Recent content by drboom

I have a Refoss system that feeds a home assistant server so I can slice and dice the data, create automations as I see fit as well as keep the data local and accessible should there be an internet or cloud outage. In my case, I have 4 total panels monitored in 3 different rooms as well as most...

I appreciate the thought JuncleJohn, unfortunately the other side of the driveway cannot be widened nor or there space for a car. It seems most likely that the idea ATC suggested is the most practical. As the snow melts, we’ll be reaching out to foundation and retaining wall companies for...

As winter fades away here in NH and spots of ground are appearing from the melting snow, it’s time to think about this project again as we’ll have an additional vehicle starting this spring. One idea I’d like some GJ feedback in is to put a garage on piers or putting in an appropriate foundation...

There is enough of a hill there that we'll need a small retaining wall to hold anything there. We do have a couple of spots elsewhere we can turn into a parking pad that require more of a walk. Those are our fallback plans if we can't make something affordable that is covered and near the house.

I was thinking a better indoor range but yes, I wish we could make better use of that space. I'd love to be educated otherwise but I have to think that building out a basement under a parking structure would be well over what we can afford. That was part of the initial thought for using shipping...

Unfortunately, that would be unrealistic.

thanks to all for the replies. we're beginning to solicit bids for a retaining wall to widen that side area. I'm not optimistic that the cost will be within what the project is worth to us but I hope to be wrong. The other concept I haven't explored on the assumption that the cost is out of...

I use yosmart sensors around the house for a variety of things including water leak detection, temperature and door (reed) sensors. I set an alert if the garage doors are left open longer than a couple of minutes. The alerts are configurable and the yosmart ecosystem works with homeassistant so...

I'm using the yosmart lora temp sensors in all of our freezers and fridges. They alert using the app/email when the temp is out of the defined range for a defined period of time and it's all connected to my homeassistant server so I have data.

That's a sprinkler box for sprinklers we don't use. We can move the sprinklers if needed. There are no utilities on this side of the house.

That's why I'm looking at lean-to style so that the water and snow are dumped on the hill.

While I appreciate the sentiment; it's missing that the garage needs to be plowed out for the big people during times the kids are not available to assist. I travel for work and my spouse can't manage clearing the driveway. We have to get the kids car out of the way for the plow to clear the...

It would look nice. We're talking almost 40' lengths though which is going to get real expensive real quick. I'm starting to line up contractors to look and am hoping that some of the ideas and things to avoid in this thread will help make a more successful conversation.

Around the back of the house, not close to this proposed project. Although, the septic pump hose is run through where the carport should go. Whatever we do, we need to make sure a septic hose and at least something the size of a bobcat can still pass around the garage to the back.

The space at the bottom of the hill was forested when we bought the property and we spend a large amount of $ clearing, filling and leveling it to make a yard for the kids. We can restart the process but the last time we checked, we were talking multiple $10ks for fill "fix" the hill. Note that...