What annoys you? (1 Viewer)

[Tony Bensley]

Screen savers are only "good" if the image is constantly changing and roughly delivering the same brightness levels across the screen as it runs. If there's *any* static image/area, even those that move around the screen/rotate/etc., then you risk burn in.

One thing I like about our LCD screen is I never have to worry about burn in. In over 9.5 years, it has never been an issue! I do realize there is some negative trade-off that accompanies this, such as LCD not being considered the ideal image replication format.

CHEERS!

 

[Clinton McClure]

Somehow, the week I schedule off work in the spring to do things like put up a fence, scrub the patio, install a pool, etc… always ends up being a surprise, record-breaking heatwave week with high humidity, extreme dew points, and heat indexes close to or over 100°.

Today’s chore is to clear the grass from a 16x16 square in the back yard and level it (it’s off about 2”) so I can put down an above ground pool for wifey. She’s already angling to put in a larger pool next spring and I’ll probably end up hiring someone to do that because it’ll involve extending our fence about 4’ in depth and 8’ in width, taking up more grass, leveling more yard, etc…

 

[Clinton McClure]

I worked about 3 hours yesterday until the heat index was 99° and called it quits. This morning, I was back at it at daybreak (a little after 6). After almost 2 hours, I’ve just finished stripping off the grass. So far, it’s not as humid today so I don’t feel like I’m gonna die after 5 minutes of work. Now I just have to clear the debris, take down the ridges I left with the hoe, and level off about half of it. With any luck, I’ll have the damn pool in place and filling by this afternoon.

 

[BobO'Link]

If you don't already have one - I *highly* recommend a salt chlorination system:

See on Amazon

We had an above ground pool for several years and used one of those (same brand - different model). It worked great and is much less expensive, as well as much easier, to maintain/operate. It's a bit expensive to start but paid for itself in just *one* season of not having to purchase chlorine and other chemicals to keep the pool running properly.

Once it's set up it's mostly a "just let it do its thing" system. You still check for chlorine/ph (mainly to adjust the system's settings as needed) but don't have to add salt (it's not used up in the process). We only had to add chemicals *once* in the three years we ran one of these and it was our own fault. It was at my mother-in-law's house, she accidentally turned off the filter/pump, we weren't regularly using the pool at the time, and it was a few days before anyone noticed. That was an expensive lesson (cost ~$60 to get it back to normal).

 

[David_B_K]

Today’s chore is to clear the grass from a 16x16 square in the back yard and level it (it’s off about 2”) so I can put down an above ground pool for wifey. She’s already angling to put in a larger pool next spring and I’ll probably end up hiring someone to do that because it’ll involve extending our fence about 4’ in depth and 8’ in width, taking up more grass, leveling more yard, etc…

Did you use a sod-cutter to clear the grass? If you did it with a shovel I am very impressed.

 

[Clinton McClure]

If you don't already have one - I *highly* recommend a salt chlorination system:

See on Amazon

We had an above ground pool for several years and used one of those (same brand - different model). It worked great and is much less expensive, as well as much easier, to maintain/operate. It's a bit expensive to start but paid for itself in just *one* season of not having to purchase chlorine and other chemicals to keep the pool running properly.

Once it's set up it's mostly a "just let it do its thing" system. You still check for chlorine/ph (mainly to adjust the system's settings as needed) but don't have to add salt (it's not used up in the process). We only had to add chemicals *once* in the three years we ran one of these and it was our own fault. It was at my mother-in-law's house, she accidentally turned off the filter/pump, we weren't regularly using the pool at the time, and it was a few days before anyone noticed. That was an expensive lesson (cost ~$60 to get it back to normal).

I’m quite familiar with salt water chlorinators, having used them in the past with an Intex above ground pool we had for 5 years. A good friend at work gave me one last year after I set up the pool and I used it all summer. I still had to adjust the pH occasionally but, you’re right, the chlorinator takes care of itself.

 

[Clinton McClure]

Did you use a sod-cutter to clear the grass? If you did it with a shovel I am very impressed.

Garden rake and a hoe, then shoveled the grass/top soil out and spread it along the perimeter of the back yard.

 

[David_B_K]

Garden rake and a hoe, then shoveled the grass/top soil out and spread it along the perimeter of the back yard.

Here in Texas the grass we have is called St. Augustine, and our "soil" is hard clay. It is virtually impossible to remove the grass with a shovel, rake, etc. When I watch a golf tournament on TV and see the golfers' club head dip into the turf and soil, I chuckle because that would be impossible with St. Augustine and clay soil. They'd probably ruin the club.

 

[Clinton McClure]

Ready to fill. Jeez, I hate swimming pools.

 

[Clinton McClure]

Finished filling this morning then added 95 lbs of salt. So much trouble for such a little pool. It’s actually more of a pain in the ass than the 30’ above ground pool we had at our old house, mostly because the 30’ was a professionally installed pool with hard walls and it stayed up year-round and was covered in the winter. I had to take this one down last fall and store it in the garage then drag it out and set it back up this week. Last year, it just sat on top of the grass and the yard was about 3” off level so I had to dig out the high side this year after removing the grass. It’s still not level like it should be but it’s much closer than it was. And I still hate pools.

 

[BobO'Link]

The *only* years we had one was all due to my wife insisting there be one at her mom's house. She was her mom's primary care giver and was at her house with one or more of the grandkids every day. Since she babysat the grandkids and they were all at "mamaw's" every day, grandma "needed" that pool for them to have something to do (like the huge back yard and ride on toys and bikes and other stuff wasn't enough). My involvement was helping get it set up (at least the area was level already) and taking it down in the fall - I hated every minute of it (and I like to swim but those aren't big enough to do much of anything but float around - plus we have *lots* of mosquitos which are a huge deterent). My wife can't swim a lick (she gets in the shallow end and just walks around some). At least I was able to teach the grandkids how to swim in those pools (above and under water) so that was good.

 

[Clinton McClure]

We’ve been married for 18 years and have had a pool for at least 15 of those, be it a small one like this, or an 18’ metal frame, or a 30’ hard walled above ground. I always get stuck with opening, closing, putting up, taking down, covering, chemical balancing, etc… and I don’t even swim. If I had my druthers, there’d be no pool and I would have more time, money, and sanity.

 

[cineMANIAC]

I just moved to a new apartment and discovered, to my horror, (and, after the fact) that the bath tub didn't have a shower rod. Worse yet, there were no pre-cut holes in the wall for a rod! After sweating out the situation for a while I remembered I used a spring tension rod for a kitchen window in my old place years ago and my eyes lit up - maybe, just maybe, they also have tension rods available for shower curtains so I looked on Amazon. Sure enough, they do. Sweet, I thought to myself. My problems are over. So I decided to Uber over to my nearest Home Depot instead and buy one that same day (Hey, I needed to shower). I set it up (it's easy enough). Hours later, I hear a loud bang as I resume unpacking my crap. Sounded like it came from the bathroom. Great, I've already caused damage to my new apartment, I thought, slightly nervous. Go over to check it out and it's the damn rod on the floor. WTF! The rod has since fallen again at least 2 times.

Why, oh, why, do they insist on making life more difficult than it already is? Curtain rods are a basic necessity for bathrooms, unless curtain-less showers are a trend now

 

[Malcolm R]

It must not be tight enough for your space. Is there a way to adjust it? Sometimes one end will screw in or out to adjust the length of the rod. Sounds like you need to make it longer so there is more spring tension to brace the rod.

They use these for shower curtains in my gym and I've never known them to fall. Then again, these are just narrow walk-in showers. If you're using one the length of a bathtub (or wider) that may be more of an issue.

 

[TJPC]

There is usually a bracket that these can fit into at each end. This however requires a small screw in the centre, which can be hard if the area is tiled. I’d call and get the landlord to fix it.

 

[BobO'Link]

I moved into an apartment like that once and installed a sliding shower door myself (they're dead easy to do). I left it when I moved out and the landlord had the audacity to complain about it! I *improved* the stinking apartment with that simple addition. It was left because I didn't have use for it where I was moving and its removal would have left 4 small holes for the landlord to fill/patch.

 

[Clinton McClure]

The master bath tub in our old place used a shower rod that you twist to extend and make it fit your shower opening. It probably came loose and fell about once a year.

 

[jayembee]

The master bath tub in our old place used a shower rod that you twist to extend and make it fit your shower opening. It probably came loose and fell about once a year.

When my wife and I lived in an apartment, we used such a shower rod. Never had a problem. On the other hand, it was pressing against tiles at both ends, not plaster walls.

 

[Jeffrey D]

I think I’m going to be quitting, and get off the road for an extended period of time. My company beats the shit out of drivers, my house needs some repairs, and I just don’t have the time to get anything done. Will have to cash in a nest egg to do this, and I know it’s not the best idea, but I’m just fed up.

 

[Chip_HT]

Buying a bunch of 2- and 3-way switches to swap out all of the ones in the house to match the new paint color, only to find out that there are multiple 4-way switches installed.

So I look up 4-way switches on Home Depot, expecting to be in the same price range of the other types of switches, which usually averages to $1 per, but finding out they cost $12 a piece.