if you die, it will most likely be with asbestos, not from asbestos.
4 Likes
SoCal bros (that I know of) @microbet, @LFS:
I am getting a quote for a fence for one side of my property (Southern side of property fwiw). Contractor says redwood is 1.7x the cost of cedar or fir. Any idea what the risks are if I go with cedar or fir? Shorter lifespan of the fence?
This part of the fence is 100ft, is in a straight line (only one side of the property), and is on flat ground. Not sure what other details are important.
Cedar is a good wood for a fence at least around here. At that big of a discount I’d pick it. Most people stain them for added protection and to keep the color from fading to gray so there’s some maintenance. Not sure if staining redwood is standard.
Thanks.
I should say, I tagged them as they are in the same climate as me. Any input is appreciated.
The staining is a good idea, for both protection and aesthetics. I’m getting both cedar and redwood quoted. You’re in the Midwest, right? So cedar fences are durable enough to stand up to winter elements.
I had some outdoor stairs rebuilt last year and I went with pressure treated lumber, but I am known to be something of a cheapskate.
1 Like
I believe redwood is best for a fence. Coincidentally I happened to hear that redwood is in short supply just today or maybe yesterday. Cedar is good too. I think. This is not like my specialty.
1 Like
Yeah MN, built our fence 6 years ago from cedar and pressure treated lumber and it’s still in good shape. Been stained twice. I had to do some fence research since my dad and I built it and I’m not like a carpenter or anything. Cedar is fairly naturally resistant to insects and rot and it looks nice.
1 Like
In Canada, we have pressure treated lumber or cedar and cedar is like twice the price. The new pressure treated has a better color than the old greenish stuff and looks sharp and lasts forever. Would just go with that if its available to you and cheaper unless you live in a mansion of some kind.
Nice big bowl I like the choice, small diameter bowls are the worst. Or maybe a better description is the oval/egg shape is superior to a circular bowl
Too tall, though. Lower is better. Unless you are a squatty potty user, I suppose.
Fence Experts,
I had a 100ft redwood fence installed. She’s a beaut, Clark. I saved some loot by not having the fence company stain the wood, but now I gotta…stain the dang fence. Do I need to do any prep to the wood before staining begins, or I can I just start slapping that stain on?
I have done a little research online, and it appears that there is some cleaning and sanding recommended for older/previously stained wood but I cannot figure out if I need to do any of that for new wood.
Shouldn’t be any prep necessary. Be sure to get the tops of the pickets, and be aware that the end grain is going to be a lot thirstier than the face. gl
No, maybe some very light sanding with some high grit paper just to remove any bugs or dirt. Don’t wash it beforehand. Do it when it isn’t windy if or isn’t going to be windy after you do it if you can.
Looking to do some layout planning for backyard improvements. Does anyone have any (cheap/free) software they like to lay things out?
I am mostly interested in just putting a bunch of shapes on a grid and dragging them around to measure distances between them.
Thank you. I bought a paint spray gun thingy and went buck wild with the natural redwood stain.
All in, I saved over a dime in labor costs. And I got to drink beer while doing it!
1 Like
Help from @Rivaldo and other plumbing experts please. How bad is this installation?
The water lines are just coming out of the floor and completely unsupported. When other water is turned on it sways back and forth a bit. A plumber brought it to my attention after I had brought him in to fix a loose shower valve, which was also due to the pipes it was attached to in the wall being completely unsupported. He also pointed out some kind of issue with the joints used on the water heater. Also, quest plumbing everywhere, which I was aware of.
The plumber said I should turn off the water supply to the house immediately until I could get the entire home repiped. The home inspector I used when I purchased the house didn’t note any plumbing issues beyond the loose shower valve and presence of quest plumbing. I assume my level of concern should be somewhere in the middle but where exactly?
1 Like
that’s bs
you’ve got some mixed-and-matched stuff in the mix
that gray piping is called poly butylene
put a little 2-hole clamp on the pipe if you want to eliminate swaying. it’s fine otherwise and why inspector made no issue of it
1 Like
That stuff degrades over time. My sister had that stuff for her fridge water supply. One day it failed and I had to replace it. It had become so brittle, I could crush it with my hand.
1 Like
Yeah it’s not the preferred composition for water piping( neither is cpvc) , but I’ve been running around the KC metro for 30 years and haven’t encountered one catastrophic failure of polybutylene. I’ve heard it yeah it’s not you know something you would rather have instead of copper or PEX, but it’s fine