Is there any readily available wood that is more durable than Douglas fir, but not heavier than it? I’m hoping to find the time to make flower boxes for my balcony railing and they can’t weigh a ton before I fill them up.
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Random Thoughts [Home Improvement/Decorating Edition]
- Thread starter NecroJoe
- Start date
Maple or red oak.
NecroJoe
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In the US, so probably not helpful, poplar would be readily available and lighter, though not particularly weather resistant unless appropriately painted. Western red cedar should be lighter, and outdoor resistant. Redwood will be about the same weight as doug fir, and outdoor resistant.
Ooooh… wouldn’t that be something. There are more Redwood trees in Europe than I used to think and of course, sometimes one is cut down. I’ve actually found some rough planks on eBay, but they’re 450km away and I‘d have to pay a sawmill to cut and plane them, so these flower boxes would be rather expensive ones.
edit: Maple… HOLY FRICKIN’ GOD, that stuff is expensive over here.
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Call Xzibit, he can plane them while he planes them to you.
Call Xzibit, he can plane them while he planes them to you.
I don’t think I’m ready for a rapper bringing his wood over to my place.
I keep forgetting about these sorts of issues, although I should know better...
We're in the extremely privileged situation that basically everyone here has 3 phase electricity @ 16 A available for their stove & oven (so 11 kW total). So really, the available power isn't ever an issue. I know that's a very different story already in NL, BE and UK (just off the top of my head)... which of course makes a gas stove much more sensible all of a sudden.
edit:
smoooooth
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NecroJoe
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New fridge! It's 2" wider than the old one, but nearly 5" shallower, so it makes the kitchen feel so much bigger. Especially because the fridge door is now split in the middle, so it doesn't swing out as far.
Those 2“ is just about as much as is possible though, right? 
I like the optimization effort. Our future fridge just got delayed by another two weeks… not that it matters. It’s a very regular 60 cm wide, 2m high fridge freezer combo affair.
I like the optimization effort. Our future fridge just got delayed by another two weeks… not that it matters. It’s a very regular 60 cm wide, 2m high fridge freezer combo affair.
NecroJoe
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Those 2“ is just about as much as is possible though, right?
Indeed. If it were 1/8" wider, it would actually impede into the doorway into the garage. It's JUUUST a hair shy of it right now.
We had a specific set of parameters we were looking for:
33" or narrower
Counter depth
Fingerprint-resistant stainless
Shelves in the fridge section that were only 1/2 width (not spanning the full width of the fridge)
Bottom freezer that could hold one "standard" frozen pizza
Filtered water dispenser, with filters available at our local Home Depot or Lowe's on the shelf.
We only found two options that met all of these criteria. One of them was a Fischer & Paykel, and was over $3,500.
So we went with this one instead. Most counter-depth fridges are 36" wide, and most of the ones narrower than that are side-by-side fridges, which we don't like. And then once you get beyond that, you get into models with the freezer on top, or you start giving up on features because they are more value-oriented.There will eventually be some sort of cabinet over the fridge, but it'll be a standard 12" deep. There's no room for side walls of a surround, so we'd have no way to support a cabinet as deep as the fridge like how most fridges would be designed into kitchens nowadays.
NecroJoe
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Trying to figure out a light swith/control for my garage...
My garage, approximately 22ft x 10ft:
The background:
My garage initially only had one of these lights, on the wall, right next to the "top" door on the plan, which is the door from the kitchen, and it's wired to a wall switch right next to that same door. Even with a high-wattage LED lamp, the reach was pitiful, and much of the light was "wasted" as it was close to the ceiling. It also cast terrible shadows and dark corners.
About 6 years ago, to "upgrade" the lighting, I initially bought four of these (about 40 watts each), plugged them in to a power strip screwed to the ceiling, and plugged the strip into the outlet on that porcelain light fixture pictured above. All of the lights were controlled by the single wall switch. I ran the lights in a straight line down the middle of the garage, and it was a HUGE improvement. So much more light, and relatively even (except for the area under the opened garage door, which blocks the ceiling when it's raised).
The down-side to this setup is that the switch that controls these outlets is near the door from the kitchen, but there's no control for the lights at the side door (opposite wall from the kitchen door), nor the garage door on the far end of the garage. So if I try to come in the side door, the garage is dark and I need a flashlight to get to the kitchen door switch.
Since I installed those lights, a couple of things have happened:
a) One by one, all 4 of the lights have died/are dying.
We're down to the last one, where one of the 6 banks in the fixture is dead, and one is flickering. Today, I just received replacements lights fixrures I've ordered: https://barrina-led.com/products/pa...t-corded-electric-with-built-in-on-off-switch I'm planning to either "railroad" them down the ceiling like the railroad ties, or I may have to run two parallel lines if my connector wires are too short, (or maybe some sort of fun zig-zag pattern.
b) We've since added an outlet in the ceiling in the middle of the garage.
In my head, I have two solution ideas, but having trouble figuring out the product solution that would best solve it.
Option 1: Occupancy sensors
Anyone have any thoughts?
My garage, approximately 22ft x 10ft:
The background:
My garage initially only had one of these lights, on the wall, right next to the "top" door on the plan, which is the door from the kitchen, and it's wired to a wall switch right next to that same door. Even with a high-wattage LED lamp, the reach was pitiful, and much of the light was "wasted" as it was close to the ceiling. It also cast terrible shadows and dark corners.
About 6 years ago, to "upgrade" the lighting, I initially bought four of these (about 40 watts each), plugged them in to a power strip screwed to the ceiling, and plugged the strip into the outlet on that porcelain light fixture pictured above. All of the lights were controlled by the single wall switch. I ran the lights in a straight line down the middle of the garage, and it was a HUGE improvement. So much more light, and relatively even (except for the area under the opened garage door, which blocks the ceiling when it's raised).
The down-side to this setup is that the switch that controls these outlets is near the door from the kitchen, but there's no control for the lights at the side door (opposite wall from the kitchen door), nor the garage door on the far end of the garage. So if I try to come in the side door, the garage is dark and I need a flashlight to get to the kitchen door switch.
Since I installed those lights, a couple of things have happened:
a) One by one, all 4 of the lights have died/are dying.
We're down to the last one, where one of the 6 banks in the fixture is dead, and one is flickering. Today, I just received replacements lights fixrures I've ordered: https://barrina-led.com/products/pa...t-corded-electric-with-built-in-on-off-switch I'm planning to either "railroad" them down the ceiling like the railroad ties, or I may have to run two parallel lines if my connector wires are too short, (or maybe some sort of fun zig-zag pattern.b) We've since added an outlet in the ceiling in the middle of the garage.
In my head, I have two solution ideas, but having trouble figuring out the product solution that would best solve it.
Option 1: Occupancy sensors
- I'd love to have ceiling-mounted occupancy sensor plug adaptor. The trouble here is that I can't find a plug adaptor that has remote occupancy sensors so that could see all three entrances, or a single 360° sensor which I could hang from the ceiling, and could see all three entrances.
- I could replace the light switch with something like the Lutron "Casetta" switch, and then add a wireless "Pico" Remote switch at the other two doors. This isn't Ideal, since the remotes are battery operated. Yes, I know they claim a 10-year battery life. We have 3 of these remotes currently, and have had to replace two batteries this year, just their 3rd year of service since installation. In my head, if I'm already replacing batteries, I'd rather have hands-free, occupancy sensors that automatically turn off behind me when I leave the garage.
Anyone have any thoughts?
NecroJoe
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Correct, I'm not willing to alter the wiring. But the single most logical suggestion, and one I hadn't even thought of until now. Ha!
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Perhaps you could plug a “smart” socket into the porcelain one, install sensors on both doors and configure the setup to turn the lights on for a short time when one door is opened.
Alternatively, buy as many smart sockets as you have light fixtures and program a couple of scenes. That way, you would never have to light the entire garage when it’s unnecessary.
You would still have the battery issue, but at least you’d be getting lots of options together with it.
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I like the idea of having them horizontally across the ceiling, that could look really good. If you went with individual switching on each then you could have a warp speed effect.
When it comes to PIR sensors, I don't like them all that much because they inevitably go off when you're trying to do something and are hidden (like doing something inside the car because they don't work through glass) or will stay on because a fly is in the room. Neighbour's outdoor lights are constantly going on off at the moment, detecting moths I assume.
All that being said, it might be the right solution for you. Could you mount one of these units inside a plastic tube that is suspended from the ceiling?
Use the right size tube and it could look decent, cover it with vinyl wrap or paint it if you want. It would allow you to tweak the height for exact coverage of all of the doors. The switching is done inside the unit and then you can either take the plugs off the light fixtures, or just get a 4-gang extension and shove it into the ceiling or even into the tube. I'm not quite sure how you would fix the tube in the ceiling, if you can access it from the floor above you could use threaded pipe and a threaded cap. There would be a way.
When it comes to PIR sensors, I don't like them all that much because they inevitably go off when you're trying to do something and are hidden (like doing something inside the car because they don't work through glass) or will stay on because a fly is in the room. Neighbour's outdoor lights are constantly going on off at the moment, detecting moths I assume.
All that being said, it might be the right solution for you. Could you mount one of these units inside a plastic tube that is suspended from the ceiling?
Use the right size tube and it could look decent, cover it with vinyl wrap or paint it if you want. It would allow you to tweak the height for exact coverage of all of the doors. The switching is done inside the unit and then you can either take the plugs off the light fixtures, or just get a 4-gang extension and shove it into the ceiling or even into the tube. I'm not quite sure how you would fix the tube in the ceiling, if you can access it from the floor above you could use threaded pipe and a threaded cap. There would be a way.
GRtak
Forum Addict
Trying to figure out a light swith/control for my garage...
My garage, approximately 22ft x 10ft:
View attachment 3566695
The background:
My garage initially only had one of these lights, on the wall, right next to the "top" door on the plan, which is the door from the kitchen, and it's wired to a wall switch right next to that same door. Even with a high-wattage LED lamp, the reach was pitiful, and much of the light was "wasted" as it was close to the ceiling. It also cast terrible shadows and dark corners.
View attachment 3566693
About 6 years ago, to "upgrade" the lighting, I initially bought four of these (about 40 watts each), plugged them in to a power strip screwed to the ceiling, and plugged the strip into the outlet on that porcelain light fixture pictured above. All of the lights were controlled by the single wall switch. I ran the lights in a straight line down the middle of the garage, and it was a HUGE improvement. So much more light, and relatively even (except for the area under the opened garage door, which blocks the ceiling when it's raised).
View attachment 3566694
The down-side to this setup is that the switch that controls these outlets is near the door from the kitchen, but there's no control for the lights at the side door (opposite wall from the kitchen door), nor the garage door on the far end of the garage. So if I try to come in the side door, the garage is dark and I need a flashlight to get to the kitchen door switch.
Since I installed those lights, a couple of things have happened:
a) One by one, all 4 of the lights have died/are dying.
b) We've since added an outlet in the ceiling in the middle of the garage.
In my head, I have two solution ideas, but having trouble figuring out the product solution that would best solve it.
Option 1: Occupancy sensors
Option 2: Remote switches
- I'd love to have ceiling-mounted occupancy sensor plug adaptor. The trouble here is that I can't find a plug adaptor that has remote occupancy sensors so that could see all three entrances, or a single 360° sensor which I could hang from the ceiling, and could see all three entrances.
- I could replace the light switch with something like the Lutron "Casetta" switch, and then add a wireless "Pico" Remote switch at the other two doors. This isn't Ideal, since the remotes are battery operated. Yes, I know they claim a 10-year battery life. We have 3 of these remotes currently, and have had to replace two batteries this year, just their 3rd year of service since installation. In my head, if I'm already replacing batteries, I'd rather have hands-free, occupancy sensors that automatically turn off behind me when I leave the garage.
Anyone have any thoughts?
You can hang lights parallel to, and from the tracks for the garage door. This keeps the light under the door when it is opened. It only requires a bracket and a magnet for each end of the light.
NecroJoe
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Ok my god, thank you for that. I actually knew about that trick, but had it tucked away in such a deep-down archive that I effectively forgot it.
Here I was, thinking I was going to have to buy some articulating cable management thing to mount a light onto the back of the garage door, thinking how I'll want to work an in-line switch that I could reach into it somehow so that it's not blasting us in the face from the "wall" when the garage door is closed...
...and the whole time, I had forgotten about that trick. Because I have shelgving that goes right up to the tracks, I'll need to span the width of the (single car) garage door with some notched angle iron perpendicular to the tracks, to span the width of the garage, and then attaching a light to that bar...but the idea is the same: add a mounting surface for the light, which the slot in above.
killpanda
wants to fondle your manboobs
I quite like how our backyard has turned out on this rainy fall night 
Done. The quality of the wood that my local hardware store was selling left much to be desired, but after some searching, I managed to find enough acceptable material. As you can see, I stuck with the Douglas fir for financial and practical reasons.
The boxes replace black plastic ones like the one you can see in the first picture; I kept that one because I found a huge number of bulbs in the old boxes and wanted to put them somewhere.
The small box is for strawberries and there are individual clay pots with herbs behind it. The large one is separated and the smaller part is for more herbs (that I won’t carry into the kitchen) while the large one is full of bulbs.
That odd frame with the metal rings in it is for three roses in another flower box. I’ll criss-cross some string through the rings after cutting the roses and then we can hopefully finagle them through that next year. Beautiful, strong plants but the thorns are brutal so I want them slightly more confined.
Oh, and the small box fits exactly between the downpipe and the parasol holder. Not a coincidence at all, I swear!
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I'm looking for some front 'doors' for my cube storage unit, it's not a Kallax but the cubes are a very similar size. I'm tired of stuff in the cubes getting sun damaged and they're messy.
I've looked at ideas in past and even bought some hinges, one normal set and another that fold up like a rigid garage door. I didn't like either idea very much. Ideally I want a sliding 'tambour' door like this old Braun cabinet, it was sold alongside the Atelier Hi-Fi system I have.
Anyone aware of where I could buy such a thing or if it exists? I've seen lots of Kallax doors but there isn't space to have a door swing open and then be in the way. I've also considered magnetic covers but I think I'd quickly break the magnetic mounts off when adding or removing things.
I've looked at ideas in past and even bought some hinges, one normal set and another that fold up like a rigid garage door. I didn't like either idea very much. Ideally I want a sliding 'tambour' door like this old Braun cabinet, it was sold alongside the Atelier Hi-Fi system I have.
Anyone aware of where I could buy such a thing or if it exists? I've seen lots of Kallax doors but there isn't space to have a door swing open and then be in the way. I've also considered magnetic covers but I think I'd quickly break the magnetic mounts off when adding or removing things.