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Thread ID: 86141	2008-01-05 23:59:00	A question for those living in a 1920s (or so) bungalow	Roscoe (6288)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
627610	2008-01-06 07:45:00	Metrics is / are the numeric equivalent equivalent of txt speak. Handy for the innumerate, a nuisance for real people. Some bits of the metric mish-mash are handy, temperature is ok if they can stop changing the name for a while. Pressure units are a joke in bad taste, even the name changes haven't helped. We will need serious help when the pointy heads in Brussels get around to "Improving" the electrical units (although the Farad could be slimmed down a lot without making too much mess). Never teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig.	R2x1 (4628)
627611	2008-01-06 07:54:00	I would endorse the suggestion to avoid polyurethane particularly if you are applying it yourself, the smell is horrendous and the product is slow drying. I would recommend Cabot's Clear floor which is an acrylic medium. It is virtually oder free, drys in a couple of hours and the brushes clean up in water. It is a little more expensive than polyurethane but the ability to get 3 or 4 coats down in a day makes it worth it. I used it on some Rimu stairs and after a years use there is no sign of wear.	tutaenui (1724)
627612	2008-01-06 08:17:00	I would endorse the suggestion to avoid polyurethane particularly if you are applying it yourself, the smell is horrendous and the product is slow drying. I would recommend Cabot's Clear floor which is an acrylic medium. It is virtually oder free, drys in a couple of hours and the brushes clean up in water. It is a little more expensive than polyurethane but the ability to get 3 or 4 coats down in a day makes it worth it. I used it on some Rimu stairs and after a years use there is no sign of wear. I've had mixed experiences with Cabots Clear Floor, due to the age of our house (built in the early 40's). Because it's plasticy, it tends to stick to itself, rather than the floor. What this means is, as the floorboards move due to changing seasons and human foot-traffic, it causes individual boards to move up and down a little bit, despite it being T&G. There are a lot of places in the house where it has cracked along the joins of floorboards, and has started to peel off where there is high-volume of traffic. In our home office where we have computer chairs, the constant rolling around from the castors has also caused a lot of the Clear Floor to peel off in sheets where there is heavy wear. Where the floorboards are more stable, and there is lighter foot traffic, it has survived quite well - if my memory serves me right, we did the floors in 2003/2004, and while it's lost its shine it's still looking fairly good.	somebody (208)
627613	2008-01-06 16:33:00	Metrics is / are the numeric equivalent equivalent of txt speak . Handy for the innumerate, a nuisance for real people . Some bits of the metric mish-mash are handy, temperature is ok if they can stop changing the name for a while . Pressure units are a joke in bad taste, even the name changes haven't helped . We will need serious help when the pointy heads in Brussels get around to "Improving" the electrical units (although the Farad could be slimmed down a lot without making too much mess) . Never teach a pig to sing . It wastes your time and annoys the pig . I guess being old and retired it doesn't make too much difference to me . . although I can wrap my head around tire pressure in ATUs . . . or is that ATI? An atmosphere is still 14 . 7lbs sq/inch to me . . so I just use 2 AT-whatever they are's, and I get about 28 to 30 lbs . . and that's what most tires start at for specs . Here's a couple of shots of the place that I'm working on . . you'll notice the tarps to keep the snow/rain and mud outta the lower trenches where I just put the rebar . . and we are waiting to pour the new footings . PIX 1 ( . imagef1 . net . nz/files/HPIM1290 . JPG" target="_blank">www . imagef1 . net . nz) PIX 2 ( . imagef1 . net . nz/files/HPIM1292 . JPG" target="_blank">www . imagef1 . net . nz) This cabin is at the 6,500 foot level and today it is covered in a fresh blanket of snow .	SurferJoe46 (51)
627614	2008-01-06 19:03:00	Here's a couple of shots of the place that I'm working on..you'll notice the tarps to keep the snow/rain and mud outta the lower trenches where I just put the rebar..and we are waiting to pour the new footings. PIX 1 (www.imagef1.net.nz) PIX 2 (www.imagef1.net.nz) This cabin is at the 6,500 foot level and today it is covered in a fresh blanket of snow.Nice setting there. Will you get to loan it for holidays Joe? (assuming there's a fishing lake nearby!)	Greg (193)
627615	2008-01-06 19:23:00	Thank you, gentlemen, for your comments and suggestions. Scouse: Your comments on cost sound plausible. If the smaller boards are cheaper then that might explain why the (more expensive?) wide boards are on the lounge side where the guests wood (laughs loudly at his own joke) see the expensive wood and wood (still laughing) be impressed. The smaller (cheaper?) boards are on the side where they would not be seen. Robbyp and Tutaenui: I just imagined that he would use polyurethane. I will check. Thanks for your suggestions, robbyp. Somebody: sounds as though you would not recommend Cabots. Any other recommendations? Graham L: The house has had no additions that we can determine. We base that assumption on the fact that the builder built three houses, all next door to each other, at the same time, all (originally) identical triplets. While they all look slightly different now, you can see the similarities. The main changes are the filled in porches – no lean-tos. The bathroom is between the bedrooms. It certainly does not look as though the bathroom (and toilet) were added later, but I must admit surprise that a house built at that time would have an inside loo. This thread is better than most – two threads in one. So the good old USA is finally getting around to metrics. I imagine that you will have the same problems getting your head around it as we have although the kids seem happy enough with it. Interestingly enough, my girls are fluent in both, because we still use imperial, but they use metrics. I think that a generation or two are going to have to die out before imperial disappears. Thanks for your help, people.	Roscoe (6288)
627616	2008-01-06 19:31:00	Nice setting there . Will you get to loan it for holidays Joe? (assuming there's a fishing lake nearby!) There's Lake Hemet to one side and another, smaller lake to the other, called Lake Fulmor . It isn't mine to beg borrow or steal . . it belongs to a guy who has taken it upon himself to restore it to original as-built condition . That's the hang-up . . it has to look original when it's all done . Dr . Kellogg of Battle Creek build a tuberculosis clinic here way before the Hollywood types found the area and displaced them all . This is one of the leftover cabins . . poorly built . . but it was primarily a summer retreat as it had no insulation and poor quality of installed appliances . I don't know what they call them in NZ . . but picture this: The outer walls are basically T&G over a 2 x 4 stud with NO sheer plates inside . What held the whole thing up was the happiness of the inner panels wanting to stay in the same proximity with the outer planks . Nothing held the place plumb or in square other that wishful thinking . The floors are substantial . . and I suppose that they are the saving grace by which the building still stands . The foundation . . or what is supposed to be a foundation, relied upon the heavy roots from the huge trees to hold it all together and keep it from slipping down the mountainside . It worked . . but the cement . . and I use that term very loosely . . is powdered and not structural at all . No rebar, no wire, no forms but the trench . . which was not more than 18 inches deep at the deepest places . The cement was just allowed to mushroom over the ground on the surface and to that a few cement blocks were placed . . hoping that they adhered to the silly-putty cement . It's fun to see what was done without building codes and permits and inspections .	SurferJoe46 (51)
627617	2008-01-06 20:18:00	I have a 1920s whatever it is, its sort of in between bungalow and villa. And we used polyurethane on our Rimu floors. It dries quickly not slowly, yes it smells a bit while you do it - so does paint. Its hard wearing and looks great. And we previously lived in a house that had polyurethaned floors in parts of it, we lived there for 22 years. No sign of any poisoning problems yet.	pctek (84)
627618	2008-01-07 00:28:00	Thanks pctek. Nice to hear of someone else's experience. I did think that polyurethane was used but uncertain. We intend to move out while it is done - we have been warned of the nauseating afluvium. Although it dries quickly, as you say, how long does it take to harden? The reason I ask is because we have an iron-framed German piano and it is heavy! There is no lifting because, on my own, I can't. So we run it on it's wheels. Wonder how that might affect new polyurethane?	Roscoe (6288)
627619	2008-01-07 01:09:00	Lots of misinformation about the stuff: Read here: www.resene.co.nz Urethane oils and urethane alkyds (e.g. polyurethane varnishes): Urethane oils and alkyds contain no residue of free unreacted isocyanate and thus the handling and use of these products is no different to normal solventbased paints. Husband did ours. Didn't kill him. Didn't even make him dizzy. We left 24 hrs between coats, and you need several coats. About 3 days before moving your furniture back should be ok.	pctek (84)
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