-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Free 550 cord to the best solution to my problem
- Thread starter myright
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2008
- Messages
- 3,223
YOU COULD HAVE IT MOVED!!!
If it is too expensive to move the meter itself then you could always rotate the house and deck ninety degrees.
I guess shrubbery could work as well.
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2009
- Messages
- 5,679
How about a clear bubble window well cover. You may have to flip it, so the part that normally is against the wall, is now the base. You could also build a small frame/base for it from your deck scrap (if it needs to be raised). All for $16 at Lowes. Hope this helps.:thumbup:
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=206897-1569-W4419&lpage=none
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2009
- Messages
- 472
this would be my suggestion. my parents had to do something similar. it was a actually like a bench that opened up for storage.
myright
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2008
- Messages
- 5,145
A lot of great ideas here fellas - thanks for everything so far. Once I figure out the best route to take for the application I'll post it up here and ship some cordage out.
Keep them ideas comin' fellas.
That keeps coming up every time I brainstorm with my buddy and wife. Finding a way to do it and still have it look nice is the challenge. I will have some left over planking from the deck so I can make something that matches. I'll get back to you on that one if anything comes of it.
Yup - that's what I'm dealing with. I specifically asked the county about this when I went and got my permit. They referred me to the power company. The power company said they don't have any inspectors that will come out and advise on the best solution, but to make it accessible.
I can't believe that it is 2009 and there are still people that walk house to house reading meters...
Now that's funny right there.
Not a bad idea. I'll be at Home Depot today so I'll take some measurements and see how that works. If it fits, it may work.
Keep them ideas comin' fellas.
That keeps coming up every time I brainstorm with my buddy and wife. Finding a way to do it and still have it look nice is the challenge. I will have some left over planking from the deck so I can make something that matches. I'll get back to you on that one if anything comes of it.
I'm not sure of the Electrical code in your area but in my neck of the woods the meter must be visibal at all times..so you can't build a box or cabinet around it so that it not seen. You could put something like this landscape trim around it. or Something similar.
http://images.lowes.com/product/049206/049206240254.jpg
or
http://images.lowes.com/product/049206/049206240278.jpg
I'm sure you could make it work with a little creativity
Yup - that's what I'm dealing with. I specifically asked the county about this when I went and got my permit. They referred me to the power company. The power company said they don't have any inspectors that will come out and advise on the best solution, but to make it accessible.
I can't believe that it is 2009 and there are still people that walk house to house reading meters...
If it is too expensive to move the meter itself then you could always rotate the house and deck ninety degrees.
I guess shrubbery could work as well.
Now that's funny right there.
How about a clear bubble window well cover. You may have to flip it, so the part that normally is against the wall, is now the base. You could also build a small frame/base for it from your deck scrap (if it needs to be raised). All for $16 at Lowes. Hope this helps.:thumbup:
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=206897-1569-W4419&lpage=none
Not a bad idea. I'll be at Home Depot today so I'll take some measurements and see how that works. If it fits, it may work.
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2006
- Messages
- 5,944
another thing you can do is do the bos with the plexiglass front, and make the top a flower box for some ivy to spill around the box.. you just have to keep i trimmed around the glass
myright
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2008
- Messages
- 5,145
How well does plexiglass stay in the outdoors? In my experience with plexiglass it gets foggy over time. That was a long time ago so I'm not sure if it's changed since then. I guess if I do it right I could always switch out the plexi glass every few years to keep it nice looking.
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2006
- Messages
- 5,944
could use chickn wire too... can see through it.. and it doesn't fog up
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2006
- Messages
- 5,944
now that's a way to think..Inside the box?
- Joined
- Dec 31, 2006
- Messages
- 431
This is a really rough draft, but it's the best I could do on MS Paint in about 3 minutes! 
Frame out a fence structure with the same kind of wood for the deck. You could let it just stay there on it's own or secure it to the deck with a couple of deck screws. If it's sitting on it's own, you could make it closer fitting to the meter and boxes, then, utility people could just move it out of the way. If it's screwed down, you could build it so the depth of it will allow you to open the boxes without moving the fence.
You could even make a small base out of 2x2's and screw it down onto the deck, then the fence would just sit into so it wouldn't move.
Here's another pro MSPaint drawing:
Frame out a fence structure with the same kind of wood for the deck. You could let it just stay there on it's own or secure it to the deck with a couple of deck screws. If it's sitting on it's own, you could make it closer fitting to the meter and boxes, then, utility people could just move it out of the way. If it's screwed down, you could build it so the depth of it will allow you to open the boxes without moving the fence.
You could even make a small base out of 2x2's and screw it down onto the deck, then the fence would just sit into so it wouldn't move.
Here's another pro MSPaint drawing:
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2009
- Messages
- 5,679
How about this - can't see it now can you?
(as you can tell, I'm bored... my wife is at work and my kid is napping...)
I'd be more worried about my kid's leg getting caught in that deck gap.
myright
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2008
- Messages
- 5,145
I'd be more worried about my kid's leg getting caught in that deck gap.
LOL
It's not done yet
Those boards are just laying up. I've still got to notch for the posts then start driving screws..... 250 square feet of deck is going to take a while to drive screws into. We did the math and it should be somewhere around 800 screws to get all those boards in place.
Feel free to stop on by
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2008
- Messages
- 1,928
build a gate or access panel around it.
- Joined
- Sep 3, 2008
- Messages
- 5,364
Storage/seat. You could use lattice, plexiglass, or a door for the front and/or make the top hinged. You could add a padlock if needed too.
Or maybe build a flower box around it. Put a box on top with a plexiglass, door, or lattice under it for access. You could put two more on either side if needed. Lattice up the wall is optional.
For fun, make the litte enclosure look like an outhouse. Use lattice, plexiglass or a door where this window is.
Disassemble your neighbors chimeny, use their bricks to build a mini portculis with working gate. That would be cool. Wood would work too, I guess...
Or maybe build a flower box around it. Put a box on top with a plexiglass, door, or lattice under it for access. You could put two more on either side if needed. Lattice up the wall is optional.
For fun, make the litte enclosure look like an outhouse. Use lattice, plexiglass or a door where this window is.
Disassemble your neighbors chimeny, use their bricks to build a mini portculis with working gate. That would be cool. Wood would work too, I guess...
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2009
- Messages
- 1,050
I would take 2 pieces of lattice ~2 feet wide each by roughly 6 feet tall and build a light frame around them, joined with hinges. Then buy/make two small planters to sit at the base and plant some sort of nice looking ivy. Position the lattice in front of the meter with the two pieces at a 90 degree angle to one another. If you get the right kind of ivy, the meter would still be visible to someone looking, but it would also be easy enough to slide out of the way for a reading.
- Joined
- Nov 9, 2006
- Messages
- 257
Hey Buddy
I was just thinking, coming from a firefighting background, it is important for the fire department or emergency personnel to have access to those.
You might want to look into having them moved, then problem solved.
Cheers, Shane
I was just thinking, coming from a firefighting background, it is important for the fire department or emergency personnel to have access to those.
You might want to look into having them moved, then problem solved.
Cheers, Shane
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2006
- Messages
- 1,461
Heh , That's what I do for a living. I work for the city reading meters and other stuff.
But it's probably not just for meter reading, I'm sure it's also for access if the electric co. needs to change out your meter.
Are they actually gonna charge you to move it? That's kinda crappy. We don't charge anything.
Later,
Iz
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2009
- Messages
- 5,679
LOL
It's not done yet
Those boards are just laying up. I've still got to notch for the posts then start driving screws..... 250 square feet of deck is going to take a while to drive screws into. We did the math and it should be somewhere around 800 screws to get all those boards in place.
Feel free to stop on by
If your in Chicagoland, I just might take you up on that.:thumbup: