Home Improvement
- Thread starter Picasso3
- Start date
Oblio
Utah
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Well I called the company and they said all the right things. They are going to send me pictures of the layout to get my approval before they glue. I will be sitting or standing at this desk daily for the next 30-40 years I might as well get exactly what I want. $1,000 is a lot of money but in the scheme of 30+ years it is nothing. Will keep you guys posted, thanks for all the feedback!!!
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Burren
Ahn'Qiraj Raider
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Replace and get what you want, otherwise it will always bug you.
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Or take the money and refinish it yourself. Won't take you a month, you'll get the money, and you'll be able to get it dark as you want it.
Oblio
Utah
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It's the contrast of blonde and chocolate that I am looking for. When I spoke to the company today they flat out admitted that my piece was fubar and they were trying to figure out how I got what I got.
Also the problem with me staining it is will mean a few days of downtime for work. I have deadlines and I cannot be without a desk for more than a day. So my plan is once I find out the delivery date I bust my ass and get at least a day ahead for work. I will then disassemble my my desk and when they bring me my new top I will just reuse their packaging and send back the old one. Then rebuild the desk set the PC back up and be ready for work the next day. Then on the weekend I will do all th cable management and have my dream home office. /fingerscrossed
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Yeah, I hear what you are saying. You could take the money, buy a piece of plywood, make that your desk for now, and refinish it. If you got the polyurethane off, you could get the contrast of light/dark with the right oils and finishes.
Noble Savage
Kang of Kangz
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Need to replace the basement egress door because the trim and jamb are rotted out and is letting water in when it rains. The door is also showing some rust so figured I will just go ahead and buy a whole new pre-hung door. Should I go Fiberglass or Steel? Anyone have any opinions for one way or another?
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So there are a couple of things to consider. If it's letting water in that means water is collecting around the door. I would address that problem first. Keep the water off the door and door frame.
Having said that, if you're in a situation where there is water, fiberglass is better than steel, as it won't rust. If you search, you can find pre-hung doors with no wood components (fiberglass door, fiberglass/poly frame), which is likely a good option for a below-grade door.
But deal with the water issues first.
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Noble Savage
Kang of Kangz
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Good call, The door is located at the bottom of an outside stairwell and the drain at the bottom landing got stopped up and wasn't draining well. The water was just pooling and getting into the bottom of the door jam and casing. Definitely fixing that first but was just trying to get my ducks in a row for replacing that door. Thanks for the advice. Another reminder that water is a homes greatest enemy.
BrutulTM
Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun.
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The danger is still there. I hear rattlesnakes love living under those things.
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Dandai
<WoW Guild Officer>
- 5,907
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Wood is a natural product. It's impossible to guarantee a match to a photo. If you aren't handy enough to sand it down to bare wood, stain it with a "dark walnut" stain, then spray it. Take it to a local cabinet shop /millwork shop (that does custom work). I can't imagine they charge you more than $400 to refinish it.
Another option is to have someone spray it with tinted varnish, but it will muddy the look some and you'd lose some grain detail.
Edit: late to the party. Saw you decided to have them replace it
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This is amazing, and totally something I would do to a friend or neighbour. I salute you, sir.
Lanx
<Prior Amod>
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Loser Araysar
Chief Russia Correspondent / Stock Pals CEO
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Sup bros, looking for some ideas on what to do with this fire pit area.
As you see it now is the way it was when I bought the house. Minus the missing paver stones. I stole those for another project. There was a cheap firepit on top of the pavers which is rusty at this point and needs to be disposed. I'd like to turn this patch of dirt between the walkout basement and the tree into a stone patio. The dimensions are roughly 15x18 feet. 15 feet between the main pillars of the patio. 18 feet out to the far edge of the pavers, from the edge of the concrete of the walkout patio.
Option 1. I guess I could just do the plain rectangle and lay down 270 1-ft paver stones but I think it would look ugly.
Option 2: Do flag stones and gravel
Option 3: Do a rectangle that ends in a semi circle. Cant find a good picture but would be something like this
Some considerations:
1. My understanding is that you want to excavate about 8-9 inches of dirt and fill gravel in a 6 inch layer, then 1 inch layer of sand, and save 1-2 inches for pavers/stones. Im concerned that the tree that grows just past the firepit area probably has a bunch of roots at that depth. Could I get away just by filling sand and gravel around the roots where necessary or would the roots shift too much over time?
2. I want to make sure that the water doesnt pool on the concrete in the walkout area, would I have to dig even deeper and then create a very small graded slope across the whole patio away from the house or will the gaps between the stones be enough to absorb rainfall?
3. How much of a pain in the ass would this be? Something that can be done in a weekend or two or am I looking at like 40-80 hours of work here? Would it make more sense just to hire someone who knows how to do stone scaping and then hire 1-2 laborers for him?
If you have any suggestions that are better than mine, I'd love to hear them. Im just tired of looking at this weed and moss covered patch of dirt.
As you see it now is the way it was when I bought the house. Minus the missing paver stones. I stole those for another project. There was a cheap firepit on top of the pavers which is rusty at this point and needs to be disposed. I'd like to turn this patch of dirt between the walkout basement and the tree into a stone patio. The dimensions are roughly 15x18 feet. 15 feet between the main pillars of the patio. 18 feet out to the far edge of the pavers, from the edge of the concrete of the walkout patio.
Option 1. I guess I could just do the plain rectangle and lay down 270 1-ft paver stones but I think it would look ugly.
Option 2: Do flag stones and gravel
Option 3: Do a rectangle that ends in a semi circle. Cant find a good picture but would be something like this
Some considerations:
1. My understanding is that you want to excavate about 8-9 inches of dirt and fill gravel in a 6 inch layer, then 1 inch layer of sand, and save 1-2 inches for pavers/stones. Im concerned that the tree that grows just past the firepit area probably has a bunch of roots at that depth. Could I get away just by filling sand and gravel around the roots where necessary or would the roots shift too much over time?
2. I want to make sure that the water doesnt pool on the concrete in the walkout area, would I have to dig even deeper and then create a very small graded slope across the whole patio away from the house or will the gaps between the stones be enough to absorb rainfall?
3. How much of a pain in the ass would this be? Something that can be done in a weekend or two or am I looking at like 40-80 hours of work here? Would it make more sense just to hire someone who knows how to do stone scaping and then hire 1-2 laborers for him?
If you have any suggestions that are better than mine, I'd love to hear them. Im just tired of looking at this weed and moss covered patch of dirt.
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The flagstone and gravel looks lovely, but it's a royal pain in the ass when you're trying to get all four legs of your chair on solid rock. It's great for a walk way, but not great for a seating area. I'd suggest regular pavers instead. You can do the standard brick type, or get the 12" or larger pavers. Either way, yes, excavate down as much as you said and fill with gravel. Rent a compactor so that it is level and stable.
As far as drainage goes - so long as your paved area isn't uphill from your cement, you won't have a problem. With pavers that are properly installed you effectively have a french drain right there. The water will come off, and fill up the gravel under, then drain into the soil.
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Goatface
Avatar of War Slayer
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