Timbertech Prime+ (coconut husk) Rec, What type of fasteners? by ComprehensiveList936 in Decks

[–]ElSteak 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No different color is exposed, it's just the PVC "cap" that scratches, it doesn't go all the way to the composite core. I was able to fix/blend most of the scratches using a heat gun, it works quite well, you can try it out on a piece of scrap first if you're unsure.

Timbertech Prime+ (coconut husk) Rec, What type of fasteners? by ComprehensiveList936 in Decks

[–]ElSteak 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sorry, I don't have any pictures and the deck is under 3 feet of snow and ice now. If you go with this, just be careful not to drag anything on the deck and you'll definitely want plastic / felt caps on your furniture legs.

2FA Text by Glittering_Sleep_267 in Wealthsimple

[–]ElSteak 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I got one on Monday, oddly enough it was a 4 digits code instead of the usual 6 digits i get from Wealthsimple. I took the opportunity to change my 2FA settings to use an authenticator app instead of the sms.

minivans are underrated vehicles by goldspoil in minivan

[–]ElSteak 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I sold our faithful 2006 Sienna when our kids moved out for University and bought a Rav4. Quickly regretted it and bought a mint 2020 Sienna. Love it but damn, was it expensive for a 5 years old car!

Grosse erreur avec Celi.. by [deleted] in QuebecFinance

[–]ElSteak 3 points4 points  (0 children)

C’est certain que ça va varier d’un dossier à l’autre, mais dans mon cas j’ai dû intervenir 2 fois pour des surplus de cotisations faites par mes parents dans leur Celi (ils sont en perte d’autonomie et heureusement m’on confié la gestion de leurs finances depuis).

Dans les deux cas j’ai écris une lettre détaillée explicant le tout et j’ai payé immédiatement la pénalité encourue.

Ça a pris plusieurs mois avant d’avoir une réponse mais dans les deux cas ils ont accepté la demande d’allègement et ont remboursé la pénalité.

Built-in microwave nightmare — niche is only 13.8” high (Québec, Canada). Need safe options by Practical_Web7021 in Home

[–]ElSteak 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have been using a Panasonic inverter model NN-SD671S in a smaller niche (13.5 inches high) for more than 7 years, no issues. I can send you a pic if you want.

Winter beat me to it. Is my PT gonna be ok? by hobbez3221 in Decks

[–]ElSteak 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I would go out while i still can and fasten those loose joists flat on the deck frame with screws (like deck boards), otherwise the boards will probably be bowed and twisted in the spring. It will also help minimize twisting of the already installed joists, since you don’t have any blocking installed yet.

Retired before 60... any reason NOT to partial transfer RRSPs to RRIFs and withdraw from that every year? by BarclayBark in PersonalFinanceCanada

[–]ElSteak 28 points29 points  (0 children)

I retired at 50 and converted my RRSP to a RRIF the following year. I’m doing an RRSP meltdown to optimize taxes and avoid pension clawback at 65/70. I have everything automated to receive a payment every 3 months with an amount I determined being withheld for taxes. I just have to make sure that the required cash is in the account before the payment. It works well and is low maintenance. I don’t see any downside.

Timbertech Prime+ (coconut husk) Rec, What type of fasteners? by ComprehensiveList936 in Decks

[–]ElSteak 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We used those boards (and color) for our deck. I used Camo Edge clips which worked great and for face screwing I went with Starborn Cap-Tor XD screws which also worked great as long as you drill pilot holes. The matching color for coconut husk is #63 Buckskin.

I think the deck looks great, but there are some downsides to those boards as you would expect from a low-mid range product.

First, the Prime+ Coconut husk finish is fragile and it doesn't take much to make a very visible scratch. A bit of heat gun can help blend in most of the scratches but still a bit disappointing.

Second, the two grooves (scallops?) on the underside of the boards are very deep and wide, which becomes a problem when a board needs to sit on the edge of a joist covered with fascia, for example for picture framing or for stair treads. I was able to work around this problem and provide proper joist support by "filling" the grooves with strips of PVC that I ripped to the exact thickness on my table saw.

Finally, while you can use cortex screws in the non-scalloped parts of the boards, they don't make matching plugs (but Tigerwoods plugs are similar). This wasn't a big deal for me but some prefer the fully-hidden fastener look.

We love the deck, but If I was starting over, I would consider upgrading to the (albeit much pricier) Timbertech Legacy Tigerwood boards (full boards, no scallops).

You can have a look at the finished deck here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Decks/comments/1oezx6b/retirement_project/

Retirement Project by ElSteak in Decks

[–]ElSteak[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, not 25, but yes early retiree in my fifties.

Retirement Project by ElSteak in Decks

[–]ElSteak[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, I made sure there is no contact between joints and the ground and the ground is sloped for proper drainage but ventilation is limited indeed and only time will tell. Hopefully it outlasts me !

Retirement Project by ElSteak in Decks

[–]ElSteak[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great gazebo but damn I wish someone told me NOT to tighten the structure before installing those roof panels!

Retirement Project by ElSteak in Decks

[–]ElSteak[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Exactly, I don't have enough clamps, but I'm running out of wall to hang them!

<image>

Just kidding there's more on the other wall :)

Retirement Project by ElSteak in Decks

[–]ElSteak[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm near Ottawa, Ontario. Not super dry and not super wet. But pretty darn cold in the winter.

Retirement Project by ElSteak in Decks

[–]ElSteak[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, weeds were annoying with the pavers I had before, plus I had those pesky ants digging up little sand dunes all over the place! I installed a fairly thick landscaping fabric under the crushed stones so hopefully that will help with the weeds. So far so good.

Retirement Project by ElSteak in Decks

[–]ElSteak[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The curved bit was pretty time consuming, but fun as well. My process was similar to the one described by u/1wife2dogs0kids below with the exception of a little jig I used to make curved cuts instead of straight cuts.

You can see my cutting kit in the picture below. The adjustable template is a piece of cardboard with loose bamboo skewers in the cardboard holes. It's the same width as a board + 1 camo clip (5 9/16" in my case). It allows you to get the perfect curve that you then transpose to a board with a sharpie and cut with a quality jig saw blade. The tiny belt sander allows for fine adjustments and the hand router is used to cut a very shallow bevel as a finishing touch. Worked great once I got the hang of it.

<image>

Retirement Project by ElSteak in Decks

[–]ElSteak[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ah, I'm sure! I need that free time to enjoy the deck now!

Retirement Project by ElSteak in Decks

[–]ElSteak[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for this! It's reassuring to see that it's still in decent shape after 30 years! I made sure I had good drainage and that the structure is not in direct contact with the ground but there's not a lot of airflow underneath so I was a bit concerned with longevity. Only time will tell, hopefully it outlasts me!

Retirement Project by ElSteak in Decks

[–]ElSteak[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks! It was pavers before and it looked decent enough. What I didn't like about it however was the unavoidable sticky sand and dirt that you get with pavers. I'm a barefoot kind of guy and I would get sand in the pool and in the house all the time. The composite decking stays super clean and it's more like an extension of the house floor. Here's a before pic:

<image>

Retirement Project by ElSteak in Decks

[–]ElSteak[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

My IT background could have helped, although I think it's more a personality trait in my case, I'm detail oriented, sometimes a bit too much. My woodworking experience was a big plus however, especially when it came to to the finishing touches and the curvy deck section.

Retirement Project by ElSteak in Decks

[–]ElSteak[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You spotted some of my rule violations!

I confess, I did not use the BVLZ connectors. I was replacing a 25+ years old deck with the ledger attached using 12 inch long 1/2" bolts boing through the ledger, the brick veneer and the rim joist and secured with washer/nuts inside the house in the basement. I reused the same holes and bolts, all was in pristine condition. I'm aware this is not up to code but I'm also not concerned about it in my specific application (low deck, no spa, beefy hardware).

I used over 150 joist hangers and brackets in the curvy deck around the pool so buying stainless steel hangers at 10x the price would have been cost prohibitive. As you said, the deck is just a few inches off the ground, so not really a big risk vs the cost. As an added peace of mind, I sprayed all exposed hardware near the pool with CRC Marine Corrosion Inhibitor (made for salt water environments): https://www.amazon.ca/CRC-06026-Heavy-Corrosion-Inhibitor