comparing different remodeling possibilities - which are best?
Pat
3 years ago
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Celadon
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoRelated Discussions
Which have biggest taste difference compared to store-bought?
Comments (22)Diana, space is a limiting factor for a lot of us, and you ask a very good question that I have pondered myself as I continue to create new beds and plant more and more edibles...(who needs grass?) As far as taste my answer would be: tomatoes, green beans, peas of all kinds, fresh beans (shellies that you normally cannot even buy), sweet corn, carrots and lettuces (I include arugula here). I am trying to plant potatoes and have not succeeded yet, so I am glad to read that potatoes are one of those veggies too....(I have some more potatoes growing and I think I will get some this time) However, following up on Grandad's suggestions, there are vegetables that we like a lot so growing them is a good idea. I would never buy the amount of veggies I grow, it would be too expensive or impossible to find! For example, my favorite eggplant, Rosa Bianca, I cannot find at the store. It is white fleshed, tender and so delicious, and yes, maybe if someone grew it commercially it would taste similar, but it is not commercially available where I live. So growing it gives me access to a most delicious eggplant that I would normally not be able to eat. Lots of vegetable varieties fall into this situation, normally you only get the ones that are easy to grow and transport, not necessarily the tastiest. The few places that do offer 'gourmet' vegetables also charge a premium. Also, I would add to Grandad's list: 6) How heavy are the vegetables and what is your mode of transportation? I started trying to grow purple potatoes since I love them and the closest place I can buy them is 11 miles round trip (on a bike) for me. I much rather dig them out of my yard even if I am not really saving any money by growing them, just because potatoes are so heavy. After reading this thread I am happy to learn they are also tastier....See MoreComparing Different Hydroponic Systems
Comments (2)Hello If you changed your current way of growing to make things easier I think a drip system would be best. I like the ebb & flo and I have had great success with many plants. I know that bigger roots make better yeilds and you can have better root systems with the drip. I never like to waste money buying new things. I use whatever is free except lines, pumps, fittings, etc. I noticed that you will have a bunch of five gallon buckets left when you switch to Hydro. Why not use the buckets you already have. You would have to make sure the buckets drain into a reservior with a pump if you want to recycle your nutrient solution. If you drain to waste then ignore the last sentance and the next one. To recycle let the solution collect in one reservoir and get pumped through drippers which go into the buckets to feed them again. You will need a submersible pump and a reservior and also irrigation lines and all the required parts for irrigation lines(post pump filter,drip heads, drip stakes, pressure reulators). The materials needed for drip is pretty cheap(Look around on the net for the best price and better quality) If your window is not too low you could build a small table with a slight slope with trim peices as a "wall" on three sides with a vinyl sheet attached on top(4'x8' available at hardware stores). The side that is sloping down without trim is the drain side. Put your reservior under the drain end(try not to let light in the reservior because algea grows in light). Your reservior would have a pump which pumps solution in the buckets. The buckets drain to the reservior and this repeats. If your mix is course then you must drip constantly. If it retains more water put a timer which takes them through the wet and dry cycle. The best mix I recommend is some kiln cooked clay balls (rocks) which are sold in hydro stores (I can't say the brand name). And also some Coco fiber, you mix the rocks and fiber with more rock than coco in the mix. I think this mix drains very well and the coco holds some moisture in the mix. If the right proportions are used in the mix you can set your pump low to drip constantly. Talk about a huge root system your tomato plants would be very healthy. This mix uses some coco which is more similar to soil and in my opinion that makes it easier to grow. I hope this info helps at all and I will be happy to answer any questions for you. Amar...See Morecomparing porcelain tiles-similar but different price
Comments (7)Hi there BuddysMom, Mongo got most of the points covered but here are a couple of other things to consider as well. Flatness - Rectified tiles have been re-milled for squareness, but the face of the tile can still have cups or bows which will ruin an offset pattern quicker than you can say Bisazza! Making the tile flat also requires more machining and that will usually translate into a higher price point. Glazed vs. Through-body - Does the color extend into the body of the tile or is it a glaze applied to the surface? Through-body tiles can be polished like stone tiles for more attractive corners, stairs, and even your own baseboard. Composition of tile finish - There are some really exotic finishes on some pretty affordable tiles lately. Some are metallic glazes or metallic gases fused to the hot tiles. Others are extremely delicate appearing yet still durable. There are embossed textures, stamped patterns and mixed sheens. Sometime similar effects are accomplished by very different means, and the costs will reflect these varied approaches. Best of luck, Shaughnn...See MoreComparing two very different full system quotes
Comments (8)@ Cody, Motorized control dampers doesn't specify which type, for that reason I would almost suspect a 'spring' open or close type damper. (these are still motorized but one sided 'either power open or power close' but not both. In other words if the damper is 'power open' it would be spring close and vice versa. A power open AND power close damper is a better more efficient motor. Bypass takes a lot of heat from contractors that don't know, or care to know what they are doing. A zone system is 'a lot of work' behind the scenes in prep work and then going into structure and actually doing it. If there is a team doing this the challenge is even greater because many times the design may fall on those doing the work. Lack of communication or know how and you're not going to have anything you want. (nothing but problems) The problem is that if you omit the bypass, the system is no where near as effective under all scenarios and could reduce efficiency and may even cause problems more so than it attempts to eliminate. I have a zone system in my current home and I am in the process of installing a zone system at my new home that I am moving to soon. (I am the one actually doing the work so I have very intimate knowledge of zoning systems.) I also did a zone project a year ago for a 3 level home in which there was no 'bypass' installed. How they got around this issue was to 'over size' the duct work. (There has to be some where the air can go when only 1 zone is calling.) What happened was that during hot times the upper level (3rd floor) would not get cool enough. The cure was to rip out the existing zone system and add zones for better control and install a 'powered' bypass. (replacing the duct work is not an option in a 3 level home easier to just tear it down and start over.) So with this home the problem still exists, but only when all zones are calling at the same time and it's hot outside. Which really isn't a problem because when people sleep the main part of the house that damper closes down and supplies the bedrooms, when people wake up the bedrooms damper down and the supply goes to the main house. If you have a properly sized duct system along with correct bypass, the difference is 'night to day'. I know because I feel the comfort and the efficiency of this type of system in my own home. The problem is finding someone who 'knows' as opposed to someone who just offers something from a competitive standpoint trying to sell it to you that way. 'Bypassing air confuses the TXV resulting in a loss of humidity control': This means I have no idea what I am doing. (It's complete nonsense.)...See MorePat
3 years agoSammy
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoPat
3 years agoCoolAir Inc.
3 years agoannoulaxeni
3 years agolast modified: 3 years ago
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