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Quoted:
Update on the crawlspace: Ive gotten a few quotes that ranged from $5k to $25k for crawlspace water remediation. Ive chosen one that I think will solve 99% of my water issues. It includes a FULL perimeter drain system, two sump pumps and discharges, new overlayment in the crawlspace and a dehumidifier. All in price in the $10k neighborhood. Not quite a full encapsulation setup (no wrapped piers or insulated crawlspace walls), but like I said, I think this will solve 99% of my issues because a) the drain system plus drilling weep holes in the foundation block allows them to drain and b) the dehumidifier can take care of anything that does come through the block. It also includes sealing all the crawlspace vents and a new door. In other news, we have had freezing rain TWICE within the past two weeks. Having been a born 'n bred North Carolinian all my life, I cannot for the life of me think of a time where we had winter weather in November. We have, already, had multiple nights in the upper 20s. So, with my wife having the only non-AWD/4WD car (aside from the Mustang), she got a 2019 Honda Pilot this week. Her prior car was bought in 2012 and had gotten long in the tooth, and it was an easy checkbox of things I dont have to worry about this winter. And in other news, I had my bi-annual "burn crap that I collect out of the field and yard" bonfire, and decided if I have to babysit a bonfire, Id plow the garden in the dark. Because I can. My neighbor commented that they could probably see my tractor from orbit. View Quote Kitties, enamored of good surface water management... |
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Quoted: Glad you got the drainage issue dealt with. If you decide, at any point, that you want to elaborate on the exterior drainage system details and the pumps involved, there would be at least ONE member interested. Kitties, enamored of good surface water management... View Quote I got some good news today. Part of the drainage will require moving the water pump tank for the well. I had been wanting the house on county water for a while now, so when in Rome.... I need to get the county to set the meter then trench the 750ft to the house. BUT, when I pulled the septic permit from the county, it showed my tank about dead center of the house (in line with the front door) and the lines running west towards the neighbors barn. I dug out the 100ft tape, did the measuring based on what was drawn and determined there was no way this could be the case. Also, the drawing shows the driveway on that side of the property instead of the side its currently on. So I call the county back and ask them if they updated the drawing after the system is built...... "No sir, why would we update drawings after we issue the permits?" On to Plan B. I keep in touch with the prior owners (a friend of mine from HS is married to one of their daughters. Small world.), so I called them today. I had an idea that the tank was at the far west corner of the house and the lines ran down the hill, and back to the east. Suspicion confirmed. The rate of growth on the trees in front of the white fence was a good indicator, BUT, what this means is that I can bring the trench up the outside of the fence on the west side of the house, and make a hard 90* and run the water right into the house where the current well water comes in now. Which brings me to my next question... I could really use the two slots in the house breaker box that the well pump currently occupies. I have two circuits free currently, which are going to be occupied by the sump pumps and the dehumidifier/sump pump for that. Id like to add an outdoor kitchen at some point on the pool deck, which is what Id intended for one of those circuits to go to. So, I am contemplating hitting up my neighbor (who manages one of my electrical supply shops) for some UF-B and trenching/piping the well into the barn. It would a) give me those circuits back, b) give me water in the barn (and I could buy a POU water heater for a sink!) and c) give me a place to put a pump tank and spigot for use for watering the garden. Yes its a lot of effort, but I just cant see abandoning a perfectly good well, and it would be useful for doing major water things like filling the pool or watering the garden that I dont necessarily want to "pay" for. So, what am I missing? |
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Quoted: I should clarify, mine is an interior drainage system, meaning its dug at the foot of the crawlspace. With the way the house is arranged and the pool deck, Ive got zero chance of an outside french drain, which is REALLY the way to fix it when possible. I got some good news today. Part of the drainage will require moving the water pump tank for the well. I had been wanting the house on county water for a while now, so when in Rome.... I need to get the county to set the meter then trench the 750ft to the house. BUT, when I pulled the septic permit from the county, it showed my tank about dead center of the house (in line with the front door) and the lines running west towards the neighbors barn. I dug out the 100ft tape, did the measuring based on what was drawn and determined there was no way this could be the case. Also, the drawing shows the driveway on that side of the property instead of the side its currently on. So I call the county back and ask them if they updated the drawing after the system is built...... "No sir, why would we update drawings after we issue the permits?" On to Plan B. I keep in touch with the prior owners (a friend of mine from HS is married to one of their daughters. Small world.), so I called them today. I had an idea that the tank was at the far west corner of the house and the lines ran down the hill, and back to the east. Suspicion confirmed. The rate of growth on the trees in front of the white fence was a good indicator, BUT, what this means is that I can bring the trench up the outside of the fence on the west side of the house, and make a hard 90* and run the water right into the house where the current well water comes in now. Which brings me to my next question... I could really use the two slots in the house breaker box that the well pump currently occupies. I have two circuits free currently, which are going to be occupied by the sump pumps and the dehumidifier/sump pump for that. Id like to add an outdoor kitchen at some point on the pool deck, which is what Id intended for one of those circuits to go to. So, I am contemplating hitting up my neighbor (who manages one of my electrical supply shops) for some UF-B and trenching/piping the well into the barn. It would a) give me those circuits back, b) give me water in the barn (and I could buy a POU water heater for a sink!) and c) give me a place to put a pump tank and spigot for use for watering the garden. Yes its a lot of effort, but I just cant see abandoning a perfectly good well, and it would be useful for doing major water things like filling the pool or watering the garden that I dont necessarily want to "pay" for. So, what am I missing? View Quote Just...don't. There may come a time when you would be glad to have water from the ground rather than water from the .gov. ETA: I'm coming to realize that I can conform to the norms of the .gov in many ways...but not when it comes to water. Hmmm...I might have to think about that. |
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Quoted: I'm not clear on your electrical situation, but don't abandon that well. Just...don't. There may come a time when you would be glad to have water from the ground rather than water from the .gov. ETA: I'm coming to realize that I can conform to the norms of the .gov in many ways...but not when it comes to water. Hmmm...I might have to think about that. View Quote Which conveniently... https://myfox8.com/2018/12/05/prepare-for-significant-winter-weather-models-show-piedmont-triad-could-get-6-12-inches-of-snow/ I have lived in NC all my life. I think we have had one White Christmas that I recall, and that was in 2010. Until last year, I cannot recall a snow that stuck in December other than 2002, and the only reason that one is memorable is because that was the weekend my Grandfather died, I was in college taking exams, and it took me 11 hours to get home for what was normally a 1.5 hour drive. My dad swears that 09-10 they had December snows that amounted to something. The weather data would bear that out. But nothing of this magnitude. The models are close enough now that I feel like its time to get off the fence and be prepared. Conveniently, I work from home on Friday, so that may actually play into my favor in terms of preparations. This week was grocery week, so thats covered. Might be an interesting weekend here... |
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Nope, dont plan to. As long as I can keep it servicable, itll remain in service. The electric situation is that I have two slots free in the breaker box currently. Moving the well off the house would give me four, which is convenient since Im about to lose two slots for the sump pumps and the dehumidifier in the crawlspace. My bigger point is not having water during power outages hence the county water. Which conveniently... https://myfox8.com/2018/12/05/prepare-for-significant-winter-weather-models-show-piedmont-triad-could-get-6-12-inches-of-snow/ I have lived in NC all my life. I think we have had one White Christmas that I recall, and that was in 2010. Until last year, I cannot recall a snow that stuck in December other than 2002, and the only reason that one is memorable is because that was the weekend my Grandfather died, I was in college taking exams, and it took me 11 hours to get home for what was normally a 1.5 hour drive. My dad swears that 09-10 they had December snows that amounted to something. The weather data would bear that out. But nothing of this magnitude. The models are close enough now that I feel like its time to get off the fence and be prepared. Conveniently, I work from home on Friday, so that may actually play into my favor in terms of preparations. This week was grocery week, so thats covered. Might be an interesting weekend here... View Quote No, actually. When I was a kid, we expected two snows before Christmas. One about the size we got Sunday night (I think...losing track of days) which was just enough to turn stuff white but not really cause any major problems, and one more serious. What I'd call a "small snowman snow." Which would be enough to roll a small three-stack snowman maybe three feet tall, but not a big one, even if the snow was not too dry and just right. Yeah, my memory of this is related to snowmen, can ya tell? But we went through a phase just after I got married (right out of college) when we had temps in the 70s sometimes up to Christmas, then it didn't get cold til January and if we had snow that required boots it was a "horrible" winter. Yeah, no. I hiked up the hill on WKU's campus (the team is "Hilltoppers" for a reason) in snow up to my knees a bunch of times during my time living in the dorms, and they never once closed down classes. Now it comes a flake of snow and they're like, "class is canceled!" Anyway...I don't know your age, but it's interesting to see "different" weather and how people relate to it, isn't it? For me, what we're seeing here is just a cycle I've seen before. But younger people think it's climate change. Jeez, I'm feeling olde. |
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We had about 70" of global warming a few years back.
This is the South side of our house. Deck railing is ~6' off the ground. Eve of roof is 7.5' above deck. The drift on the roof is ~5' high. Attached File Same view after a couple days digging and snowblowing. Attached File After more digging.. Deck is 12' x 60' so that's a shitload of packed snow. For reference, I'm 6' tall. Attached File This is the "slot" we cleared to get to the barn ~200' away. We had 2 steers, 10 chickens and 1 Llama that needed tending twice / day plus we keep our firewood in the barn. Attached File It made for a rough spell but we got thru it.. |
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In other preparations:
Ran the bathtubs full of water Plenty of drinking water and food items I can cook on the propane camp stove if needed Grabbed the last 2 propane canisters at Walmart last night Tractor full of diesel, neighbors blade is already on the back Grabbed 5 gallons of kerosene to have on hand just in case 15 gallons of gas in cans should be enough to keep the generator happy for about a week Four wheeler full of gas Got all my cold weather gear ready for action Got beer and whiskey Not much else to do now but sit and wait. My wife unfortunately is working this weekend. I imagine she will go in tomorrow, but we are hoping they close early tomorrow and remain closed on Monday. But, just in case, she is going to pack an overnight bag tonight and there is a hotel about a mile from where she works. Id rather eat the cost of a hotel then chance her having an accident on the way home because the roads are crap and/or because of someone elses stupidity. |
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So with an impending 12+" of global warming inbound, my dad and I spent yesterday with the transfer switch which I finished this morning. https://i.imgur.com/ptNJlfs.jpg Drywall and vapor barrier out https://i.imgur.com/UBUbkan.jpg Switch in place https://i.imgur.com/tyRUKBe.jpg Line from genset in, and stud drilled/wires pulled into panel https://i.imgur.com/ldpZWXe.jpg Drywall replacement in, now it just needs patching, but that can wait until later https://i.imgur.com/7ndsgG6.jpg Wired in https://i.imgur.com/YWHnLKq.jpg Tested, panel face put back on, and mostly complete. I selected 6 circuits that would get us by with lights, fridge, freezer, and a furnace. Oh, and my IT closet so we can watch TV and have wireless internet of course. #1%erproblems Ill work on patching tomorrow since it appears there wont be much else to do. View Quote |
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Looks good! How big of a generator are you running? View Quote Edit: I really contemplated my options. They're a few pages back. The well was my big limiting factor and ultimately the decision in going this route. Statistically, we are only without power 12 hours a year here (according to Duke) but it's one of those things where I'd like to have some minor inconvenience versus a bigger genset that drinks gas for no payoff. And whole home gensets are worse IMO. |
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It's one of the HF 3500 inverters. I've been REALLY happy with it once I fixed a few minor issues with it. Runs like a champ. It did almost 30 hours straight this summer on 5 gal of gas at the 24 hour race I did. The biggest draws on it would be the fridge/freezer and those are only about an amp and a half per. The furnace fan only draws about 100w full tilt. Plenty of headroom for other lights and whatnot. Edit: I really contemplated my options. They're a few pages back. The well was my big limiting factor and ultimately the decision in going this route. Statistically, we are only without power 12 hours a year here (according to Duke) but it's one of those things where I'd like to have some minor inconvenience versus a bigger genset that drinks gas for no payoff. And whole home gensets are worse IMO. View Quote Now that you mention it, I remember reading about you trying to size a generator for your well. Speaking of whole house gensets, that's what we'll be doing Thought long and hard about it and it really came down to convienence. We only have 5-10 hours a year without power but I swear it ALWAYS happens when I'm traveling for work in winter and my wife is home alone. She really didn't want to have to mess with a generator. Between that and my aging parents moving into their house in our yard, a whole house generator made a lot more sense for us. My parents are splitting the cost 50/50 so that makes it a lot more manageable. We had to move our underground high voltage feed, transformer, and meter base in order to build their house so we took the opportunity to go ahead and install a 200 amp automatic transfer switch. It's wired up so it will power our house, their house and our pole barn. Generator will be going in this coming spring. Since living here our demand has never been over 5 kVA. Demand in the new house should be the same and one well feeds both houses. It's also a variable speed pump so it doesn't have nearly the draw on startup. Should be able to comfortably get by with a 16kw gen set. |
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https://i.imgur.com/hNRrbhv.jpg Glad I did that transfer switch now... I road my trusty steed out to the main road. Everything has been untouched. Passed a Forsyth County sheriff (who was surprisingly cool with me being on the four wheeler in public road) and he said everything East of Walker town is basically without power. The plan was in place, the plan was executed, and it worked. View Quote |
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So with an impending 12+" of global warming inbound, my dad and I spent yesterday with the transfer switch which I finished this morning. https://i.imgur.com/ptNJlfs.jpg Drywall and vapor barrier out https://i.imgur.com/UBUbkan.jpg Switch in place https://i.imgur.com/tyRUKBe.jpg Line from genset in, and stud drilled/wires pulled into panel https://i.imgur.com/ldpZWXe.jpg Drywall replacement in, now it just needs patching, but that can wait until later https://i.imgur.com/7ndsgG6.jpg Wired in https://i.imgur.com/YWHnLKq.jpg Tested, panel face put back on, and mostly complete. I selected 6 circuits that would get us by with lights, fridge, freezer, and a furnace. Oh, and my IT closet so we can watch TV and have wireless internet of course. #1%erproblems Ill work on patching tomorrow since it appears there wont be much else to do. View Quote Y'all who have generators set up and are prepared in that way..yeah, I wanna be you. |
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https://i.imgur.com/hNRrbhv.jpg Glad I did that transfer switch now... I road my trusty steed out to the main road. Everything has been untouched. Passed a Forsyth County sheriff (who was surprisingly cool with me being on the four wheeler in public road) and he said everything East of Walker town is basically without power. The plan was in place, the plan was executed, and it worked. View Quote What time did your power go down and switch to the generator? |
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After action report?
After action report. Things that worked well: 1. Transfer switch and generator - basically like the power never went out downstairs. Enough said. 2. Preparation - probably preaching to the choir here, but I was prepared and had a plan. That had me head and shoulders above 98% of everyone else 3. Lights. Ive been stocking up on the Harbor Freight puck lights (sidebar, the on-chip lights are WAY better than the 27 LED version). These were great for wherever you needed light. Hang one on the towel holder in the bathroom? Yup. The collapsable lanterns were great too (link). Pop one up, put it on the fridge, boom, kitchen lights. My HF Bauer light (link) was also super handy, and you can get them for 20 bucks with coupon. Things that didnt: 1. While I had a plan for cooking on the propane camp stove, the one thing I failed to neglect was dishes. Moreover, how to clean them once meal prep was done. Open to suggestions, but I resorted to water from one of the tubs and soap to wash, and a rinse basin. Also, Id buy paper products to eat with. Cups, forks, bowls etc. On my list for next time. 2. Tractor blade. Previously never any issues, but this was the first real, heavy snow weve had, and it was HEAVY. The blade would drag the tractor sideways because Im still driving over snow and ice. This has me contemplating building a SSQA plow setup for future use. 3. Ill mention this in passing, but lack of the genset house. Its VERY apparent that its running when it gets dark and quiet outside, because with snow on the ground you can hear a mouse fart. Genset house in the alcove should mitigate 99 percent of that. |
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Quoted:
After action report? After action report. Things that worked well: 1. Transfer switch and generator - basically like the power never went out downstairs. Enough said. 2. Preparation - probably preaching to the choir here, but I was prepared and had a plan. That had me head and shoulders above 98% of everyone else 3. Lights. Ive been stocking up on the Harbor Freight puck lights (sidebar, the on-chip lights are WAY better than the 27 LED version). These were great for wherever you needed light. Hang one on the towel holder in the bathroom? Yup. The collapsable lanterns were great too (link). Pop one up, put it on the fridge, boom, kitchen lights. My HF Bauer light (link) was also super handy, and you can get them for 20 bucks with coupon. Things that didnt: 1. While I had a plan for cooking on the propane camp stove, the one thing I failed to neglect was dishes. Moreover, how to clean them once meal prep was done. Open to suggestions, but I resorted to water from one of the tubs and soap to wash, and a rinse basin. Also, Id buy paper products to eat with. Cups, forks, bowls etc. On my list for next time. 2. Tractor blade. Previously never any issues, but this was the first real, heavy snow weve had, and it was HEAVY. The blade would drag the tractor sideways because Im still driving over snow and ice. This has me contemplating building a SSQA plow setup for future use. 3. Ill mention this in passing, but lack of the genset house. Its VERY apparent that its running when it gets dark and quiet outside, because with snow on the ground you can hear a mouse fart. Genset house in the alcove should mitigate 99 percent of that. View Quote This was what threw me. Your generator out there in the snow, naked in front of God and everybody else. I'm generator stupid, so I thought you kind of HAD to have a little house for it. That's been part of why I haven't fent. I'm interested in your plan. If a cat hisses in the other room, it wakes me up. My ears are that good. So that whole sound thing....yeah. That's a big deal. |
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Well, funny you mention that... This week I commissioned my Dad to get started on that in earnest on the pad I had poured, so he did... First things first, we had both gotten tired of jumping on/off the porch, and since thats less than ideal under prime circumstances and moreso under bad weather, I now have a set of stairs. https://i.imgur.com/5Nl0Z5P.jpg Now, on to the enclosure. The brick is obviously the hard part because its the part I cant do. https://i.imgur.com/TERnkWL.jpg So, youll notice a few things. Yes, its a LOT larger than my current genset. I wanted the option to go bigger in the future if I desired to. Youll also notice (if you look closely) that the top rows of bricks dont have mortar between them. Thats by design. The other thing youll notice is the angle and current ends of stair treads (Ill go back with a solid piece later) at the top. That will be the home for the extended run tank. Youll also notice that there is allthread sunk into mortar, and thats because I plan to do a 1/2 pressure treated cap, and then a sloped top on top that I can lift when needed for refueling or maintenance. I plan on making the front door all one piece, and I have security measures in mind to make it so you cant pull the door out or lift the lid to get in. Now, the last thing youll notice if youre observant is that the stairs and porch are at my back in this photo, and the sunroom is to my left. To my right is a fairly large evergreen tree. So what does that mean? That means I have to do something with the exhaust. Portable generators are supposed to be a minimum of 10ft from houses (and now they say 15+ft) to keep from filling the house with CO. So, my plan is to locate the generator, drill a hole in the right side of the enclosure, knock out 1/2 of that brick and put a sleeve in. Ill then extended the generator exhaust through the sleeve, turn a 90* skyward, and build a genturi setup that will sit beside the gutter, curl around the eave at the top, and have about 4ft above the roofline with a cap on it to keep rain from coming down the pipe. View Quote |
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Quoted: I'm really interested in this, and hope you will take pics as you go along, and give as much detail as you can. This is very helpful. You poured the pad for that yourself? What is the size? (I can make a rough guess by the brickwork, but only rough.) View Quote While Ive been quiet here, I havent been at home. I built out a new set of shelves for the utility closet, finished a bed for my daughter I had been working on, and worked on water remediation in the barn. I did wind up going to a garage door barrier setup, which has stopped about 90% of the water running in, but still leaks around the edges. I have two small leaks in the roof too that I need to find. Problem with the spray foam is, it makes them HARD to find because they will run down or behind the foam depending on where its at. Pics to follow of course... For right now, I could use some advice. With the crawlspace remediation happening soon, and having been without water two days this year because of power outage, and having just had more issues with a pressure switch, and knowing that my pressure tank is undersized, I am contemplating a short term fix for getting the crawlspace drainage done, and a more long term fix. Long term, I am thinking of chunking my current pressure tank (its pretty rusty and Im not sure of the bladder integrity given its age) and buying 2 new tanks, plumbed in parallel. Part 2 of this exercise would be pouring a concrete pad at the well head and moving the pressure switch, filter and tanks there. Part 3 would be trenching a line to the barn and running the electric for the pump from there. Part 4 would be an additional 120v circuit and some form of heat to keep it from freezing. Obviously, Id make sure the enclosure I built was as airtight as possible, but I dont want to a) give up the well water thats useful for filling the pool, watering the garden etc and b) cause myself more headaches than its worth. I think moving it there would give me more space to work with, easier ability to clean the filters, the ability to do a PROPER filter setup, and solve the short cycling issue with 2 or maybe even 3 tanks in parallel. Thoughts? |
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Now for the crawlspace:
The guys were here week before last. I had moved the well tank prior. They did trench the entire crawlspace and put in the french drain plumbed into two sumps. They then drilled holes in all the block. When I asked how much water was held up in the block, the guy drilling laughed, and said the entire bottom row of block and then some were full of water. Needless to say, the dehumidifier has run pretty hard for the past week, but I went down to put a sensor down there for a monitor I bought, and it was a cool 60 degrees and 50% RH. Perfect. The block is dry, all of the standing water is gone, and from the looks of it, the drain is catching anything that weeps up from the ground and in through the footer/block currently since the sumps were both about 1/2 full. Everything is covered in black vapor barrier now as well. No more mud! I can definitely tell a difference in the house as well. I think sealing it up really helped with that as its not as cold under the house now. |
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Whew! I'm tired just reading all that!
Great work! Do you actually need the generator house roof to hinge all the way back, or would it work for you if it were held up like a car hood, partially open? Seems like most of your work on the generator would be done through the front door. I ask because of course I've never had to work on/with one, so I'm curious why you need complete access both directions. |
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Whew! I'm tired just reading all that! Great work! Do you actually need the generator house roof to hinge all the way back, or would it work for you if it were held up like a car hood, partially open? Seems like most of your work on the generator would be done through the front door. I ask because of course I've never had to work on/with one, so I'm curious why you need complete access both directions. View Quote |
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How are you adding sound deadening to that generator enclosure?
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What's the ventilation plan on the genny?
Is exhaust going to be piped through a wall / roof? Looking good and the brickwork should abate some of the noise. |
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Quoted:
What's the ventilation plan on the genny? Is exhaust going to be piped through a wall / roof? Looking good and the brickwork should abate some of the noise. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
What's the ventilation plan on the genny? Is exhaust going to be piped through a wall / roof? Looking good and the brickwork should abate some of the noise. Quoted:
How are you adding sound deadening to that generator enclosure? |
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Well, I have a problem.
Two problems actually. Problem #1. We have suddenly been inundated with geese. Flocks of 20-50 of them on the property, including all the "pleasantries" they leave behind. Ive run them off a few times, but they keep coming back. It was an annoyance until one of them bit my daughter when she was coming home from playing with the neighbors daughter this week. Ive called NCWRC, and basically got no help. And Im tired of goose shit everwhere. Problem #2. Something has literally died under the breezeway and it smells wretched. The bottom of that floor is insulated with vapor barrier stapled underneath, and I cant find anything. And when I say wretched, I mean stomach turning. I let it air out tonight, but Im wondering if a mouse managed to get into the insulation and die. Since (after the crawlspace fix) that is the last area of bare dirt under the house, Im contemplating putting vapor barrier on the ground and reinsulating it anyway. I dont know what else to do and Im tired of the smell. Ah, homestead life. |
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I bet firing a few shotgun shells off will move the geese. If not then you know the other way to solve the problem.
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Perhaps your local wildlife authority can get you some "shell crackers"
These are a 12 gauge round that's fairly quiet but sends a firecracker down range. Think M-80... Perhaps you can purchase locally depending on your state laws.. Can you get a "nuisance permit"? The breast meat from Canadian geese is quite tasty! That's about the only thing on the bird worth saving.. Slice down the brisket and de-breast similar to a chicken. Cube it, saute in garlic & butter. Add a bit of lemon pepper....good stuff! A .22 will take out 2-3 lookout birds before they figure out something is amiss... See what local laws apply... |
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Well, I have a problem. Two problems actually. Problem #1. We have suddenly been inundated with geese. Flocks of 20-50 of them on the property, including all the "pleasantries" they leave behind. Ive run them off a few times, but they keep coming back. It was an annoyance until one of them bit my daughter when she was coming home from playing with the neighbors daughter this week. Ive called NCWRC, and basically got no help. And Im tired of goose shit everwhere. View Quote I love Canada geese, but I'd be at the very least pumping a few 12gauge rounds over the top of them. I expect they will just fly off then come back though. Edited because I love WILD geese. I actually hate tame geese. Mean effers. |
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Well, still suffering with both problems.
My dad came to mow today (Im tapping him for mowing duties because I will be traveling most the year for work) and managed to get himself accosted behind the barn by a couple of geese before running them off. I have contacted NCWRC again, and they have run me up the chain to USDA wildlife services. Because part of the area they are occupying is currently leased for cash and growing crops, they thought this would be the best route to obtain some more.... lethal means of management. I have tried the shells method to no avail thus far. My nearest neighbor with cows and horses has also commented that they have been harassing the cows, so I intend to mention this to the biologist when they come out. In other news, I thought the rancid smell under the porch was gone, but nope! Back with a vengance this week. My other quandary lately. NC has had SO MUCH rain the past few months. I wanted to plant broccoli this year, and that wont happen. Basically the garden is nothing but mud under the 1" of dry dirt on top. I am contemplating discing it to turn it over so hopefully itll dry some more and then disc it again in a week or two, but I really dont know what to do. We are quickly approaching the "no frost" zone where its time to plant so I want to get stuff planted asap if possible. Its just so wet from months of rain that even if I were to plant, I worry about fungus and mildew from moist soil thats never dried out. Our local farmers are talking about how much the rain has set them back in prepping for tobacco, soy and strawberries so Im not alone in dealing with this apparently. Any thoughts? I feel like if I drag the disc through it now, itll just be big clods of mud. |
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Well, still suffering with both problems. My dad came to mow today (Im tapping him for mowing duties because I will be traveling most the year for work) and managed to get himself accosted behind the barn by a couple of geese before running them off. I have contacted NCWRC again, and they have run me up the chain to USDA wildlife services. Because part of the area they are occupying is currently leased for cash and growing crops, they thought this would be the best route to obtain some more.... lethal means of management. I have tried the shells method to no avail thus far. My nearest neighbor with cows and horses has also commented that they have been harassing the cows, so I intend to mention this to the biologist when they come out. In other news, I thought the rancid smell under the porch was gone, but nope! Back with a vengance this week. My other quandary lately. NC has had SO MUCH rain the past few months. I wanted to plant broccoli this year, and that wont happen. Basically the garden is nothing but mud under the 1" of dry dirt on top. I am contemplating discing it to turn it over so hopefully itll dry some more and then disc it again in a week or two, but I really dont know what to do. We are quickly approaching the "no frost" zone where its time to plant so I want to get stuff planted asap if possible. Its just so wet from months of rain that even if I were to plant, I worry about fungus and mildew from moist soil thats never dried out. Our local farmers are talking about how much the rain has set them back in prepping for tobacco, soy and strawberries so Im not alone in dealing with this apparently. Any thoughts? I feel like if I drag the disc through it now, itll just be big clods of mud. View Quote If you can take a light pass with the disc and not have it ball up it should help it dry out quicker. Let it dry some more then make a deeper pass with the disc. |
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Quoted:
Well, still suffering with both problems. My dad came to mow today (Im tapping him for mowing duties because I will be traveling most the year for work) and managed to get himself accosted behind the barn by a couple of geese before running them off. I have contacted NCWRC again, and they have run me up the chain to USDA wildlife services. Because part of the area they are occupying is currently leased for cash and growing crops, they thought this would be the best route to obtain some more.... lethal means of management. I have tried the shells method to no avail thus far. My nearest neighbor with cows and horses has also commented that they have been harassing the cows, so I intend to mention this to the biologist when they come out. In other news, I thought the rancid smell under the porch was gone, but nope! Back with a vengance this week. My other quandary lately. NC has had SO MUCH rain the past few months. I wanted to plant broccoli this year, and that wont happen. Basically the garden is nothing but mud under the 1" of dry dirt on top. I am contemplating discing it to turn it over so hopefully itll dry some more and then disc it again in a week or two, but I really dont know what to do. We are quickly approaching the "no frost" zone where its time to plant so I want to get stuff planted asap if possible. Its just so wet from months of rain that even if I were to plant, I worry about fungus and mildew from moist soil thats never dried out. Our local farmers are talking about how much the rain has set them back in prepping for tobacco, soy and strawberries so Im not alone in dealing with this apparently. Any thoughts? I feel like if I drag the disc through it now, itll just be big clods of mud. View Quote You cannot win against the mud, and wet soil is much easier to destroy (breaking down the soil colloids) than dry soil, so you won't be doing yourself any favors. Perhaps there are years when we simply cannot plant spring crops, and maybe this is one of those years. I don't mean that to sound pretentious in any way. I have not faced this in spring. But planting in the mud is NOT better than not planting at all, unless your life depends on it...at least in my view. Might be you need to skip the spring crops, or plant in containers. Containers are freaking AWESOME for situations like this. Homemade containers are easy wtih your skill level. A few boards cut at 4'. A few nails. Fill with a mix of local soil and peat moss (heavy on the peat moss) and you are good to go. |
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Well, Part 1 of water remediation was the crawlspace...
Part 2 starts tomorrow! |
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Quoted:
Yeah, we did. We had someone trench the whole thing with french drain, 2 sumps, new vapor barrier and a dehumidifier back in January... But, thats treating a symptom. The larger disease is the hill we live on, and the lovely NC soil. While great for growing 'baccer, it sucks for just about everything else. Ergo... https://i.imgur.com/mF04A86.jpg So it begins... https://i.imgur.com/aHMk7uz.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/S3W79nB.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/ufYzmvr.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/qlz1q7Z.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/gmd3gXC.jpg There is a little more plumbing to do (hence the open T), but this (save for the last picture) is all glued together and will get tested today with the severe weather we are supposed to have. The last picture I had to throw together because it was pouring and I had already disassembled the downspout. That pipe will get permanently located/trimmed when we build the flowerbed and mulch this weekend hopefully. There is one other gutter on the side of the house which is the main offender for water in the crawlspace. Borrowing from the HVAC project pictures: https://i.imgur.com/7sWoTPi.jpg The gutter behind the left unit is that guy. Just out of sight to the right is the crawlspace door, but the ground Im standing on is HIGHER than where that gutter discharges, and last I checked, water does not run uphill without being coaxed to do so. So I will bury and extend that gutter about 20ft out and have a landscape drain similar to the sum discharge. This post brought to you by Kitties-with-Sigs and her love of groundwater management. View Quote ETA: Did you have any trouble getting your pipe ends to stovepipe into the female sections? That thin-wall pipe I got is just hell to get together. |
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Quoted: Holy Smokes that's a lot of digging. A shame that last one is by the back patio so you can't really take it to daylight I'm guessing. ETA: Did you have any trouble getting your pipe ends to stovepipe into the female sections? That thin-wall pipe I got is just hell to get together. View Quote Are you referring to the open T line? If so, you ain't seen nothing yet. |
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Yes I did actually. I did dry fit and then had a lot of trouble getting it separated again. I also made the mistake of thinking I could accomplish this in a weekend two weeks ago when it's been significantly more work. Are you referring to the open T line? If so, you ain't seen nothing yet. View Quote I was thinking, "darn, if that concrete wasn't there, he could just go left around the other side of the house and take it downhill to daylight instead of pumping." (or it appears so) but it's concrete. |
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Quoted: No I mean the downspout there behind the a/c unit. The one that's causing a lot of water in your crawlspace. I was thinking, "darn, if that concrete wasn't there, he could just go left around the other side of the house and take it downhill to daylight instead of pumping." (or it appears so) but it's concrete. View Quote |
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And lastly, I finally broke down and spent some money on tools: https://i.imgur.com/4ewi2bR.jpg This thing is AWESOME for cleaning the mildew stained concrete on the pool deck. Because of the angle of the house in the winter, portions of the pool deck wont ever truly dry out after it rains, which is a haven for mildew and grime. What took me almost two weeks a few years ago to clean took me two evenings after work. $100 well spent. View Quote |
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Does that clean better than just a high pressure nozzle or does it just make it easier to clean a large area? I have brick pavers that I cannot get clean even with 4200 psi and a 15 degree nozzle. I bought a turbo nozzle which worked great on the stucco but did nothing to clean the pavers. View Quote |
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Quoted: That kids, is 675 ft of 8GA wire and pipe. But its whats on there that I want to show you. Tonight, I took the time to walk the entire thing, and I want someone else not to suffer my fate. View Quote |
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