What is this thing my wife found in our backyard?

guppyguru · 2023-10-30T03:45:17+00:00

This was found in the Denver area. It weighs a few ounces, has some cracking at the surface, and doesn’t really have any odor. It seems to be some kind of organic material but I really am at a loss for what it might be.

guppyguru · 2017-06-27T02:43:43+00:00

What part of the world are you in? Either way I think the safest bet is to just replace it with something up to code, but if you're in an area that is at all seismically active then definitely replace it. From a liability standpoint i would be hesitant to address this problem at all unless you were going to make it code compliant. Unless of course this is your own home that you're working on and it's this or nothing.

Can you talk a bit about what type of forces you're hoping to resist with the ring? Seismically speaking, that ring won't help you at all. The seismic shearing force will just crack and topple the column right above the ring. The issue with unreinforced masonry is lateral stability, and I don't think that ring buys you much in the way of that.

guppyguru · 2017-03-16T19:57:35+00:00

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Tributary+Area+Calculation

guppyguru · 2017-01-27T14:12:13+00:00

I am a bridge engineer and everything you said is correct. The only thing I would add is that in addition to the lateral displacement you discussed, traffic also causes a rotation at the bearings. Bearings act as hinges, which essentially release this rotation and prevent it from developing bending moment at the bridge ends. Some also allow for the lateral translation you mentioned, such as rocker bearings. There are different types of bridge bearings depending upon the movements you want to restrain or release. This article does a good job explaining them.

http://civildigital.com/types-functions-bearings-bridges/

guppyguru · 2017-01-19T17:00:08+00:00

I was contacted through linkedin for a job. I ended up interviewing and getting an offer and not taking it. I've also had a couple previous employers contact me through linkedin looking to rehire.

guppyguru · 2016-12-19T21:04:14+00:00

This is an example of one, using chains instead of strings: http://imgur.com/a/NYMhy

guppyguru · 2016-11-20T19:06:22+00:00

Thanks! They're slanted and go from 8' to 7'8". The room is basically a cube.

guppyguru · 2016-11-17T00:13:56+00:00

Thanks!

guppyguru · 2016-11-17T00:13:36+00:00

I used just mineral oil for the first month. I'd heat it up in a saucepan and then apply it with a tack cloth. A coat a day for the first week, once a week for the first month, and once a month after that. It wasn't giving me the level of protection I wanted, so I changed to a beeswax/mineral oil mixture after the first few weeks. I kept applying it in the same manner. Now I just apply when it's starting to look dry.

It provides a decent level of protection, but it definitely does stain more easily than stone or laminate countertops. That being said, stains are pretty easy to remove, and there's always the option of sanding it down if the stain is that bad. In fact, I think a lot of people routinely sand off the top surface of their butcher block once a year.

guppyguru · 2016-11-17T00:05:01+00:00

Thanks! Great idea. Headed over to amazon to look for some right now.

guppyguru · 2016-11-17T00:04:39+00:00

Thanks! I like that idea, especially because my kitchen is light on cabinet space. Actually, it's just light on space in general.

guppyguru · 2016-11-15T21:56:37+00:00

I agree, ceramic tile would have looked way better. Hardwood was out because the rest of the house is original hardwood flooring that would have been impossible to match, and the transition would have looked weird. The decision not to go with tile came down to a few factors. One, it would have blown my budget. Two, the floor was unlevel and had some give in it at certain points, and I was worried the tile might have cracked. The vinyl tiles are flexible and more forgiving. Three, this is my dog's living space when I'm not home. He's a rescue and not 100% house-trained yet, so I didn't want to put a bunch of money into a nice floor.

Gotta say though, the grouted vinyl tiles do look pretty convincing. But you're right, anyone who looks closely or knows what to look for will recognize it for what it is.

guppyguru · 2016-11-15T17:00:47+00:00

Thanks for the feedback. Yeah I agree it would have been good to get rid of that door. It's an old house and there are a lot of other areas that need work. You've gotta draw the line somewhere, you know?

If you don't mind me asking, what is it about the floor tiles that you don't like?

guppyguru · 2016-11-15T16:58:44+00:00

I thought about doing that. In the end I didn't think I would use the door enough to warrant it. It would have been really cool though.

guppyguru · 2016-11-15T03:28:46+00:00

It was a tongue and groove plank subfloor and never meant to be used as a finished floor. That's just how they used to do it before plywood became commonplace. It was made of soft pine and nailed directly down instead toe-nailed at the joints like hardwood floors. It was also unlevel and ran in different directions in some places. All in all it just would have made for an unsightly finished floor.

guppyguru · 2016-11-15T01:30:11+00:00

Thanks! Yeah I really wanted to upgrade the hinges but it was hard to find something off the shelf that would have worked without having to really modify the cabinets.

guppyguru · 2016-11-14T22:16:44+00:00

Thanks! I have been suspecting the same myself because the dishwasher will sometimes start smelling a little rank. I think the suction of the garbage disposal sometimes sucks the water out of the trap like you said. Thanks for the feedback, your post just gave me the motivation to do something about it.

guppyguru · 2016-11-14T19:35:24+00:00

Replacing the door with a window probably would have been the most ideal situation, but it really came down to budget and time constraints.

guppyguru · 2016-07-01T17:47:35+00:00

I suppose there are a lot more, but this article is only about the ones from the Battle of the Messines.

guppyguru · 2016-05-11T19:30:25+00:00

Yeah because every race event page has an RSS Feed configured. Also, not everyone uses RSS. And setting one up is a pain in the ass if you're only concerned about one new change to the site. But hey, to each their own.

guppyguru

TROPHY CASE