FINISHED IN 2020! Sharward's Partial Garage Conversion

sharward (on Sun Jun 18, 2006 @ 12:23 PM PDT) wrote:

Look forward to pictures of progress in the coming days.

;-) --Keith :mrgreen:

due to an increase in home invasion robberies in our region of late.

Sorry to hear you're having problems too. May I suggest Smith & Wesson. :wink:

Yep -- we're going there. My wife and I attended an 8 hour pistol safety training class a week ago. We've got a little ways to go before we buy, but it will be soon. This is how I did... Not too bad, given it was only my third time at a range. --Keith :mrgreen:

Awright KEITHERS, I just KNEW ya still had some rock-n-roll in ya :wink: Maybe instead of replacing my Dobies and Akita :cry: I'll just build you a (floated) room out front :lol: I take it from the # of holes (not bad shooting, BTW) that you either reloaded a few times or have a 9mm with double-stack magazine? If you're not sure what you'll buy yet (and want some suggestions) PM me and we can discuss some of the pros and cons (seriously for a change) Steve

That target was a result of a .38 revolver (with six cylinders) reloaded a number of times. Actually, the "orders" we were receiving were varied: at first we loaded three of the six and fired one at a time, putting the gun down after each shot. (The rangemasters were watching for "flinching." :-)) After a while we did consectutive double-action shooting. I'm pretty sure I hit the target each time. 8) Thanks for the offer to discuss pros and cons, Steve -- I may very well take you up on that. I have several friends who have already weighed in on that topic too. When we're done test driving and ready to make some decisions, I'll definitely run it by you first. Actually, the target has come in handy. Our air conditioner died two nights ago, collapsing under the weight of our first triple digit heat wave here this season. :evil: In order to (literally) save the lives of our chinchillas, I took our 5,000 BTU window air conditioner out of retirement (it was sitting on the floor of the garage, left over from the old house, purchased during the last A/C emergency) and placed it in the sliding glass door near the cages. I then used some of that closed cell concrete expansion joint foam along the bottom and sides, and then two of those reflective summer windshield shades and gobs of blue masking tape to cover up the rest of the opening. Not a bad McGuyver-type improvisation, given that I did all of this at 3 AM!! :shock: And the target? I taped it up on the glass, visible from the outside (side yard), so that in case someone happens to hop over the locked gate and see insecure makeshift covering, they'll know I'm a good shot! (The fact that we don't actually have a gun yet is our little secret. ;-)) Our home warranty company has assigned an air conditioning contractor to our service request and we'll be getting a call on Monday morning to schedule a technician's visit. Hopefully it will be same day, but with this heat wave, I doubt it. :roll: The swamp cooler I just bought has been dispatched to the master bedroom, where it seems to be doing a pretty good job keeping the room semi-comfortable enough to sleep in. --Keith :mrgreen:

Hope the critters make it OK: I've not had chinchillas but do remember how poorly our rabbits fared in hot weather :cry: Alongside the target, you might add a sign, "When entering un-invited, please attach one of these tags to your toe; it will save us the trouble, thanks... The Management"

sharward wrote:

Actually, the target has come in handy. Our air conditioner died two nights ago, collapsing under the weight of our first triple digit heat wave here this season. :evil:

If you guys haven't watched this yet, I'd highly recommend it. I didn't feel nearly as terrible as I thought I would after seeing it. Very interesting stuff.

Al invented Global Warming... 8)

Dr. Patrick Moore is a founding member of Greenpeace. He holds a Ph.D. in Ecology from the Institute of Animal Resource Ecology, University of British Columbia. Here is an excerpt from an interview with him:

PALLET ENTERPRISE: What is your view on the science behind global warming? Is it really as big of a problem as many experts make it out to be? Moore: The people who are saying there is no longer any need for debate are the ones who would stifle debate. They think they’re right. The fact is that there is huge discussion about global warming. There are a lot of climatologists who do not accept that humans are the definite cause of the climate change. Most of them admit that humans could be part of it or maybe some or most of it, but we don’t know that. Then there are the people who say there is a consensus among scientists that we know for sure that humans are causing this climate change and we know for sure that it will be bad. Those are the two different questions of course; whether or not we are causing it on the one hand and on the other hand whether or not it will be all bad. I personally believe that we don’t know if we are causing it all. But even if we assume that we are causing it, some positive impacts will result. As usual, when there’s change there are going to be winners and losers. If you focus on the losers, like a lot of people seem to be doing, then certain island states will have the water level rise, and there may be drought in other places. But there may also be deserts blooming somewhere. There may be increased fishery productivity and a whole bunch of positive things, such as, longer growing seasons, shorter winters, reduced energy requirements, and forests growing in areas that are now just tundra. There are all kinds of possibly positive impacts from climate change. The activist groups and a lot of political people seem to think there’s an advantage for them to be accentuating the negatives, the climate catastrophes and the climate apocalypses. They talk about global warming plunging Europe into the dark ages when, in fact, we’re in a cold period right now compared to most of the earth’s history. During much of the earth’s history there was no ice at either pole. Then there was a time hundreds of millions of years ago when it froze nearly to the equator due to a real cold period. And for the last two million years we’ve been in the Pleistocene period, otherwise known as the “Ice Age.” PALLET ENTERPRISE: When authorities have only kept written weather records for a short period time, how do scientists know for a fact what the weather was like thousands of years ago? Is it all just guesstimation? Moore: We can’t get the whole picture, but by sediment samples and ice cores, isotope analysis, etc. scientists can actually reconstruct the temperature of the climate as far back as a billion years. This is reasonably accurate. They can see when there were ice ages and when there were warm periods. They can tell by the vegetation record to a certain extent what the climate was like at different times in the past. Through the fossil records they are able to reconstruct the great extinctions that took place two hundred fifty million years ago and then again 65 million years ago. They are pretty good at piecing things together with carbon dating and other isotopes looking at different elements and the isotopic ratios. It’s amazing what they can figure out.

Folks, go ahead and see the movie if you wish. But please don't be fooled -- the jury is not out in the case of global warming. My intent here is not to spark a political debate (and that's exactly what "global warming" is -- political). Rather, I wanted to balance things a little by showing that there is another side to the story. Please respect this request because my family and friends know how cranky I can get when I'm overheated. If you want to talk politics, please take it someplace else. Thanks.

knightfly wrote:

Hope the critters make it OK: I've not had chinchillas but do remember how poorly our rabbits fared in hot weather :cry:

My chinchillas have the life..... The basement never gets over 78 degrees -- even when it's 100 outside... With the continuous dehumidification, it is indeed quite comfortable a refuge from the 'worst' of July (although I don't mind the heat that much myself)... Yes, I've heard that hot weather can be extra brutal on chinchillas (with the thickest hair on the planet), but mine never know it exists.... (Then again, they are relatively small, and small mammals can dissipate heat far better than larger ones -- all things else being the same) If I didn't have the cool space for them, I would have never gotten them.... After all, they come from the cold and dry mountains of South America... K

Yup, they are native to the Andes. Here's a great Wikipedia article about them. Here's the makeshift ChinChiller -- pictures taken before I put up the "I've got good aim" warning. ;-) --Keith :mrgreen:

We got the air conditioning fixed a few days ago (Monday, to be exact). It was a blown capacitor on the compressor -- a very quick fix! We're all quite comfortable now. Yesterday I finished up the Sharward Industries Official Termiticide Subterranean Application System® (Patent Pending). ;-) Y'all asked for pics, so without further ado... This is what I call the "ports" -- where the pest control company will attach their truck-mounted hose. There are four lines -- each line has four injectors, each about three feet apart. Here's where the lines go into the gap and then go every which way. It's oddly beautiful to me for some reason... :twisted: Here's a shot of one of the injectors going into the ground. Notice the water just below the surface! Isn't that unbelievable? I thought the water table would drop further in the summertime -- but I guess not!! :shock: Wild! Perhaps the very high water table makes the risk of termite infestation much lower... :roll: ...Oh well! It's not like it took me a lot of time or a lot of money to do this. 8) Before I officially close the book on this part of the project, I plan to connect a garden hose to each of the ports and run some water into the system, just to ensure that none of the fittings blow! Obviously that would not be a good thing to happen five years from now when the first treatment goes in! :shock: In order to get the ports attached to the wall, I had to remove the OSB from the wall -- panels that I put up primarily to protect the walls from the demolition of the floor and subsequent excavation, but there was the added benefit of getting them out of the way! :twisted: So I set up the sheet rack again and stacked the OSB upon it. I did a good clean-up too -- something that keeps Mrs. Sharward pleased and not badgering me with "When are you going to be done with that?" questions. 8) Here's a close-up of a 10" miter saw that I bought from a coworker of mine -- very gently used for only $55! :twisted: Next on the to-do list is sealing the gap with plastic. An idea came to mind last night that I wanted to run by everyone here, just to make sure it's not stupid. ;-) I had been planning to use a SillSeal type of product under my sole plates on both outer and inner leaf walls. I had also been planning to put a plastic lining down into the cavity around the main slab to prevent moisture from migrating up into the area between the walls. Then it dawned on me -- how about I use a thin sheet of closed cell foam to accomplish both of these goals at the same time? Then it dawned on me -- this "Pergo SoftSeal Foam/Film" product is actually intended for use as an underlayment under laminate flooring. It reduces footfall impact noise and also acts as a moisture barrier. As a reminder, here was my plan for using plastic sheeting . . . . . . now imagine that I would be using this thin layer of foam and lining instead of just plastic. :twisted: --Keith :mrgreen:

Oh, and in other news -- I'm so excited that I finally get to see Kansas, one of my all-time favorite bands! They're playing right here in the Sacramento area on Monday, July 3! :twisted: --Keith :mrgreen:

Carry on, our Sharward son!

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Good deal on the saw. :D I see you're finally adding to your tool collection. :D I replaced my stolen table saw and finally got it all assembled. Problem is, I have to remove the motor and front rail to get it through the door.. :shock: :lol: :roll:

sharward wrote:

We got the air conditioning fixed a few days ago (Monday, to be exact). It was a blown capacitor on the compressor -- a very quick fix! We're all quite comfortable now.

OMG, so THAT's what the makeshift chin-chiller was for? (when your AC was down?...) I must have missed that part... And you were having a heatwave, and the chinchillas might not have survived without some cool place to be... The chin-chiller was an 'emergency' measure? I think that your house is on a slab, correct, with no basement? So you would have no temporary subterranean refuge for them... The one thing I like about my basement is that I don't have to really worry too much if there is a power failure, or the dehumidifier konks off; it would still be plenty cool enough for Lola and Manni.

sharward wrote:

Here's a close-up of a 10" miter saw that I bought from a coworker of mine -- very gently used for only $55! :twisted:

Love cheap tools.... last one I got was free; but I think it's because it's a radial arm saw (a nice one) -- and I'm thinking no one uses those saws anymore (too dangerous?)... K

last one I got was free; but I think it's because it's a radial arm saw (a nice one) -- and I'm thinking no one uses those saws anymore (too dangerous?)...

Too Expensive! And you need a good table.

That's correct, Luftweg -- it was a lifesaving measure that I implemented at 3 AM last Saturday to keep the chins alive the following day (and two, and three actually). If our A/C failure had lasted any longer, I would have pursued an emergency relocation to someone's home with functioning air conditioning (e.g., Mrs. Sharward's parents' house). I'm on my way out the door to head to Home Depot now to buy the laminate underlayment, some silicone caulk, and maybe even some lumber to start framing!!! :twisted: Note that I'm still open to commentary on my use of laminate underlayment foam as a combo sill seal and cavity moisture barrier. I probably won't get around to installing it for several days, so if you have any thoughts (good or bad), please share! :D --Keith :mrgreen:

Behold: My first framing lumber load from Home Depot!

• 20 10-foot long 2x4s
• 1 10-foot long 2x6
• 4 16-foot long pressure-treated 2x4s

And it all fit in my truck! Aren't y'all impressed with my ability to load long, heavy objects into Saturn compacts? :lol: :lol: :lol: :twisted: I also picked up four rolls of this:

Shaw Silent-Step 3-in-1 underlayment "Just Right" thickness for comfort and stability provides superior sound absorption and the most realistic hardwood flooring walk-sound available.
• for use over concrete or wood substrates on all grade levels.
• provides support for installation system.
• moisture barrier to protect your flooring
• non-allergenic
• anti-microbial mold and mildew inhibitor
• faster and easier installation

I decided to get this particular one because, even though it's quite expensive (about $36 per roll -- I got 4 rolls, although I may only need 3), because of the mold and mildew inhibor. I thought that would be a good feature, given the amount of moisture with which I expect it to be in contact. (Reminder: I plan to use this to kill two birds with one stone: a capilary break under the sole plates, and to seal the cavity around the main slab. See post from earlier today where I discuss this in more detail.) I also ran a pressure check on the termiticide plumbing... None of the fittings popped off, and I verified that water was in fact bubbling up at each of the injectors. I am now officially done with that! :twisted: I also think I've decided how I'm going to go about my outer leaf framing. I think I'll remove some of the drywall from the ceiling along the areas that I'll be attaching the outer leaf walls. This is so that I can attach blocking between the trusses along the path of the outer leaf wall where it runs parallel to the trusses. I also think the inspector may need to visualize the nail (or, in my case, screw) patterns in my framing. Yes, I'll have some drywall patchwork to do when I'm done, but at least I'll avoid having to trek into the attic for a little longer. And with the drywall lifter I plan to use (Thanks Stick!! 8)), it shouldn't be that difficult. Note to Stick: The photo you took of your bathroom framing proved to be very illuminating to me, especially where the top plates meet the joists! Thanks for posting it! Can you believe it? There are going to be framing pictures here before too long! :twisted: --Keith :mrgreen:

Lookin' good, Keith!! You DID get a permit modification for the SIOTSAS (termiticide piping), didn't you???? :-) See the Permits, Codes, Licenses -- and WHY YOU SHOULD CARE!" thread. :-) :-) My only "problem" with your inter-slab isolation method, and this is not based on experience but just logical thinking about it, is that the material you have chosen is not intended to be burried (sp?) underground. Being the "meat" in a (hopefully) mostly dry wooden floor sandwich isn't nearly the same as being underground in a moist environment. How much of the mold killing ability is due to a surface chemical coating that will just wash away the first time the water table rises and soaks it for a while? As an analogy, the same wooden planking that sits on top of this stuff in a house would be destroyed in a very short time if it was buried underground. Not because the product is bad but because that's not what it was designed for. Besides, with your water table up so high, is it really going to make that much of a difference controling the moisture migration between the slabs? Those are just my thoughts, and again I am speaking from logic not experience or actual knowledge! len

Hey Len, good thoughts... And what a great thread you linked to!! ;-) :twisted: It may just be semantics, but I'm not actually burying it underground -- rather, my intent is to tuck it down loosely into the cavity. I may not tuck it all the way down. In fact, the further I tuck it, the more difficult it will be for me to manage the seams at the corners. I thought just now about not tucking it at all -- just pulling it straight across. However, I got to thinking that if the water rises a few inches (as I expect), the foam sheet will rise, blowing up like a balloon, and would probably pop, at least at the seams! :shock: So I think I need to tuck it at least a little bit so that it can flex under the dynamics of the rising water table. Hmmm... :roll: ...Maybe I ought to run a pressure relief" line... :? I should also point out that I never saw the water rise much more than about 8 to 9 inches below the surface of the slab. It is currently about 13 to 14 inches below the slab. (Note to self: A neighbor of mine just had an in-ground pool installed last month. I wonder how the high water table affected its construction! :shock:) I confess that I didn't get a permit modification for the termiticide piping -- I'm hoping that doesn't present a problem at inspection time. Since it's not structural in nature, and it's not plumbing that will be under any water pressure, and since there's no code that I'm aware of that prohibits it, it should be OK. Besides, I've had two concrete form inspections so far and there was no concern raised about the gap (that doesn't appear on the plans). :roll: Perhaps the coating on the foam will wash out on the bottom, but it shouldn't wash out on the top. The top is where I expect condensation may collect at times. I know I have to do something to keep the moisture out of the wall assemblies, to provide a capilary break along the bottom of the sole plates, and to make the area along the sole plates air-tight. This just seems to be the most practical method for achieving these goals. :) I hear what you're saying though -- using a product for a purpose other than that for which it was engineered could be problematic. :roll: --Keith :mrgreen:

sharward wrote:

-- using a product for a purpose other than that for which it was engineered could be problematic.

And can just as easily be a stroke of genius. I can't tell you which this is but at least I got you thinking and that can never be a bad thing. BTW - You DO know I was just yankin' your chain about permits and such? :-) len

Sure I do, Len. :-) But what kind of example would I be setting if I disregarded such a valid point? ;-)

OMG, Kansas kicked butt tonight! I managed to snag a spot right in front of the stage, directly in front of Steve Walsh! I took some amazing photos of the show! You can see them individually or as a slideshow (you'll know it's looped around when you see it go from darkness to sunshine!). --Keith :mrgreen: