What home improvement work did you do today?

1 repair and 2 purchases.

Drained my spa partially to make a repair to the mortar that was cracked and missing which was allowing water to get behind the walls. I used rapidset on a 95 degree day. First two buckets hardened too fast. Finally made it a little soupier and got into the spa to get eye level. Repaired the mortar by hand.

Purchased two robots. One for floors and walls and the other to skim the surface. These little bastards are heroes.

 

Can you message me some details on the robots you went with? Our pool is almost complete and I'm starting to do my research on them. Appreciate you!

 

This would be worth a try.
https://youtube.com/shorts/ZkTk0ZkvMnQ?si=ONCaOM0ccc2YfIMh

 

Knowing my luck it will attract hornets..

 

Was able to get an old flag pole base dug out and the stump to the tree i cut down from the front of the house. I am always surprised about how far roots go and the various directions... But, good and productive day today.

 

Don't forget to change your water filters. Almost 2yr old filters on municipal water. Parents came over to visit and mom is a PICKY eater/utensil user. She noticed an oily film on top of tap water she poured. Think I found the culprit. Thanks mom!

 

While this may be true, if a person can't properly torque any type of fastener he/ she probably shouldn't be working on their own stuff.

 

Not really a home improvement but I'm pretty stoked my prickly pear is getting flowers this year.

For reference I'm in Northwest PA so cacti aren't the norm.

 

If you want more cactus just let me know. I used to send them to friends back east as a joke at christmas. I just dig up the small ones that grow in my yard and ship them rather than throwing them in the trash. They do surprisingly well during the shipment process.

 

Got chicken coop cleaned
Staked up some wire cages around the roses to keep the peacocks from eating the new growth.
Swapped out a three-way switch in my girls’ bathroom that had started to act up.
Surveyed the upper end of my property and staked out the proposed layout of my shop (aiming for construction next year).
Swapped out the outlets in all the bathrooms to be dedicated (stand-alone) GFCIs instead of them all being daisy-chained off the powder bath (the one that gets the least use and is the most inconvenient to reset.

 

I’ll trade you a cedar sapling for a prickly cactus.

 

Deal.

 

That's how these ones came as well. They're apparently native to Presque Isle here.

Fortunately my soil is sandy and drains well which is also unusual for our area so they are doing well. I may expand this flower bed so I'll shoot you a message if I need some more.

 

Installed a hard start kit on my AC. Found the OEM part online so everything would ideally be copacetic - sure wish my AC guy would've mentioned adding it on but chalk that up on the list of things he neglected to tell me (more efficient heat pump to cut down on high electric bills in the winter? Yes please).

Anyway, AC started up so much more quietly and I'll hopefully save a little on electricity. In addition, I should be able to run the central AC on my standby generator.

Kudos to myself for not electrocuting myself.

 

More electrical rerouting in the kitchen today, still lots to do. Whoever wired my house must have hated their boss, it was all done super inefficiently.

 

DE, Cat and chickens get a dusting for fleas and my Wife randomly puts it in their food.
Flea drops killed 3 cats and one dog years ago, (Sergeants flea drops) Effin horrible day
I even get it slipped in my morning green smoothie once in a while.
Great SAFE alternative to chemicals... Like you said though don't breath it.
I've worked with it in very large quantities and always mask up

 

Looks like the back porch is on your list too. Your place is coming together nicely.

 

Thank you!

I am currently out in my play place, so everything at the property is o hold. I am very pleased with it so far, and I keep finding work to do. That is the front part of the wrap around deck and unfortunately the whole thing is on the list now since we found water damage and rot.

just thankful the worst of it isnt in a high traffic area.

 

I got the base of my new shed finished up today. Hopefully I can frame and sheet the floor tomorrow.

 

Red Waukees all over the place!
Nice beefy foundation

 

Look new too

 

#TeamRed4Life

I tend to overbuild things which ends up costing me more money and effort than most projects are worth.

Hence why they're tossed all over the ground, gotta get the new off them. Most of these are ones I bought after taking a desk job and getting off the tools. I didn't get to take my shop issued ones with me when I left so had to buy my own. They don't have a ton of hours on them yet, but that'll change.

 

Any job worth doing is worth overdoing...that'll be solid!

 

#TeamRed4Life, it's a cult, and I'm in it
I tend to overbuild too if it's in the budget simply because I HATE doing shit over again, or having to fix something that was half-assed.
That grinder is interesting, a stubby/shorter one. Good tools, get shit done.
You need to get out fishing more... the bottom of that nice boat looks NEW!!!

 

The grinder is actually me least favorite red tool. It's gutless and tiny. Good for a couple cuts but not hard use.

I haven't fished since ice season in March. I really need to get out. That boat has actually been sitting a few seasons since I brought home the old v-hull dad and I fished in when I was a kid.

 

I have a Betta SE like @DrZoidberg does (the surface robot). Its absolutely amazing. It shouldn't work this well....i've had it for a year now and it just keeps chugging along. It does get stuck on my skimmer hose, but if you go with a battery powered one then you wouldn't have that problem.

I did read that these have a lifespan that is like a few days after the warranty expires....so its recommended that you get the extended warranty directly from Betta (i bought my betta se at Amazon and warranty from bettabot)
https://bettabot.com/pages/warranty

I'm interested to hear what underwater robot he went with.

 

I went with the Aiper Seagull Pro. It’s been good. I got it for sub $400 so that price point has been worth it.

When I messaged the person I said if it were the normal $700-800 price I would buy something like a Dolphin Nautilus pro Polaris freedom

 

Having a deck built. More grade and bullshit than I wanted to deal with since I’m no carpenter.



The guys doing the work were none too amused when they hit solid rock almost immediately digging holes for the concrete piers. At least it should resist settling.

That far corner is going to end up 13’-14’ above grade at that point.

 

They missed center on that pier by more than a bit.

Not a big deal but it would drive me nuts. I do like how they notched the joist into the post though, I haven't seen that before.

 

More progress: