#22225 - 02/11/15 02:13 PM
Re: The "Old Shack" project.
[Re: redsnow]
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Moderator
Registered: 06/11/06
Posts: 3014
Loc: WV
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About the only place I'm having trouble with wasps, is in room 2-C. If you go back up and look at some of the early pictures, that's 1"x3" molding, we used over the luwan. It's in and out, a couple places, that's where the wasps are coming in. I think a bead of clear silicone will take care of that problem. Might be best to use that clear, paintable caulk, if case we'd ever decide to paint that room. I don't see that happening, I like the room as is.
Two years in a row, I've found wasps lined up, a double-handfull, right along that one little crack. It was too cold to caulk, both times.
The morning sun hits that window first, not long ago, the window was crawling with wasps, couple flies and lady bugs too.
Seems like these old houses, they always have bees, flies and lady bugs. Early on this job, we took a wisk broom and swept the attic. I'll bet we picked up 10 gallons of lady bug shells. Then we took a shop/vac across the attic, and got a bunch more. We did that before we started putting down the insulation.
The ceilings in rooms 2-A and 2-B, are tounge-groove, but with us crawling around up there, the dust and dirt coming out of the cracks would cover the floor.
That one time we were up there running electric, there were 100's of lady bugs against that one wall. Should have sprayed them then. Hopefully the bug bomb things will snuff them out. I guess, it's some type of nest?
The main place I'm losing heat, is the wall, at the top of the stairway. Above the logs. It's just tounge grove lumber on the inside, and the siding. There's just a cold spot there, at the top of the steps.
If I remember right, that little crack is open in the attic. Might just be able to stuff it full of insulation. Or shovel it full of the blown insulation. ???
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#22324 - 03/23/15 02:43 PM
Re: The "Old Shack" project.
[Re: redsnow]
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Member
Registered: 11/17/14
Posts: 46
Loc: NEOhio
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You have done a good job! Congratulations. Your a lucky man no one messes with your place while your away. it seems we have had bug ,(flies, wasps,jackets come out with a warm up in a room. I do believe that they go dormant for years until that nice bit of heat comes back. Then wammo..
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#22339 - 03/30/15 10:52 PM
Re: The "Old Shack" project.
[Re: redsnow]
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Moderator
Registered: 06/11/06
Posts: 3014
Loc: WV
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Well, knock on wood, so far no one has tried to break into the house, (not since I've been working on it). Seriously, the only thing any lock, door lock or padlock does, is keep an honest man honest! If someone wants inside, bad enough, they'll find a way.
The neighbors keep a pretty close eye on the place, and several of my other friends, stop by and check on things now and then. Probably the biggest thing that helps with that situation, a lot of people don't even know that the house exists. You can't see it from the main road. There's nothing inside that's really expensive. No guns or anything like that. Stuff that people like robbers would steal.
Well, last Friday night after work, I went up to the King's house. When I cut around the corner behind the house, there were 5 deer standing in the headlights. Another couple weeks and that little field should be green. One morning last fall, 4 big hen turkeys fed down through the field, first turkeys I've seen up there for years. The deer are using the "salt lick" that Wardney started last fall too.
It was 20* Saturday morning, about 10am my guys Wardney, Mike and Moe arrived and we went to work on the tree trimming.
Scroll back up and look at the picture I posted on 2/9/15. That tree on the left is bigger than it looks! I sawed it off to about 25 feet, the biggest limb was still 15" across. Moe got 2 truck loads of fire wood, and Wardney took home maybe a half a load, just from the one tree top. And trimmed the little pear tree behind the house. The sap is starting to come up now, I'll probably wait until next winter to trim the other hickory tree.
Back on January 1st I drained the water lines and winterized everything, think I'll wait another week or 2 before I turn on the well pump. I hope everything works out as smooth this year, as it did last time.
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#22382 - 04/19/15 01:45 PM
Re: The "Old Shack" project.
[Re: redsnow]
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Moderator
Registered: 06/11/06
Posts: 3014
Loc: WV
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Well, I went up to the King's house yesterday, just to check on stuff. Notice what a big change in the little field behind the house. Compared to the pictures I posted Feburary 2014. Only 14 months ago. That little pear tree just behind the house is covered with bloom, we trimmed it hard, just a couple of weeks ago. The pear tree in this picture, it needs trimmed, but last fall they picked maybe 4 gallons of pears. Nice big pears, and they're sweet too. Years ago there were a few apple trees on the place, they're all dead now, really should plant a few more. Would need to plant them inside a cage, to keep the deer from killing them. I'll just keep pecking away at the place. Just thinking, there are another 4 or 5 acres of brush that needs cut. It takes time!
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#22383 - 04/19/15 03:05 PM
Re: The "Old Shack" project.
[Re: redsnow]
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Moderator
Registered: 07/17/00
Posts: 10232
Loc: Blue Creek, Ohio, USA
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Those old homested pear trees are tough. -- Hal
_________________________
Endeavor to persevere.
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#22492 - 05/20/15 03:27 AM
Re: The "Old Shack" project.
[Re: redsnow]
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Moderator
Registered: 06/11/06
Posts: 3014
Loc: WV
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Here's a picture of the same field, as above, just a month later. It's really greened-up. Talking about the 2 pear trees behind the house, both of them were covered with bloom. We've had 2 or 3 frosts, and at least one freeze, since 4/19/15. Calling for the temperature to drop into the 40's this week. Strange weather! I turned on the water today, didn't see any leaks. Note to self: 54# pressure at the tank. I flipped off the breaker to the well pump when I left, wrote it down up there too. I'll check the pressure, next time up, hopefully it'll still be at 54 psi. Weedeated around the shack last Sunday, makes 2 times so far. Raked up 2 loads of twigs, from the tree trimming project, hauled them off. Drove around the place, did see 5 deer, and set off a "bug bomb" thing in each room upstairs. Wasps were crawling around. You know, the bug bomb things, set off my upstairs smoke detector. Will need new batteries. Last Sunday morning, I opened the door to the out building, stepped inside, there were 4 little Carolina Wrens fluttering around inside. Pretty sure their nest is on the top shelf. That's 3 years in a row, I've found a wren nest. Once upstairs inside the house, last year on the front porch, now in the shed. I'll try to find that one picture, of 2 adults inside their nest.
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#22502 - 05/23/15 05:23 PM
Re: The "Old Shack" project.
[Re: redsnow]
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Moderator
Registered: 07/17/00
Posts: 10232
Loc: Blue Creek, Ohio, USA
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Wrens are neat. At one time, in the barn I had an old wood pop crate nailed to wall where I kept small garden tools. Every year a wren would make a nest in the back of that box. It's funny how Carolina Wrens can adapt to buildings. I have all kind of bird fly into my barn and can't find their way back out. I hear them banging against the windows. But wrens fly in and out with no problem. If they see a crack as big as a mouse hole, they'll go through it.
Hal
_________________________
Endeavor to persevere.
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#22510 - 05/25/15 11:46 AM
Re: The "Old Shack" project.
[Re: redsnow]
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Moderator
Registered: 06/11/06
Posts: 3014
Loc: WV
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The wren nest above was built during the early part of the house project. We were making lots of dust, mainly hauling out junk and trash, and it was hot. We had about all of the windows open. Not long after we found the nest, then I found eggs. Tiny little eggs, maybe 1/2 inch long. But they all hatched, we left the one window up, I had one little crack or opening about the size of a business card. Through the day the nest would be empty, but at night there would be a couple back in the nest. It was fun to watch them, as a family group, they'd work their way across the front yard, all in a little cluster.
Well, those bug bomb things must work. I stayed at the King's house, Friday and Saturday night. 38* Saturday morning, 48* yesterday. All of the bugs upstairs were dead, got them cleaned up. Set off 4 more bug bombs down-stairs before I left, hopefully it'll kill the spiders too.
Let's see, it was Friday night, I heard a whip-poor-will, then Saturday night I heard 2. First one's I've heard this spring.
Noticed the old house needs a paint job, all of the new sections just have one coat, starting to bleed through the paint. It all needs painted. Then it should be good to go for a little while. Wardney has a plan for the painting party.
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