What home improvement work did you do today?

We were so lucky during the time it went out the weather was so nice a cool in the 70’s now it’s in the 90’s but the house is 70 so everything worked out.

 

Stocking up for 2nd half of summer mowing in gas, the diesel about 1 month.

 

I tapped into the hot water line and put a hose bib by the driveway.

And I added an air injection filter to get rid of the iron in my water.



Yesterday my Dad bought me a Poinciana tree. So I stabbed it in the front yard by the driveway. Yeah that fence needs to be replaced...lol

 

Good looking shed. What size is it? I built an 8x12 a year ago. I think I had close to 1000 in material.

 

More backyard work done today. Went to Lowe’s to get some paint and ended up leaving with some sod. This is more of an experiment to see if it takes and doesn’t die immediately. It was fairly cheap for 32sq feet. For 8 square feet it was only $6.50. If it lives for two weeks I’ll get some more. If it dies I’m only out $26. Also did a little painting of the cinder block wall to see how it looks when it dries.


Also got an Eero Mesh Wifi system installed today. So full bars whether I’m in my backyard or in the garage.

 

Not sure if you just haven't gotten to it yet, but you might want to put some dirt around it with some hardwood mulch to keep the exposed sides from drying out.

 

Good call but I have something better. A stay at home girlfriend (she’s a teacher and it’s summer) with nothing better to do than water the grass.

 

Had my buddy with a dump trailer grab me some woodshale rock for my back yard beds. Man this stuff is expensive! figured I needed 4 yards total...after laying 2 yards I was way wrong. Probably need 6 or 7 total. Also ran a corner too fast with the ‘barrow and tried to skewer my side. I won’t be surprised to find blood in my using from internal bleeding. Boy it hurt!

 

Thanks it's an 8x12, got electrical wired yesterday and started painting the trim. I think I might just live in this thing

 

Well after working outside for ten plus hours building the new Rams stadium, I came home and painted the back wall for about an hour. Still more to do and it’ll require at least one more coat.


Once the fence on the right is replaced in a few weeks I can start planting some things against that wall. Main reason to paint the wall that darker brown is to hide any background color once everything gets planted. Thinking of at least one palm tree.


Does anyone have good or bad experience with palm trees? Especially if it’s close to a wall.

 

I have a client with 2nd and third floor balcony over looking a lake. They had these sections of their railings with just an X pattern. This is very dangerous and not up to code.

(Before)


I installed 2x4 smooth cedar with long torque deck screws. This is known as a chippendale railing pattern. This now keeps the railings within the 4” spacing.

(After)

 

My neighbors (and pretty much everyone else in AZ it seems...) have queen palms planted within a foot or two of our back wall. Looks like they've been there for a while as the trees are pretty mature. No issues that I've seen.

 

Decades ago somebody noticed that palm trees grow well in the AZ desert and they planted them everywhere around here. If I ever got the chance to go back in time and meet that guy, I'd kick him straight in the nuts as hard as humanly possible.

They are a pain in the ass, especially the ones that grow taller. Then you have to pay somebody to climb that damn thing all the time to trim it.

 

My front yard.
Pic #1. These aren't horrible. Still have to trim the lower fronds twice a year but I can still reach them with a chainsaw on a stick thingy. Still a PITA though.
Pic #2. I'd like to kill this little bastard with fire. Sucks to trim, shit is so pointy and sharp that I look like I got in a fight with a barbwire fence every time.
Pic #3. These are a couple of streets over. Imagine climbing these all the time.

 

Those in pic #2 definitely suck. But so do all the other plants we have out here. I was really happy when I finally convinced the wife that we should rip out all our bougainvillea. F**k those things.

 

Agreed. That's why when I get the chance to plant something, I choose something non native. This pine tree was a little 2 gallon leftover "living Christmas tree" I picked up at Home Depot and planted when we moved in 20 years ago.

 

Kinda looks like it. Like I said, it was only a couple of feet tall when I planted it while the mesquite tree to the right was mature. My guess is that it grew away from the mesquite towards the sun until it was taller than it and then started to straighten out.

 

First pic, what kind of palms are they, and how old? They look good and are about the height I want.

FUCK Bougainvillea. I have to put a new roof on my shed because of the one that used to be in my backyard. There was a foot of that stuff covering my shed. It was monstrous. It crossed my property line and covered one of my neighbors sheds too. He was happy when I moved in and had it all removed.

 

We have palm trees behind the pool. They have a root ball about the size of a beach ball, then I think it does down.
I think a rule of thumb for trees is the roots go as far out as the branches go.

 

Not sure. They were already mature when we bought the house 20 years ago, maybe have grown a few feet in that time. House was built in 78 so I assume they were planted around that time.

 

Good to know. Thank you.

 

Chippendale you say...


In all honesty....that pattern is awesome. I've never seen it before.

 

Moved the bikes from the ground to the ceiling.
Also moved 1200 lbs of tile to the shop, and 1200 lbs of fertilizer to the shop. Not too interesting.

 

Redid the gate. Need to finish the panel to the left of it and then the whole front will match which will be nice.

 

Power scrubbed the drive way yesterday and coated it today. Almost 6 containers of 4.75 gallons.

 

Yuck. I bet that was no fun. That sealant stinks.