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Workshop and fixit stuff

Started by Dave, July 10, 2017, 07:26:50 PM

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Dave

Quote from: Davin on April 30, 2018, 07:39:42 PM
Any pooling will drain out the sides, and the walls are already set up well. I think all that's there is going to be overkill for a desert.

Hmm, was not thinking about pooling, more seeping. If damp earth is in contact with the wall above the dpc moisture will gradually soak through the wall. Not so bad for cavity walls with injected foam insulation but with insulation that wicks moisture it may cross the cavity. With no insulation internal evaporation/condensation can also transfer moisture iver the cavity.

Not a builder but have experience of helping to fix this problem, by removing the offending soil/rubbish and/or cutting slots in the mortar and inserting interbrick ventilators.
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

Davin

Quote from: Dave on April 30, 2018, 08:57:46 PM
Quote from: Davin on April 30, 2018, 07:39:42 PM
Any pooling will drain out the sides, and the walls are already set up well. I think all that's there is going to be overkill for a desert.

Hmm, was not thinking about pooling, more seeping. If damp earth is in contact with the wall above the dpc moisture will gradually soak through the wall. Not so bad for cavity walls with injected foam insulation but with insulation that wicks moisture it may cross the cavity. With no insulation internal evaporation/condensation can also transfer moisture iver the cavity.

Not a builder but have experience of helping to fix this problem, by removing the offending soil/rubbish and/or cutting slots in the mortar and inserting interbrick ventilators.
The walls are already set up with insulation, that is what I meant by the walls being set up well. And the soil doesn't stay very moist, it is a desert. That's why I think what is there is overkill.
Always question all authorities because the authority you don't question is the most dangerous... except me, never question me.

Bad Penny II

Are termites an issue in your area?
I certainly couldn't do anything like that.
Take my advice, don't listen to me.

Davin

Termites are an issue. Most of the house is brick though, so it's not easy for them. Even still, they will come around every five to ten years and need to be killed off as soon as we see any sign of them. Preventing them is possible, but expensive. If you catch them soon enough then they don't cause much damage. So we get someone out to inspect the house for them every once in a while.

I was thinking about this from Dave yesterday. When we put in the weed preventing layer after we section off the dirt sections, do you think that will not be enough protection? I mean, there are some places where you might want it to be water proof, but in a desert, I don't think we'll need more than what we have.
Always question all authorities because the authority you don't question is the most dangerous... except me, never question me.

Dave

Quote from: Davin on May 01, 2018, 03:34:58 PM
I was thinking about this from Dave yesterday. When we put in the weed preventing layer after we section off the dirt sections, do you think that will not be enough protection? I mean, there are some places where you might want it to be water proof, but in a desert, I don't think we'll need more than what we have.

True, the desert enviroment is a plus factor in precenting moisture build-up!

Weed prevention fabrics are usually a weave, let water through but not weeds, so not a lot of good for waterproofing. The guy that owns downstairs stripped the garden, laid a weed precentiin fabric over that and gravelled the whole thing. He was renting it and knew most tenants would not maintain a normal garden. He was surprised, and pissed off, to find weeds growing three years later. I had to explain that wind blown dust, leaves and other organic stuff builds a layer on top of the membrane, between the stones. Weeds get a start in this and then send very fine roots down through the mesh of the membrane. Only giving the area a dose of persistent weedkiller every year or two works. Unless you want to manually pull up every green shoot before it get established. Or strip the gracel and vacuum up the detritus.

He threatened to concrete or pave the whole thing!
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

Davin

Weeds generate way more seeds than other plants. In general. And the wind and animals help them spread. Protecting things from underneath helps, but that's not going to let anyone forget about it for a year and expect no weeds. Even with concrete, the weeds will probably find a way into the concrete eventually.
Always question all authorities because the authority you don't question is the most dangerous... except me, never question me.

Dave

Quote from: Davin on May 01, 2018, 05:11:51 PM
Weeds generate way more seeds than other plants. In general. And the wind and animals help them spread. Protecting things from underneath helps, but that's not going to let anyone forget about it for a year and expect no weeds. Even with concrete, the weeds will probably find a way into the concrete eventually.
Make the concrete too thin and mushrooms can break it from under!
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

jumbojak

I don't know much about desert soil conditions but you might be surprised by just how damp the soil is underneath if you water the plants. You're creating a small artificial biome right next to your house. Might be dry, but then again it might not be.

"Amazing what chimney sweeping can teach us, no? Keep your fire hot and
your flue clean."  - Ecurb Noselrub

"I'd be incensed by your impudence were I not so impressed by your memory." - Siz

Davin

With all the digging I've done over the year, I'd be surprised if I didn't know what the soil was like throughout the year at various spots around my yard. Especially with the 0-2" of dirt that will be above the foundation.
Always question all authorities because the authority you don't question is the most dangerous... except me, never question me.

jumbojak

I know I'm getting blind as a bat but it looks like you have one full course of blocks above the slab already and are planning on another by your original post. Unless you're not planning on adding much dirt for the wall to retain you'll be above the slab by more than two inches. 

I would also point out that, in my experience, landscaping tends to trap moisture much more than a graded yard. This is especially true when beds contain more organic matter than the surrounding soil. Weed barriers add to the moisture content as well.

Also, now that I've read back through, to cut the block you might think about a cheap angle grinder from Harbor Freight and a few masonry wheels. Score the cut line and smack that bad boy with a hammer.

"Amazing what chimney sweeping can teach us, no? Keep your fire hot and
your flue clean."  - Ecurb Noselrub

"I'd be incensed by your impudence were I not so impressed by your memory." - Siz

Bad Penny II

Quote from: Davin on May 01, 2018, 03:34:58 PM
Termites are an issue. Most of the house is brick though, so it's not easy for them. Even still, they will come around every five to ten years and need to be killed off as soon as we see any sign of them. Preventing them is possible, but expensive. If you catch them soon enough then they don't cause much damage. So we get someone out to inspect the house for them every once in a while.

I was thinking about this from Dave yesterday. When we put in the weed preventing layer after we section off the dirt sections, do you think that will not be enough protection? I mean, there are some places where you might want it to be water proof, but in a desert, I don't think we'll need more than what we have.

You can get this sort of stuff:

acrylic polymer-based liquid which upon curing forms a seamless, flexible, Termite resistant and waterproof membrane. Containing the active control agent Bifenthrin, this agent is modelled on Mother Nature's own insecticide pyrethrum (extracted from the pyrethrum daisy) which kills and repels Termites.


Can't say how effective it is.


Take my advice, don't listen to me.

Davin

Quote from: jumbojak on May 02, 2018, 03:37:34 AM
I know I'm getting blind as a bat but it looks like you have one full course of blocks above the slab already and are planning on another by your original post. Unless you're not planning on adding much dirt for the wall to retain you'll be above the slab by more than two inches.
You'll have to look again then. As it is right now if we fill in with dirt, it will be about 1-3" below the foundation, if we do another row, it will be about 0-2" at most above the foundation. If you're going off of the slab for the porch, then that could be why you're missing it, that is below the foundation slab.
Always question all authorities because the authority you don't question is the most dangerous... except me, never question me.

Davin

Quote from: Bad Penny II on May 02, 2018, 11:22:40 AM
Quote from: Davin on May 01, 2018, 03:34:58 PM
Termites are an issue. Most of the house is brick though, so it's not easy for them. Even still, they will come around every five to ten years and need to be killed off as soon as we see any sign of them. Preventing them is possible, but expensive. If you catch them soon enough then they don't cause much damage. So we get someone out to inspect the house for them every once in a while.

I was thinking about this from Dave yesterday. When we put in the weed preventing layer after we section off the dirt sections, do you think that will not be enough protection? I mean, there are some places where you might want it to be water proof, but in a desert, I don't think we'll need more than what we have.

You can get this sort of stuff:

acrylic polymer-based liquid which upon curing forms a seamless, flexible, Termite resistant and waterproof membrane. Containing the active control agent Bifenthrin, this agent is modelled on Mother Nature's own insecticide pyrethrum (extracted from the pyrethrum daisy) which kills and repels Termites.


Can't say how effective it is.
Thanks, but that's going to be overkill. I don't think we'll more than what we've already got and planned.
Always question all authorities because the authority you don't question is the most dangerous... except me, never question me.

Recusant

Quote from: Bad Penny II on May 02, 2018, 11:22:40 AM
Quote from: Davin on May 01, 2018, 03:34:58 PM
Termites are an issue. Most of the house is brick though, so it's not easy for them. Even still, they will come around every five to ten years and need to be killed off as soon as we see any sign of them. Preventing them is possible, but expensive. If you catch them soon enough then they don't cause much damage. So we get someone out to inspect the house for them every once in a while.

I was thinking about this from Dave yesterday. When we put in the weed preventing layer after we section off the dirt sections, do you think that will not be enough protection? I mean, there are some places where you might want it to be water proof, but in a desert, I don't think we'll need more than what we have.

You can get this sort of stuff:

acrylic polymer-based liquid which upon curing forms a seamless, flexible, Termite resistant and waterproof membrane. Containing the active control agent Bifenthrin, this agent is modelled on Mother Nature's own insecticide pyrethrum (extracted from the pyrethrum daisy) which kills and repels Termites.


Can't say how effective it is.

Interesting stuff--I'll have to keep it in mind for future applications. Thanks, Bad Penny II:)
"Religion is fundamentally opposed to everything I hold in veneration — courage, clear thinking, honesty, fairness, and above all, love of the truth."
— H. L. Mencken


jumbojak

We got the deck on the hay wagon last Sunday. I didn't have the chance to clean it up and give it a fresh coat of paint but it doesn't look too bad. We have another one to pull out so maybe I can do that one right. Will have to remove the tree that decided to grow right through the wagon...



The deck and backboard are close to square in reality. The left rear tire was shredded so it's sitting off in that photo. For the other one I intend to knock all the rust off, paint the frame and wheels, and use better wood for the deck along with some weather treatment for the boards.

There's a gravity wagon that needs some work too but that'll have to wait a while. The Massey Ferguson needs some immediate repairs to pull the big hay cutter and new ground disk, and the big truck is running dangerously low oil pressure, according to the gauge. The spec is forty PSI, and on a cold start it doesn't clear twenty. Once the engine is warm it falls to ten. I hope that the actual oil pressure is fine and that the sending unit is sending bad data - the gauge has periodically dropped to zero for some time, despite the truck obviously having at least some oil pressure.

"Amazing what chimney sweeping can teach us, no? Keep your fire hot and
your flue clean."  - Ecurb Noselrub

"I'd be incensed by your impudence were I not so impressed by your memory." - Siz