Home Improvement

lurkingdirk said:

Look at this. This makes Jesus sad.

The difference in 2×4 lumber from 1946 and 2022

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Excuse me if I'm talking out my ass, but the one on the left looks like it wasn't milled at all, so, is it possible that's a rough cut piece of lumber? Or is that what finished lumber looked like in 1946?

Wow at the rings on that 1946 piece. I imagine that 1946 wood is a lot more dense. Is there a noticeable difference in weight?

Kobayashi said:

Excuse me if I'm talking out my ass, but the one on the left looks like it wasn't milled at all, so, is it possible that's a rough cut piece of lumber? Or is that what finished lumber looked like in 1946?

Wow at the rings on that 1946 piece. I imagine that 1946 wood is a lot more dense. Is there a noticeable difference in weight?

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Multiple responses.

The one on the left is milled, just as well as the one on the right. Milling was different back then, they didn't round corners, and it wasn't made as smooth as lumber is now. And yeah, the one on the left would be a lot heavier, carry more weight, be straighter, and just in general be better. I've done a lot of renovations in old homes. The old pine studs are like hardwood. It's not like that anymore because of the quick growth pine for lumber. Also, the dimensions of a 2x4 have changed. They used to actually be that measurement.

We gutted the forests of old lumber, we're reaping the results of that now.

Kobayashi said:

Is there a noticeable difference in weight?

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Probably weighs at least double at equivalent moisture.

lurkingdirk said:

The old pine studs are like hardwood.

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You're not kidding. I saved the studs and door headers/jambs from the demo of my bathroom (house built in '52). They barely took any pry marks from taking the nails out. Holes aside it's great wood and I can make some nice little furniture pieces out of them. Where I am you can't get old growth pine for any price.

I've got some old growth on my property. Not cutting it down, but watching it closely. If it gets sick or shows signs of getting bad, I'm going to mill that and make a fortune.

Does anyone have an extension cord reel they like, preferably retractable? I have 100 ft of 12/3 I use regularly but want to keep tidy, and basically nothing at the standard places has capacity for that. Some people suggest using garden hose reels, but I don't know how well that actually works.

BrutulTM said:

Roll it up and put some zip ties on it? 12/3 is not as flexible as an extension cord(solid copper wires vs. stranded). I don't think it's going to work on a retractable reel and I'm not sure why you would want it on there either. What do you use it for?

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I may be using the wrong terminology? Basically all the 12 gauge extension cords I see seem to be advertised as "12/3". It's to run 12 amp tools on the far end of my yard.

Furnace is getting a bit long in the tooth - over 20 years old now. Guts are still in perfect shape, but I figure it's best to not tempt fate. Plus, I think the blower might be a bit weak - 2nd floor tends to be a bit hotter/cooler than the first/basement. Am I crazy? Thoughts on high efficiency furnaces (95+)? Anything else I should consider?

Kobayashi said:

Furnace is getting a bit long in the tooth - over 20 years old now. Guts are still in perfect shape, but I figure it's best to not tempt fate. Plus, I think the blower might be a bit weak - 2nd floor tends to be a bit hotter/cooler than the first/basement. Am I crazy? Thoughts on high efficiency furnaces (95+)? Anything else I should consider?

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I dont know how I feel about just replacing one "just because" its old. Ive got some rental houses and those furnaces are as old, or older than yours and.. honestly, the only reason Ive had to replace one of them is because the circuit board burnt out and my HVAC guy couldnt find a replacement. As they werent being made anymore. But there are other brands that still make parts for their 90's models and sometimes the 80's models. This isnt even taking into consideration that some of the newer models work with the older pieces interchangeably, so you may not even have to replace the inside and the outside unit all at once if it did break.

I'd have an HVAC tech come do maintenance on yours - as you can bet your last dollar, they'll have plenty to say if you're in danger of the system leaving you in stranded in the dead of winter/summer.

As for the extreme zones in your home - you have a litany of options to choose from. Even a nice new higher tonnage primo unit will leave the furthest reaches of your home slightly off from the main rooms. I use electric vents that work with "Nest" that close and redirect pressure towards those rooms, and there are small little pucks that relay what the temperature is in those rooms to the thermostat connected to those rooms. Not the cheapest option, but my master bedroom on the top floor that is surrounded by windows stays 68 degrees year round (my preferred temperature).

Like you're doing here, just get some more advice and do your own research. HVAC Techs love selling you a new system, obviously.

mkopec said:

We started to wipe all of our forests back in the 1800s and even further back. There are still old growth forests around but they are protected.

View attachment 500600

White pine in MIchigan...

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In Mississippi in the 1800s, there was a state tax on standing timber. As in trees in your yard. All but the wealthy cut ass loads of tree in Mississippi to alleviate taxes. They replaced them with gay ass pine. That's why stately manors have beautiful oaks and so much else is gay pines.

Lanx said:

i have 2, 50ft 12/3 that i used to use, didn't find anything worthwhile, i had a wheel winder, but the cable is so thiccc that eventually you'll get a kink and have to shove it thru or something.

i had this hanging in my old garage and liked it

but i lost it in the move, so the cords just hang off any available hook

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Why do you have an artist's rendering of Folger's anus in your garage?

Daidraco said:

I dont know how I feel about just replacing one "just because" its old. Ive got some rental houses and those furnaces are as old, or older than yours and.. honestly, the only reason Ive had to replace one of them is because the circuit board burnt out and my HVAC guy couldnt find a replacement. As they werent being made anymore. But there are other brands that still make parts for their 90's models and sometimes the 80's models. This isnt even taking into consideration that some of the newer models work with the older pieces interchangeably, so you may not even have to replace the inside and the outside unit all at once if it did break.

I'd have an HVAC tech come do maintenance on yours - as you can bet your last dollar, they'll have plenty to say if you're in danger of the system leaving you in stranded in the dead of winter/summer.

As for the extreme zones in your home - you have a litany of options to choose from. Even a nice new higher tonnage primo unit will leave the furthest reaches of your home slightly off from the main rooms. I use electric vents that work with "Nest" that close and redirect pressure towards those rooms, and there are small little pucks that relay what the temperature is in those rooms to the thermostat connected to those rooms. Not the cheapest option, but my master bedroom on the top floor that is surrounded by windows stays 68 degrees year round (my preferred temperature).

Like you're doing here, just get some more advice and do your own research. HVAC Techs love selling you a new system, obviously.

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I had a tech come out tonight to do maintenance, about the only criticism (other than the age) was the humidifier was a colossal piece of shit - to the point they won't touch that brand. Heat exchanger was perfect, no cracks or leaks - he was kind of surprised based on the model I had. I think it's good advice to hold off. My thinking was to get ahead of it so it doesn't need to be done on an emergency basis and upgrade the efficiency since we're planning to live in this house for at least the next 20 years, but I should probably just let things ride, especially with a clean bill of health.

A friend installed those Flair smart vents throughout his home and is pretty happy with them, maybe that's something to consider. Is that the model you have or something else?

Kobayashi said:

I had a tech come out tonight to do maintenance, about the only criticism (other than the age) was the humidifier was a colossal piece of shit - to the point they won't touch that brand. Heat exchanger was perfect, no cracks or leaks - he was kind of surprised based on the model I had. I think it's good advice to hold off. My thinking was to get ahead of it so it doesn't need to be done on an emergency basis and upgrade the efficiency since we're planning to live in this house for at least the next 20 years, but I should probably just let things ride, especially with a clean bill of health.

A friend installed those Flair smart vents throughout his home and is pretty happy with them, maybe that's something to consider. Is that the model you have or something else?

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Mines an older brand and I think Flair bought them out...? But they look like they operate the same - I just imagine the Flairs are probably way more user friendly.