Spring Cleaning

[Partial]

With the great weather this weekend, I have taken on the task of completely renovating my garage.

The project commenced this morning at 8am to commence my demolition work. It wasn't a great deal of demolition, but knocking about 10 2x4s off the walls and destroying the old shelving with a hammer was pretty darn fun!

By around 11am or so, I had already filled up about 30 kitchen-sized trash bags. This was primarily all the old crap that was on our shelves, like 20 year old miracle grow, fertalizer, etc. For whatever reason, my mom is a pack-rat, yet she buys new yard supplies every year, while not bothering to use up or throw away the old stuff. I must have tossed 20 big gallon jugs of ant killer.

Once I did that, I put new shelving up in the place of the old shelves. These shelves are about 15 feet long and are stacked three high using metal clamps to attach them to the wall. I replaced them because the old wood was getting really nasty.

Then, I bought some bike hooks to hang all 5 of our bikes from 2x4s going across the top of our garage. This freed up a lot of space but now you've got to watch your head.

Finally, I put up four 4x8 sections of peg board as siding in the inside of the garage. I did have now just completed attaching all the tools and gardening supplies to the board.

Right now, I am just finishing everything up and cleaning up my mess. I took a short break to refuel, and then I am headed back up to sweep up all the mess that has accumlated on the floor over the day.

Man oh man, that place was messy but I felt like I really accomplished something to date. This has been by far my biggest "home improvement" project that I have taken on. It wasn't too hard at all, it just took a lot of time to do the labor. I figure in about an hour or two I should be finished up and hitting the shower.

With the spring season upon us and the countless hours of spring cleaning to make the yard look great, what are some of the renovations/big projects you fellow rats have taken on?

[Freak Out]

Please don't throw all those pesticides into the landfill ok? Most local landfills/disposal sites take it for free from residents. Sounds like you worked your ass off.
Bang up job Partial.

[Partial]

Please don't throw all those pesticides into the landfill ok? Most local landfills/disposal sites take it for free from residents. Sounds like you worked your ass off.
Bang up job Partial.

Is fertilizer bad for land fills? I avoided putting the paint and oil into the trash bags because that stuff is terrible for the environment, but I was unaware of fertilizer and insect killer being bad for it. Perhaps I will put my mother to work tomorrow to dig out the bad stuff

Man, with all those typos in the initial post I think it is definitely time for bed. The garage is looking great. I am truly amazed at all the dust that accumulates on the floor. That stuff is hard to sweep off!!

[Iron Mike]

The garage is looking great. I am truly amazed at all the dust that accumulates on the floor. That stuff is hard to sweep off!!

Your local Fleet Farm (or Farm and Fleet) should sell some absorbent material you can use to help pick up the dust.

[Patler]

Partial;

If you are in Milwaukee, they routinely have hazardous waste dropoff days for pesticides, paints, solvents, etc. All that stuff that gets packed away in garages!

If you put that stuff in your trash, many cities will simply leave it and any other bag or container they think will have it. Some will issue fines.

[GBRulz]

Nothing too exciting here...just the endless landscaping around my house that will never be done. I basically am redoing everything because the people that lived here prior used that landscaping cloth, that IMO is useless and grass will eventually grow through it. So, I'm putting plastic down and then dumping lava rock over it and planting hasta plants throughout.

BTW, I, too had to get rid of several old paint cans and some weed killer chemicals (can't use any of that because of my dogs) and I just took it over to the Brown County hazardous waste areas. They didn't charge but I did have to show proof of residency.

[Iron Mike]

So, I'm putting plastic down and then dumping lava rock over it and planting hasta plants throughout.

Don't EVER buy a hosta plant. Hostas should be divided every couple of years, so if you want some....find somebody with old plants and divide theirs in half for them.

If someone refuses the offer, it probably means they actually PAID $ for a hosta plant that they could have gotten for free and are still bitter about it.

[Patler]

So, I'm putting plastic down and then dumping lava rock over it and planting hasta plants throughout.

Don't EVER buy a hosta plant. Hostas should be divided every couple of years, so if you want some....find somebody with old plants and divide theirs in half for them.

If someone refuses the offer, it probably means they actually PAID $ for a hosta plant that they could have gotten for free and are still bitter about it.

Well, if all you want is a hosta, of any kind, that's fine. But looking around the neighborhood about all you will find are the 5-10 varieties found at WalMart, K-Mart, Menards and your local hardware and grocery stores. Your flowers will then look like everyone else's.

If you really want some interesting ones, unusually colored and of different sizes from 6" to 3'+, there are some really good online sales. There are hundreds of varieties. They aren't all that expensive for some pretty unique ones. Buy just a couple each year of different varieties, and then in 3 years or so you can divide your own to expand your own plantings that do not look like everyone else's in the neighborhood.

[Iron Mike]

So, I'm putting plastic down and then dumping lava rock over it and planting hasta plants throughout.

Don't EVER buy a hosta plant. Hostas should be divided every couple of years, so if you want some....find somebody with old plants and divide theirs in half for them.

If someone refuses the offer, it probably means they actually PAID $ for a hosta plant that they could have gotten for free and are still bitter about it.

Well, if all you want is a hosta, of any kind, that's fine. But looking around the neighborhood about all you will find are the 5-10 varieties found at WalMart, K-Mart, Menards and your local hardware and grocery stores. Your flowers will then look like everyone else's.

If you really want some interesting ones, unusually colored and of different sizes from 6" to 3'+, there are some really good online sales. There are hundreds of varieties. They aren't all that expensive for some pretty unique ones. Buy just a couple each year of different varieties, and then in 3 years or so you can divide your own to expand your own plantings that do not look like everyone else's in the neighborhood.

Can I come over this fall and divide some of your kick-@$$ hostas for you this year??

[Little Whiskey]

The garage is looking great. I am truly amazed at all the dust that accumulates on the floor. That stuff is hard to sweep off!!

Your local Fleet Farm (or Farm and Fleet) should sell some absorbent material you can use to help pick up the dust.

its called sweeping compound. usually green or red in color. I know it really doesn't make a whole lot of sense to throw shit on the floor just to sweep it back up again, but it'll keep the dust down.

[Patler]

Can I come over this fall and divide some of your kick-@$$ hostas for you this year??

Heck no! I paid for those things!

[Iron Mike]

Can I come over this fall and divide some of your kick-@$$ hostas for you this year??

Heck no! I paid for those things!

See????

[Iron Mike]

The garage is looking great. I am truly amazed at all the dust that accumulates on the floor. That stuff is hard to sweep off!!

Your local Fleet Farm (or Farm and Fleet) should sell some absorbent material you can use to help pick up the dust.

its called sweeping compound. usually green or red in color. I know it really doesn't make a whole lot of sense to throw shit on the floor just to sweep it back up again, but it'll keep the dust down.

I used to buy the green stuff that was more or less oiled sawdust. But it DOES pick up the dust from the floor.

https://www.floorsweep.net

[GBRulz]

So, I'm putting plastic down and then dumping lava rock over it and planting hasta plants throughout.

Don't EVER buy a hosta plant. Hostas should be divided every couple of years, so if you want some....find somebody with old plants and divide theirs in half for them.

If someone refuses the offer, it probably means they actually PAID $ for a hosta plant that they could have gotten for free and are still bitter about it.

Actually, I moved them from one spot to another and also got some from my Mom.... is that ok?

[Patler]

Can I come over this fall and divide some of your kick-@$$ hostas for you this year??

Heck no! I paid for those things!

See????

Actually, my lot is plenty big enough to use all divisions myself. I bought just a few and am expanding with my own plants.