c/backyard-builds

20

the_jason•19h ago

Rushed a retaining wall with cheap blocks from Lowe's and paid for it twice

Ngl, I used those $2.99 landscape blocks for a 4-foot retaining wall last spring and it started bulging after 3 months. Had to tear the whole thing down and spend $680 on proper interlocking blocks and gravel - has anyone else learned this lesson the hard way?

21

terry1•20h ago

Had a neighbor point out my deck stairs were the wrong height last fall

I built a 4-foot deck in my backyard in Austin and thought I nailed the stairs. My neighbor Bob, who's a retired contractor, walked over and said my risers were like 8.5 inches. He told me building code wants them around 7.75 inches max for safety. I ended up ripping out the bottom stringer and re-cutting everything. Now the steps feel way more natural to walk up and down. Has anyone else had a local pro drop by and give you a fix you didn't know you needed?

5

ross.sean•4d ago

That youtube video on joist spacing saved my deck build

I was planning out a 12x16 deck in my backyard and kept second guessing myself on how far apart to put the joists. I watched some random dude's video who builds decks for a living in Florida and he broke it down real simple like. He said overbuilding is always cheaper than fixing a saggy deck later. So I went with 12 inch centers instead of 16 even though it cost me about 80 bucks more in lumber. Took me 3 weekends to frame it all up but man that thing is solid. I can jump on it and nothing moves. Makes me wonder how many decks out there are just barely passing code. Anyone else go overboard on a build just for peace of mind?

22

the_beth•5d ago

Wasted $120 on a cheap greenhouse kit that fell apart in 3 months

I bought a $120 greenhouse kit off an online deal last spring for my backyard in Denver. The plastic cover ripped at the first wind gust over 20 mph, and the thin metal frame bent like a pretzel. I tried patching it with duct tape, but it just got worse. Now I'm looking at building a proper one from scratch with wood and polycarbonate panels. Anyone else get burned by those cheap pop-up greenhouse kits?

1

derek_coleman•6d ago

That $20 harbor freight post hole digger snapped on me yesterday

I was digging holes for a fence in my backyard in Tulsa and about 4 feet down the handle just cracked clean in half. It was only my third hole and I wasn't even hitting rocks or anything. I ended up driving to Home Depot and buying a $60 Dewalt one with a fiberglass handle. That cheap one lasted maybe 20 minutes total. Has anyone else had luck with those budget tools or am I just asking for trouble?

28

emma_mitchell•24d ago

That $20 edging tool from Harbor Freight actually did the job

I was dead set against using cheap tools for concrete work after a bad experience with a warped float last year. But my neighbor let me borrow his cheap edger for a patio pour in Phoenix and it left a cleaner finish than my expensive one somehow. Has anyone else found a random budget tool that outperforms the high-end stuff?

13

the_wade•24d ago

That one weekend I tried to build a pond in 48 hours straight

I got a wild hair last June and decided to dig a 6x8 foot pond in my backyard over a single weekend, no sleep. By Sunday night I had the hole dug but the liner was 2 feet too short because I measured wrong at 3 AM. Anyone else ever start a project that ballooned way past what you thought it would take?

8

jamiegreen•24d ago

Found out my local soil is clay heavy after a simple jar test yesterday

been digging in my backyard for 3 years and never knew. Just shook some dirt in a mason jar with water and after 24 hours the layers showed 60% clay. explains why everything drains so slow. has anyone else been surprised by their soil test results?

12

lisa_bennett•24d ago

My $15 paver trick solved a drainage problem that stumped me for months

I spent close to a year watching water pool against my shed foundation after every rainstorm. Tried french drains, grading the soil, even a dry well kit from the hardware store that did nothing. Finally I grabbed a pack of permeable pavers from the bargain bin at Home Depot and laid them in a shallow trench along the shed wall. The water just soaks right through now, and my foundation stays dry. Has anyone else found a cheap fix that worked way better than the expensive options?

24

wren_walker62•26d ago

Cinder block wall collapsed 2 days after I built it - was it my footings or the block quality?

I stacked a 4 foot retaining wall in my backyard in Denver last Saturday, used rebar and everything, and Tuesday morning half of it just fell over. I'm debating if I should dig deeper footings next time or if those cheap $1.50 blocks are just junk. Has anyone else had a wall fail like this, and what fixed it?

5

juliagonzalez•26d ago

Porch frame came out 3 inches off square after I forgot to check my string lines

Was building a 12x16 screened porch in my backyard last Saturday and got halfway through the deck framing before I realized the corner was off. Had to pull the whole front beam loose and re-dig one footing, but it straightened out after a 30 minute fight with a come-along. Anyone else ever catch a framing mistake early enough to fix it without tearing everything apart?

8

zarap14•29d ago

Poured concrete vs paver stones for my patio in Austin

I spent two weeks going back and forth between concrete and pavers for my backyard patio build last spring. Ended up going with pavers since I wanted to be able to replace sections if they cracked. So far so good, but I do notice more weeds popping up between the joints than I expected. Has anyone else dealt with that using pavers in a humid climate like Texas?

5

taylorm89•29d ago

My shed build somehow used exactly 127 screws and that just feels weird

I was counting leftover screws after finishing my 8x10 shed in Des Moines and realized I used exactly 127 fasteners which is such a random number that I had to triple check my count, has anyone else ended up with a strangely specific number like that from a project?

10

ryan952•1mo ago

Just read that pressure treated lumber can shrink up to half an inch after it dries and I wish I knew that before I built my deck last summer

Found it in a Wood magazine article from 2019 while looking up why my gaps were suddenly showing, has anyone else had their 2x6s shrink way more than they expected on a completed build?

2

kai463•1mo ago

Spent 6 weekends building a pergola because I didn't check the ground first

Leveled the posts three times before realizing my whole yard slopes a foot across. Anybody else learn the hard way that you need to dig test holes before you start digging the real holes?

32

adams.ivan•1mo ago

My wooden planter box rotted out after 2 seasons in Omaha

Built a cedar planter box in 2022 and it fully fell apart last month because I used untreated wood and didn't line the inside with anything. Has anyone had luck with a specific plastic liner or waterproof coating that holds up to wet soil?

20

emmajackson•1mo ago

That $15 tube of construction adhesive I refused to use for years finally saved my sagging fence post

After my third post rotted out in 2 years I finally tried the PL Premium stuff the old guy at Ace Hardware in Omaha kept pushing on me and now I'm just mad at myself for all the time I wasted replacing posts instead of just fixing them with glue lol, anyone else stubbornly avoid a product forever and then regret it?

30

river_burns•1mo ago

Question about concrete slabs settling after a wet spring in Ohio

I poured a 10x12 slab for a shed base last October and it looked perfect. After all the rain we got in April around Columbus, one corner has dropped almost 2 inches. Now I'm wondering if I can mudjack it myself or if I should just rip it out and start over. Has anyone else dealt with a slab that settled this fast?

7

skylerm55•1mo ago

PSA: That "free" firewood from the curb gave me carpenter ants in my whole shed

Last spring I saw a neighbor two blocks down had a huge pile of cut wood at the curb with a "free" sign. I loaded up my truck with what I thought was a score for my backyard fire pit. Stacked it right against my garden shed and forgot about it. Three months later I pulled a piece out and saw little trails of ants crawling all over. Turns out that wood had been sitting for months and was full of moisture and bugs. I ended up having to tear down half the shed to spray and treat the infestation. Cost me about $400 in materials and a whole weekend of work. Anyone else get burned by grabbing curb wood or found a better way to dry out and check logs before bringing them home?

12

xenan64•1mo ago

Has anyone ordered from Duramax Sheds Online?

I'm looking at a couple of insulated building kits on Duramax Sheds Online . Has anyone worked with this specific retailer before? Just want to make sure they are reliable before dropping a couple thousand bucks on a shed kit.