Vinegar. Sweet Pickins Furniture
Faux Barn Wood. House of Smiths
Burnt Wood. (Don’t do this at home) Urban-Now
Hammer and Stain. Young House Love
Posts tagged DIY
Scary Renovation Mishaps
Ever fall off a ladder? Not me, because I’m so scared of heights that I cling to it for dear life. But here’s an FYI for ya. Always put the ladder on level ground and make sure the support brackets on the side are locked in.
Paint spill. Probably the most common DIY mishap. At least in my world it is. Something I will never learn….to look where I’m going. Don’t kick the bucket over. And check bottom of shoes BEFORE stepping off of the protective paper or tarp.
The old nail through the pipe routine. Yeah, we had a contractor’s assistant put a screw through our copper pipe while installing subflooring. It wasn’t a massive flood. More like a drip, drip, drip of the tell-tale pipe.
Foot through the floor….or rather, ceiling below. Can’t count the number of times we were working on joists and sub floor that someone’s foot said hello to the downstairs neighbors. My scary moment happened when I fell through the floor and was dangling from the bannister that I was lucky to grab unto. My husband was right next to me and after a few moments he looked up and asked “Do you need help?” Um, ye-ah! Would you mind?
10 Things I Hate About Home Ownership
I’m stealing this idea from my friend Judy’s blog, Bad Advice, flipping it around and running with it. See, Judy thought she should be more positive, so she’s posting 101 things she likes. Screw positive. I’m not motivated enough to come up with 101, so here are 10 things I hate.
1. Contractors who don’t call back, don’t show up or don’t do the job right. I can come up with a list of 101 things I hate about contractors, but this is good enough.
2. The constant upkeep. Just when you think you’ve finished renovations, it’s time to start over again. Appliances breaking down, doors falling off the hinges, blah, blah, blah.
3. Oy, it’s expensive! Yeah, this is part of upkeep, but I have to stretch it out to 10. Things like the facade. Damn, that’s gonna cost like a year’s salary. My husband’s, not my measly two cents.
4. Realtor’s postcards. Go away. Just because I’m listing 10 things doesn’t mean I want to sell my house.
5. Backyard. It’s a lovely idea in theory and there’s nothing like sending my dogs out there when I don’t want to walk them. Actually, wouldn’t live without one. But, do I get to enjoy it? Between the mosquitoes and the dog shit….nah.
6. Tenants. Believe me, it would be nice to live in the whole house. Who could afford that? I wasn’t one of those kids who liked sharing. Plus, walls are thin. Can’t have loud sex.
7. Property taxes. This totally doesn’t apply to NYC where taxes are low, but we felt so ripped off on our upstate taxes. The toughest nut was the school tax and we didn’t even have kids! Or sidewalks or public trash bins. What were we paying for?
8. Space. Again, like the backyard. A great thing, really! Until every acquaintance and distant cousin wants to sleep on your couch.
9. Worries. In the past, we’ve had tenants and petsitters call us while we’re on vacation. Frozen pipes, broken locks, flooded basements. Luckily, that was all one house, which we unloaded years ago. Mmmwwwwaaaahhhhaaaahhhhaaaaaahhhhaaaaa!!!
10. Lack of a life. Every weekend with the working on the house and the Home Depot trips.
Honestly, I had trouble coming up with 2-10. I just felt like kvetching, but it’s not a bad thing to own a home. If I thought so, I wouldn’t be addicted to scoring every few years.
Fun DIY Projects with Wood
Yesterday we covered some plastic DIY projects you can do around the house. Today it’s wood! Inspirations from the Solar Decathlon.
Isn’t that inscription on the deck a lovely idea? It can be done on decks, siding or just about any old piece of wood you have around your house.
There are a couple of ways to go about the writing. You can burn it in. Remember those wood burning instruments we all had as kids? (If you’re over the age of say, 35?) Well, that technique is called pyrography. Thing is…do you really want to go out and buy that tool now? Perhaps you have a Dremel or router around the house. If so, then you can carve the letters out then stain them any color you want.
First you’ll want to line it up properly with a straight edge. Tape a stencil down and trace the outline. No, you don’t want to leave the plastic stencil there to be burnt or cut. The rest of it ain’t rocket science. You can figure it out.
Check out that cool shower base. You know what? I’m not even telling you to make it yourself. You can probably buy shit like that at Ikea and plop it right down. I just like it, is all.
I’m not quite sure if this is recycled shipping pallets or a piece made from scratch. Either way, it gave me the idea to do it with shipping pallets. A while back, I thought I’d be really cool and build a bunch of stuff made from the reclaimed wood of pallets. Well, it was crazy trying to take all the slats apart. So why bother? Just cut them down and build stuff out of them that way.
I’m feeling the love towards the bark! Ok, so bark siding is pretty pricey to purchase if you can’t find a tree that it’s coming off of. But I’m not talking about residing your whole home with it. Perhaps a 4×4 framed square to use as a cork board? Or as a backsplash in the your kitchen? An entire wall behind the bathroom sink? A line of bark shingles instead of chair railing? The possibilities are endless.
DIY Fun with Plastic
Yes, I’m a ho for Plastics Make it Possible. Those dudes along with Ogilvy PR sent me down to the Solar Decathlon and the inspiration I got from these kids in the competition is the gift that keeps on giving.
Ok, so check out the light fixture used in the Purdue University home, which BTW, took second place. Not too shabby. I don’t know how much they did from scratch, but if they started with 4 pendants and built the lucite shade, then they would have built the frame and drilled holes in the lucite to attach the bolts. I’ll bet you can find something similar with a clear shade. The beauty of this is the sand. Yes, that’s just sand.
All you have to do to make one of these babies is tape the edges and find a clear, non yellowing adhesive. I’m guessing a spray adhesive would work brilliantly. But here’s the thing. Why stick with beige? You can do any color sand. Make it a red light, Roxanne. Or!! You don’t even have to stick with sand. What about recycled glass? Recycled multi-colored plastic bottles and such on the outside of the lucite? Or recycled crazy straws? That’s crazy fun! Use heavier glue for these. Are you getting the picture?
The LED backlit panels used by Appalachian’s Solar Homestead rocked my world. They weren’t the only ones to use these acrylic sheets to set mood lighting, but they were the only ones I got a picture of. Seems an easy enough project. Run your lights and cover them with translucent plastic sheets. Get creative with it by framing and hanging “light boxes” instead of covering the entire wall.
The back splash above was in the City College of New York Solar Roof Pod. (Woot! Woot!) To be honest, I didn’t catch what the materials are. I’m going to guess that it’s Corian or another acrylic solid surface material with glass inlays. Easier and less expensive than buying a sheet of Corian would be to make a resin backdrop and set in the accents instead of cutting into the piece. Remember that you can work on a horizontal surface and hang it once dry. If you’re going with resin, the possibilities are endless. I happen to love the clean look of this one, but remember my resin countertop? It could easily be a backsplash.
So, there ya go. Tomorrow I’ll show you some fun wood projects. But just one more word on plastic. I could not have made it through the rainy weekend without the following two items keeping my feet and pants dry. So, thank you again, plastics, for making it possible to stay comfortable on the nastiest of nasty days.
Solar Decathlon. And the Winner Is…
It’s not often I get a fun AND informative expense paid weekend. Once again, thanks to the Plastics Make it Possible campaign for inviting me along to the Solar Decathlon in DC. I was honored to be included among such bloggers of awesomeness as Jetson Green, Dwell, Shawna Coronado and Ugly Duckling House .
The weather wasn’t exactly cooperative, but we struggled through it like troopers. The first home we toured with Brooks Utley was the Caltech Compact Hyper Insulated Prototype or CHIP. I’m not gonna lie. The interior was nice, but this house was alllll about the exterior for me. Anything that looks like a space ship is fabnificent in my book. The CHIP does not have any insulation, not because they are from sunny California and don’t need it. It’s because that funky puffy “siding” acts as the outsulation, a word they are trying to get into the dictionary. CHIP’s skin is made of heavy-weight (24oz/yrd) recycled white vinyl. White was used to reflect as much of solar radiation as possible, reducing cooling load. The “siding” is highly durable and waterproof.
Florida International University also had an impressive exterior. Their perFORM[D]ance House has layered walls designed to protect the house from undesired elements. Check out their website for energy performance on the walls and windows. It’s the louver system I want to discuss. The PVC and aluminum panels shade and protect the house as well as provide hurricane protection. Looks a bit nicer than the plywood or duct tape people were using here for Irene, no?
The winner of the 2011 Solar Decathlon was the University of Maryland with their Watershed project. They best utilized sustainable design for running the entire house.
Check out the home’s control panel with an easy button thrown in for good measure.
The dehumidifier is a work of art. The Innovative Liquid Desiccant Waterfall (LDW) system was developed by Maryland’s 2007 LEAFHouse team. A high-saline solution absorbs humidity from the air as it falls through back lit plastic “jellyfish”. It’s beautiful AND smart.
My personal favorite was New York’s Parsons School of Design. Not because I’m partial to NY (I am). Not even because I thought the house had the best overall design. It’s the story behind it that I fell in love with. The EmpowerHouse is a Habitat for Humanity home and of all the houses we toured, this one felt like a HOME. It’s probably because the lucky family who are inheriting the house were there on hand. Their photos were on display. This was actually someone’s home and I got a little verklempt when I met them.
My own honorable mention and the winner of the People’s Choice Award is Appalachian State’s Solar Homestead. Whereas some of the entries felt a bit cramped, this home had space and style. Once again, it was the exterior that blew me away.
The modular porch with outbuildings is kept dry by a bifacial PV canopy that acts as a net zero energy source for the home. The technology allows each 195 watt panel to collect sunlight bounced from below as well as above.
But honestly, the had me at the bark siding. Yes, this is durable and water resistant as long as it’s not sitting in a flood zone. The bad news is that it’s expensive.
Tomorrow I’ll fill you in on some other innovations I saw and easy DIY techniques we can steal for you kids to try at home. The bark included. Yum!
Building Stairs
After six years of procrastination, we finally replaced our dangerous basement steps that were about to collapse.
Pre-cut stair stringers can be purchased in many lumber shops. This video kicks off after hubby measured and cut his own stringers. Project is for an intermediate skill level DIYer. Beginners can do it if they’re good at math. I suck at math, therefore, I would not be able to install stairs.
DIY Concrete Mix and Pour
Isn’t this exciting, boys and girls? Today we learn how to mix concrete and pour it into a mold. Now you can and make counter tops and concrete floors! Maybe not quite yet, but it’s a start.
DIY: Concrete Slab Form
This may be boring for you more designy/less handy folks, but it’s what we’re working on at the moment. In this case, we happen to be creating the slab to use as the bottom step of the basement stairs.
Check out this video if you want to learn how to set up the form for a concrete slab pour. If you’re working on an entire floor, you would do something like this on a larger scale. The room can be broken down into smaller slabs and joints can be filled in later.
Renovating on a Tight Budget
If your renovation is costing more than you paid for your house, something is wrong. You shouldn’t have to sell your first born to update a home. Sure, there are certain large ticket items you wouldn’t want to skimp on….roof, windows, facade, boiler, structural. But semi-skilled work? Come on.
As you know, I’m a big advocate for DIY. If you put in the sweat equity, you can be save yourself in the vicinity of $40k. I came up with that estimate by comparing DIY input to that of an unskilled day laborer at $125 per day over the course of a year. My own skills are superior to a guy you pick up at Home Depot, so my own estimate is probably double that. Obviously you wouldn’t quit your $200k per year job to do it, but as a freelancer earning bupkas, I was able to put in the time. My husband who put in a lot less time because he actually has a full time job and does earn something, probably saved us even more while only working on the house on weekends. That’s because he has mad skills.
Before I go into materials, just a few thoughts on other ways to save on labor. Painting and demolition parties, barters, hiring apprentices to high end contractors and of course picking up day laborers.
Materials range from free to high end. Since this has the words “tight budget” in the post title, guess where I’m going with this?
FREE
It would be a fun experiment to try to do an entire renovation free of cost. But nothing is ever free. It would take tons of time and probably cost more in fuel than trying to buy locally. But here goes…..
1. Craigs List. Go directly to the “free” section. You may find anything from sheetrock scraps to clawfoot tubs. People measure wrong, decide to use something else or may want to recycle what they are ripping out.
2. Freecyle.org Sign up for the group to gain access to a nationwide network of recycled goodies. IMO, it sounds a whole lot better than it is. When I signed up, I couldn’t believe the audacity of some people. One of the requests I saw was for a minivan for someone with 8 kids. Hello, maybe you should stop having kids if you can’t afford a van! But I digress. You can post your own needs, search for what’s out there and offer up what you no longer want.
3. Dumpster Diving. Oh yeah! I’m talking dumpsters parked outside of a renovation, obviously. Better still, find the fixer uppers that have just closed, contact contractors and demolition guys to see if they’ll give you the head’s up. No, they won’t be happy, but one or two of them might not think it’s great to stick everything in the landfill. You know, those sensitive contractors.
Almost Free
1. Craigslist. This time search “materials”.
2. ReStores. Located throughout the US and Canada. Run by Habitat for Humanity, these shops take donations from the public and sell the items at a fraction of the cost. They have everything including the kitchen sink. Paints, cabinets, light fixtures, furniture….
3. Build it Green. I saw a coffin in here once. If you live in NYC, this place is just as good as any Restore since the closest ReStore is in Mt. Vernon. BIG is a huuuuge warehouse in Queens. They have new and used studs, wiring, cabinets, doors, windows, appliances and more. Do keep in mind that items like plywood, sheetrock and studs go quickly as these are basic to any renovation.
4. Salvage! There are antique architectural salvage yards all over the planet. Although you might sometimes find a bargain at Olde Good Things or Demolition Depot, they are not for the shallow pocketed. My two local faves: Eddie Hibbert in Clinton Hill and Vaccaro’s in Gowanus. I’m talking antique french doors for 20 bucks and marble mantels for less than $400. *They may need work.
5. Overstock and Closeouts. Every now and then, manufacturers need to get rid of some clutter. There are samples, irregulars and dead stock taking up space. They don’t always post it online, but I’ll give you a for instance. I once found the mother load of concrete tiles, countertops and sinks on Craigslist. Get Real Surfaces in Poughkeepsie was having a sale to get rid of dead inventory. I made out with enormous boxes of tile for $10 per box. They were probably worth about $20 per square foot.
6. Ebay. Did you know that you can buy faucets, toilets and tools on Ebay? Yep, it’s all there!
7. Overstock.com. Sometimes good for faucets, shower and light fixtures, tiles…it kind of depends on what they have that week. Hit or miss.
Upscale. Low Budget
Green Demolitions. Buy what the millionaires got tired of looking at. Top shelf appliances (think Viking, Sub Zero) and cabinets for a ton less than what you would pay new. These aren’t completely inexpensive, but it’s a good deal for what it is!
PS: Side effects may include saving the planet while saving your pocketbook.
The House as Art
A psychic once told me that I was going to become an interior designer. She said I see the way the fabric in a curtain hangs and I look at that as art. I was like “No, you’re nuts. I’m a photographer.” Well, about 25 years later, I realized that she wasn’t so far off.
There are two kinds of people in life. Those who want a completely finished home that just needs furnishing and those who see a fixer upper and get excited over the possibilities.
Up until a few years ago, I thought everyone wanted to have control over their own renovations. Sure, it takes up your entire life for a few years, but you forget all about it once it’s over. I wouldn’t want a nanny raising my (non-existent) baby. Why would I hand my house over to someone else?
Someone recently asked me “Why”? What is it that makes me walk into a chippy paint, crumbling, derelict home and fall in love?
Hmm.
Each home is a history lesson. Much like the Tenement Museum is one of the most fascinating places to me, a home forgotten in time takes me back to that era. These home are over 100 years old. Perhaps it’s my mission in life to preserve the past before some eejit rips everything out and installs sheetrock, engineered flooring and Home Depot molding. (I just puked in my mouth thinking about that.)
It’s a blank canvas. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t a “creative”. I always see things and want to change them. I still have difficulty comprehending that not everyone is right brained. Is it like being psychic, where you have to develop that skill? If so, I should be working on my left brain capabilities because I’m sorely lacking in those areas.
Anyway, blank canvas. So, I walk into a house and I see the finished product. It’s kind of like being a photographer. I envision the end result and work backwards from there on how to make it happen.
“But HOW? HOW do you just walk in and envision everything finished?”
I don’t think I’m creative genius who comes up with completely original ideas. My memory sucks, but I must retain visuals from homes, museums and magazines that my brain recycles for each potential project. Well, there ya go! That’s something everyone could do. Start visiting house museums, go on house tours, travel, save images (the 2011 version of magazine clippings).
Adding, not taking away. Lookit. Say you buy a place that has been renovated, but it’s not your taste. You choose this place because the house that needs too much work scares you. But now you’re stuck ripping out that pink granite countertop and those hollow Home Depot composite doors. And what are you going to find underneath it all? How do you know the previous owner didn’t cover up rotting wood or leaky pipes? You don’t. And you’re adding NEW materials to the landfills.
With a fixer upper, you can look at the bones of the place. The original lines of the building. The intricate details and plaster curves that are no longer produced. Try to salvage that stuff! Something can’t be saved? Yeah, it goes in the landfill, but it was made 100 years ago, not 10.
Any questions??
Leaky Roof Quick Fix
The Delta building at JFK had an interesting temporary solution for a leaky roof. Check out the photo above. It’s Delta’s main check in and security area. At first I thought it was decorative until my husband started mumbling something about a major airport in a major city looking like a third world country.
Those waterproof sheets are catching the leaks where the water is directed towards the middle. The tubes allow the water to flow into one area on the ground where there is probably some kind of drain. I didn’t see it as it was behind the desk.
Although it’s an ingenious temporary plan, it’s not wise to let a roof go for too long. Delta could have a major disaster on their hands if the ceiling collapses due to water damage. Let’s not even think about the mold problem this is causing.
WTF, Delta?
Blogs I’ve Just Discovered
Better After is a blog that asks readers to send their before and after shots of furniture and renovations. There some ab fab pieces on there that make me miss my furniture upcycling days. The room redos are ta die for too! Most are not even full renovations, just some paint and good taste. Love it!
DIY Showoff similarly posts before and after shots sent in from readers. It’s, dare I say, more mainstream, less precious-crafty. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! The site was started by Roeshel who has been restoring her own 1927 farmhouse. She has frigawesome taste. I was salivating at her marble subway tile backsplash.
Shabby Blogs is another blog that relies on reader participation. Actually, it’s more than that. It’s like a prettier version of Houseblogs. No, it’s more than that. You can create your own blog with their design templates. All for free! And they’re quite purdy too.
DIY Insanity asks “Is it nuts to design, permit and build an addition to your house by yourself?”. I saw the header and thought “No biggie” but when I started reading the posts I realized this was a huge job they undertook. Like big cranes and shit. Yikes! I like the “Gardening with a Sawzall” post. Good idea!
DIY Appliance Repair
Hey, all of you weekend warriors, here’s another notch to add to your belt. Appliance repair. Unless you really know what you’re doing, you probably haven’t been messing with that, have you?
Well, the fine people over at PartSelect have done up their website to make it easy on you. The Virtual Repairman walks you through the entire process. Here’s what you do….Just punch in the model number of your sick appliance and a whole bunch of symptoms will come up. Click on symptom and a-ha! There are the replacement parts listed in order of fix-it-percentage.
Now, your like “So what? I still don’t know how to replace it.” Fear not. PartSelect has an entire YouTube channel with idiot proof instructional videos.
Nothing is built to last anymore in our disposable society and it’s often costlier to have an appliance professionally repaired than to just buy a new one. Instead of throwing those big ticket items into the landfills every few years, give it a shot and see what happens.
You might even impress yourself.
*Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post.