Home Improvement Projects Fall/Winter

Discussion in 'Home Improvement, DIY and Repair' started by Pianolady, Sep 19, 2012.

  1. Pianolady

    Pianolady In Flower

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    It's finally feeling like Fall, and now that our huge projects are finished, I'm looking forward to some smaller, more manageable DIY projects (as well as starting to save up for a few more bigger ones). Here's my new wish list.

    1. Build a new garbage can bin.DONE...we just removed it, that was an easy fix!
    2. Cut down the dying walnut tree. (not DIY)
    3. New driveway and garage floor (wishful thinking/not DIY)
    4. More lighting in the kitchen. DONE
    5. Paint remaining unpainted door trim on the house. DONE
    6. Paint the sheds. DONE
    7. DIY build a retaining wall along the other side of the concrete steps.
    8. Grade the dirt behind the garage to the proper level.
    9. Build the 2nd deck behind the garage.
    10. Gutter Covers (not DIY) DONE
    11. New back patio, possibly extending entire length of house. Not going to get done, but you never know!
    12. Seal cracks in front porch floor. Maybe tile porch?
    13. Paint inner door frame of entry door. DONE
    14. Replace broken refrigerator. DONE
     
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  3. eileen

    eileen Resident Taxonomist Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    OK I have a question for you. When do you find time to sleep?!! I could certainly do with some of your energy. We're trying to insulate the internal roof space and then re-plasterboard to make new ceilings before skimming them and painting. (The ceilings collapsed when the roof leaked.) It seems such a trivial undertaking compared to what you're planning to do. :(
     
  4. cherylad

    cherylad Countess of Cute-ification Plants Contributor

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    I thought you were going to take a break? :D
     
  5. Pianolady

    Pianolady In Flower

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    We are taking a break, sort of. Finances will force us to take a break, however, paint is relatively cheap (well actually I have a closet full of perfectly fine paint). That I can work on without having to spend more money.
     



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  6. Pianolady

    Pianolady In Flower

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    Well, this was NOT fun. I found out after the contractors started that they weren't going to be able to cover the door trims because of the style of our storm doors (they were attached to the exterior trim). So, the J channel got installed around this door before I could get it painted.

    Unfortunately it was a tight fit, and I really did not want to get paint on my new vinyl. So I made a shield using card stock and jammed it between the door trim and the j channel. After painting, I had to use an exacto knife to cut the paint away from the card stock, then pull out the card stock. It was mostly successful, I had to touch up a few places when finished, but it worked pretty well.
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    cherylad, KK Ng, Donna S and 2 others like this.
  7. eileen

    eileen Resident Taxonomist Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    Isn't it amazing what we can come up with for difficult jobs like this? Not a single paint drip anywhere on the vinyl - you did well!! :-D
     
  8. koszta kid

    koszta kid Young Pine

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    DH also installed new storm door.Not easy task since now you have to drill handle hole. Before you could just say want handle on this side. But going to have to redo it+ inside. 90 mph winds we had this summer. About ripped it off house.And the light -he did get new one.
     
  9. Pianolady

    Pianolady In Flower

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    We went to the big box home improvement store to try and find something nice looking to rebuild our garbage bin. Yuck, yuck, and yuck. I liked nothing. So, we just got rid of it, and that's free. One garbage can in the garage should be plenty now that we're empty nesters. It's so much nicer to have the junk gone. We took everything we could to the recycling center & threw away the rest.

    Before
    [​IMG]

    After
    [​IMG]
     
  10. cherylad

    cherylad Countess of Cute-ification Plants Contributor

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    tidy and pretty.... great combination. :stew2:
     
  11. Pianolady

    Pianolady In Flower

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    I love power washers, used mine to get the loose paint off the south side of the sheds yesterday, then discovered it cleaned my cedar swing really nicely. Looks almost new again!

    Luckily I only needed to paint the door and trim on the big shed, and the entire south side of the little shed. All I can figure is these sides get more weather/sun perhaps. Can check another one off my list! Hubby was happy I didn't have to cover my murals on the other sides of the sheds.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
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  12. cherylad

    cherylad Countess of Cute-ification Plants Contributor

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    I wanna see the murals, please. :stew2:
     
  13. Pianolady

    Pianolady In Flower

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    I've posted these before a few years back, but for the life of me I could not find any pics. So here's a few from today. The paint is fading, so it will get repainted next year. It has sentimental value though because our young daughter got to paint on it (the grass, flowers, leaves, things like that), she's now 21 so it's lasted a long time. I'll probably paint something on it again, but haven't decided what.

    The big shed has bees & ladybugs randomly placed.
    [​IMG]

    The small shed has the paint our daughter did with me.
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
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  14. eileen

    eileen Resident Taxonomist Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    I see what you mean about your cedar swing - it really does look like new!! :-D Yet another job ticked off your list now that you've painted and power washed the sheds. Iremember seeing those murals and they're still looking good. Getting rid of rubbish really makes everything look so much bigger and tidier doesn't it?
     
  15. cherylad

    cherylad Countess of Cute-ification Plants Contributor

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    thanks for posting the mural.It is so pretty!
     
  16. koszta kid

    koszta kid Young Pine

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    I love the design on your shed. We're taking down 2 old garages out back in our 2 acres. Told Dh we could make new shed- with some of good lumber. DH said not this year.
     

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