Subaru Crew - Meet The Members II

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  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    My S-I-L is running on a generator, but has gone thru most of her 5 gal reserves. At this point, nobody can get out to her to make a delivery. Two miles of dirt road in the middle of nowhere.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Bummer. Do they have a fire place, at least?

    They plowed our street again, and the sun helped a little.

    Took the kids sledding this afternoon, which was fun.

    image

    Federal Government is closed again tomorrow - YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!
  • ladywclassladywclass Member Posts: 1,713
    well, so far ... *I* live in the "snow belt" and we've had not ONE snow day so far this year!!! .. the only delay we've had was for during fall months ... booo hissssss

    Oh well ... we have a winter storm warning going on from tomorrow through Wednesday .. looks like our best chance is for Tuesday night into Wednesday morning .... so we might have a day off in the middle of the week ... (I prefer a 'delay' because we don't have to make those up!)
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    25" here in northern VA. The driveway is shoveled but nowhere to go since we're still waiting for a plow to make it thru the neighborhood. Classic case of AWD not doing you any good when the snow's that deep. On the positive side, we never lost power (although it was touch and go for a while) and have gotten a chance to visit with the neighbors while everyone was out shoveling :)

    -Frank
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    We ended up with around 22-23 inches, give or take. We still haven't seen an "official" plow yet either. That Bobcat only went half way down the street, so folks at the far end still can't get out.

    Bob
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    What are people doing about the snow on the roofs? I'd imagine at some point you'd need to start clearing or removing some of the snow, at least from the gutters and maybe 1-2' up from them.

    -Brian
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Yeah, that's going to be a problem Brian. My next door neighbor last summer erected a tent-thingy to cover his new Camry Solara convertible, as his garage is filled with a boat and old MG. Well that collapsed on his new car. Not sure of the damage yet.

    We've got a huge slab of snow just over our door stoop, just ready to fall. Icicles are everywhere.

    The plow came by last night, so I have another huge pile to move at the foot of the driveway. To top it off, they're predicting maybe another foot of snow starting tomorrow. Hope it's the light powdery stuff this time.

    Bob
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    It seems like Howard County Maryland, which is where we live, got hit particularly hard with this storm. One community, Elkridge, which is maybe 10 or 12 miles from us, got 38" of snow. Several other nearby areas reported around 30" of snow. That's unbelievable.

    Bob
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    She got refueled last night by a relative mushing thru the snow pulling a 5 gal gas can on a toboggan!

    They have two propane wall heaters as well as the generator, so they are OK at this point. But reports of another storm coming have them a bit on edge.
  • tsytsy Member Posts: 1,551
    Wow- watch your backs and your hearts shovelling all that snow!!!!

    I forgot how awful shovelling snow was- thanks for reminding me! ;)

    Be safe!

    tom
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    Still waiting for a plow.... :(

    Our neighbors started to go stir-crazy so they decided to try and make it out in their Explorer. They made it half-way out their driveway before getting stuck. I had to go and help dig it out and push so they could get back into the driveway.

    -Frank
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 17,728
    While I am certainly not in a snow belt, it generally snows around 70" by the time winter is done for the year (that's six months' worth of precipitation). This year, we have not even hit 30" yet and there might be a depth of about 10" on the ground (which is all crystallized and pithy) due to sublimation. I'm surprised we have not had more problems with frozen water and sewer lines, given the lack of ground cover. A septic system a couple properties away from mine did fail earlier this winter and there is frozen, um, stuff in a large puddle on that property. Not looking forward to the spring thaw.... :sick:

    Bob, AJ, etc.... hang in there! Judging by the look of AJ's photos, I suspect it will melt pretty soon.
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    I have a homemade "roof rake" I use to pull snow down from the roof and gutter area. Worked easier on our previous ranch house, but now our 2 story makes that a bit harder. I can still get most of the lower gutter areas though when the snow piles up like last year (January '09).

    Here in the SE Wisconsin, they're predicting 10-14" for our area tonight through tomorrow night. That's the storm headed your way.

    We've really had a low snowfall winter so far here, the bulk of the snowfall came before 12/25 and then most melted in the weeks after, even with some new snowfall here and there. About 2" leftover on the grass right now, since it has been no warmer than the upper 20F's for the past couple weeks.

    Good luck with the snow removal everyone, take it easy shoveling/snowblowing.

    (btw, I do miss not having a Subie when the snow flies, my S40 has been pretty good considering it doesn't have snow tires)
    -Brian
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    The pipes and stuff will freeze as the temps warm and "drive" the frost even further into the ground, Wes, so wait for it.

    We never got that much snow in Anchorage in one storm while I lived there, but it would pile up and stay around. I had an older house and didn't trust that it met code for load bearing, so I'd climb up once or twice a winter and shovel it. Have to use a ladder to get up on the roof, but once I was done, I could simply step off. :D

    It's really too bad that this dump missed KC. ;)
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I took some pics of the icicles coming down from the house across the street - beautiful! They come down nearly two stores in some places and may reach the ground soon.

    Let me upload those...
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    If you can, you have psychic powers!

    imageFrom Blizzard of 2010
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    imageFrom Blizzard of 2010

    Pretty soon they will reach the ground! If the gutters don't fall off first.
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    Actually, if it was my house like that, I'd be knocking down as many as I could from a safe distance ASAP. Leaving those there is very dangerous, not only for the gutters but for the people that may walk below them.

    -Brian
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    Still waiting for a plow. However, after watching the neighbor try twice in his Explorer only to immediately become stuck, I decided that the snow and settled enough for me to try and get out with the Forester. Much to the chagrin of said neighbor, I made it out without a hitch. Afterwards, his wife asked for a ride to the post office so she could mail several packages. She was amazed with the ease the Forester powered thru the deep snow and then up a ice-slick hill. She couldn't believe that the Forester didn't lose traction on the ice and even asked if I had snow tires :shades:

    -Frank
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Sounds like you just won over a new Subie customer. :)

    How's the new Benz GLK in the snow, as compared to the Forester?

    Bob
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    they're predicting 10-14" for our area tonight through tomorrow night. That's the storm headed your way.

    Yup. I heard another 10-20 inches on the car radio a few hours ago. If that happens, I may not shovel, as I have no place to put that snow; plus I'm just worn out from all the shoveling. Maybe I'll just drive the Forester up and down the driveway until it gets all packed down.

    Bob
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 17,728
    Sienna?
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    Haven't taken the GLK out yet but during the December storm the AWD system seemed comparable to the Forester's. The Forester felt more tossable but then it weighs a 1k lbs less.

    -Frank
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Hi Brian!

    I used to own an 1880's farm house with Yankee Gutters. If you know what those are, they you also know that they were probably the low point in Yankee Ingenuity!
    I used to get true roof to ground ice flows on the NW corner of the house.
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    Yeah, I've seen a couple houses styled like that in town and am glad I'm not the owner during the winter! LOL

    I could easily get 6-8' up from the gutters on my old ranch house with my roof rake, and that was with me standing on the ground.

    Get those snow blowers fueled up! Kids are anxious to see if I get the text message from the school district stating that school is closed tomorrow.

    -Brian
  • grahampetersgrahampeters Member Posts: 1,786
    G'day

    Just to make you all feel jealous, Judy and I have just been skinny dipping in the darkened pool (probably to the embarrassment of the teenage children) as temperature is still close to 32C ( 90F) in beautiful Melbourne, Victoria. we would dearly love some snow, to cool things down. Even the bitumen was melting today!

    Cheers

    Graham
  • ladywclassladywclass Member Posts: 1,713
    yep .. this is the same storm moving through our area today and tonight ... we're watching for a 'snow day' for tomorrow !
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Graham,

    My heart bleeds for you, and I'm so very sorry to hear of your continuing troubles. It must be difficult to carry on against such adversity! ;)

    How about you send along a bit of your warmth our way?

    Your friend in the frozen wastelands of the Northern Colonies,

    Steve
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Pixs please. ;)

    Bob
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Hey! this is a family oriented, G-rated board. No pix of Graham skinny dipping!
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    The first gen Explorers only had 6.7" of clearance. Newer ones have more, but they're heavy, too.

    Depending on how old it is, maybe he can trade up if the government has a C4C part II.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Nope, that is my neighbor's Mercedes ML320.

    Not sure why he dug out his other car and left the 4Matic stuck like that? :confuse:

    It's still buried now, and we're due for 10-20" more snow. He'll get it out - in April.
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    Those pretty icicles are a bad sign - they are losing a ton of heat through the roof. I wouldn't be suprised that they have ice dams.

    Conversely, in the summer they lose AC through the ceiling insulation and into the attic as well.
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 17,728
    Quite true. I was thrilled the first year after I had our house insulated and found that the only roof melting we get is due to the sun warming it.... and the snow melts off from the bottom up! :D
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    The Explorer is no more than a couple of years old. The current gen still doesn't have a lot of ground clearance and weighs a couple of tons :P
  • ladywclassladywclass Member Posts: 1,713
    we're getting 'ours' now .. not sure how much .. and probably not nearly the amounts you guys in Baltimore have ... but it's snowing pretty good .. more tonight .. blowing .. drifting .. good chance of a school delay in the morning ... however ..

    the school where I work in the AM has a much better chance of calling a snow day than the PM school .. wouldn't you know that I'm scheduled to go to the PM school in the AM tomorrow!!!! LOL .. just my luck ..
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    We'll have 12" by the time it is done overnight. I removed 7" or so already with the trusty Simplicity 2 stage and will go out again before bed. Wondering how much of a pile at the end of the driveway I'll have in the morning from the snowplows.

    No comparison to you guys out East, and this new snow isn't going to help if it comes down like it did for us. Steady light snow since midnight, wind picking up on the backside of the storm, so we're getting Lake Michigan effect snow starting tonight.

    -Brian
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Snowing here too. I think it started around 4:00 p.m. or so. Have maybe 3" of new snow so far. They're predicting it could be as high as 20" when all is said and done. So ~ 20" + ~ 24" + ~ 5" = a whole bunch of snow on the ground. I guess we'll see late tomorrow.

    I'll tell ya, it's tough walking in this stuff. The other day I had to go to my shed in the backyard to get a 5-gallon gas can to fill up my neighbor's snowblower. We're talking ~ 30" of snow to walk through—and it was tough! I can't imagine another 20" or so. Heck, it will be up to my shoulders! Yikes!

    Bob
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    Um... yea

    Snow
  • ladywclassladywclass Member Posts: 1,713
    well for a long time this morning it looked as if none of the schools in our town would cancel (everyone for miles around did!) .. then at the last minute .. you guessed it .. just as I predicted ... the one canceled ... I still had to go for the AM mtg at what is usually my PM school .. so to the mtg .. home for just a little while .. then back to school for the 'usual' afternoon ...

    BUT I HAVE A JOB AND I AM GRATEFUL !!! LOL
  • KCRamKCRam Member Posts: 3,516
    Looks to be about 10 inches out there right now... and thankfully, I don't have to do anything except brush off the truck. Maintenance handles the sidewalks and parking areas. :D

    kcram - Pickups/Wagons Host
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    This is now the most snowfall in recorded history in DC.

    I got at least another foot here today. They still have not plowed my street, either.

    I dug out again this morning, and then again this afternoon (mostly the wind had blown the snow around a lot).

    I'm going to try to get the snow off the gutters tomorrow. A neighbor had a really bad water leak in his ceiling due to ice on his roof. I may go help him out. It's asphalt shingles - any tips? I was thinking of raking some snow down.
  • grahampetersgrahampeters Member Posts: 1,786
    G'day

    If there are eaves (Overhang of roof line at end of roof pitch) redirect any leaks toward the eaves and drill a couple of small holes in the eaves to drain water away. They can be repaired later more easily than ceilings can. Check regularly that these are not icing up. Then tack plastic sheet to underside of roof beams to direct water from below the leaking shingles toward the holes that you have drilled.

    For the wet ceiling, remove any wet insulation to relieve the weight on the roof. If needed due to warping of the plasterboard (drywall) , prop up the underside of the ceiling with a largish piece of ply with reinforcing boards below and prop from below. If the ceiling can dry, any loss of integrity in the drywalling will be reduced. If there is obvious pooling of water at any point, punch through a small hole with a screwdriver or similar to let water out and patch up later.

    Keep air moving in the affected room and ideally in the roof space to reduce mould growth prospect. (wet houses are often kept hot enough and wet enough for mould to grow rapidly. Ideally also make sure that anything which is wet is kept in light to reduce mould growth.

    Perversely, if the house has refrigerated air conditioning, this can be the best method for drying evenly, Most Air Con units have a drying cycle which takes humidity out of the atmosphere. That plus air movement from a fan or similar ensures that house structure dries evenly and reduces problems. Do not temperature get too hot as mould growth increases exponentially above about 25C (mid 70s F) and in Relative Humidity above 50%. Do not overheat but you want the house warm enough for the shifter air to be able to carry the moisture.

    If you do get mould occurring, you can kill it by spraying a solution of 70% methylated spirits in water or 50% white vinegar in water and wipe down with paper towel, disposing of towels after each wipe.

    Cheers

    Graham
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    1 - 8hp, 26" two stage snow thrower - 11 years old but lightly used
    1 - Electric shovel / snowblower - great for decks or small walks
    1 - 20' reach roof rake
    6 - Basic snow shovels
    1 - Ice chopper
    60 gal container of sand/salt mix
    4kw Generac portable generator

    As I live in the Northeastern section of the United States, it is unlikely that I'll need any of this stuff in the near term. ;)

    (hope I don't soon regret this attempt at humor!!)
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    It's no joke - both Lowe's and K-Mart were out of shovels entirely.

    The local Strosnider's got a shipment and my wife called me - I had her pick up 2 of them, because mine broke! I actually wore it out.

    So now I have the old push shovel, patched up for the kids to use (play with, really), plus a new push shovel, and a traditional small metal shovel to chip off stubborn ice chunks.

    Honestly it was a price-no-object type of purchase!

    I have to go dig out again - the plows came by last night so I have a wall of ice blocking me in about 2 feet high and 2 cars wide. :sick:
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    I'm going to try to get the snow off the gutters tomorrow. A neighbor had a really bad water leak in his ceiling due to ice on his roof. I may go help him out. It's asphalt shingles - any tips? I was thinking of raking some snow down.

    Well his leak was caused by an ice dam I'm sure.

    If you're not familiar with them, it happens when the attic is too warm and melts the snow from the bottom up. As the water runs down, it hits the overhang/soffit which is colder and freezes causing the ice dam. That ice now starts to build up the roof and gets driven under the shingles where it melts when it hits the warm roof area. The water then travels looking for any opening where it enters the house. Typically intrusion is around windows - ask me how I know.

    juice - you should use a roof rake to try and remove the snow. If you don't have one or can't find one, attach a 12" x 24" piece of plywood to a 10' 2x3 and use that to rake the roof. Remember to only pull down across the shingles to prevent damage.

    DON"T CLIMB ON THE ROOF!!

    I'm curious - is the construction there slab on grade with the HVAC running through the attic?
  • p0926p0926 Member Posts: 4,423
    Ha ha, very funny. Can you deliver? :P

    We got another 10+ inches yesterday. A plow truck finally came by at 4 pm on Tuesday and it started snowing again a hour later.

    -Frank
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Hmm, I'm not that familiar with civil engineering terms. Let's see.

    Concrete slab foundation, stick frame, asphalt shingles.

    I knocked off all the icicles, and got some snow off the roof (definitely not all).

    My attic must not be as bad and my neighbors'. He still hasn't knocked off those huge icicles I photographed.
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    I guess we got an additional 15" or so of heavy snow. I shoveled a path to the driveway, got in Deb's Forester, and drove up and down the driveway 6 or 7 times. That compacted much of the snow, which made for easier shoveling. Yeah, we now have a solid 3" on the drive after shoveling, thanks to the car, but I can live with that.

    Going up the driveway's hill, the Forester got stuck once. Just had to back it down, and get a running start; piece of cake. Imagine what I could do if the car had snow tires. ;)

    Bob
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