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Home Improvement/Remodel Thread


smetana34

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@titansNvolsR#1, don’t know when you asked your question, but mulch doesn’t block weeds like they say it does.  I would put weedblock fabric underneath, THEN mulch.

I have mulch all along the front of my house and I put old wooden plank flooring down, then weedblock fabric, then mulch.  No weeds whatsoever in them.  

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Doing a kitchen backsplash today. I’m using 3x6 white subway tiles. I’m then going to use black grout tomorrow, which should make for a nice contrast with the white tile and white cabinets (I have black hardware on the cabinets too).

Its funny, the cost for this project is roughly $120-$150 total, and the quote we got to do this is over $1,000. As the tile is only $90 and I now have all the tools that I need, I can literally mess this up 10 times and still save money by doing it myself.

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26 minutes ago, MWil23 said:

Doing a kitchen backsplash today. I’m using 3x6 white subway tiles. I’m then going to use black grout tomorrow, which should make for a nice contrast with the white tile and white cabinets (I have black hardware on the cabinets too).

Its funny, the cost for this project is roughly $120-$150 total, and the quote we got to do this is over $1,000. As the tile is only $90 and I now have all the tools that I need, I can literally mess this up 10 times and still save money by doing it myself.

But that 11th time man. You’ll be in the red.

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Re-did the stairs on our new house. We bought the house with all carpet steps in need of replacement. It was a decent project but managed to replace that with new stained treads and risers after ripping the old stuff out and sawing back the nose of the construction wood underneath. The DIY cost was probably less then what you would have gotten with a quote for simple carpeting and looks way better. Wife added some stair carpet pads on top. All in all I’m pretty pleased. Tedious task though, which I’m hoping never to have to repeat.

Edited by NateDawg
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Well, I finished the backsplash and it looks pretty good. Now I need to buy some oversized outlet plates to cover up where I cut it just a little short around the outlets. If that doesn’t work, I’m going to have to cut a few 1/2 inch tile slivers and use some caulk and hope that works. 😂

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  • 2 weeks later...

I just built two shelves.  All by myself.  One for my movies, one for my gaming systems.  Safe to say I've just found a new hobby.  Thought I was too old for that, but apparently I'm not. 

Going to take that dive into hobby woodworking and furniture building now.  There goes thousands of dollars in more tools. 

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1 hour ago, Outpost31 said:

I just built two shelves.  All by myself.  One for my movies, one for my gaming systems.  Safe to say I've just found a new hobby.  Thought I was too old for that, but apparently I'm not. 

Going to take that dive into hobby woodworking and furniture building now.  There goes thousands of dollars in more tools. 

Dude I went down the woodworking wormhole as well! I built a couple of 8 foot farmhouse kitchen tables. Mider saw, table saw, hand planer, Kreg jig, drill, driver, orbital sander, and a joiner gets that done. 

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Just now, MWil23 said:

Dude I went down the woodworking wormhole as well! I built a couple of 8 foot farmhouse kitchen tables. Mider saw, table saw, hand planer, Kreg jig, drill, driver, orbital sander, and a joiner gets that done. 

A part of me wishes I never discovered it honestly.  It's like a serious addiction right now.  It's like male empowerment type stuff if that even exists.  Finishing a sturdy piece of furniture that looks great and is exactly what you wanted, knowing you did it all by yourself from planning to cutting to screwing it together and it didn't fall apart and it looks good is one of the more satisfying things I've done in a long time. 

Most exciting part about this is I built the shelves with nothing but a jigsaw, a Sawzal and one of those hand Miter saws, those yellow ugly POS ones as far as saws goe.  Getting some actual tools to build some more complex pieces of furniture is going to be pretty damn fun.  I'll probably start slow and get a circular saw and a Kreg jig.  Already have a Milwaukee drill and driver. 

I can easily see myself filling my entire house with custom furniture.  Only part about it I dislike is painting.  Hate painting. 

stanley-miter-boxes-20-600d-64_1000.jpg

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7 minutes ago, MWil23 said:

@Outpost31 finishing work is absolutely the worst. I just got an orbital sander for a gift.

I disagree with you there.  Sanding gives me a sort of calm, focused feeling.  I’ve only completed two projects so maybe I’ll get sick of that part, but I don’t think so.  

I have a corded Milwaukee sander, but I think I'll definitely be buying a battery operated orbital sander.  Would be so much nicer to have battery operated. 

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5 minutes ago, Outpost31 said:

I disagree with you there.  Sanding gives me a sort of calm, focused feeling. 

I have a corded Milwaukee sander, but I think I'll definitely be buying a battery operated orbital sander.  Would be so much nicer to have battery operated. 

I'd you enjoy sanding, then you'll woodworking. 

Also, buying a few ancillary tools like you outlined is a good start. When you get real serious, buy a table saw. You'll expand from there. 

I now have a table saw, drum sander, planer, miter saw, bandsaw, two drill presses, numerous hand tools and hand power tools, etc. 

Yeah you can spend a lot of money, but it does provide a lot of enjoyment. As you get more into it you'll learn new techniques that increase your enjoyment even more. 

Have fun with it!

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7 hours ago, Outpost31 said:

I disagree with you there.  Sanding gives me a sort of calm, focused feeling.  I’ve only completed two projects so maybe I’ll get sick of that part, but I don’t think so.  

I have a corded Milwaukee sander, but I think I'll definitely be buying a battery operated orbital sander.  Would be so much nicer to have battery operated. 

I’m talking about finishing work as in paint and stain. I LOVE sanding!

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3 hours ago, MWil23 said:

I’m talking about finishing work as in paint and stain. I LOVE sanding!

You are both disgusting.  Sanding is the worst.

The first coat of finish is the best.  Brings the wood to life and you can really see how your project is going to look.

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