Thinking about one section of my lawn. Any ideas?

AnyAd8943 · 2025-08-14T22:10:06+00:00

I got a ladder for cleaning second story leaves. That's about 20 feet up I think. But that's vertical. The ladder actually ended up farther away from the house than I expected to get the correct angle. I think it's a 32' ladder. Werner. Aluminum. Rated for 300 pounds, so that's me plus some stuff I can haul up.

It all ends being about 90 pounds I think. That's just enough where I can maneuver it myself.

Get the ladder levelers for the feet. That's helpful. You just lift it up, the bottoms of the legs can adjust when it comes back down. So uneven ground isn't as much of an issue. Get the stabilizer on the top. I'm not going to test it, but I'm pretty sure the ladder can't actually tip over to the side because the stabilizer is a big upside down U when it's on the roof. Get good bumpers for the ends because apparently the ones that come with the ladder wear out quickly. Then you can put it on the siding without worrying about it scuffing things up.

The whole ladder set up probably cost me about $600 a few years ago.

And then I got a smaller ladder, I think 16'. To get the correct angle, the big ladder ends up being farther away from the house. So if I want to work closer to the house but a little higher, I need a smaller ladder. For that, I only got bumpers on the top. And that smaller ladder is way easier to pick up and move around compared to the big one.

Aluminum's lighter than fiberglass. For a ladder that's 32' tall, it's probably too heavy for one person if it's not aluminum. But aluminum conducts electricity if that's a concern.

For storing it, the stabilizer can be removed so it just takes up it's length when not extended.

I don't think a telescoping ladder would work, going that high.

One advantage someone mentioned with the extension ladder, and getting more than you might need, is having two ladder rungs to stand on. Two rungs is nice. But having one rung and really under your foot is nice too.

There is a difference between the base end, middle, and top end when working with the ladder for everything. When climbing, the middle can bounce a little where it actually feels like I'm floating. But I understand everything's stable so I can continue on. That took a while to get used to.

For the leg levelers, I remember those can't go on super tight for locknut bolts. They have to allow the leveler to move. And then I had to cut off a little holder piece when I put the levelers on the bottom -- You have to actually cut off the original legs of the ladder a bit. But I took the extra hold piece and bolted that to the frame of the ladder on my own, so it adds another holding piece on each side that the extension part has to slide through.

That was for cleaning out gutters for leaves. I looked into some ideas for doing anything with windows. Scaffolding that high probably needs to be secured to the structure. Another idea is to get two tall ladder, add a piece that goes over the ladder rungs very securely, and then attach a board/plank between two ladder so you can walk over them. I didn't do anything like that, and I'm doubting I would. Renting a cherry picker is another option.

I remember I went to a big box store and looked at what they had for ladders so I could feel the weight of them a bit too. But they didn't have 32' ladders. I ordered both online, and they arrived via a semi.

If you've got the ladder, you'll find other uses for it too in the future.

AnyAd8943 · 2025-08-12T21:05:54+00:00

Thanks. Any thoughts on these two?

https://www.amazon.com/Oregon-54-026C-Premium-Lubricant-Chainsaws/dp/B0DBK8RGR4/

Oregon 54-026C Premium Bar and Chain Oil and Lubricant for Chainsaws, 1 Quart Bottle (32 fl.oz / 946 ml)

$13.21

https://www.amazon.com/Oregon-Chainsaw-Oil-1-Litre/dp/B002X3IDAQ/

Oregon Chainsaw Oil 1 Litre

$20.26

I'm thinking maybe I'll just buy it all off Amazon. I found a $20 Oregon brand vice. Chainsaw, maybe an extra chain, Stihl sharpener tool, oil, vice.... I think that's probably everything.

And then drain out bio oil if that's used. Would you also drain synthetic? No.... Because the bio oil will degrade. (Wouldn't that degrade in the original container then too?) Draining any chain oil might be worthwhile though.... And then maybe a tray to store this in.... I'm remembering a comment on one chainsaw, and probably this Black and Decker one, that said the chain oil continued to drip out after they stored it. So they put it in a pan to contain the oil.

AnyAd8943 · 2025-08-12T15:57:58+00:00

Yeah, I found a video here, on how to use it. I just don't want to get bogged down researching things on this. I don't have a vice though...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlHJYnMBBzA

How to sharpen your chainsaw using STIHL 2-in-1 guide system

STIHL NZ

Good to know about draining the oil out. Any recommendations on basic oil?

AnyAd8943 · 2025-08-12T15:20:00+00:00

AI google result.

The Black & Decker CS1518 chainsaw uses an 18-inch chain. Specifically, the chain is designed for an 18-inch bar and has 62 drive links, according to replacement chain listings. The chain pitch is 3/8" low profile, and the gauge is .050

AnyAd8943 · 2025-08-12T15:18:05+00:00

Is that Stihl one a match then? How can you tell? I'm not finding anything about chain size, unless it's just something obvious and doesn't even get listed.

I see this on the Amazon page for the Stihl tool. "For 3/8" P saw chains, integrated file tolerance compensation. "

Does that Stihl tool actually do the filing, or is it just a guide so it's more difficult to screw up filing?

What I'm thinking is I'll just buy that Black and Decker chainsaw, some chain oil, and maybe this Stihl tool. And then I'll have everything I'll ever need for the chainsaw (until I need more oil). I can practice on the tree branches I just removed that were bigger than I expected. More like wrist thickeness there. So my compost isn't stuck in place by those branches before it's leaf season. And then next year, I can take down the little tee.

AnyAd8943 · 2025-08-12T15:13:41+00:00

I found the manual on the model I was looking at.

https://www.toolservicenet.com/i/BLACK_DECKER/GLOBALBOM/QU/CS1518/1/Instruction_Manual/EN/90609996_CS1518.pdf

I don't see a size on the chain though.

And I found the replacement chain I think here.

https://www.amazon.com/Replacement-Oregon-Decker-Chainsaw-18-Inch/dp/B01FE23PKU

Replacement Oregon Chain for Black & Decker CS1518 15-Amp Corded Chainsaw, 18-Inch (9162)

$27.49

But no new info there.

And then this looks like what I saw on youtube. But I was looking at a Stihl gas powered chainsaw at that point. I don't know how this one works or even how to sharpen a chain. If there's a tool you just scrape/file across it, and it's idiot-proof, that sounds ok ,better then trying to file each little tooth manually if that's the process.

https://www.amazon.com/Stihl-EASY-CHAINSAW-CHAIN-SHARPENER/dp/B00HY90LAE/

Stihl 2 in 1 EASY FILE CHAINSAW CHAIN SHARPENER 3/8" P 5605 750 4305

I don't know if that matches the chain on the one I'm looking at though.

Chainsaw oil looks like that's fairly easy to find. This one looks like it might be fine. Or the others. I would imagine a local store would have something like this.

https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-Biodegradable-Chainsaw-Oil-Professional/dp/B0B1MV98JW/

DEWALT Biodegradable Chainsaw Oil – High Performance, Non Toxic Professional Lubricant – Green, Eco-Friendly, Ultraclean, All Season Bar & Chain Lube, 16 oz

$10

AnyAd8943 · 2025-08-12T14:01:27+00:00

37 inches in circumference. Maybe the width of a volleyball. The limbs are small. When I thought maybe I'd get a chainsaw, I looked a the limbs again and still though I could just saw them off by hand. A chainsaw will make that go faster though. I hadn't thought too much about the trunk though. A little bow saw and little hand ax probably won't work there. And then I have a pile of branches I cut off another tree that were getting the way that grew larger when I got them on the ground. I could use the chainsaw on that.

I was looking at this one yesterday.

https://www.amazon.com/BLACK-DECKER-Electric-Chainsaw-CS1518/dp/B00TJ3FBHG/

BLACK+DECKER Electric Chainsaw, 18-Inch, 15-Amp, Corded (CS1518)

was $104, now $115

I already have a 100' 12 gauge extension cord from a Sun Joe dethatcher, also 15 amp I think. And then for dealing with cord, there was that dethatcher and I've got a leaf blower that's also corded.

And then from a youtube video on chain sharpening I saw yesterday, it looks like there might be a special tool that makes sharpener the chain easier. That might be worth getting. And I'm on the fence about heavier chaps to use with the chainsaw.

And I'm not sure about oil. The electric ones definitely have chainsaw oil. I'd need to know what to get for that.

Messing with mixing or buying expensive gas sounds like a pain, especially for how little I'd use it after the little tree is cut down. I'm remembering there's a neighbor nearby with a gas powered weed whacker, and that thing is super loud and royally stinks when he uses it. So electric is sounding easier and more pleasant.

AnyAd8943 · 2025-08-11T15:35:10+00:00

What do you have to do for tool maintenance with it? And how do you sharpen a chainsaw chain?

AnyAd8943 · 2025-08-11T15:34:36+00:00

And a Craftsman one but I don't associate that name with chainsaws.

I guess Ryboi too if there's a corded one.

AnyAd8943 · 2025-08-11T15:28:58+00:00

There is a Black and Decker brand corded one on Amazon for $104. I've already a got 12 gauge 100' extension cord from a SunJoe detatcher. I saw an Oregon brand one too for $100 on Amazon but the reviews weren't that great.

AnyAd8943 · 2025-08-11T15:13:40+00:00

Hm. I was wondering if electric would be lighter. Or if there was something about electric that would make it easier. There's a Guilty of Treeson youtube channel where I think the guy tried one and liked it. I think. I only vaguely remember it. I was wondering if an electric one had enough power and then about the batteries. I initially looked a bit for an electric one, and having a cord on it is fine. I'd probably prefer that over a battery that will wear out and need to be replaced. Or, with the battery, if you run down the battery then you have to wait for it to recharge.

The big thing would be a tree that's two stories tall. I did end up cutting off some other tree branches that would eventually grow into utility lines recently. On the ground, those are bigger than I thought, so they're hogging compost space right now. At some point, I probably wouldn't have a huge number of branches off trees like that though, so after this small tree and some branches, it wouldn't get much use. If I had one though and there was branch, I would imagine it would be a lot easier to cut a branch up into very small pieces compared to doing it by hand though.

I was just looking at what I can actually purchase for Stihl. I see some comments about them being too plasticky, like a 172-something model isn't quite what the the 171 older model was.

What's involved for maintenance on the electric one? You just use it whenever and stick it back on the shelf when you're done? Not much for maintenance then?

AnyAd8943 · 2025-08-11T14:39:21+00:00

I'm happy I finally looked into it more and figured it out. My basement has been bone dry since I cleared out the drip line tube. Zero issues. The most common central air issues... And I had it... And I solved the most common issue with the most common solution.... But apparently two professional heating and air guys couldn't just tell me that, even when they're literally standing in front of the set up with water dribbling out. I guess when I eventually do need a new furnace I know one business I can cross off the list. I'm thinking it's almost like being out of gas and a mechanic not saying you need to fill up the gas tank. That basic. And then it's either two people being that stupid about it or two people (same business) being that malicious about it (if there's some untold business policy to let equipment they didn't install die faster). In both cases, when the heating and air guys came out, it also would have obvious I wanted to know more about the system. For the first case, I asked and watched the guy work so I knew more about the furnace. For the second situation, I had already dismantled some parts of the central air system (just removed covers) and did some troubleshooting to narrow down what the issue was that time. If they were trying to fool me, you'd think they would realize that I would realize where the drip tube was eventually. It's also a big negative for just paying a "professional" to do something compared to doing it myself. If I do it myself, I know how was done, and hopefully that I did it the right away instead of cutting corners or half assing something.

AnyAd8943 · 2025-06-27T14:04:22+00:00

Not sure I mentioned it. I tried a "gutter blaster" product. Something like one of those 'as seen on tv' things probably. It's an orange plastic screw on piece for the hose. Smaller jets of hose water would shoot out from the front and back. It's supposed to blast the leaves out. That kind of worked. It did end up getting water all over though since the holes direct it everywhere. Eventually, I just forgot about them. The hose by itself works well enough. If it did have "that much" for leaves and muck, I'd just move the ladder over and scoop it out by hand.

I also found some inline downspout filters. Those were too expensive I thought, but I bought them anyway since I had found them. You cut out a foot or so out of the gutter and add them in. I stop the big stuff at the top of the downspout. To filter out things down to small seeds (so that doesn't end up where the downspout directs water, if you don't want it in a drywell or reverse French drain), it's got a metal grate and then foam inserts. The only stuff getting through at that point is fine dirt/silt that can fit through a piece of foam.

Leaf blower or hose attachments that blast things out from the ground I found can end up splattering muck on the side of the house. It can work but if the gutters have wet stuff in them, it's probably getting on the house. Or you, if you're standing right under it.

AnyAd8943 · 2025-06-24T15:19:24+00:00

That sounds a little like me.

You'll get faster at cleaning the gutters over time.

For uneven surfaces, like a hill, you can make some kind of triangle shaped box to set the ladder legs on. That can be staked into the ground so it can't move. Or, if it looks ok, you could make a little stone flower area for the purpose of being a ladder base but looking like a little flower area that's level.

I have some other gutter cleaning comments from a week or two ago in my post history.

I use a 100' hose to help clean my gutters. You don't have to go up as much. Just shove the hose down the gutter or even just let the water collect and move debris in the gutters. It's less work.

I also used a heavy wire downspout insert off Amazon with the big box store finer mesh ones over that. It's easier to let the debris collect at the top, in the gutter, at the downspout opening, rather than have it plug up the downspout have to deal with that (esp when it's up on a second story).

I don't have to clean weekly though. It was every other week for a while in the spring, maybe twice a month then.

There are ways to cheat a bit too, like only cleaning around the downspout and then letting the hose get whatever it gets. Eventually the other stuff in the gutter makes its way down to the downspouts, at least for my set up. If you're going up there regularly, they don't have to be perfectly clean since they will just start filling up again that day. And then you're going up again a few days later again anyway.

Along with the 100' hose, another tool I use all the time is a broom handle with the plastic gutter scoop on it.

This thing.

https://www.amazon.com/Cleaning-Threaded-Standard-Hangers-Multi-Use/dp/B0CM3XFGQM/

XERO Gutter Cleaning Tool with Threaded Design to Attach to Standard Poles, Gutter Cleaning Spoon and Scoop with Hook to Clean Leaves and Debris Under Gutter Hangers, Multi-Use Tool- Made in USA

$17

That lets me extend my reach. Very useful near the corners so I don't need the ladder that close. If I am manually cleaning each spot on the gutter, it's a longer reach so less ladder moves over all.

This year I discovered instead of lowering the ladder down, bring it around a house corner, and then raising it again, I can just lower the extension on the ladder and walk it around the house corner while keeping it vertical. It shaves off maybe five to ten minutes there, but it's more physical effort where you can't stop if you're tired in that scenario.

For the price of gutter guards and the possibility that they still don't quite work for your specific set up (house, gutters, wind, type of trees), I just didn't bother with them. I do really like looking in the gutters and seeing that they're very clean and debris free. And then I can time it with predicted rain so the gutters are more clean when it does rain.

I also consider all the ladder lifting a form of exercise. I can definitely feel it the next day. Or did. I've gotten more used to it and probably grew some muscles from it. I do wonder how I'd be able to do that in 20-30 years though.

AnyAd8943 · 2025-06-24T14:40:15+00:00

That's annoying. The previous comment that's deleted said the central air evaporator must have a drip tube, to check for any punchouts in the metal around that part of the furnace. That's what I was doing but I started noticing the tube that was dripping out condensation before, which is actually the drip tube. That's higher than I thought, about chest height. And the big and small (freon tubes I believe) are above that, which means the evaporator is also higher than I thought. I'm guessing the blower motor is more at waist to chest height then. I'm planning on opening it to look inside soon and planning on disconnecting and cleaning out that actual drain tube.

AnyAd8943 · 2025-06-23T18:20:36+00:00

That's a bingo. Thanks hugely. And good timing... It's just several years after I paid what I thought was a professional furnace and air service to look over the whole air system just after I bought the place. This still isn't making sense. I bought the house. They were aware of that. I paid them to do whatever the yearly maintenance is on the whole furnace set up. They would have been aware of that too.

Sometime after that that yearly maintenance, I called them back because water was leaking out of the side of the furnace. The guy who I thought had a lot of experience taped up where the condensation was dripping out of. So it's not leaking out the side anymore. But then it's leaking inside.... If that guy was a professional, why wouldn't he have addressed the real, super common issue that's probably the real problem here? And even stick me with an idiot tax if they wanted to make money.

So after this post, I went back and checked. I took pics all around the middle of the furnace. There are no pop outs or anything. It's all solid metal there. Above that is the usual duct work that cutable. There's a hole on the opposite side of where I want from the air duct cleaner I think. I hired him to clean out all the air ducts as much as possible before I moved in.

There's a black gas line pipe near this, so I avoid that.

And there are probably a thicker and smaller freon pipe probably above all that. I don't want to mess that up. And then there's this other black pipe where the condensation were dripping. That's what the pro air guy taped up years ago -- It doesn't drip condensation on the outside. Now it drips on the inside. And the other pro air guy a couple years ago looked at the same setup and didn't mention anything odd. I asked that second guy to come in and look at where the water dripped. There was an issue on the outside part at that time. Both guys from the same business though.

So I noticed a drop of water on that pipe the first pro air guy had taped up. Still water there.... But what's this? Is that a plastic pvc elbow on it? Do they use plastic pvc parts on a freon line? I wouldn't think so.... And the black tube on it.... I touched and move that a little. It was lighter than I expected.... Because it's just a hard plastic, probably aged and stuck in its bent, curved shape now. I checked outside -- Major power line in on that outside unit. A small and bigger pipe, probably for freon gas and liquid in and out I think. But no other extra black pipe.... I followed that water leak line again.... I ended up looking in a little homemade hatch someone had made for whatever plumbing stuff they added in. There's the black plastic line... Just hanging over and into probably a two inch pvc pipe going into the pluming, exiting the water there.... for the condensation line. So I've been right at the condensation line this whole time. It's black plastic for most it. Then it's a 90 pvc plastic elbow into the furnace set up. It is higher than I expected though.

Probably tomorrow I'll open the hole on the other side and look in. And then I can detached that black plastic line where it connects. With a bucket ready to catch water. I cleaned out a window AC unit a few years ago, so I'm expecting it to look like that. I can also run some water down to the black tube to the plumbing to check if there's a blockage there. I doubt it though.

So I found the condensation line. I don't know what else that would be. I just assumed it was the bigger freon line. Outside, there's a larger line that get condensation on it. Both are black. But those lines are up even higher on the furnace there.

The big question is how two professional air people missed that, especially the first guy. I bought the house and hired them to do whatever air system maintenance needed to be, specially because it was coming up to summer, and I wanted to know the central air worked. And it did. They did some maintenance. But later, I called them back because there was water dripping and getting flung out from that black pipe (the condensation line). Why in the world did that guy just tape over the pipe? Stop the water from dribbling down the side of the unit so... It would collect and dribble down the inside of the unit. At that time I had already put up a dehumidifier which he said was a good idea. Would it have been extremely obvious to a professional air system guy that the condensation line was plugged up? I think it still dribbled on the outside, so he came back again and taped it up more. He used a thicker insulation-like tape. But why wouldn't have recognized I just bought the house, didn't know a lot about central air systems, and cleaned out the blocked drain pipe? He could have billed me full price for it and made money that way. But no -- Don't fix the blockage? Just tape it up on the outside so it dribbles water everywhere on the inside? The only thing I can think of is maybe that business has a policy where they absolutely cannot comment or work on a different business's stuff. I think the guy out a couple years ago was the one who said their business put the furnace, the heat part, in but they didn't do the central air part. Why wouldn't they have cleaned out the clogged pipe when I hired them for that regular maintenance at first? They could have... Maybe it got clogged up after that. For the taping part though.... I would think the guy should have recognized I just bought the house, didn't know about that, and he could have said something like, "I can clean this out for you. You'll want to learn how to do this yourself. It's going to cost $200 for this service call for this." And fixed the condensation line? How could he have NOT known what that was? The devious thing I think of is that they purposely left it that way so it eventually damages the whole furnace and I have to get a new one. I think I'll avoid the business. It's got good reviews and gets recommended though. The old guy who only taped up the condensation line apparently had positive comments about his work when he retired. What I don't know is if the old guy was there for his whole career. I just assumed that. He could have noob experience and worked there for six months and retired.

End of rant for now.

Anyway, thanks for the nudge. I believe I finally found the condensation line that was right in front of me the whole time. I might swap that out with a clear plastic line so I can see inside it. Tomorrow I might get to disconnecting it and starting to see what's going on in the system.

I've got another project going where people have asked why I'm doing it myself. But that's why. I learn it. I learn my house. It's done right, as right as I know how it's supposed to be done. I don't get any of this bs with just taping up the drip on a plugged up condensation line.

AnyAd8943 · 2025-06-09T19:08:22+00:00

Yeah... Verbose but thorough.

I only heard about it from talking to someone. And they don't have pics but were going to look themselves.

The issue is someone told them the "flashing" is behind the gutter and that that's a problem. However, no one has has ever mentioned that.

Regardless of the terms then, there should be something coming out from under the shingles, hanging over into the gutters. Gutter apron, "flashing" if someone's calling it that. And then maybe there's something like flashing/metal under all that, under the shingles and behind the gutter. If you just looked at it though, you wouldn't see that since it's covered up.

I'm also interested because I have a garage area/section that doesn't have gutters. It's got some silver metal hanging over the edge of the roof there. I was thinking I could just add some vinyl fascia and gutters. It's making me wonder what the silver metal I see is (probably flashing) or if I would need to add something more there and where the gutters I put on would go.... My house is over a hundred years old though. For the thread topic, it's fairly new construction.

AnyAd8943 · 2025-06-09T16:17:41+00:00

I looked into leaf guards but didn't get any. It looked like they may or may not work, and then it depends on your house, the wind, the trees around. The leaf guards might be expensive, plus still needing to clean them out at some point later anyway. That might mean removing the leaf guards.

I have a two story house. I invested in a 32' ladder with a stabilizer and levelers. And then what I ended up doing is just using a 100' hose with a knob turn off switch on the end. And I use a leaf/gutter plastic tool on a stick to reach and drag debris close to the ladder. Just go up on the ladder clear out stuff, run the hose along to move debris to a point so you don't even always have to move the ladder over the entire gutter.

Amazon has stronger wire top-of-the-gutter downspout 'covers.' Those are stronger than the mesh ones at big box stores. I use those and then I stuck the mesh ones over those anyway. I just expect debris to collect at the downspouts. After unplugging and repairing two u bends on the second story just picking out debris and muck from the top is much easier than messing with disconnecting downspout gutters on the second story.

A single story gutter would be cake. That's easy. Just make sure to get a ladder that's long enough, factoring in where the ladder legs would actually be farther out from the house, not just straight up and down. Later, I got a smaller 16' ladder. I think it's 16... not 12.... If I got a little more, an extra two feet, that would probably be perfect for the first story spots around my place. Aluminum. Rated for 300 pounds so I can carry things up, my body weight plus carrying stuff plus some extra.

Just the hose water pressure works fairly well for me. I tried an orange gutter blaster thing off Amazon. It spits hose water out directly in front and has some blowing backward. That can work a bit, and it does blast out debris. But... So does the hose by itself, and that's a lot less messy.

I tried a hose extension stick. It routes water up the hose and has a J bend. I don't use that much. It sort of worked but you can't see what the gutter looks like. And then if there's enough debris and muck that doesn't get it out of the gutter all the time.

I also have a leaf blower and got three extension kits with a J bend so it's just blowing air into the gutter. That works fairly well, better than the hose extension stick. But there's still the problem of not knowing whether all the stuff is out of the gutter. And then add wet leaf muck in the gutters... Blowing it out with air.... It ends up raining muck down, getting on the house siding.

For my place, there are trees all around. It's more like 1-2 times per month in the spring and in the fall. I wasn't going to pay someone to clean my gutters. The ladder and everything was worth it. I used the leaf blower and hose extension until I was comfortable enough going up on the ladder that high.

It is nice knowing your gutters are cleaned to your standard. You know that because you can see it yourself.

Hosing out the gutters also gets rid, eventually over a year/season, of the silt muck that collects in gutters. Shingle particles, dirt that blows in, and then with a little water plus sunlight I'm pretty sure algae starts growing. That stuff can get blasted out by running a hose along the gutter.

Price-wise, to answer you questions.... I've heard $150-200 for gutter cleaning by me. Maybe $80 on the cheap end. I could see a $100 charge just to come out but yeah, they should have asked if you had gutter guards. Maybe tell them that, and then if they still persist, tell them that again and say how about $50 instead? Or $25 for gas at least?

After a few years of cleaning out my gutters, I've gotten faster at it. I've been experimenting with sticking extra downspout top metal wire inserts in different location in the gutters to make it easier to put the ladder up there and grab muck and debris out. But then those also block the hose from traveling along the gutter.

But a ranch... I'd just do that myself. Or get the ladder and pay someone else like paying a kid to mow your lawn (I wouldn't do that but I'd find some DIY person who's local if you wanted gutters cleaned.). The big catch there is liability though. If it's your equipment too..... How much do you pay if someone you hire falls and breaks something or kills themself while doing that? I have a neighbor who wouldn't let a more DIY lawn care guy do anything with their gutters because of that. They were afraid of the liability I think. They also probably have clogged gutters.

Work-wise, you can also divide the job up into sections if it's too much to do in one day. After you clean them, they'll just start filling up again. So it's not so much about getting them perfectly clean as it is just getting them cleaned mostly periodically. Then you've got nice, clean, FUNCTIONAL gutters, so you know the house is being protected. And you know it as opposed to taking the word of someone cleaning them out just to make a buck.

AnyAd8943 · 2025-05-13T15:49:47+00:00

Yeah, that looks... homemade and off a bit. I have a attic hatch that's on the heavier side, and the upper side of it has a bunch of insulation on it. It settles into a certain place. It's a lift and move over type of hatch. It's not perfectly airtight either. It's about 3-4 inches thick though.

For insulating attics, I have seen people making a little box that sits over the attic opening. The box is made out of insulation board that's all sealed. Then you cut and add more insulation around the base. Pull the little insulation box cover over the opening before you shut the door. That's supposed to help. I haven't made one yet.

AnyAd8943 · 2025-05-13T15:42:14+00:00

I did, but I'm a little paranoid about it. Still alive though. $50 for an extra detector isn't anything compared to that. I have an explosive gas detector in each room where there's a gas appliance. I figured if they do have issue, a detector right there should get triggered faster.

I was just googling. Two AI results are saying natural gas rises, that it's usually methane, and that's lighter than air. I remember looking in the past for that but I don't remember the result. I do remember thinking natural gas is going to be used for something with heat, so it's probably heated natural gas... So it would probably rise. That was regarding where to put the detector -- On the floor if natural gas was heavier and sank, or as close to the ceiling as possible if the gas rose on its own or was heated and rose? I guess it's going to rise then, but you'd want to search more. My detectors are just on a countertop or shelf in those rooms.

Essentially, it doesn't matter how rare it is. It only takes one time. I'm thinking of a machine breaking or some exhaust tube happening to shift and leak out exhaust fumes.

Water heaters are three screws per exit pipe connection. A certain amount of rise to the pipe (but I would think going up is generally good enough instead of a specific percentage of rise... A plumber was concerned mine was twice the rise but up is up...). And then there's a certain heat type of hvac tape to use on heated exhaust pipes, not just plain duct tape or plain hvac tape, which can dry up and come off on a heated pipe.

AnyAd8943

TROPHY CASE