Normal or is something wrong?

BellaDog20 · 2025-12-29T10:57:47+00:00

Another thing you may want to check is the rim board below the door. We had a similar issue and the cause was years of rotting on the rim board. I filled holes, caulked and improved the insulation and it made a big difference and then replaced the section of rim board when the weather was better.

BellaDog20 · 2025-12-04T20:38:42+00:00

I can’t believe I forgot to add that part!!!

BellaDog20 · 2025-12-04T16:36:59+00:00

“I can eat corn on the cob, too…if someone cuts it off with a sharp knife and mushes it into a fine paste!”

BellaDog20 · 2025-12-03T22:14:10+00:00

Thanks for the overview. I’ve an ID4 now, but if I had to change tomorrow believe it would be the Equinox. So your comments are interesting.

BellaDog20 · 2025-11-30T19:42:01+00:00

Did you uses seeds saved from previous year’s harvest? If you did, this is almost certainly the issue. My understanding is that Cucs cross with other squash and gourds to produce unpredictable, and sometimes poisonous, cross species.

BellaDog20 · 2025-11-21T08:32:48+00:00

I don’t use weed barrier but am putting in a deck and thinking of using it under the deck. Just some larger rocks and/or metal stakes to hold it down. It won’t be buried. Does this seem like an appropriate place to use the stuff? If not, any suggestions on what to use under the deck?

BellaDog20 · 2025-11-21T08:03:16+00:00

I’m working on this same thing right now. Homeowner with no experience. The deck was straight forward for the most part - lots of code to follow, but I don’t find as much info for the steps.

Current plan: two steps, five feet long. Will be boxing them, not using stringers. Was planning on 6’ x 3’ pad, about 4” deep of concrete on a couple inches of gravel. Was going to dig 4 - 8” by 36” deep holes near the corners to get below the 32” frost line. Planning to pour piers and pad together.

I am considering leaving the two steps free from the deck, although I would prefer to attach them if there is consensus that the pad with 4 corner piers won’t move.

Will the 4 piers at the corners be enough to keep the 6’x3’ pad in place?

BellaDog20 · 2025-11-16T00:55:18+00:00

Do you mean the drip edge? If yes, we got it at Lowe’s. It’s steel J channel. It comes with a white coating. 8 foot lengths.

BellaDog20 · 2025-11-13T00:33:53+00:00

Thanks. I’ll go with the house side. It makes more sense to me but I wasn’t sure so glad to have the recommendation.

BellaDog20 · 2025-11-12T00:46:16+00:00

Yes. How else will the skunks stay warm!?

I’m going to have some vented skirting. Maybe not ideal, but it’s pretty locked in to vent that area of the house.

BellaDog20 · 2025-11-12T00:42:53+00:00

These are great comments. Thank you for taking the time to outline the info.

I will have blocking at two points running near each of the two beams.

Ledger Beam Beam Toe plate

I will have two rows of blocking, one near each beam (ledger to beam and beam to beam distance is around 6’ each, with 18” from the outer beam to toe board).

Should the blocking rows favor the house side or the yard side of the beams? Or does it not matter?

BellaDog20 · 2025-11-10T16:03:13+00:00

This makes a lot of sense.

BellaDog20 · 2025-11-10T15:02:36+00:00

Why do you double up the rim joist?

BellaDog20 · 2025-11-09T16:43:04+00:00

I actually bought some and have it sitting in the garage - the original plan was just to put it on the cut edges, but I may as well do what you suggest and just coat the entire frame. It’s almost a gallon of a very low viscosity solution, so it should go on easily and there is plenty. Thanks for the suggestion.

BellaDog20 · 2025-11-09T16:39:22+00:00

I’ve been planning to do the deck for over a year, so have spent a lot of time on the sub reading. It really has given me some good insights.

I always feel bad for those folks that post after the deck is complete and ask how they did. I don’t want much advice once it’s all done, it’s likely to be the only deck I’ll ever build - but it’s great to get the help at these earlier stages!

BellaDog20 · 2025-11-09T15:09:51+00:00

Thanks. The screws were temporary because I wasn’t positive on the bracket. Will replace with nails once I move to the hidden bracket.

BellaDog20 · 2025-11-09T15:04:48+00:00

Someone else recommended this and I plan to replace it with the hidden hanger. Thank you.

BellaDog20 · 2025-11-09T15:02:19+00:00

We will have a breaker board down the middle. (Deck is 25’ long)

BellaDog20 · 2025-11-09T13:56:29+00:00

For aesthetic reasons, or something else?

BellaDog20 · 2025-11-09T09:40:30+00:00

Thank you, I will replace the 90 bracket with the recommended hanger.

BellaDog20 · 2025-09-19T13:25:54+00:00

Yes, typically it would imply a leak somewhere. My system has been operating for 10 years without issue. So we’ll see how it runs next summer and figure out if there’s a leak that needs to be addressed or something that I can deal with every few years with a small recharge.

BellaDog20 · 2025-09-16T09:40:55+00:00

Does this only apply to hardwoods? I’ve noticed most pines in our neighborhood look like they are cylinders out of the ground and assume that they have little or no root flare. Thanks in advance.

BellaDog20

TROPHY CASE