external siding comparison/opinion?
skeptigirl
18 years ago
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Michael_H
18 years agoskeptigirl
18 years agoRelated Discussions
External BioFilter
Comments (10)Let me talk about what I meant before I start to answer the questions you asked. At 800 gallons you have a lot of weight in the tank roughly 7,000 lbs. There is fairly little force pushing on the bottom, about 1.5 psi so the ground will not have a problem with that force. But the wood walls will have a lot force against them. You say you are going to use cedar garden post but you don't say how it will be built. So let me tell you how mine is built. I used treated 4x4's for the walls. These were put together like Lincoln logs. On the bottom layer the corners are lap joints so there is a 4x4 going all the way around. Then there is a 4x4 on top of this on the 12' length and then a 4x4 on the 4' width so there is a 3.5" gap between each layer of 4x4 all the way up to the top where the top layer has lap joints. In each corner there is a .5" threaded rod going down through each 4x4 to hold all the 4x4's together. There is also two more .5" threaded rod on each of the long sides holding those together. Then there is 1/2" plywood lining the box with a liner inside that. Within two days after filling the tank the bottom of the long sides had bowed out at least 2 inches in the center. After about a year the long walls on the bottom had bowed about 4 to 5 inches. At that time I decided to put two 2" pipes set in concrete on each of the long sides. This stopped from bowing any more. But even with this there are some pretty good size cracks in the 4x4's after 16 years and at some point the 4x4's will fail. Why 4000 gph flow rate? This gives me a twenty minute dwell time. Is this idea? No one knows for sure but this rate has been used for years with a great deal of success. Filters today are going to a much lower dwell time and they work somewhat. My pond system is 19,500 gallons including the water in the filters. The first 12 years that I ran this filter it had 2 ft of lava rock held above the pipes on the bottom that had holes in them to distribute the water. On top this there was one roll of spring flow and 36,000 ft of 1/2" wide PVC plastic strapping. Then there was 4 inches of polyester pads. This filter was cleaned once during that time. At that point in time I removed the lava rock and replaced it with PVC ribbon which is a machined product of 1/8" wide continuous ribbon. This filter currently has about 18,000 sq ft of surface area to grow bacteria. No I do not spike the biofilter with beneficial bacteria as there is no need to do this. Currently there is no manufacture producing a beneficial bacteria with a bacteria that a good koi pond can't produce on it's own and maintain on its own. Granted it takes the pond years to do this. I have gone on here way too much all ready to continue to talk about beneficial bacteria. Depending on the type of pond beneficial bacteria is not only a good thing but a necessary thing. Mike...See MoreWindows or Siding First? Need Advice
Comments (6)Thank you pixie_lou and hollysprings for the fast replies! We've been struggling on how these pieces of the remodeling puzzle fit together. Earlier phases like electrical service and roof insulation were much easier to compartmentalize. If we do the window and insulation / siding work at the same time (or within the same year), can we start on things like the ISO install several weeks or more in advance of the window contractors arriving? We'll be doing the insulation work ourselves and it will take longer because we'll be doing it on evenings and weekends (weather and work schedules permitting). We've done a lot of the work in our houses ourselves and it's always been the timing between what we do and what contractors do that we struggle with the most. Because we both work full-time, and with DIY needing to rely on a lot of research both before and during work, our work pace is a LOT slower than the professionals....See MoreOpinions on window bids needed
Comments (77)My choice would be Integrity if Marvin is too pricey. But that Marvin quote seems REALLY reasonable. MAKE SURE THEY KNOW H!OW TO INSTALL THEM .I would insist upon asking their installlation process, materials, etc. It matters when you are installing high end windows Wood is warm, acoustically superior, solid to the touch and just FEELS better than vinyl. Wood is more versatile painted or stained, can be changed if redecorating. My biggest problem with all the vinyl/PVC in the building industry is its environmentally a nightmare. I have always told people .....windows are life furniture for walls. Sometimes a beautiful wall of windows needs nothing else around them, they can be so beautifully done. And yes your house is beautiful. I would cringe if you choose vinyl. Vinyl is for track homes. Which Yours is not....See MoreMarvin Clad Ultimate vs. Hurd Aluminum Clad
Comments (8)I'd recommend looking at JELDWEN's Siteline EX product. I used to sell Marvin's for years and still do once in awhile. In my area, I sell almost 7 figures a year in JELDWEN windows. I can say that their quality is near Marvin's and is 30% less. They also have a color called "Artic Silver" which looks like clear anodized but is an applied finish. Anodized coating SUCK as they scratch easily and cannot be touched up. If you don't believe me, ask your dealer what they warranty is on anodized product. If they don't say 5 years or less, ask for it writing prior to ordering. Artic Silver is a 10 year warranty through JELDWEN(20 years if you look at their Custom series product, which is equal to Marvin). As for Hurd, if they're close to the same price as Marvin I would pick the Marvin if you're not interested in JELDWEN. Hurd is a crappy brand name and what's the point of buying "knock offs" if there's not enough savings to justify it? I don't go to the flea market and expect to pay 10% less. My advice, look at JELDWEN's Siteline EX product. If you don't like the quality, buy Marvin. Find a GOOD dealer in your area that knows what he's doing and you feel you can work with. Call the manufacturer and see who they prefer in your area(they'll give you their best dealer who buys the best). Lastly, remember pricing isn't everything. One mistake can easily suck out what you saved by "shopping around"......See Moresawtooth
18 years agoMichael_H
18 years agodelcogreg
18 years agojudyle
17 years agoron6519
17 years agocoolvt
17 years ago
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skeptigirlOriginal Author