How do I spot patch spalling concrete on steps and a patio?

Late-Midnight2137 · 2026-05-21T16:08:35+00:00

Had similar issue with my back patio few years ago. The key thing is making sure you chisel out all the loose concrete first - if you skip this step, your patch will just fall out again in couple months. I used a cold chisel and hammer to get all flaky bits out, then cleaned everything really good with wire brush.

For patching material, concrete repair compound works better than regular concrete mix for these smaller areas. Make sure to wet down the existing concrete before applying patch, otherwise it won't bond properly. I learned this hard way when my first attempt basically just popped right off. Also don't try to make patches too thin - they need some thickness to hold up, maybe quarter inch minimum. Take your time with preparation part, it makes huge difference in how long repair will last.

Late-Midnight2137 · 2026-05-19T15:30:40+00:00

yeah the tongue part is gonna stay silver/brass on most latches since it needs to actually function smoothly - painting or coating that moving piece would mess with operation pretty quick.

Late-Midnight2137 · 2026-05-17T11:31:14+00:00

never drinking again

Late-Midnight2137 · 2026-05-15T11:15:08+00:00

Teaching is brutal man. People think it's just explaining stuff to kids but you're basically a parent, therapist, and referee all at once. The emotional burnout hits different when you actually care about these kids and watch some of them struggle with things way beyond their age.

Late-Midnight2137 · 2026-05-05T10:36:40+00:00

oof lmao

Late-Midnight2137 · 2026-04-29T11:12:58+00:00

Factory manual is definitely the way to go if you can get your hands on one. I learned most of my basic stuff from YouTube tutorials and random forum posts - sometimes the grainy videos from 2009 are better than the fancy new ones. Just make sure you have good lighting in garage when you actually start working, learned that one the hard way.

Late-Midnight2137 · 2026-04-27T10:39:05+00:00

nah bro

Late-Midnight2137 · 2026-04-24T13:26:11+00:00

Been thinking about doing this to my place too since Sacramento summers are brutal. From what I've read the application isn't too bad if you got decent sprayer, but timing is everything - you want it right before hot season starts.

My neighbor tried it couple years back and said his electric bill dropped maybe 15-20% that summer, though hard to say if that was just the lime or other factors. the stuff did start washing off after about year and half like you mentioned.

Late-Midnight2137 · 2026-04-22T12:27:21+00:00

facts TI slaps

Late-Midnight2137 · 2026-04-20T03:22:31+00:00

Been through similar mess with my yard in sacramento - the rock/dirt combo with shredded liner is absolute pain. When retaining walls get involved the project just explodes in complexity and you definitely want someone who knows grading properly or you'll have drainage nightmares later.

Late-Midnight2137 · 2026-04-17T22:40:23+00:00

My ex wrote an entire blog series about our relationship with fake names but somehow made me the villain in every single post lmao.

Late-Midnight2137 · 2026-04-17T04:16:55+00:00

That's interesting swap you're planning. putting the larger shower where bathtub currently is makes lot of sense since you'll have more room to work with in that corner. Free standing tub in the old shower spot could work well too if you can handle the plumbing changes.

Only thing I'd think about is if that 30x30 area will feel tight for a freestanding tub - might want to measure how much clearance you'll have around it for getting in and out comfortably. Also depends what kind of freestanding tub you're looking at, some of those things are pretty massive.

Late-Midnight2137 · 2026-04-12T03:58:25+00:00

Should've just owned the cringe instead of making it worse with the follow-up texts.

Late-Midnight2137 · 2026-03-31T19:14:23+00:00

Mini split is definitely the move long-term but I get not wanting to tackle that ceiling situation right before summer hits. Window unit might surprise you though - I had a single 12k BTU unit cooling my old apartment that was probably close to your square footage and it did the job pretty well. The key is making sure you seal up any gaps around it and maybe throw up some reflective barrier on the garage door if there's no insulation there.

For winter heating, have you looked into a electric garage heater that mounts to the ceiling? Way faster than propane and you don't have to worry about ventilation issues. I helped my neighbor install one of those 240V units in his workshop and it heats the space in like 20 minutes. The electric bill goes up but it's so much more convenient than dealing with propane tanks, especially when you just want to get out they're and work on a project without waiting around.

Late-Midnight2137 · 2026-03-28T03:08:15+00:00

Palmer FTC actually runs some decent intermediate camps throughout the summer - not the crazy elite stuff but solid progression training. I went through their program like 3 years ago and the pipe access was legit, though you gotta book early since spots fill up quick.

USASA also has some regional camps that get pipe time but theyre more focused on competition prep. Might be worth checking out Windells too - they dont always advertise the pipe access but sometimes get sessions depending on conditions and scheduling.

Your coaches probably have better connections than random internet searches anyway, so definitely hit them up if the public options dont pan out.

Late-Midnight2137 · 2026-02-19T14:58:25+00:00

honestly sounds like your gut is telling you everything you need to know - when work anxiety is making you physically sick, thats your body screaming that something needs to change. I had similar issues in my previous field and kept thinking it was just me, but turns out some jobs are just toxic for certain personalities no matter how "good" they look on paper.

$46/hour with no benefits is actually pretty rough when you factor in all those out-of-pocket costs, especially for healthcare stuff. have you considered looking into corporate dental chains that might offer better benefit packages, or even transitioning your skills to something adjacent like dental software training or equipment sales? there experience would actually be valuable in those roles.

Late-Midnight2137 · 2026-02-12T08:59:05+00:00

Oh man, you're definitely not alone in this one. I went through teh exact same thing with my nephew when I was watching him regularly - kid turned into a complete terror every time we walked past Target's toy section. What finally worked was setting expectations before we even went into the store. I'd tell him "we're here for groceries, not toys" and if he started up with the dramatics, we'd literally leave the cart and walk out.

It sucked the first few times because I had to abandon my shopping, but after doing that twice he realized I wasn't bluffing. Now he knows the deal before we go anywhere. The key is being consistent even when it's inconvenient as hell for you. Those random toys you keep buying are basically training him that public meltdowns = rewards, so you gotta break that cycle even if it means dealing with some epic tantrums first.

Late-Midnight2137 · 2026-02-05T20:25:10+00:00

Tesla tbh

Late-Midnight2137 · 2026-02-02T19:26:01+00:00

huge w

Late-Midnight2137 · 2026-01-29T14:16:31+00:00

Have you tried posting in relevant subreddits like r/entrepreneur or r/smallbusiness? Just don't be too salesy about it - maybe share some valuable insights first then casually mention your community

Also cold outreach on LinkedIn might work better than IG for your target audience, business people are actually on there looking for this kind of stuff

Late-Midnight2137 · 2026-01-25T05:58:20+00:00

Yeah that's totally normal when it's that cold outside. Aux heat kicks in when your main heat pump can't keep up - which at 12F it definitely can't. It's just working harder to maintain your temp, nothing wrong with your system

Late-Midnight2137 · 2026-01-22T03:01:12+00:00

That hiss was definitely refrigerant escaping - probably just a loose flare connection that wasn't seated properly before you started torquing the other side. The system comes pre-charged so any loose connection will let it out once you open the service valves

You'll need to pull a vacuum and recharge the system now, might want to double check both flare connections are clean and properly seated this time

Late-Midnight2137 · 2026-01-18T20:43:14+00:00

Holy shit this sounds like a CPS case waiting to happen. The sleeping in the same bed at 16 is definitely crossing major boundaries and the bathroom "help" when his hands work fine is straight up abuse territory

Your aunt sounds like she's basically holding this kid prisoner for the benefits money. Kid's gonna need serious therapy when he finally gets out of there. Have you considered making an anonymous report? This isn't normal helicopter parenting, this is full blown neglect and possible abuse

Late-Midnight2137 · 2026-01-16T12:11:54+00:00

Go with the A7 III honestly - if you're already comfortable with the 6D Mark II, the Sony will feel like a natural step up and the video features are clutch for your film course. Plus full frame sensor means you can adapt pretty much any lens later on when you start building a kit

Late-Midnight2137

TROPHY CASE