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Official Pit Home Improvement/DIY thread

The poo had some adhesive qualities that bonded witht he ceramic at the bottom of the bowl that no brush or solvent can begin to penetrate and break down. I then resorted to scraping it off with a pair of scissors, but that just scratched up all the ceramic, so now the new poo seeps into the scrapes caused by the scissors.

:wtf: what is this I don't even understand
 
The poo had some adhesive qualities that bonded witht he ceramic at the bottom of the bowl that no brush or solvent can begin to penetrate and break down. I then resorted to scraping it off with a pair of scissors, but that just scratched up all the ceramic, so now the new poo seeps into the scrapes caused by the scissors.

I guaranty you that this stuff will get it off:

star-brite-instant-hull-cleaner-1304355487777.jpg


It certainly isn't safe for any water supply, but a little bit should be diluted fine through the sanitary sewer.
 
It would be much quicker and easier if futuremrdeachoops helped. One additional person handing you the stones will save a lot of wear and tear on your back. Make sure you start out with a level base of sand or granite dust.

ok, turns out my buddy is willing to work around family obligations and help me out for a couple of hours on saturday. i intend to rent a sod cutter to cut out the area where it'll go. my friend requested motorized since he won't have a lot of time. anybody know how much rentals from home depot run? the website has info on what is available, but not how much they charge. other than a sod cutter, a tamper, sand, pavers, and a rubber mallet, i shouldn't need anything else, right? should i put down weed blocker under it?
 
ok, turns out my buddy is willing to work around family obligations and help me out for a couple of hours on saturday. i intend to rent a sod cutter to cut out the area where it'll go. my friend requested motorized since he won't have a lot of time. anybody know how much rentals from home depot run? the website has info on what is available, but not how much they charge. other than a sod cutter, a tamper, sand, pavers, and a rubber mallet, i shouldn't need anything else, right? should i put down weed blocker under it?

Also check out Sunbelt Rentals. I've rented some equipment from the Winston branch before and they're pretty cheap and easy to work with. Definitely go with the landscape fabric underneath it, and I wouldnt skimp for the cheaper brand. You want whatever you put down to last, so saving a couple bucks isnt worth it in the long run. I'd also take the time to invest in a level, be it a 4ft level or a string level. It'll make your pavers look much better than just going with the lay of the land.
 
ok, turns out my buddy is willing to work around family obligations and help me out for a couple of hours on saturday. i intend to rent a sod cutter to cut out the area where it'll go. my friend requested motorized since he won't have a lot of time. anybody know how much rentals from home depot run? the website has info on what is available, but not how much they charge. other than a sod cutter, a tamper, sand, pavers, and a rubber mallet, i shouldn't need anything else, right? should i put down weed blocker under it?

yes
 
Also check out Sunbelt Rentals. I've rented some equipment from the Winston branch before and they're pretty cheap and easy to work with. Definitely go with the landscape fabric underneath it, and I wouldnt skimp for the cheaper brand. You want whatever you put down to last, so saving a couple bucks isnt worth it in the long run. I'd also take the time to invest in a level, be it a 4ft level or a string level. It'll make your pavers look much better than just going with the lay of the land.

thanks!
 
So I was thinking of replacing my shower head and knobs. Is this difficult, or would I be best hiring a plumber to do it? There are access panels on the wall behind the shower, in a closet.

The existing fixtures are Moen. If I buy one with the same number of handles in the same brand, should it fit? I've read that it's very difficult to change brands.

mine has a set up like the below:

82403_adler_shower_bits.jpg

Generally, you cannot just purchase new handles/trim without knowing the specific model of the valve. If you can find the model # of your Moen tub/shower valve you can get a re-model kit, most plumbing supply houses will have them or Lowe's and Home Depot should carry them. The remodel kit will generally consist of new stems and handles. The tub spout, shower arm, and shower head are generally universal and can be changed out no matter what brand. Biggest problem you may have is if you are wanting to change the finish. Most remodel kits I have seen for Moen are chrome. There are some companies making different finishes for older Delta valves, but I have not seen them for Moen.
 
Generally, you cannot just purchase new handles/trim without knowing the specific model of the valve. If you can find the model # of your Moen tub/shower valve you can get a re-model kit, most plumbing supply houses will have them or Lowe's and Home Depot should carry them. The remodel kit will generally consist of new stems and handles. The tub spout, shower arm, and shower head are generally universal and can be changed out no matter what brand. Biggest problem you may have is if you are wanting to change the finish. Most remodel kits I have seen for Moen are chrome. There are some companies making different finishes for older Delta valves, but I have not seen them for Moen.

Thanks. Upon closer inspection last week, only the shower head is Moen. The knobs are Eljer, and their site does not show any current fixtures with my arrangement of knobs. I'll probably just wait to replace until my long-way-down-the-line bathroom renovation, and I can change up the plumbing however I want at that time without needing to mess with the tile.
 
Thanks. Upon closer inspection last week, only the shower head is Moen. The knobs are Eljer, and their site does not show any current fixtures with my arrangement of knobs. I'll probably just wait to replace until my long-way-down-the-line bathroom renovation, and I can change up the plumbing however I want at that time without needing to mess with the tile.

If you are in the Winston-Salem area, drive over to Bimco on N Liberty St and they may have a rebuild kit available.
 
Also check out Sunbelt Rentals. I've rented some equipment from the Winston branch before and they're pretty cheap and easy to work with. Definitely go with the landscape fabric underneath it, and I wouldnt skimp for the cheaper brand. You want whatever you put down to last, so saving a couple bucks isnt worth it in the long run. I'd also take the time to invest in a level, be it a 4ft level or a string level. It'll make your pavers look much better than just going with the lay of the land.

Line levels are money for this kind of work. Yet another useful piece of knowledge that originated from J. Ned Woodall's archeology field school at WFU.
 
so i ended up lining my flower beds with those pavers like i wanted to yesterday. from start to finish, including renting a sod cutter, buying the pavers and everything else, and putting everything in, it probably took 4 hours, including an hour and a half of solid work out of my friend ben who agreed to help me (i bought him a bottle of woodford reserve as a thank you). then this morning i put down weed blocker through the rest of the flower bed and filled it in with mulch. this is the finished product. i'm pretty happy with it. still waiting on dhtoy to get home to get his opinion, but i think he'll love it.

a3jnf6.jpg
 
oh, i forgot to add that i may never stand up straight again. my back HATES me. i have another flower bed that's behind where i was when i took the picture. it doesn't need to be bordered with pavers or anything (it's surrounded by driveway/walkways), but it does need some weed blocker and mulch put down. when dhtoy gets home, i'm informing him that he's responsible for it. i am not taking on another big project like that for a long time.
 
it looks so good! great job!

side note- your house would be peeeerrrfect for the window boxes like YHL!
 
oh, i forgot to add that i may never stand up straight again. my back HATES me. i have another flower bed that's behind where i was when i took the picture. it doesn't need to be bordered with pavers or anything (it's surrounded by driveway/walkways), but it does need some weed blocker and mulch put down. when dhtoy gets home, i'm informing him that he's responsible for it. i am not taking on another big project like that for a long time.

Yup. If you didn't respect masons before, now you do.

Looks great.
 
Did you get Ben drunk on Woodfire Preserve when he was trying to go in a straight line?
 
it looks so good! great job!

side note- your house would be peeeerrrfect for the window boxes like YHL!

I KNOW! ever since their initial post that just said they were planning on putting them in, i've been really wanting to do it myself. i honestly wasn't aware it was so easy to put them into brick (clearly i never looked into it very much. just assumed). i really want to do it. i think it'd be a major facelift for my otherwise totally dull front of the house.
 
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