes use the pressure washer on the porch and walkway.
    Mostly only get it out for walls. Especially the north side of the house gets mildewy, this is Florida. Scum is green not black, thank goodness.
     
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  9. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    Yeah, we have that green stuff that grows on one side of our house, too. Stupid Houston humidity.

    We have had a pressure washer for years but it finally died. My husband had taken it over to his mom's house to clean up her garage siding and driveway and pfffffffffffft. Decided not to buy another one at our age.
     
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