What non automotive projects and repairs are you doing?

[BlackBart]

We had a Seattle neighbor plant black bamboo between our 1920 houses (close together). My wife said, "I think that's a bad idea..." He said, Oh, I think it'll be fine.

You could literally watch that stuff grow - a sprout poking 3" out of the ground when you left for work, a foot of bamboo when you came home. His friends ended up coming to help him after a couple of years - shovels, pick axes, saws. It had taken over and was trying to get through his basement wall.

The only way to block that stuff (which is a beautiful plant when done right) is with a deep sheet of metal so that it can't grow under. It likes to go horizontally, not that deep. So some copper sheet, or non-corroding metal a foot or so deep, buried where you want it to STOP.

[abscate]

My wife said, "I think that's a bad idea..."

It takes at least 25 years of marriage for men to learn to process this statement, with predictable outcomes

[foggydogg]

Since my next-door neighbor is home tending to his two under - three-year-olds suffering from SARS-CoV-2, I figured he could use a little distraction (both children have mild symptoms and are doing well), so I asked him to help trim a few branches from an oak tree that has been jeopardizing the windvane on top of the gazebo. It helps that he is in his twenties, and likes climbing trees.
It also helps that it was close to 65 here today (southern DE.) Fresh iced tea for me to spectate (if you saw the x-rays,...), beers in the little cooler for him and his brother, pleasant half-hour by the river, no serious injuries. Nice day.
6-12" of snow and a high of 35 forecast for tomorrow.

[xHeart]

This time last year I discovered failing shut off valve under the kitchen sink; both hot and cold valves were sweat x compression type. I was successful with replacing the two valves, and then replacing the aging water supply lines and connection throughout the kitchen -- switched to copper tubes. It improved our quality of life around the kitchen.

Preparing to replace next set of aging shut off valves and lines. The aging valves have rubber seal that are disintegrating, and do not shut off fully -- these valves are everywhere in our house where there is water supply.

[Sveedy]

I think someone misjudged the load for this support....

[BlackBart]

Oops.....

[volvolugnut]

I made the first smallish step today to replace both of our bathroom sinks, faucets and plumbing. I have been gathering materials for several months.
Today I shut off the water to the house and tried to replace the water supply valves at the wall under the sinks. I tired to reseal the compression joints at the copper tubes when I added water shut off valves at the faucet. One of the compression joints still leaks a little. I will need to rework by cutting the tube and ferrule off and starting with a new ferrule. Poor progress reduced the work scope this afternoon to only one sink.
I also tried to replace the old tub faucet washers to improve the water shutoff. I fixed that leak, but now the stem leaks when the hot or cold water is on.

volvolugnut

[Sveedy]

^ Sometimes that last little bit of tightening, to the point of " Should I be doing this ? " stops the leak. Back in the day you could buy faucet washers and the brass seats. They came out with a square tapered " seat wrench ". But a large screw driver works... sometimes. Don't know if that might be an option for you. Then again just tightening the cap might work.
And there's always magical Teflon tape.

[abscate]

This doesn’t work on stems, but if I have a leak on a static part that drips about once a minute or so, I’ll leave it and it usually plugs itself in a day Or two.

Shameless pflug for price Pfister…..I had a fitting go bad in the kitchen, 20 years old. I took a photo when I couldn’t find a model or part number and sent it in to tech support asking for help

2 days later I received a replacement head via USPS express

[volvolugnut]

I think someone misjudged the load for this support....

I hope that is not your attic.
There are ways to calculate a column support if you know the end attachment conditions and details of the column material. It would be hard to calculate the allowable load for a 2x4 with big knot in the middle.
My brother and his son used to do low voltage wiring installations in homes. He says you quickly learned not to trust any boards as attached and solid for moving around in the attic.
volvolugnut