The Very-Many-Questions-Not-Worth-Their-Own-Thread Thread XLIII

[Gori the Grey]

Or the gravel m9ght help dissipate the outgassing of decomposing bodies buried there!

I'll let you know what I dig up.

Thanks for the heads-up, It will shock me less if I do come across something.

 

[Cutlass]

Why might a homeowner have wanted to put pea-gravel under a shed?

I took down an old shed and want to put grass in the spot, but when I go to dig, under a little bit of dirt, I find pea-gravel about a foot deep.

Drainage? Better support for the shed?

Nothing rides on the answer. I've got to dig it out, go buy dirt and fill the hole with dirt. Slows me down on a bigger project I have underway.

That's a foundation to level it and keep it from settling. But also to keep the shed itself out of the dirt.

 

[EnglishEdward]

To my British fellow-posters in particular,

Not sure where that hand movement comes from. It reminds me a little of Morris Dancing.

 

[Gori the Grey]

My question was about the pronunciation of the word "enterprise," @EnglishEdward. But maybe that's a good lead for @warpus

 

[EnglishEdward]

I'd say enterprise is most often pronounced as two joined up words "enter" and "prise" with a very slight pause between the "enter" and the "prise".

 

[Gori the Grey]

Thanks, EE

 

[Birdjaguar]

Not sure where that hand movement comes from. It reminds me a little of Morris Dancing.

When our son lived in Philly he was in a Morris dancing group and they were part of the annual Mummer's Day Parade. Fun stuff.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Not sure where that hand movement comes from. It reminds me a little of Morris Dancing.

Most of it looked like a symbolic kind of sword fight.

None of it looked like milking invisible floating cows.

 

[Samez]

That's a foundation to level it and keep it from settling. But also to keep the shed itself out of the dirt.

This, especially when you have frost in winter you want something that does not settle too much every year when that thawing happens.

 

[Farm Boy]

I'm open to all answers, whatever they might be.

Closest I've stumbled across since you asked. It's only in there for a bit.

Spoiler :

Don't think it's it. Think it's probably just loosey goosey and people resonate with each other. Interesting question tho!

Edit: definitely not it. Finally managed to get through youtube being pissy about letting me watch the 3 year old video.

 

[warpus]

Could you post a picture? I'm having trouble reconciling "gazebo" and "car park." Gazebos are either circular or hexagonal detached porch-like things that sit on a lawn, usually painted white with fancy latticework and flower boxes or other flowers planted. There might be a couple of benches in them where people go to either read or get somewhat affectionate with the person with whom they have a committed relationship. Gazebos are also used as an outdoor wedding site.

So I don't understand what this has to do with cars.

Imagine a gazebo with 4 posts and a roof, no walls, installed on the driveway, so that a car can park underneath.

Our neighbors who live across the street from us wanted to add a carport in their driveway but to do so they needed a special code variation permit. To get that permit from the city they needed an approved design by an architect or engineer and a public hearing where neighbors could object (none did). In your case it it appears you are buying commercially designed unit that will just be installed as opposed a custom designed one. The manufacturing company might be required to provide the engineered drawings to show that it meets all building codes.

Interesting.. I hope we don't have to go that far! I can imagine a company like that not thinking it's worth their time to do something like that. I mean, they are probably a global company, if they replied to every request like this, it seems they'd have to hire people to look after all that.. We've put together some drawings and our plan, we are emailing it to the city.. We will say what they say.

@Gori the Grey @EnglishEdward Hmm yeah this could be a lead! I watched parts of the video and there are indeed some similarities there. It would make perfect sense to me that a sports celebration might have roots in a folk dance. I mean, you can imagine how such a thing could evolve. It would also make sense why such things are not found in other cultures, which have their own folk dances, with different body and hand movements.

@Farm Boy I appreciate the detective work! It does seem similar, but you are probably right that it's unrelated. Then again, who knows?

 

[Cutlass]

Imagine a gazebo with 4 posts and a roof, no walls, installed on the driveway, so that a car can park underneath.

Basically, your town is being a bag of dicks. But they have the law on their side. Now if this were attached to the house, that's one thing. But free standing, Basically, your town is being a bag of dicks.

That said, generally if you hire a general contractor, they handle the permitting for you.

 

[Farm Boy]

Honestly, aside from the milking cows thing* the only other that comes to mind is its kinda a type of super drunk happy swagger home.

*omg the size of the nipples on those cows!

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Basically, your town is being a bag of dicks.

You've just described every municipality in Canada.

 

[Cutlass]

You've just described every municipality in Canada.

And many in the US. Although I don't know that it's universal.

 

[warpus]

Basically, your town is being a bag of dicks. But they have the law on their side. Now if this were attached to the house, that's one thing. But free standing, Basically, your town is being a bag of dicks.

That said, generally if you hire a general contractor, they handle the permitting for you.

Would we basically have to hire someone just to do deal with the permits for us? We emailed the city but haven't heard back yet, we basically included the plans and asked if we need a permit (again, might as well ask) and if they could give us feedback on the next steps for this.

Hopefully we get someone a bit more reasonable.

 

[Cutlass]

Would we basically have to hire someone just to do deal with the permits for us? We emailed the city but haven't heard back yet, we basically included the plans and asked if we need a permit (again, might as well ask) and if they could give us feedback on the next steps for this.

Hopefully we get someone a bit more reasonable.

Honestly, what you're describing should not need a permit, as it's not attached to the house. But some places just like to control these things, because they don't want anyone "degrading the neighborhood character". Ask @JollyRoger about home owner's associations. I would probably have just built it on my own without asking anyone. But you might get some sense out of the town if you can describe it well enough as a free standing structure.

If you were building an addition to the house, then a general contractor is supposed to handle design and permitting, as well as construction, including subcontracting.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Would we basically have to hire someone just to do deal with the permits for us? We emailed the city but haven't heard back yet, we basically included the plans and asked if we need a permit (again, might as well ask) and if they could give us feedback on the next steps for this.

Hopefully we get someone a bit more reasonable.

Honestly, I'd go to City Hall and ask to speak to someone in the relevant department, and refuse to leave until that happens. And don't let yourself be fobbed off with "We'll take your name and contact information and someone will get back to you" because they almost never do.

Be polite but firm, and make it clear that you're more than willing to abide by all the rules and regulations, but you need to know exactly what those are, who you need to contact, what paperwork you need to do, and what the deadlines are. Also ask what happens if a neighbor complains, because that can cause no end of legal headaches if they do. You don't even have needed to have done anything wrong. Some people carry on over "aesthetics" and "property values" for very trivial reasons, and can spin it into a nightmare.

Honestly, what you're describing should not need a permit, as it's not attached to the house. But some places just like to control these things, because they don't want anyone "degrading the neighborhood character". Ask @JollyRoger about home owner's associations. I would probably have just built it on my own without asking anyone. But you might get some sense out of the town if you can describe it well enough as a free standing structure.

If you were building an addition to the house, then a general contractor is supposed to handle design and permitting, as well as construction, including subcontracting.

Thing is, it's better to have a permit and not need it than the other way around. I doubt warpus wants to have to deal with unexpected fines and removal orders in case some piece of paperwork has an "i" dotted in the wrong shape of dot.

At the very least, information is helpful.

 

[warpus]

Honestly, what you're describing should not need a permit, as it's not attached to the house. But some places just like to control these things, because they don't want anyone "degrading the neighborhood character". Ask @JollyRoger about home owner's associations. I would probably have just built it on my own without asking anyone. But you might get some sense out of the town if you can describe it well enough as a free standing structure.

If you were building an addition to the house, then a general contractor is supposed to handle design and permitting, as well as construction, including subcontracting.

We considered just putting it up, but it would be in the driveway, so very visible from a somewhat busy intersection and street. Looked at the potential fines and didn't want to risk it. I googled similar stories and some people who put something like this up in their backyard have been able to get away with it.. the main danger, as others commenting said, basically seems to be nosy neighbours that will tell on you.. but something so visible, we wanted to do it properly, so this wouldn't be hanging over our heads for years and years.

Honestly, I'd go to City Hall and ask to speak to someone in the relevant department, and refuse to leave until that happens. And don't let yourself be fobbed off with "We'll take your name and contact information and someone will get back to you" because they almost never do.

Be polite but firm, and make it clear that you're more than willing to abide by all the rules and regulations, but you need to know exactly what those are, who you need to contact, what paperwork you need to do, and what the deadlines are. Also ask what happens if a neighbor complains, because that can cause no end of legal headaches if they do. You don't even have needed to have done anything wrong. Some people carry on over "aesthetics" and "property values" for very trivial reasons, and can spin it into a nightmare.

Yeah, heading down there is something we considered as well, but figured sending them an email would be a good start. I already spoke to somebody over there on the phone, but it's possible they were in the wrong about how this should technically & legally go down? So we'll see. If we don't hear back or if there's issues, we will head down there, it's often easier to communicate in person and get the feel of the situation.

Luckily we get along great with the immediate neighbours, and there's somebody across the street who has a really ugly and flimsy tent-like structure up. Nobody seems to care, as far as I know anyway. I suppose they might have had to get a permit for it too, but maybe they didn't? Either way it seems to me that what we want to put up looks a lot nicer and is a lot more stable.

There are also no HOAs anywhere near here, I can't imaging living in a house that's got a HOA attached to it. Seems like a nightmare. Thankfully they don't seem to be that common here.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

We considered just putting it up, but it would be in the driveway, so very visible from a somewhat busy intersection and street. Looked at the potential fines and didn't want to risk it. I googled similar stories and some people who put something like this up in their backyard have been able to get away with it.. the main danger, as others commenting said, basically seems to be nosy neighbours that will tell on you.. but something so visible, we wanted to do it properly, so this wouldn't be hanging over our heads for years and years.



Yeah, heading down there is something we considered as well, but figured sending them an email would be a good start. I already spoke to somebody over there on the phone, but it's possible they were in the wrong about how this should technically & legally go down? So we'll see. If we don't hear back or if there's issues, we will head down there, it's often easier to communicate in person and get the feel of the situation.

Luckily we get along great with the immediate neighbours, and there's somebody across the street who has a really ugly and flimsy tent-like structure up. Nobody seems to care, as far as I know anyway. I suppose they might have had to get a permit for it too, but maybe they didn't? Either way it seems to me that what we want to put up looks a lot nicer and is a lot more stable.

There are also no HOAs anywhere near here, I can't imaging living in a house that's got a HOA attached to it. Seems like a nightmare. Thankfully they don't seem to be that common here.

My reason for recommending an in-person visit is twofold:

First, they can't put you on hold or hang up on you if you're standing there in person.

Second, both sides can see who they're dealing with and in this era of electronic communication, sometimes visible body language and audible tone of voice can make a huge difference. Some people get stuck on an impression based on words and it may be the total opposite of what's really going on.