What kind of projects can you do around your house?

teachercd said:
Anyone do their own composite deck?

Here me out...I was thinking of just taking up the 16 deck boards that I currently have...then just replacing them with the composite boards...Do you know what I mean?
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you can do that....but check the joist, headers, and support posts to make sure there are no soft spots in them. putting the new deck over the old support system can be costly if 5 years down the road your support boards have rotted away.

 
commando said:
teachercd said:
Anyone do their own composite deck?

Here me out...I was thinking of just taking up the 16 deck boards that I currently have...then just replacing them with the composite boards...Do you know what I mean?
Click to expand...
you can do that....but check the joist, headers, and support posts to make sure there are no soft spots in them. putting the new deck over the old support system can be costly if 5 years down the road your support boards have rotted away.
Click to expand...
Thanks!

ED thanks for your post too.

I think I can save a ton if I just by the composite boards myself and put them on.

 
teachercd said:
Anyone do their own composite deck?

Here me out...I was thinking of just taking up the 16 deck boards that I currently have...then just replacing them with the composite boards...Do you know what I mean?
Click to expand...
I built a 17' x 17' deck several years ago out of cedar with composite planks (Trex). Not difficult at all. Hardest part was the stairway. It's only three steps, but I made it so it fans out in three directions--each step layer is larger than the one above it. I think I concreted in at least ten posts in that little stairway. Wanted to make sure it was rock solid.
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Edit: Looking back at that little stairway project, I think it has over 20 support posts concreted in. It's rock solid!
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NUance said:
teachercd said:
Anyone do their own composite deck?

Here me out...I was thinking of just taking up the 16 deck boards that I currently have...then just replacing them with the composite boards...Do you know what I mean?
Click to expand...
I build a 17' x 17' deck several years ago out of cedar with composite planks (Trex). Not difficult at all. Hardest part was the stairway. It's only three steps, but I made it so it fans out in three directions--each step layer is larger than the one above it. I think I concreted in at least ten posts in that little stairway. Wanted to make sure it was rock solid.
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:
Click to expand...
Ha...That is awesome.

I might try it...I try to do one "project" each summer. Last summer I pretty much skipped on that and just was a lazy pile.

 
I've done all of the landscaping around our house. I get compliments on it so it must be okay. I tore our deck down and rebuilt it, used the old frame, but the stairs, railing, deck boards, etc. were all torn off and replaced. I actually like to paint, fits my OCD nature, so I don't hire that done minus when we finished our basement and I hired to have the doors and woodwork sprayed, I didn't trust myself with a sprayer. I built our shed, updated our laundry room meaning I painted, hung cabinets, put in a "locker" type coat area, added some shake siding to our garage peak and used the old siding to fix some broken siding here or there on the house. I plan on replacing the "wood" flooring in our dining room and kitchen myself. It's that Pergo laminate flooring crap and the guy that put it in didn't know what he was doing so I'm starting to get gaps here and there. I can do it myself for much cheaper and have all of the tools I need to do it. I'll just buy and extra box for my inevitable screw ups!
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I've also repaired some furniture around the house that I would consider medium sized repairs. I've been the appliance repair man at my house several times as well.

How have I learned? Youtube and through mistakes that I've made.

 
A couple of the crazier things I've done myself.

Replaced the fan motor on my furnace. It was fairly involved and hard to get to. But it's been running fine for years now and saved me about $500.

Was having a problem with our washing machine not pumping out all of the water (or something like that, I don't really remember now). So I Googled the problem and the best explanation I came across was some obscure component was faulty. Had no idea what I was doing but tore that sucker apart, ordered the part online and replaced it. Worked out great. The part was only about $30. I'm sure it would've been $200 minimum to call a repairman.

 
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