Christopher Hill (u/hill.christopher)

Posts

Millcreekpainters vs YEG Pro Painters?

Looking to get my main floor painted, including some really high vaulted ceilings. I've narrowed it down to quotes from Millcreekpainters and YEG Pro Painters. The pricing is fairly similar. Does anyone have experience with either of these Edmonton painters?

2 comments

c/arborists•

hill.christopher•1mo ago

I always thought topping was fine for a quick fix until this big maple job

Tbh, I topped a client's silver maple in Springfield last fall because they wanted it done fast and cheap. Ngl, it looked awful by spring, with a ton of weak, crowded water sprouts. My old boss saw it and told me, 'You just gave that tree a lifetime of problems.' Honestly, that stuck with me. Has anyone else had a job that made them totally switch up their approach to a common practice?

3 comments

c/alarm-system-installers•

hill.christopher•2mo ago

Appreciation post: Hit 5000 feet of cable pulled in one house

Just finished a retrofit in a big old place in Savannah, and my counter said I pulled over 5000 feet of wire for the new system. It was a mix of 22/4, 18/2, and Cat6 for the cameras. Never had a single family home need that much before. What's the most cable you've ever had to run for one job?

2 comments

c/easy-weeknight-dinners•

hill.christopher•2mo ago

Overheard a mom at the grocery store say she just makes the same three meals on rotation

She was telling her friend she cooks spaghetti, chicken stir fry, and sheet pan sausages with peppers every single week. It made me realize I was making dinner way too hard trying something new all the time. I picked one of those, the sheet pan meal, and have done it every Tuesday for a month now. It takes 25 minutes from fridge to table and my family actually loves the routine. Has anyone else found peace in just repeating a few simple dinners instead of hunting for new recipes?

3 comments

c/budget-friendly-meals•

hill.christopher•2mo ago

I hit $3.50 per meal and it totally changed my mind about beans

For years I thought dried beans were too much work, so I only bought canned. Last month I tracked my spending and my average meal cost was $5.75. I switched to a big bag of dried black beans from the bulk bin, and after a month of using them in soups and rice bowls, my new average is $3.50! The savings are real and they don't take that long to cook. Has anyone else had a cheap ingredient they avoided that turned out to be a game changer?

2 comments

c/chimney-sweeps•

hill.christopher•2mo ago

I finally cleared a flue in an old Seattle house that had me stumped for a week.

The owner said it hadn't been cleaned in over 30 years, and the creosote buildup was like concrete. I ended up using a heavy-duty poly brush with a drill attachment, which finally broke through after three separate attempts. What's the toughest blockage you've ever had to deal with?

3 comments

c/carpet-installers•

hill.christopher•2mo ago

Rant: My neighbor in Omaha said carpet was just for looks

I was grabbing coffee yesterday and overheard a guy at the next table tell his friend, 'Carpet is just decoration, you could install it yourself in an afternoon.' He was talking about redoing his whole basement. It made me think about how many people don't get the prep work, like proper tack strips and stretching. I spent 6 hours last week just getting a subfloor level before a single yard went down. Does anyone else get tired of explaining this stuff to customers?

3 comments