What is your skrongest DIY home maintenance/improvement skill set?
Comments
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Irrigation (sprinklers)
Hence, why my name is on the building.DerekJohnson said:These kind of starter questions sometimes lead to the most interesting threads
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Irrigation (sprinklers)
I was Demo guy, hole digger guy, and paint guy for my 2005- 06 remodel down the street from @89ute . Still was seeing bitch face ex wife pussy, but her lack of appreciation for my sweat and toil hastened the marital demise. This was a positive obviously.StLouisDawg said:Bought an old 3 story Victorian when the wife wanted to move back to Saint Louis. Over 8 years I renovated every room at least once, except the kitchen. Did most of the work myself (besides electrical and plumbing) for a couple of reasons:
1. Befitting her hotness, the ex-wife had expensive tastes. Hiring out, especially unique, true craftsman old world shit, was astronomical costs. Classic masonry/Tuck pointing a chimney worked out to around $250 an hour, plaster work almost that high, high end molding/cabinetry was over $100 an hour (nothing was standard, all custom before building codes). And that was 10 plus years ago.
Hell, even windows had to be custom and to properly fit the period needed to be lake cooled. Otherwise the lack of wave in the pane made it stand out like a genital wart.
2. The house was a gem and except for a 10 year period, either someone truly rich or a craftsman owned it. I could tell immediately when I started something who last worked on it. For the most part the craftsmanship was amazing. Hard to not meet the standard of the house and still feel like a man.
3. Just the overall volume. If I didn’t spend 12 hours a weekend and hired it out at normal prices I would have gone bankrupt. Labor wise I probably sunk at least a quarter million into that house.
And yes, this was an issue in the divorce. Man works all weekend and watches the kids as well and can’t remember the last time he saw pussy will lead to a divorce. -
Irrigation (sprinklers)
The pour man’s @Tequilla long, didn’t read.1to392831weretaken said:
I am the ultimate poor, I guess.PurpleThrobber said:Using my cell phone to call a plumber, landscaper, carpenter, electrician who won't fuck things up.
The Throbber doesn't sound poor.
Shop burned down, and I wanted a bigger and better replacement than I could afford, so I built it myself in my "spare time." Took five years, but I did nearly everything. Only subs I hired were tree removal (coolest fucking crew), foundation/slab (but he fucked up and I had to fix both), roof (but they fucked up, so I had to fix it), and mud/tape (but they fucked up, so I had to fix it). The things I did:
Pirated and learned Chief Architect and did all of the plans/permitting myself (saved $10K)
Excavation (major help from a buddy who's an ace excavator operator, but I can do as well)
Footing drain install
Slap prep/compacting, installed insulation and tubing for in-floor radiant heat
Trenching, conduit, and meter base installation for below-ground 320A (2x200) service (still haven't pulled wire from shop to house to replace the house's overhead service)
Below and above-slab plumbing
Diamond-grinding the whole foundation level
All framing/truss installation
Window/doors/siding/trim install
Wall and attic insulation
Drywall hanging
100% of the electrical, from breaker panel install to conduit bending/hanging, lights, 3-phase sub-panel, etc.
Diamond-ground and epoxy/polyurea the floor
Bathroom
Interior trim
Paint inside and out (ran one of those college painting franchises for three years way back when)
Forms, rebar, poured, and finished the 20' x 100' x 6" driveway (hired help for the pour and finishing)
With the exception of not having a kitchen, it's basically a house, and I was able to built it and totally hardscape my back acre for about $100K, including about $5K in tools that I get to keep, so well worth it.
Shortly after that, I was prodded by the Mrs. to replace the carpet in the master bedroom. Pulled the carpet up and found a horror show. Kept peeling the nightmare onion, and 18 months later had tore out and replaced the whole master suite floor structure and reframed it, tore two exterior walls out and reframed them, put the load-bearing bathroom wall that some dumbfuck in the '40s tore out back where it needs to be, built an entirely new bathroom (including making the concrete vanity top), rewired everything, and did all of the drywall work (was smart enough to not sub out the mud/tape/texture this time). Never buy a 100 year old house... On the bright side, the master bedroom is in an addition that was built in the 1940s. May of 1946, if I had to guess. That's the date on all of the newspaper we found between the two layers of floor, acting as a draft stop. I have some cool pictures of some of the scraps that didn't get destroyed in the demo.
I also tore out and replaced a ton of the house's plumbing while the family was out of town after Christmas a couple of years ago, installed the on-demand water heater, roofed a few houses back in the day, added a bathroom and bedroom downstairs, replaced the back porch. Odds and ends. I guess I'm poor enough to be very familiar with pretty much the entire list outside of rich-people-projects like irrigation and heater vent engineering.
Next summer, I get to start on tearing the house's exterior walls down to the studs, fixing the framing, replacing all of the windows, and residing. The other half of the driveway needs replaced, then it's finally done. Sort of. -
OtherI'm pretty good at patching walls, texturing, and painting. I'll get ahead of you and say that the wall patching was not due to bullet holes. Dickheads!
I've also built a couple of decent patios, terraced a sloped yard, and built retaining walls with windsor blocks and railroad ties.
That's about it. Electrical and plumbing - I've done very basic stuff. -
OtherAnd FO row peter puffer for the floor vent jab.
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Painting / Staining
Car repair is my bag, baby. I tracked my last car and took apart the entire suspension, brakes, interior, stereo, etc several times. Also had a ton of bolt-on modifications that I did to that car. Only thing I've never done is internal engine work as it never needed it due to proper maintenance even after putting 170,000 miles on the car.YellowSnow said:
I've done my own breaks once (under heavy, expert supervision) and my own oil once. It was cool to learn the process and it's not rocket science, but ultimately it's not my cup of tea. Plus we put so few miles on our cars these days both working from home (EMFA Elon) that there just aren't that many opportunities to save money on DIY oil changes.BleachedAnusDawg said:
This. Teach your kids some life skills, too.YellowSnow said:
I'm only pour because Mrs. Snow has exceedingly expensive tastes in restaurants, travel, etc.PurpleThrobber said:Using my cell phone to call a plumber, landscaper, carpenter, electrician who won't fuck things up.
The Throbber doesn't sound poor.
But I think no matter how much wealth a man has, you still gotta do some manly DIY stuff now and then, so you don't go soft. The most cuckish of my male neighbors are also the ones who are also completely incompetents when it comes to anything DIY.
You don't wanna we be like @creepycoug getting soft, supple hands and having to rely upon some Messicans every time your grass needs a mow.
Dealership offers free oil changes for my purchase and I say fuck that and do it myself.
Alas, the extent of my car maintenance DIY consists of cabin/engine air filters, wiper blades, and light bulbs. I suck. Lulz. -
Irrigation (sprinklers)
I wish I had the space, time, money and know how to own a classic 60s muscle car. Maybe in my next life with my 1967 Stingray 427.BleachedAnusDawg said:
Car repair is my bag, baby. I tracked my last car and took apart the entire suspension, brakes, interior, stereo, etc several times. Also had a ton of bolt-on modifications that I did to that car. Only thing I've never done is internal engine work as it never needed it due to proper maintenance even after putting 170,000 miles on the car.YellowSnow said:
I've done my own breaks once (under heavy, expert supervision) and my own oil once. It was cool to learn the process and it's not rocket science, but ultimately it's not my cup of tea. Plus we put so few miles on our cars these days both working from home (EMFA Elon) that there just aren't that many opportunities to save money on DIY oil changes.BleachedAnusDawg said:
This. Teach your kids some life skills, too.YellowSnow said:
I'm only pour because Mrs. Snow has exceedingly expensive tastes in restaurants, travel, etc.PurpleThrobber said:Using my cell phone to call a plumber, landscaper, carpenter, electrician who won't fuck things up.
The Throbber doesn't sound poor.
But I think no matter how much wealth a man has, you still gotta do some manly DIY stuff now and then, so you don't go soft. The most cuckish of my male neighbors are also the ones who are also completely incompetents when it comes to anything DIY.
You don't wanna we be like @creepycoug getting soft, supple hands and having to rely upon some Messicans every time your grass needs a mow.
Dealership offers free oil changes for my purchase and I say fuck that and do it myself.
Alas, the extent of my car maintenance DIY consists of cabin/engine air filters, wiper blades, and light bulbs. I suck. Lulz. -
OtherI am not a handy person but I’ve done a few things over the years.
Barn roof replacement and foundation replacement with my Uncle
Hung like 30 blinds and ceiling fans
Replaced plenty of sink faucets and lighting fixtures
Ripped up a basement carpet and put down flooring instead. Probably best thing I’ve done.
Landscaping- planted trees, bushes and other random stuff
Built steps off the house and laid a very small stone patio
Had a closet fixture break and tear up the drywall a month ago, so ripped all the old shit out, fixed the drywall, painted it and put in a nice new closet system.
Basic maintenance like caulking and sealing. I figure maintenance for stuff should fall to me and small projects. Big stuff to the pros.
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Selecting and uncorking a nice Merlot.
Just enough time in the decanter before the inky liquid hits your glass. Butter.
Some say my pours remind them of the spendier Cabs and I would agree with that assessment.
It's a skill and a skill I'm damn proud of -
Hiring immigrants to do the work.
I’ve paid my DIY dues. Now I’m rich and don’t want to fuck with those things. -
I have my cedar deck sanded and stained every year. 15 years old and it still looks brand new.YellowSnow said:
I've never built a deck. But I did refinish both are front back ones last summer. I sanded them down entirely and then applied a nice stain. It's amazing how well 20 year old cedar holds up in dry climate. Fuck your Trex @CFetters_Nacho_Lover !!RaceBannon said:Decks
It was a hobby as a home owner. Built three of them. Ended up adding value too -
LandscapingI am a jack of all Doogs master of nothing. We have an older home built in late 30's. I've remodeled every room with exception of kitchen which will effectively end my shitty carpentry, electrical, and plumbing tenor and more than likely my marriage this winter. I generally do a solid jib, but it's the finer details that trip me up. When I refinished the hardwood floor, I sanded, stained, and everything looked great until I put the poly on, it flashed and left some very faint streaks. My tile job on the upstairs bathroom could have been better, a few of the grout lines are thicker than the rest, besides that everything else looks good. I am a landscaper by trade, so the outside is great. I found that hiring out for very detailed type work does not necessarily mean you will get a top notch product, that's why I decided to refinish floors and do some tiling, the pros around here may or may not have done as good job. I might redo the upstairs bathroom and maybe parts of the hardwood because eventually I get tired of looking at my fuck ups
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Fuck, I admire youMikeDamone said:Hiring immigrants to do the work.
I’ve paid my DIY dues. Now I’m rich and don’t want to fuck with those things. -
Other
Cierto, amigo mío.MikeDamone said:Hiring immigrants to do the work.
I’ve paid my DIY dues. Now I’m rich and don’t want to fuck with those things.
Mejor contratar a los ilegales y pasar tiempo bebiendo buen licor y comiendo las mejores carnes y quesos de toda la tierra. -
Other
This is the thing. The primary reason I do a lot of my own shit is because I want it done right. I've had eight or nine contractors out at my place in the 14 years I've owned it. TWO of them weren't total fuckups. I walk up the hill behind my property where the McMansions are going up. They're not even finished yet, sign in the yard that they're sold. Giant, beautiful houses, and I'm looking right at cheap 60-minute paper tucked right into the window openings and windows improperly taped. Those houses are fucked. Building science has evolved, and most builders haven't, doing things the same shitty way they were being done in the '90s.dannarc said:I am a jack of all Doogs master of nothing. We have an older home built in late 30's. I've remodeled every room with exception of kitchen which will effectively end my shitty carpentry, electrical, and plumbing tenor and more than likely my marriage this winter. I generally do a solid jib, but it's the finer details that trip me up. When I refinished the hardwood floor, I sanded, stained, and everything looked great until I put the poly on, it flashed and left some very faint streaks. My tile job on the upstairs bathroom could have been better, a few of the grout lines are thicker than the rest, besides that everything else looks good. I am a landscaper by trade, so the outside is great. I found that hiring out for very detailed type work does not necessarily mean you will get a top notch product, that's why I decided to refinish floors and do some tiling, the pros around here may or may not have done as good job. I might redo the upstairs bathroom and maybe parts of the hardwood because eventually I get tired of looking at my fuck ups
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Landscaping
I made the mistake of hiring a blow hard know it all contractor to paint our house. The dude thought he was so good that he didn't tape off anything and got overspray on everything, called him back to fix it and he did, found out 6mo later that he used an interior paint on the exterior trim, fyfmfe. My interior skills are definetly not top notch, but good enough to not take a chance on shitty contractors. * disclaimer, there are good ones out there and I have had success with some of them..1to392831weretaken said:
This is the thing. The primary reason I do a lot of my own shit is because I want it done right. I've had eight or nine contractors out at my place in the 14 years I've owned it. TWO of them weren't total fuckups. I walk up the hill behind my property where the McMansions are going up. They're not even finished yet, sign in the yard that they're sold. Giant, beautiful houses, and I'm looking right at cheap 60-minute paper tucked right into the window openings and windows improperly taped. Those houses are fucked. Building science has evolved, and most builders haven't, doing things the same shitty way they were being done in the '90s.dannarc said:I am a jack of all Doogs master of nothing. We have an older home built in late 30's. I've remodeled every room with exception of kitchen which will effectively end my shitty carpentry, electrical, and plumbing tenor and more than likely my marriage this winter. I generally do a solid jib, but it's the finer details that trip me up. When I refinished the hardwood floor, I sanded, stained, and everything looked great until I put the poly on, it flashed and left some very faint streaks. My tile job on the upstairs bathroom could have been better, a few of the grout lines are thicker than the rest, besides that everything else looks good. I am a landscaper by trade, so the outside is great. I found that hiring out for very detailed type work does not necessarily mean you will get a top notch product, that's why I decided to refinish floors and do some tiling, the pros around here may or may not have done as good job. I might redo the upstairs bathroom and maybe parts of the hardwood because eventually I get tired of looking at my fuck ups
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Painting / Staining
I think my hesitancy / laziness is in the fuck up factor...I painted our entire house (interior), repainted it 6 months later, and was going to do it again until the wife said "enough". I bought an old school bar on wheels, complete with a brass rail, stripped it, sanded, stained, poly. Everyone compliments me on it, but every time I look at it, all I can see is where I fucked up...dannarc said:I am a jack of all Doogs master of nothing. We have an older home built in late 30's. I've remodeled every room with exception of kitchen which will effectively end my shitty carpentry, electrical, and plumbing tenor and more than likely my marriage this winter. I generally do a solid jib, but it's the finer details that trip me up. When I refinished the hardwood floor, I sanded, stained, and everything looked great until I put the poly on, it flashed and left some very faint streaks. My tile job on the upstairs bathroom could have been better, a few of the grout lines are thicker than the rest, besides that everything else looks good. I am a landscaper by trade, so the outside is great. I found that hiring out for very detailed type work does not necessarily mean you will get a top notch product, that's why I decided to refinish floors and do some tiling, the pros around here may or may not have done as good job. I might redo the upstairs bathroom and maybe parts of the hardwood because eventually I get tired of looking at my fuck ups
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LandscapingI'm starting to get over it. When I did the hardwood floors, there were some existing cracks that I thought were too big, so I got some sandable, stainable wood filler and now all that I can see is the wood filler joints that never did absorb stain as advertised, and of course the poly flashed and left some variances. All in all it looks ok, but I hate it when you do everything 110% and some minor bullshit thing is all you notice. Watching UW football the last 20yrs has softened me up to not giving as many shits
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OtherI have had contractor's come in and since I worked at home for a major aerospace company I spent as much time as possible keeping an eye and questioning everything they did. They got the message. No move was made without me being right on them.
My wife actually fired one of the guys that worked for the contractor. Told him he could have all the scraps (metal roofing, lots of old cedar timbers, etc) if he doesn't come in late anymore. Lasted less than a week.
