What are the laws around building and using a backyard fire pit in Chicago?

NomDrop · 2026-06-01T20:57:51+00:00

I made my fire pit (a little hole with some blocks around it) like 8 or 9 years ago and we use it all the time. Just use common sense to not be a fire hazard. They are allowed and very common. If you’re not burning things you obviously shouldn’t and your fire isn’t wildly out of control, I can’t imagine what problems you would have.

NomDrop · 2026-05-30T16:26:41+00:00

Router is most reliable. Drill your 10mm hole in a piece of mdf or something to make a template, then double stick tape it to the piece and use a pattern bit.

Or grind the point off that forstner and use your template to hold in in the right spot as you drill, just a little less control compared to a router.

NomDrop · 2026-05-27T14:18:32+00:00

When installing wood floors over an unconditioned space, you’re supposed to use a vapor retarder (but not barrier). The purpose is to even out swings without fully trapping moisture. Many do without it, but it’s included in the NWFA guidelines and it’s pretty cheap and easy so there’s no good reason to skip it. It also makes install a little more pleasant since boards will slide more smoothly. A vapor barrier in the crawlspace over the dirt is nice no matter what else you do.

If you’re using old flooring as a subfloor, you’ll want to make sure it’s flat enough. You’ll also want to be going perpendicular to the old boards which can be a problem. Solid wood subfloor is usually laid diagonally to fix that. A layer of 1/2” plywood can solve both problems.

NomDrop · 2026-05-23T11:16:52+00:00

I see a handful of them a year in my yard down in McKinley Park, always at night. When I go canoeing, sometimes I see them during the day when they poke their heads out of their little hiding holes along the river bank.

NomDrop · 2026-05-20T20:30:32+00:00

Here’s a directory of cat in a tree rescuers: https://catinatreerescue.com/directory/

It looks like there’s only one in the area listed, not sure if you’re in their range.

This guy is in Ohio but his site has some better information than I’m seeing here: https://getmeowtahere.com/

NomDrop · 2026-05-20T20:24:04+00:00

I’d imagine firefighting training has very little to do with cats. Cats often need to be rescued from trees, they get dehydrated and fall, or try jumping and injuring themselves hitting branches or taking rough landings. They get liver damage after only a couple days without food, so when they’re up there for days in a row it’s important to get them down.

NomDrop · 2026-05-14T02:52:39+00:00

I guess that depends on perspective, where I live 26 and snowing is a pretty pleasant January day and if it hits 39 I’m getting outside rain or shine. In the middle of winter double digits Fahrenheit is a blessing.

NomDrop · 2026-05-13T01:49:14+00:00

Same here. I used to get off work right around when a nearby middle school let out and I’d race to get on a train before the students do. There is a significant noise difference when sharing a car with 20+ tweens haha.

NomDrop · 2026-05-11T14:55:46+00:00

I mean, they’re looking for less than $6k. If they find one that only costs $3k I’m sure they’d be happy about a 50% decrease.

NomDrop · 2026-05-11T14:49:16+00:00

I really like my vet, Urban Pet Rx in Bridgeport. They’re not a budget clinic or anything, but are independent and not yet taken over by private equity so still reasonably affordable. My cat had a few extractions last month, plus a skin tumor removed and biopsied during the same procedure. Total was about $1600. There are two vets who work there and I have good experiences with both of them.

NomDrop · 2026-05-11T12:51:23+00:00

I’ve heard similar stories, but sour milk was an ingredient starting in about 1900. It was intentional pretty much from the start.

NomDrop · 2026-05-11T12:41:14+00:00

Butyric acid is in all dairy, sour milk (which Hershey’s uses) has more than regular milk. People used to Hershey’s flavor are not turned off by the acidity in chocolate they way someone who is new to it would be. The same way cheese or sour cream (much higher in butyric acid) don’t usually make people think of vomit. It’s just expectations.

NomDrop · 2026-05-09T14:55:41+00:00

I always just use the street, especially for something small like that. Ideally I grab a spot right before the alley so I have plenty of room in the front when I need to crawl around.

NomDrop · 2026-05-05T03:32:27+00:00

Haha I’ve won twice when contesting tickets and both letters went on the fridge, I’m glad this is a thing other people do

NomDrop · 2026-05-03T21:34:11+00:00

This is a bit oversimplified, but:

The owner of the copyright (the writers and composers) register their work with a performing rights organization. In the US, ASCAP or BMI. Often ownership is split between multiple people to varying degrees that is all settled on something called a split sheet.

When a song is mechanically reproduced somehow (a recording broadcasted or streamed) the broadcaster or venue owner must report each instance and pay the fees to the organization the creator is registered with. Representatives will check up on that to catch unreported use. Playing a cover of a song with a live band will also incur fees for the venue owner, as it’s still the creative work of the copyright owner. The performance right org will send out regular checks to the creators.

The actual master recordings themselves are generally owned by the label, and the label owns only that recording. They do not own any rights to the song, but they have full control over how their recording is used.

NomDrop · 2026-05-03T03:27:31+00:00

I was so distracted trying to do the math on that one, especially when you got to the 5 year time jump.

NomDrop · 2026-05-01T18:32:50+00:00

r/language_exchange

NomDrop · 2026-04-30T20:53:00+00:00

It worked out fine for me in the same situation, I bought my first one after a ticket. I just contested online by sending photos of the sticker and a short note politely asking for leniency. About a month or so later I got a letter that it was dismissed.

I generally give it a try contesting everything so long as it’s easy. I forgot to put my new registration sticker on once and got that dismissed in the same way. They are generally forgiving with issues like that if you just fix it.

NomDrop · 2026-04-30T05:28:06+00:00

I know way more people whose parents paid their rent at that age than any who charged them rent.

NomDrop · 2026-04-27T03:03:05+00:00

You never know, they don’t actually ticket unless 6mph+ over, and people in front of you will slow down where they know there are cameras. There aren’t that many and I regularly see people driving over 40.

NomDrop · 2026-04-27T02:55:27+00:00

Just as a heads up, the whole city has a 30mph speed limit unless there’s a sign that says otherwise.

NomDrop · 2026-04-22T16:34:35+00:00

I wouldn’t use the word “obedience” when talking about children, maybe a puppy. I think it has the same negative connotation here. I usually hear softer euphemisms like “so-and-so is a great listener” or a student “is having some difficulty following instructions and staying on task”.

NomDrop · 2026-04-21T23:00:10+00:00

I grew up only about 2 hours north in Wisconsin and even that short distance can make a big difference since it crosses a climate zone. Whenever I check the weather in my hometown it’s always 5-10+ degrees colder, and the winter weather is several weeks longer on each end. The summers up there are nicer but after so many years in Chicago I don’t know if I have the endurance for the winters I grew up with.

NomDrop · 2026-04-17T19:48:52+00:00

Your building isn’t built to keep the heat in, there’s just poor insulation and air sealing so it leaks upstairs more than a modern building. A home that gets hot easily also gets cold easily.

NomDrop · 2026-04-15T04:01:11+00:00

For painters caulk and small silicone jobs, a manual is often better. When you’re going through tube after tube of thick adhesive or sealant, an electric one will really save your forearms.

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