Four Weeks in May

Here comes June. The last four weeks have been...interesting. At the end of April, I pulled off the joists remaining over the Vault area and dug out the valve. The first weekend of May, things got serious.

Week 1 and 2, I removed the decking boards. Getting a good look at the hot tub platform framing made me wonder why I wasn't renting a bulldozer. On the other hand, a lot of the railings volunteered their way off.

Week 3, I remembered my sledge hammer. Even if they didn't want to, the 2x12s and certainly the 2x8s disconnected themselves when the sledge hammer commanded it. On May 18, the hot tub platform framing was still there. By May 19, it was gone, and on May 20, I discovered the upper patio.

Week 4, I excavated the concrete steps (May 23) and on May 26, the junk pile was gone. Casey spent Week 2 in Tucson and Weeks 3 and 4 in quarantine. He missed a lot of the fun.

It's supposed to rain this weekend, so I (finally) applied the hose to the freshly uncovered concrete. Something of a mistake--because it's not all cleared yet, it doesn't drain. As I suspected, the lower patio is red concrete, but it's not very even and the thin layer of sand was hiding a number of cracks and imperfections.

Ready for the rain. Hosing down means spreading the sand, but it's red.

A dozen wagonfuls of dirt will make this a smoother ramp, one day.

The upper and lower patios are flawed, but the steps are excellent.

Wires

I like electrical work, in general. See the workshop and the outdoor light. Where I have drawn the line is working inside breaker boxes and working with 240-volt circuits.

Rubicon crossed. I've now done both, albeit with trepidation. They had a 50-amp 240V line going out to the hot tub. The wires stuck out of the conduit and were buried in dirt when I found them, so yikes, but they ran to an exterior breaker box that served as a shut-off switch (and they were off). The shut-off runs back to the main breaker box, which has also been off as long as I've been here.

Before the junk guys showed up, I cut the conduit so that I could have them take it. I used the saws-all, and it was comical. The 8-gauge stranded wires resisted mightily and the conduit vibrated, so it looked like I was being electrocuted in a cartoon. I looked for flashes of my skeleton, but that didn't happen.

Yesterday, I opened the breaker box, disconnected both sets of wires from the buses and (eventually) disconnected the exterior box from the wall, leaving the 240v wires sticking out. This isn't Romex, these are individual black, red, white, and ground wires.

I think this backs up to a high outlet on the inside.

The next step is to direct these wires inside and close up this hole. Inside, we'll use them to power a new 240V electric water heater for Casey's bathroom. My problem now is not that I'm afraid to work on 240V, just that I really don't want to work in the hella-narrow closet. Perhaps I can direct Casey, or we can get an electrician. Stripping and fastening 8ga wire is a pain, too. Maybe its only 10ga, but I much prefer 14ga Romex.

Something like this, only the bottom hole should be vertical, without the left angle, for 50-amp.

Theory article: https://makezine.com/2016/11/02/understanding-240v-ac-power-heavy-duty-power-tools/

I Miss the Huge Junk Pile

Not really. But now I need to design and build--no more excuses--and that's scary. Armed with my as-built, Peggy shook several designs out of her sleeve quickly and effortlessly.

Sketch #1

Alternate #1

Sketch #2

Sketch #3

Sketch #3 pulls the upper deck away from BA3 to provide access to the vault and the sewage ejector, shown here:

I'd like to have easier access to the vault and the valve than crawling on my belly under the deck.

Sketch #4

In a half-hour Tuesday, I filled and dumped the wagon 5 or 6 times with dirt covering the patio. The hardest work is pulling the full wagon up the side yard.

The line is a taut string that I remember from first moving in--it's a rectangle, sort of.

It occurred to me that this is like keeping your food in a frosty block of ice in your kitchen. One day, you scrape off some of the ice, then a little more, and, gradually, a refrigerator appears. It was under the ice all the time.

For direct comparison, this is the same view before removing 6 wagonfuls. See the taut string? Neither did I.

And, lastly, we now have a safety railing, such as it is. 

Junk Begone!

Buy! Buy! Says the sign in the shop window
Why? Why? Says the junk in the yard
—Paul McCartney, Junk

$1000 for 1,000 cubic feet

Full truck = $867, plus tax, plus 10% tip. Worth it.

Lionel and Jacob used my wagon, with permission, for the little scraps at the bottom of the pile.

Lionel and Jacob from 1-800-GotJunk said they'd be here at 8:30; they knocked at 8:24. By 10:00, the truck was loaded and they'd taken my credit card. Lionel gave me the full truck estimate and said that if it was more, he'd empty the truck and come back for the rest at no additional charge. It filled up the truck--my estimate was 1000 cubic feet of junk (20' x 10' x 5' high) and about a 1000 cubic foot truck (8x8x16), so I agreed with him.

Casey suggested that movers get $10/hour per person, but since they're moving junk they don't have to be as careful, so it could be less. That would be $15/person, since it took them 90 minutes, but I was thinking of giving them $50. Their payment app had a 10% tip ($86.70) button, so I went with that. Oh, and they didn't charge full sales tax--maybe there's a different rate for junk? They added 3.6%. Odd.

Update: They didn't charge 10.1% sales tax at all. They charged a "Solid Waste Refuse Tax" of 3.6%. Then they calculated the 10% tip including the tax, which is not kosher. I thought I was tipping $86.70, but I actually tipped $89.82. I'll sue! The total, with tip, was $988.03. No tip and the full sales tax would have been $954.57--the bee man and the roof cleaner both charged Seattle sales tax

Next challenge--where to put all that dirt

About 94 cubic feet of dirt (3-1/2 cubic yards)

Backyard Status - Memorial Day

EXT. BACKYARD - DAY

ESTABLISHING SHOT of a built environment bordering a verdant forest. The scene is dominated by a good-sized pile of rubbish, mostly demolished deck boards, in the center. We HEAR birds, an industrious bee nearby, and the distant sound of a lawnmower. Our hero is nowhere to be seen.

Palm Tree Visit

Five years ago, I gave my Chinese Fan Palm to a guy named Ken Jensen. Since I'm discovering a concrete patio near the spot where it used to stand, I thought I should drive over and see if it's still alive. It is.

It's doing great at 13215 4th Avenue NW

The tree seems very happy. The tropical blue is still a little jarring, and the roof looks a bit mature.

Deck Status Saturday Night

Progress is slow, but steady. Discovered the full set of concrete steps, not only intact but a model for outdoor steps at 6" risers and 14-1/2" treads. Very comfortable, compared to climbing up and down the hillside as I've been doing. A lot.

1-800-Got-Junk comes Tuesday

 When I hose off the lower concrete, I think it will be red.

How much of the deck framing remains is a function of the final design, which I don't have.

Safety rail support. Also, notice the brick paving beyond the concrete

 The vinca gives up its secrets in tiny increments. It's like pulling vines to get anywhere.

A very nice set of steps. As I said, I think the lower paving is red. I discovered the huge boulder to the left and claimed it for France.

More Deck Style--Colors!

I gathered a bunch of Trex and Azek/TimberTech samples of non-gray decking. Here they are, numbered at random.

Next to the gray siding color

In the dappled sunshine of the actual location. 1 (left) to 7 (right)

1. Trex Transcend Tiki Torch
2. Trex Enhance Sunset Cove
3. Trex Transcend Spiced Rum
4. Trex Transcend Lava Rock
5. TimberTech Arbor Collection Morado
6. TimberTech Arbor Collection Mountain Redwood
7. TimberTech Arbor Collection Brazilian Walnut

Update: Boy, #3 looks green in the lower photo. It's actually an exotic, dark brown that I'm leaning toward, so I took another photo:

It's trying for Ipe, not pea soup. It's Trex's top of the line, btw.

Deck Style

Here's some images of decks for color and style ideas. I like a simple 1x1 steel railing supporting horizontal rails or Feeney stainless steel cables. This is from the "Waterfall House" over on 25th NE.

12302 25th Ave NE: The Waterfall House. 1/2" rods, not cables.

Broadview Library fence

I don't like the "railing kits" that the big names like Trex and TimberTech offer

This is a clean look and it's got to be significantly cheaper. (Tractor Supply)

This (the Hardwood Decking Supply railing below) is nice, but they say "Only $60 per foot."

Hardwood Decking Supply

By the way, diagonal decking requires 12" o.c. joists

I'm considering a redwood color deck with black railing. Grey deck + grey house makes Jonny a dull boy.

Feeney, Inc. is the cable rail company. This looks like a 42" railing, btw.

I like the reddish wood against the green trees. I used to like gray, but not with a gray and white house.

Great Lakes Metal Fabrication. I think I'm looking for a metal fabricator, not a railing company

Like the Waterfall House

Patio Archaeology

As Gomer Pyle used to say: "Well, surprise! Surprise! Surprise!"

Do you see the hidden concrete patio? Neither did I.

More Deck Demolition

Tuesday was a productive day. Finished packing up kitchen stuff and put it in the basement (Sterlite has my confidence). Took the Makita miter saw and Cuisinart coffee maker to the Salvation Army. To my surprise, they took all the kitchen shelves and even the plastic champagne flutes.

In case you have trouble remembering.

At the end of the day, I finished taking out the hot tub platform, the steps to the lower level, and the southern end of the main deck.

Hey, remember the hot tub platform?

There does seem to be red paving under a layer of soil and needles.

No more stairs

A funny thing happened as I removed the main deck at the south--the basement railing just keeled over. Actually, it fell across the basement steps, but I freed the sump pump pipe and threw it over the other way. Nice to know that they didn't compromise the basement stair wall with fasteners. A Bilco door looks pretty easy.

Railing was attached to the deck, not to the concrete wall at all.

Bids

I need bids on:

• Junk hauling
• 2x8 lumber
• Composite decking
• Railing

Junk hauling

Hungry Buzzard - (425) 489-9235 18-45 yard dumpsters
$300 "trucking fee" for delivery, 7-day rental and haul away. $155 per ton. Hard to estimate weight, but 2 tons would be $610, if I understood correctly.

Waste Management - (855) 852-7110
Budget Dumpster - (855) 902-0269

10-yard dumpster is 7.5' x 14' x 3.5 high
15-yard dumpster is 7.5' x 16' x 4.5' high ($615 flat-rate)
20-yard dumpster is 7' x 22' x 3.5' high; 7-day rental

1-800-Got Junk - (855) 382-2592
Estimate appt 5/26 8am. Min $207. Full truck $867, 1/6 truck $327. A dozen increments.

Angel's Junk Removal - (877) -744-5865
College Hunks Hauling Junk - (206) 800-8922

2x8 lumber

Everyone advises against getting lumber from Home Depot (or Lowes). It's too green, too wet, and they send whatever they have. Lumber yards have better product.

Dunn Lumber has an online deck design appointment scheduler.
9300 Aurora - (206) 523-7777.
1108 N 185th (Shoreline) - (206) 542-2164.

Composite decking

Dunn offers advice. They sell Trex, Azek, TimberTech, Dekorators.

Seattle Deck Supply - (206) 999-0166. Web site says (206) 306-5003

DecksDirect.com - (800) 888-824-5316 Live chat

• Fiberon Good Life 16' grooved edge = $32.99

TheDeckStoreOnline.com -

Railing

Dunn and Seattle Deck Supply sell railings.

Basement Door

I like the idea of replacing the railings on either side of the basement steps with a Bilco door. The well opening is 39.5" wide by 97.5" long, and that's long by Bilco standards, so I would need to build some sort of shroud/tunnel at the house, which is just where an egress platform is needed under the BR2 window. Top of the 8" surrounding wall to top of basement door is 25".

Failing railing: rotting, sagging, and so last century.

I like building a shroud at the house, with a B-size Bilco in front

Bilco also sells a plastic door, called the Ultra, that only comes in one size (C)--56"W x 73"L, x 19.5"H. It would overhang my well by 2.5", and it would need a 32.5" extension at the house.

Bilco Ultra Series Basement Door

Dunn Lumber is a Bilco dealer; I have contacted them for a price. Home Depot has doors from Bilco, and Gordon. They carry the standard Bilco steel, with a white powder coat, for $875.

Home Depot Bilco door. $875 Steel extension available. Lock is $89 more.