Nice lawn. What is that?

4/1/2009 10:13:57 AM

based on the color and the time of year, i would wager that it is tall fescue, annual rye, bluegrass or a combination of the three.

[Edited on April 1, 2009 at 11:11 AM. Reason : sp]

4/1/2009 11:11:37 AM

Quote :

"Eventually, I want to build an outdoor kitchen with a drop-in grill, but can't afford it for a while."

My dad just added a big screened-in porch with outdoor kitchen. it's badass...i'll post or send you pictures of it when i get home (which will be in a matter of days) if you want ideas.

4/1/2009 12:39:57 PM

^ definitely, that would be awesome

^^

yep, tall fescue. It's really really green from all the rain and recent fert

I used this stuff:

http://www.fescue.com/info/rebel4.html

[Edited on April 1, 2009 at 12:47 PM. Reason : asdf]

4/1/2009 12:41:35 PM

Cool. I just bought Tall Fescue to put down. The stuff came in ok in the fall, but still lots of bald spots.

4/1/2009 12:57:03 PM

I've got plenty as well. Cut what's there pretty tall and it hides it somewhat

I had some larger areas that did not have much or good growth due to the shitty soil quality. I bought a pallet of sod and filled in the worst/largest bad areas.

ultimately it'll take a few years to fully establish.

4/1/2009 1:44:31 PM

Im having a lot of trouble identifying my grass.

I think its bermuda grass.

When I get home, ill post a pic and see if you guys might recognize it. Any ideas otherwise on where i could take some? I tried lowes, and the guy was an idiot, he was like "thats centipede" and I know it not centipede grass (my neighbor has centipede).

4/1/2009 1:44:34 PM

You could try having one of those lawn care companies do a free eval.

4/1/2009 2:09:43 PM

^^ Call the cooperative extension folks.

4/1/2009 4:56:02 PM

Im down in Charleston, SC, is that just an NCSU thing? (The coop extension)

4/1/2009 5:01:07 PM

^for SC

http://www.clemson.edu/extension/

4/1/2009 9:35:48 PM

I am SO happy I sodded my front yard this past Fall. It looks amazing. Super thick, and deep rooted. The sod grew in places that have been nightmarish to get seed to grow. It was a ton of work pulling up the old grass to lay in the sod, but the net result was well worth it.

4/2/2009 9:14:09 AM

yeah, i wish i had just sodded my backyard last fall. It would have cost more up front, but when i count the hours i've spent nurturing the seed, and spot treating areas, i would have saved hundreds of man hours by just sodding.

4/2/2009 9:42:16 AM

Thanks wheelman

4/2/2009 10:05:43 AM

Quote :

"So...my wife and I were given a Kenmore he2 Plus Washer and Dryer Set for our birthdays last year. We got the set delivered last year on my birthday (3/27/08). Last night, my wife was washing a load of clothes and called me into the laundry room. The washer was flashing F01 on the time remaining display. A few google searches later, I learn that this F01 is the washing machine equivalent of the "blue screen" for Windows. Apparently we got a "your warranty is expiring card" Saturday in the mail and Sunday I find out it is going to cost me at least $200 to fix a one-year-old $700 washing machine. I am tired of talking to Corporate Sears. I am calling the store and speaking to the manager tomorrow. I think this is utter BS that the machine flat broke one day after the warranty expired."

Microcomputer, machine control

Part # W10160262
Category:
Laundry Appliances

$134.39

It sucks that your washing machine died. That's B.S. esp. since they have machines doing that when they are unboxed. It's a HUGE issue. Look for a class action suit sometime soon.

4/2/2009 10:12:01 AM

Update:

The service guy stood me up yesterday. I took half a day off of work to wait at home. At 5:45 I called 1-800-4 MY HOME and was told that the computer systems showed that they called at 10:30a to let me know that they would not be coming due to the service tech having a family emergency. However, they did not leave a message. Now they are waiving the service charge for coming out, but I have to take another half day off today.

Won, I knew it is the CCU. All google searches proved that almost immediately. The kicker is that since my set is stacked, I went ahead and unstacked the machines (by myself) to make it easier on the service guy. Had I known that he was going to stand me up, I would have left them stacked and made him take the dryer down.

4/3/2009 8:51:12 AM

After Sears quoted me $336 to fix a year old washer, I took the CCU out and took the multimeter to it. Turns out there was a $3 relay sticking closed. I tapped the relay with the screwdriver handle and it let go. I ordered 2 from Digi-key in case it sticks again. I have left the set un-stacked until the relays get here and I can replace the bad one. Disaster averted.

4/4/2009 10:49:33 PM

awesome

that's that NCSU engineering spirit at work!

4/5/2009 8:52:22 AM

I agree that this story is awesome.

4/5/2009 8:56:11 AM

So a few pages back I mentioned how we bought an old house off of Ridge Road back in October and have been gutting it. Here is one before and after of the Kitchen. We are supposed to move in this weekend finally!

Kitchen - Before:


Kitchen - After:


[Edited on April 6, 2009 at 1:08 PM. Reason : oops]

4/6/2009 1:07:43 PM

that looks awesome, man!

the other stuff notwithstanding, the difference that recessed lighting makes is amazing.

4/6/2009 1:11:03 PM

Thanks man - the wife was against the recessed lights up front. If it were me I would have done them everywhere - even bedrooms. I'll take what I can get ya know.

4/6/2009 1:16:42 PM

Yeah, after having them for a while, big central light fixtures (minus a foyer or dining room that calls for a more dramatic fixture) just make a room feel cramped. I'm sure your wife will probably change her mind after living with 'em for some time.

What kind of flooring is that? looks sharp. Did you do the work yourself or hire contractors?

4/6/2009 1:20:50 PM

Yeah - very true about the lighting - we shall see.

It's standard oak flooring - My neighbor is Paul Sedaris aka "Sedaris Hardwood Floors". He has a neighbor discount and he did hook it up. We already had hardwoods through most of house expect for that kitchen and sunroom. They did a great job of blending the old and new floor and we used a clear stain so its just the color of the wood with poly on top.

I did hire a General Contractor to handle all of the work - only think I took care of were the floors and the carpet - the scheduling that is. My wife let me do all the demo over my X-mas vacation. I was forbidden from any of the actual work itself. But - I did wire the whole house with Cat6 and RG6 and I am putting in a Russound whole house audio deal. That's the extent of my "work".

[Edited on April 6, 2009 at 1:43 PM. Reason : gc]

4/6/2009 1:38:50 PM

Looks fantastic! And I agree @ the can lights. They can make a shorter room look bigger, and plus they're just so damn classy. Everything you've done to that kitchen will end up coming back to you if you ever need to sell that place. It looks like you've made all the right decisions as far as color/finish/flooring/cabinetry/lighting.

4/6/2009 2:57:53 PM

Any recommendations for a roofing company?

Apex/Cary/Holly Springs area.

Thanks!

4/10/2009 3:32:31 PM

That kitchen looks damn good! The flooring looks awesome. Sometime in the future Im ripping up all the carpet in my house and going to wood flooring.

[Edited on April 10, 2009 at 7:32 PM. Reason : nvm]

4/10/2009 7:30:45 PM

yard looks fantastic...

having to do quite a bit with ours (very old, established property w/ lots of 80+ yr old trees). aerated last fall. put down probably 600 or so lbs of lime last weekend. and pulled 8000 (or so it seemed) tufts of wild onion out by bulb. this weekend, overseeding with a sun/shade mix this weekend. 1/2 the yard is full sun, other is almost full shade. also wanting to redesign all the flower and evergreen beds. if this doesn't work, hiring gardner for the summer to just fix everything.

4/11/2009 12:39:55 AM

I really like white cabinets but everyone else keeps telling me that it's going to look dated after awhile, does anyone on here think that? I want to put in dark hardwoods in the kitchen, with a lighter color granite and white cabinets... I'm not sure about dark cabinets

4/11/2009 9:53:37 AM

The real secret here is that everything you do in your house is going to look dated after a while. Put in the style you like and roll with it. If it gets really old/ugly to you after ten years or so, remember that you can always just paint the cabinets.

4/11/2009 8:40:14 PM

My kitchen has white cabinets but the seller updated them with satin nickel hardware. The hard part about white cabinets is keeping them clean.

I painted my kitchen red and got told it looked like a barn but that's been the worst of it.

4/12/2009 10:25:59 AM

Quote :

"My neighbor is Paul Sedaris aka "Sedaris Hardwood Floors"."

related to david sedaris?

4/12/2009 4:57:56 PM

^ yep, his brother.

At least a few of David Sedaris' stories mention his brother's hardwood flooring company.

4/12/2009 10:03:30 PM

Quote :

"I painted my kitchen red and got told it looked like a barn but that's been the worst of it."

Eh, some people are super conservative and don't like bold colors. Who cares what they think!

4/12/2009 10:13:12 PM

im trying to protest my property taxes

i bought it for 141 but they're telling me its appraised at 156

this is making my monthly payment (i escrow) go up about $100 a month

the form is pretty simple but are there any tricks to getting it passed? this is the first time i've had to do this since i just bought my house last year.

i did a google search and all that came back were books and people selling their services. i think i can do this myself, just looking for some tips or experiences

thx

4/18/2009 2:54:03 PM

thinking about that myself. my real estate agent said you basically just go down to the tax office when they tell you to and say why.

i bought my (forclosed) home for 180. it was appraised at 226 and is now appraised at 220. bank appraisal was 200. i know these all vary a lot, but I'm wondering if it'll be worth it.

4/18/2009 4:48:49 PM

living room make over!!

view from the dining room partially into the living room

BEFORE


AFTER


another after view directly from the dining room into the living room

the coffee table pulls apart and has an internal table that pops out toward the couch and can be used with a laptop or you can even eat on it. i forgot to take a picture of the pop out feature



BEFORE


AFTER



AFTER


the chairs are now where the TV used to be. the before pic was from before i hung pictures on the wall. those stayed in place and i moved the tv to an area i dont even have a before picture of before because it was just empty. this is the closest i could get. where this bookcase used to be is now blank and i have 2 pictures i am going to hang in its place

BEFORE


AFTER--- this new tv stand stores ALL of my books, movies, music & a few trinkets-- amazing, i love love love this tv stand, so awesome



AFTER with the stairs in view


anyway, the living room has come a LONG way. before it was so cramped and now its all spread out and much better for entertaining. everyone who has seen it thinks the couch is different (bigger, but its not, its the same one) and that the room has doubled in size, which it basically has.


i found this pic of a coffee table that is kind of similar. difference is that the whole top doesn't lift on mine. the top just pulls apart and a smaller table pops out of it but the two sides are still usable so you end up with 3 levels, 2 of them being the same.






[Edited on April 18, 2009 at 8:33 PM. Reason : mo deets]

4/18/2009 8:05:34 PM

while very cute and sensible through years of posting has taught us

ncsuwolfy's living room pics remind me of:

Quote :

"Knock knock Oh hi, how's it going? It's me! Every girl ever. I'm really looking forward to this date. I'm not nearly as attractive as you remember me being because when we met the bar was dark and you were drunk. Come on in. Let's start off with the unavoidable tour of my incredibly typical post-college-girl apartment. You'll notice that I went ahead and purchased everything that Ikea and Pier 1 have ever produced. There's my decorative birdcage over there even though I don't have a bird, and there's my gay wicker basket with bamboo poles in it. I don't know what the hell that's thing's all about, but I bought it. Hey check it out, I have more candles in here than a Roman Catholic Church. Doesn't it smell like Hazelnut!? If I were to light all of my candles at once you could see my apartment from space! I fucking love candles! Come on into the living room. Oh, I see you met my cat there. That's "Freddy Paws Jr." Why don't you pet him and act like you like cats even though you hate cats? There you go. Oh, he took a little swing at your eye there huh? Yeah, he'll do that. Hey, let's check out the kitchen. Hey look at my refrigerator. There are pictures all over it! Look at all these pictures of me and my equally vacuous friends from college! We were so crazy! You can tell we're really good friends because our faces are all pressed up against each other like that. And check it out, we're holding up alcoholic beverages to the camera in every single picture. That's to prove that we were partying. College was so fun! But of course I don't talk to any of these girls anymore because now they're all bitches. Let's go back into the hallway! Hey, before we leave I'm going to go in the bathroom for ten minutes for some mysterious reason. Why don't you sit awkwardly in my big, stupid, round papizan chair over there while you wait for me. It's like you're sitting in a hug! Be right back... Sorry that took a half an hour, I don't know what the hell I was doing in there. Let's go! Wow! Thanks for opening my car door for me! I'm totally going to blow that meaningless gesture out of proportion and delude myself into thinking that you're a really good guy because that's what I want to believe. Well, here we are at the restaurant. No thanks waiter, I don't need to see a menu, just bring me some expensive things. Hey I know, while we wait, I'll tell you all about my unspeakably boring job. I hate my boss. He's a jerk! I might get another job. Maybe something in pharmaceutical sales. Now let's talk about my family. I love my family. I want you to love my family. I want my family to love you. I want you to make love to my family! I want you to go golfing with my semi-retarded brother Travis. That would be so God damned cute! Wow! I can't believe I ordered all this food! I have no intention of eating any of it. No thanks waiter, we don't need a box. Just throw it out. Hey, I've got an idea, let's go to a bar and have an after dinner drink! It'll be great, it will be just like how we're drinking here, only it will be louder and we'll have to stand up. Come on! See, isn't this better? Oh hey, what a coincidence. Look over there! It's a group of my friends that I knew was going to be here. Let's go over there so that they can judge you! Hey, I have to go to the bathroom for a half an hour again for some reason. You can stay here and talk to my unbelievably hideous friend Christine! Christine's so ugly she scares kids! Talk to her! She has a job and a family that she wants to talk to you about too. Be right back. I'm back! Sorry I was gone for three hours, there was a line. I want to go home now. Well here we are at my door again. This was really fun for me and not you. You should pretend like we're going to do it again sometime! Maybe I'll see you at Target a few months from now and we can avoid eye contact because you never called me. Here, have this awkward goodnight kiss that's as empty as my soul. Good night! "

[Edited on April 18, 2009 at 9:17 PM. Reason : .]

j/k your shit looks nice, but it did remind me of that

[Edited on April 18, 2009 at 9:26 PM. Reason : .]

4/18/2009 9:17:16 PM

lol i dont make any bones about being a normal person

i'm not all "omg im so different" look at me over here, rejecting the norm

what makes me different is i pay for my own shit and bankroll myself and pretty much do whatever i want. that paste was funny though, lol

4/18/2009 9:40:20 PM

^ that's $$$

I can stand about 90 minutes with those people who got attention for being slightly weird growing up and have no other way to relate to folks unless they're acting out or being gimmicky.

I like your area rug! Where'd you find it?

4/18/2009 10:50:54 PM

Looks nice. The only thing I dont like is the mobile hanging from the chandelier.

4/19/2009 8:02:23 AM

Quote :

"the form is pretty simple but are there any tricks to getting it passed? this is the first time i've had to do this since i just bought my house last year. "

I bought my home brand new and a year later they said it was worth 5K more even though the same brand new homes was selling for the same price. I appealed and faxed them this info but the denied my appeal. I appealed again in person with sale prices and tax values of similar homes in my area from the past year and that time it worked and they lowed my value by 15K from what I purchased it for.

4/19/2009 1:13:58 PM

^ thanks... i got a mailer from my real estate agent. i bet she can help with the neighborhood sales figures

and i got the area rug at target somemthing crazy like 5-6 years ago!

4/19/2009 1:42:42 PM

Just keep in mind the value can go up again if you appeal.

[Edited on April 19, 2009 at 1:46 PM. Reason : ]

4/19/2009 1:46:37 PM

if my house really increased $15k in value since i bought it a year ago... i'd sell it today and move out

4/19/2009 2:54:31 PM

True, but the tax value doesn't always equal the market value.

4/19/2009 3:19:39 PM

I need to get a vanity top for a vessel sink- where would you look? Trying to spend less than $300, so no virgin granite mined by children, thank you.

Also need ideas for what colors would be good in a 30sq' bathroom with this sink:

4/19/2009 5:24:15 PM

children mine the best granite.

4/19/2009 7:48:16 PM

I wholly agree! I just can't afford to keep them in rags and gruel.

4/21/2009 6:31:00 PM

i hate painting.

4/21/2009 11:30:53 PM