Friday Fotos: 7/17

Once again, it's Friday and the end of a long, hot week. I hope that all of you had an enjoyable (yeah, right) week and are ready for a relaxing weekend. So, to help ease you through the rest of the day, I have found a few photos that you might enjoy...



When magic just ain't enough...

Had to include this, since my kids and I have been
watching this the past few nights
courtesy of... demotivatorsite.com




Driver License Question #7:
Who should have the right-of-way...

(notice the windscreen and steering wheel at bottom of photo)
courtesy of... lolhome.com




Of course, I'm innocent...

courtesy of... icanhascheezburger.com

Building the Retaining Wall Foundation

As you can see from the photo, I have begun laying the first course of retaining wall stones. This may seem like a straight-forward process, but it is, by far, one of the most important steps in building your wall. This is going to be one of the most time-consuming steps of the entire process, but don't get discouraged because the other rows will go up very quickly. You see, if the foundation is not prepared properly, your wall will eventually begin to sag and lose strength. So, by taking more time on this step, you can be assured of a wall that will last for many years to come.


What you will need...

Pea gravel
Tape measure
Wheel barrel
Shovel
Level
Hammer
Compacter (rented or hand tamper)
Cold chisel (to break stones in half)

What to do...


• Take pea gravel and add about 5 inches into the bottom of the trench


• Compact the gravel by using a compacter (which can be rented) or by using a heavy tamper


• Spray water on the compacted gravel (this will help the gravel settle)


• Compact again and measure


• Continue this process until you have 4 inches of compacted gravel


• Using a level, make sure that the gravel is level (This will speed-up the stone placement)


• Using a cold chisel, take one stone and break it in half (you will than begin each alternating level with a half stone)




• Why do this? You do not want the stones stacked with their edges lined-up, because this reduces the strength of the wall. You want the stones to be inter-connected, so we stagger the edges. This inter-connectedness is what gives the wall its strength. As the dirt pushes against the stones, it is trying to find a weak point. If the stones were installed with their edges lined-up, the dirt could push right through the gap and your wall would tumble down. When the stones are placed (as shown in this picture here) with their edges staggered, the dirt cannot find a place to push through, so your wall stays where it belongs




• Take a hammer and chisel and break-off the lip on your bottom stones


• Place the stone in the desired location and make sure it is level from front to back and side to side


• Place second stone next to the first and make sure it is level from front to back and side to side; also make sure it is level to the stone next to it


• Repeat until all stones are placed

As I stated in an earlier article, this is being written as I build the wall, so it may be a few days before the next installment. The photo at the top of the page, shows my progress for today. Today went slower, because I had to figure out how to do the curve, but the straight runs will go much quicker. I hope that this has helped you get started with your new retaining wall. If you have any questions, please let me know and I will do my best to help you.


First in series... Planning Your Tiered Retaining Wall

My Easy Attic Fan Installation

Well, this past weekend, I completed the installation of our new attic fan and the fan's shutter. It is now completely installed and working like a charm. My original intent was to write a step-by-step instruction guide to installing an attic fan, but my stab at it became such a comedy of errors, that I think I'll forgo that article and just give you a few suggestions instead. Besides, the fan and shutter come with great instructions, so if you follow those, you should be okay.

Firstly, if you decide to tackle a project like this, be sure to have the RIGHT tools for the job. Unfortunately, I didn't and it made the job twice as hard and took much longer than necessary. Be sure you build yourself some sort of platform on which to work. I took some scrap pieces of board and attached them between the floor joists; this allowed me a place to sit and kneel (standing was out of the question). Also, it might be a good idea to take a yoga class to get used to contorting your body in unnatural positions. Next, be sure you have enough light up in the attic. I only had one light up there, so I figured I was fine...wrong! You need to be able to see clearly to make sure your measurements are accurate and you are cutting along the correct line. (Do you see a pattern developing)? If you are using safety glasses while sawing, be sure you can actually see out of them. Mine fogged-up and I was not able to see where to cut (I eventually threw them out the hole). Make sure you have a terrific mate (my wife stayed in the garage the entire time...she is the best), to get you through those times of desperation and despair. Finally, have plenty of cold water awaiting you when you come down (the fires of Hell just might reside in your attic, in the summer anyway!).

As I may have stated before, I am no carpenter and this debacle has just reinforced that claim. I figured that if everything went smoothly (yeah, right), it would only take me a one or two hours to install the thing and then I could relax in the glow of adoration from my loving wife. Instead, it took my 1 ½ hours just to cut the stupid hole. When I came down, it looked as if I had just climbed out of a swimming pool; my clothes and hair were soaked. Back up again, to tackle the framing portion; thankful that I at least have a cool breeze from the perfectly cut hole. Luckily, I had at least had the foresight to pre-cut all the studs, so that part went a little quicker. I just didn't have the foresight to re-check my measurements, because I was off by a maddening ½ inch. ( I swear, Murphy is haunting our attic). After 5 hours of this mess and countless trips across the attic and down the ladder, I decided to leave the shutter installation for the next day.

Since the person who designed our home decided to have a second roof jutting-out just below the place I had to work, I had to crawl on that and do the entire installation laying on my side on a narrow roof. Anyway, to skip my 2 hour stint on this tiny roof, all I have to say is: I'm glad they invented trim to cover my mistakes.

The actual connection of the wires went rather smoothly, but I do have to admit that fishing the wires was a little tricky at times. Lastly, apart from having to track down and repair a short, which happened to be in the fan's thermostat, the fan is working wonderfully. I can already feel a vast difference in how the house feels. Was it worth all the trouble? Yup! Would I do it again? Nope!

Now, back to the berm...