Three-plus years later ...

Our long drywall repair nightmare is over.

As you may remember, I started fixing my very rough (i.e. "good enough") drywall job on my daughter's bedroom doorway a couple Fridays back (read the back story here). After that, time and my daughter's illness forced me to take a step back. I was able to get my final coat sanded, but painting ... that was a different story. Imagine my shame every time I walked past that joint compound-decorated doorway.

Finally, last Friday, I finished - paint and all.

Using a drywall sander that attaches to the vacuum cleaner, I was able to contain most of the dust from that project, but I wasn't naive enough to think I was able to completely eliminate it. Those tiny, pesky bits of drywall dust are still in the air, looking for somewhere to settle down and make themselves at home. After lots of cleaning and vacuuming, I'm confident that 95 percent of it is gone now.

Unfortunately, the paint we had stored in the basement was mixed in a different batch than the paint that was already on the wall, meaning there was an ever-so-slightly difference in the tint. Fortunately, I only had to paint the wall in question. Unfortunately, that's one of the longest uninterrupted walls in our home.

Two coats later, I'm very happy with the results. If you compare the above photo with this one, I'm sure you'll agree that my pride in a job well done is justified.

Third time's a charm?

Do you love mudding and sanding drywall as much as I do? If you have even a passing interest, then yes you do. But hey, you've gotta do what you've gotta do, right? Such is the glamorous life of a handyman - accidental or otherwise.

This afternoon, I'll be sanding down a thick layer of mud I put around a door frame last Friday. This will be the third time for this particular door frame, and the first in more than three years. See, we had the huge bedroom space in our loft split into two rooms just before our daughter was born. When all was said and done, the doorway to her room was about about three inches higher than the one to ours, which wouldn't have been a big deal if they weren't so close together. As an added bonus, the opening was too tall for the reclaimed school doors we'd bought.

With time running short, I needed to get the walls painted and the tracks and doors hung, so rather than wait for someone to come and lower, drywall and sand it, I took on the task myself. I know, it's still slightly higher than the other. But the cork floor in our daughter's room is slightly higher than the bare concrete in ours, so it works. Plus, the door fits, so I can live with that small detail.

Getting the edges as sharp as the other (professionally-done) frame has been a different story. After two tries, the edges and wall above the door were still a little rough but good enough, so we painted.

Three-plus years later, "good enough" isn't good enough anymore. That door frame mocks me every time I pass by (even in the dark). Last week, I tackled the interior side - which wasn't nearly as rough to begin with. And while it still needs a good painting, it's smooth and the edges are pretty sharp, and I'm happy with it.

Bolstered by that success, part of me is looking forward to this afternoon. Part of me is dreading it. One more unsuccessful attempt just might put me over the edge.

Stay tuned for the results, and wish me luck. I'll probably need it. Badly.

And now for something completely different..

DIY comes in many flavors: home improvement, crafting, auto repair and more. I'd also throw cooking and baking into the mix. These are the two I find most intimidating - terrifying in many ways.

So when I volunteered to bake a cake (from scratch!) yesterday for my wife's birthday, it was kind of a big deal. I would be stepping outside my comfort zone. Way outside. See, my previous attempt was a very simple lemon cake topped with powdered sugar (frosting was too far out of my comfort zone). Not only did it look a bit sad, but it came out a little drier and heavier than it should have. To her credit, my wife (who’s an excellent cook, by the way) was complementary as she choked it down. I could see in her eyes, however, that it fell way short of expectations.

Until yesterday morning, I still had no idea what kind of cake - and frosting - I'd make. My choice, a classic two-layer white cake with some kind of berry frosting, was reminiscent of our interior decorating philosophy: simple basics (walls) with color used as an accent. Even though I'd set the bar low in the past, I was determined to wow her this time. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give the self-inflicted pressure an 11.

When it comes to home improvement, I'm very comfortable with a little creative improvisation. With cooking/baking, not so much. Without a recipe to follow, forget it. I found a great cake recipe at Epicurious. Finding one specifically for berry frosting (without shortening or lard) turned out to be a challenge. I was able to find a vegan buttercream frosting recipe that included instructions for adding berries. Then I found a non-vegan version (thank you FoodNetwork.com) and decided to - gulp - improvise.

Granted, that's not much of a stretch, but for me it was a huge leap of faith. Not only would my wife and daughter be eating this cake, but so would my in-laws. Did I mention that my wife comes from a long line of great cooks?

With the exception of missing the step that said to add vanilla extract to the batter (I tossed it in at the very end), the cake was pretty quick and easy. Surprisingly, so was the frosting. My biggest moment of panic was when said frosting turned out a little soupy. A little more powdered sugar (improvising again) worked to thicken it somewhat. After our almost 3-year-old daughter added some pink sanding sugar to the top, and the cake was finished.

Even though the cake batter (can anyone resist licking the beater?) and the frosting tasted good on their own, I was incredibly nervous about the final product. My heart raced as I cut into my creation after dinner. The moment of truth was at hand.

The result: rave reviews, and not the polite I-know-you-did-your-best-and-I-appreciate-the-effort kind. Phew.

So while I'm no cake boss, I'm no cake intern either.

Carpe DIY

Maybe you're lacking in the DIY skills department. Maybe you're not that confident in the skills you do have. We've all been there. Hey, even though I consider myself a capable handyman, I still find myself there from time to time.

The point is you don't have to let a lack of skills or confidence stand in the way of your projects.

Apartment Therapy has compiled a great list of 10 home improvement sources for non-DIYers. The headline, however, may be deceiving since I, as a DIYer, would use any or all of them. Elfa shelving from The Container Store? What do you think is the basis of our closet?

(Non-sequitur: I was instantly won over by the photo when I noticed Johnny Cash staring out from one of the upper shelves.)

So whether you want to use any of these as standalone solutions or as part of a larger project, go for it. Carpe DIY!

Who knows? You might be pleasantly surprised by the skills you actually DO have at your disposal.

Little things can mean a lot

I try to be the most consistent handyman I can be. I also try to be the most consistent blogger I can be. In both, I often try to take on more than I can realistically handle, which leads to mixed results at best.

On the handyman front, those larger projects have been my downfall. So I'm going back to basics and focusing on the small things. Yes, major projects have major impacts, but often, the smaller things can have an equal - or greater - impact.

My new philosophy - which I've been able to stick with for THREE consecutive weekends - is to finish one project each weekend. To date, I've re-fixed the power-flush toilet (which we've decided to pull the plug on, but I'll save that for another day), patched the plethora of nail and screw holes that dot our walls and bolt three bookcases (which were made obsolete by our built-ins) to various wall. All small things that make a small impact.

The project I'm most proud of, however, is re-purposing one of those bookcases into a closet of sorts for my daughter's bedroom. If you've never tried to alter a manufactured bookcase, then you'd probably assume it's easy. While it wasn't a terribly major undertaking, it was a lot more involved than I envisioned.

I am not a furniture maker, nor do I have any knowledge of how furniture is made, so the first thing I had to do was remove the trim from the face of the bookcase to see what I was up against. Starting at the top, from the inside of the shelving unit I tapped the trim until there was a space wide enough to insert a long flat-head screwdriver (a pry bar would have been helpful). Once the trim was off, I saw that the shelves were not only nailed into the frame from the outside, but they were also set in notches in the frame. So much for just pounding away until the shelves either broke or came loose.

Using a nail set, I sunk those outer nails through the frame and into the edges of the shelves. I then removed the staples from the two thin pieces of plywood(?) that make up the back of each shelf and took them off, opening the back of the top two shelves. I then used my hammer to remove the top of the frame. Believe me, this was a great way to work out my frustration with the Patriots, who were in the process of getting shellacked by the Browns.

Once I'd removed the top, I could push the sides of the frame far enough apart to lift out the shelves and reassemble the frame using finish nails. The plywood backing didn't survive removal very well, so the upper half of the unit has no back (which is fine, since we'd painted the interior of the shelves the same gray as our walls). The bare wood of the notches where the two shelves had sat will need to be painted, but for now, I'm ok with them being bare. The various nail holes also need to be filled, but as with the paint, I'm ok with that.

I learned my biggest lesson from re-setting the trim (using the old nails that were still in place). I don't own a rubber mallet, and being the expert hammer-wielder I am, I hit it too hard dinged the trim pretty good in one place. Oh well. That's what wood putty was invented for, right? Luckily, that was the first nail, so for the remainder, I placed a block of 2x4 between the trim and my hammer.

Once I had the unit reassembled, hanging the closet rod was a piece of cake. Ditto for bolting the unit to the wall. Thanks to having a 2-year-old, that's something I could almost do with my eyes closed.

Even before the clothes were hung and toys placed on the bottom shelves, I was damn proud of my work. So was Mrs. Handyman, which made me happy. But the happiest moment was my daughter's reaction upon seeing her new "closet" for the first time: "Oh, that's wonderful."

Because I enjoy it, any opportunity to flex my handyman muscles is a reward in itself. But reactions like that make my work that much more special.

(A note about the photo. At right, you can see one of the salvaged school doors I installed on industrial sliders to use as bedroom doors. Right next to the bookcase is the owl my wife and I made out of paper glued to a canvas for our daughter's first Christmas in 2008. It serves double duty by covering the thermostat.)

-------------------------------

If you're planning to do something similar, here are some tips based on my experience.

1. Depending on the size of the bookcase, number of shelves to be removed and your level of experience, plan on this taking about an hour.
2. As with any project, figure out what tools and hardware (nails, screws, etc.) you'll need and have them on hand before starting. Once you start, you don't want to be scrambling around (or running to the hardware store). Remember, it's better to have too much than not enough

Tools you'll need:

• Nail set
• Hammer
• Finish nails
• Rubber mallet (or scrap of 2x4)
• Pry bar (or long flat-head screwdriver)
• Adjustable closet rod
• Screwdriver (for installing closet rod)
• Level (for installing closet rod)
• Screwdriver (or power screwdriver/drill with screwdriver bit)
• Wood screws
• Toggle bolts and/or mounting brackets (In case you can't bolt the unit to a stud)

To DIY or not to DIY ...

I'm making my guest-blogging debut at Building Moxie today with a post about the necessary evil of hiring out your home improvement and the potential perils of doing so. It's a personal story, and the names have been changed to protect everyone - the innocent and the guilty.

Click here to give it a read. Some of it may hit too close to home, but hey, that's the nature of home improvement.

While you're there, bookmark Building Moxie. JB and his team do a bang-up job over there, and I'm proud to have been asked to contribute.

Apologia

It's been almost two weeks since I've posted here. I guess that would qualify me as a terrible blogger. As I've said before (maybe too many times), I struggle to find a balance between work, family time and home improvement. Especially in summer. I always have the best intentions about getting things done, but life just seems to get in the way.

At any rate, I'd like to take a second to apologize for the unplanned hiatus. I promise to do better.

What next? (aka the five-year itch)

Five and a half years. That's how long we've owned our loft. Coincidentally, that seems to be the outer edge of the life span on a lot of our appliances, all of which were new when we moved in.

As I've mentioned before, problems with our power-flush toilet and tankless boiler have been ongoing for most of those five years. Now I can add to the list the Insinkerator disposal and the dishwasher.

The disposal has acted up off and on for a while, sometimes refusing to process anything else and backing up into the sink. Because the dishwasher empties into the drain, this has sometimes caused problems with water spewing out of the relief valve. This valve is located at the top of the sink, next to the cold water handle, so you can probably guess the results (think pools of water all over the kitchen counters). After the last backup, we stopped running egg shells, coffee grounds and things like banana peels and melon rinds through. Problem solved.

Now it seems the disposal has sprung a small leak. It's located directly under the sink, along with a few other things like trash bags, lightbulbs, and a Swiffer we never use anymore. The leak is on the left-hand side where we store flower pots and other things we rarely use. Specifically, it's on the opposite side as the Big Bucket of Cleaning Supplies. So imagine my surprise when I went to crawl under the sink to install a new faucet and found a pool of standing (and very stagnant) water. The solution? Put a vase under the spot where the water drips. I know it's only a temporary fix, and it's worked ok for now.

Rewind to a couple afternoons ago. We usually run the dishwasher overnight, but this particular day, it ran in the afternoon. When I went into the kitchen to refill my water glass, I found a large puddle on the floor in front of the dishwasher. Cleanup became the first concern, and it involved taking the kick plate off the front and swabbing the (very cramped) space underneath.

Next came diagnostics. At first, it seemed that the leak was under the dishwasher, but that turned out to be wrong. Instead, it appears to be leaking from a spot on the bottom outside of the door. Not coincidentally, this is where a hose feeds into the unit. The sheer volume of water makes a "quick fix" like a catch-cup impossible, so we'll have to call in a pro. Until then, it's all about sopping and and wringing. Fun times.

If you're keeping score, in the coming weeks we're going to have someone come in to fix/maintain our boiler, dishwasher and disposal. The problem is, I have no idea who to call for the dishwasher and disposal. A plumber? Or is there someone in the area who services our specific brands?

To top it all off, one of our cars started shaking pretty violently when we drove it on the highway. This is going to be an expensive month ...

It's not that easy being green, part 1

When converting our building from a vacant shoe assembly plant to lofts, the forward-thinking developer installed a couple energy- and water-efficient technologies. In theory, this would seem like an excellent decision. In practice, however, each has provided more than their share of headaches. In part one of a two-part post, I'll talk about the first of these: The toilet.

We have a power-flush toilet, which uses air pressure to quickly (and loudly) drain the bowl, eliminating the need for excess water to be stored in the tank. The trouble started within

six months of move-in.

Part of it was my fault. Never having seen a power-flush before, I dropped a sanitizing tablet into the half-inch of water that accumulates under the flushing assembly. This actually caused the chain from the handle to the activator button to corrode and break. My wife was not amused when this happened while I was in Florida on business. Upon returning, I was able to fish the majority of the mostly undissolved tablet out of the tank and replace the chain.

The next headache was with the assembly itself. As a result of our water coming into the building through old pipes, the small amount of sediment it contains builds up over time and causes the stopper to stick in the open position. With this open, the system can't re-pressurize - and the toilet won't flush. Luckily, the sound of running water accompanies this, so I know when to fix it. While this is annoying, it's easy enough to take apart and clean.

The major problem is that I've taken that assembly apart so many times that at least four of the eight screws that hold the cap in place have stripped the plastic holes they fasten to. This also prevents re-pressurization and is more difficult to fix. To seal the tank, I put silicone around the rim of the cap (on top of the rubber O-ring) to hold it in place.

So far, my solution has worked (knock on wood), but I know it's only a stopgap. I've scoured the Internet for a more permanent fix, and so far, the only solution I've found is to use fatter screws. Having no other ideas, I'll try it.

So while our toilet is taking care of the Earth, it's certainly not taking care of us.

Next up: the wall-hung boiler.

"Daddy fix"

One of the drawbacks of being even slightly handy is that you build up expectations. In the past, my not-so-handy (or not-handy-at-all) friends and family have often called on me for advice or ask me to help them install or repair something (or even to do it for them). Partly because I like to get all the experience I can, and partly because I've always had trouble saying no, I usually oblige. Not surprisingly, it poses quite a quandary when it comes to my own projects.

While I enjoy helping, these requests have thankfully dried up in the two years since my daughter. People are respectful of the fact that I don't have the time I once did for my own projects - never mind theirs.

This segues perfectly into the new quandary of high expectations - my daughter's.

As she's gotten older, more independent and very, very smart, she's seen me fix a few things, including some of her toys and pop-up books that no longer pop up. I love seeing the expression on her face when she sees Elmo and his daddy back in their rightful place in one of her books. The Baby Einstein book "Jane's Animal Adventures" was a particularly tricky fix, but it's been restored to as close to its original form as humanly possible.

So now, whenever something breaks, she hands it to me and says, "Daddy fix." Flowers, bananas, books, toys - it doesn't make a difference. I love that she looks up to me as a Mr. Fix-It hero who can repair anything.

Aside from the fact that she often seems to break things on purpose with the thought that I'll fix them, the biggest problem is that sometimes Daddy can fix. Sometimes he can't. For example, you can mush a banana back together. But in the case of flowers, tissues or other un-fixables, if a reasonable facsimile can be found, a little sleight of hand usually does the trick.

So in addition to my continuing education in the ways of DIY and home improvement, I'm also getting a self-taught education in magic tricks.

But given how smart this one is proving to be, I have to wonder how long I can get away with that.

Speed vs. safety

Are you like me? Are you already planning how you're going to squeeze in some home projects this weekend? After all, Sunday is pretty much out, it being Easter and all. Even if you're not religious, chances are you celebrate in some way (family gathering, dinner, one of your twice-a-year pilgrimages to church, etc.).

It's invigorating to cross a project (or better yet, projects) off my to-do list. So I know if I do get some work in on Saturday, I know I'd normally be tempted to rush, trying to get as much done in as little time as possible. In those cases, safety (or at least a heightened sense of it) tends to either take a vacation or at the very least slide to the bottom of my priorities list.

But after watching the below compilation of DIY disasters from, I'm having second thoughts. Seems there's a reason the old saying is "Measure twice, cut once" and not "Speed trumps accuracy (and safety)."

Enjoy. (Just pardon the laugh track.)

Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock people ...

"Time is the only capital that any human being has, and the thing that he can least afford to waste or lose." - Thomas Edison

Like everyone I know, that about sums up my life these days. The only "home project" I've tackled recently has been dinner. Once a severe handicap, through practice and repetition, my cooking skills are improving.

It's kind of DIY if you scrounge in the refrigerator and assemble something that tastes good, right?

Weather "woes"

The temperature approached 70 degrees here in coastal Maine on Saturday (which coincidentally was the first day of spring). That kind of weather is unheard of in mid-March, which made it a real gift. Being the appreciative sort of folks we are, my wife, daughter and I took off that morning for a day of adventure on the streets of Portland.

(Aside #1: I don't know how or why we've never walked the East End Trail before, but after Saturday, it's going to be a staple. Aside #2: if you have kids, you must take them to the new playground at Deering Oaks.)

So I didn't get to anything on my to-do list. But based on the amazing weekend I had with my girls, that's a very good thing.

Quick and easy (yeah, right)

The faucet is in. According to everything I read, swapping out a faucet is one of the easiest DIY projects you can take on. I'm sure that's true ... if you read the instructions and make sure you have everything you need.

First snag: I didn't have a basin wrench. "Who needs one of those?" I asked myself. Me, apparently. There were these little nuts (see left) up behind the basin (what else) that connected the old faucet to the sink. So it was off to Home Depot at 9 last night. Got home at 10 and removed those nuts with no problem.

That's when I realized that when you replace a single-control faucet with a dual-control one, you need hoses to connect the faucet controls to the water supply. Home Depot was closed by then, so secured the faucet in place, then gave up and went to bed.

Off to the Depot again this morning, returning triumphantly with flexible water supply hoses and plumbing joint compound. I attached one end of the hose to the bottom of the faucet. That's when I hit snag #2: They were too short. By about six inches.

Back to HD(trip #3 if you're counting). I returned the 12-inch hoses, picked up some 20-inchers and headed home. Ten minutes later, we had running water. Success!

Lessons learned:
1. Read the directions (see below - notice the handy drawings of both a basin wrench and flexibe water supply line)
2. Make sure you have the right tools and supplies - BEFORE removing the old faucet.
3. Measure, measure, measure
4. Expect at least one flesh wound. Or battle scar, if you prefer. (See below. I have a matching one on my right hand)

5. Save the Guinness until AFTER you're done.

About that faucet ...

I'm really doing double-time to get a lot of work done today. Why? It's that faucet. I just can't wait to swap out the old one. And if I don't have any leftover work tonight (for a change), then I get to do it.

Stay tuned ...

(Before & after pics to come)

Finding a balance

The last couple of weeks have been crazy busy. Between work and life in general, there hasn't been much time for any home projects. Sadly, it looks like work is going to keep me away from DIY until at least Saturday.

I'm itching to get back to my list, especially since the FedEx guy just delivered our new faucet. Installing it should be an adventure, since plumbing is not a strength of mine. Not yet, at least.

For now, it's going to have to sit on my desk, still in the box. Don't think it won't be taunting me every time I walk by.

Bring on the weekend!

Weekends are too short

Good intentions be damned, there's never enough time to get my projects done. Friday I put the last two windowsills in, and I planned to seal around the edges and fill in the larger gaps on the right and left of those two (I measured twice and cut once, but sometimes there's no accounting for bad math).

However, the weather turned springlike on the coast of Maine this weekend. The three of us (wife, daughter and me) have been sick for a couple weeks, so it was a perfect time to get out and do something. Trouble is, that meant I didn't do anything indoors - including windowsills.

To complicate matters, we live on the second floor and don't have a yard to speak of. All my power tools, lumber and other supplies are stowed in our storage room in the basement - which has no outlets. One thing I did this weekend was buy a DC converter to change my light socket into an outlet. That should help. We'll see.

So there my windowsills sit. The edges of the first four have been filled, but need to be sanded and painted. Those last two are in, but that's it. There's always next weekend, right?

My question for you is this: how to you manage your time to ensure that your projects get done?

Mother Necessity, where would we be?

We've all heard that necessity is the mother of invention. But did you know that home ownership is the granddaddy of necessity? Unless you build a home (and are very active in the design phase), no one buys their dream home. That's a given. So with that in mind, home improvement, repair and maintenance become a necessity. You with me?

When you buy an open-concept loft (especially when it's your first home), those necessities pile up. The gray concrete floors, flat white walls, cheap gray rubber baseboards, nonexistent window sills/trim and more were enough to (almost) drive us mad.

Happily, I've completed all of those projects (except the windowsills, which are in progress). With the notable exception of the floors, I did them all myself. (Aside: we paid someone to acid stain the floors a brown tortoise-shell and seal it with a hard wax. I may think I'm handy, but even I know amateurs shouldn't - for the most part - mess around with hazardous chemicals.)

And that's not all. In coming posts, I'll talk about some of my DIY triumphs, and the inevitable challenges I had to overcome. After all, almost everything I've learned has been through trial-and-error.

Stay tuned.

In the beginning ...

Before I get started, here's a little about me: With a BA in journalism and an MA in English, I am by trade a desk jockey. But from a young age, I've always been a little bit handy, mostly by osmosis. Like most baby boomers, my dad is a tinkerer - the kind of guy who can fix (or at least gerry-rig) anything. Between my younger brother and me, he chose me to be his "apprentice." Not coincidentally, he's often said he's impressed by my ability to anticipate a solution and be ready with a suggestion - or at least the right tool. I've really learned a lot about home improvement, car maintenance and basic DIY skills - more than I could possibly have learned from any class.

After getting married, my wife and I rented for five-plus years, during which time I didn't get much occasion (beyond the odd picture-hanging) to flex my DIY muscles. Luckily, they didn't atrophy because in February 2005, I started needing them again - in a big way.

Home ownership itself often requires that one develop a working knowledge of carpentry, electrical work and more. However, we bought an open-concept loft in an old shoe factory with visions of making it "our own." Among the many projects I've completed (some with help, others by winging it) are: tiling our backsplash, ripping out and replacing the cheap rubber baseboard throughout and building walls. Along the way, my tool stash has grown, although I still find that I'm improvising a lot (i.e. using the wrong kind of saw for what I'm doing), but all in all, it's been a great learning experience.

Like most people, the one thing I wish I had more of is time. Five years later, I still have a lengthy project list, and between working from home (and, up until Valentine's Day, working weekends as well) and taking care of our almost two-year-old daughter (did I mention I'm also a stay-at-home dad?), the list continues to grow with few projects getting finished.

Now that my weekends are free, I'm hoping to start ticking off those projects and truly putting our stamp on this place. I'll be documenting my progress, as well as posting interesting articles, blogs, etc. about DIY and home improvement.

Wish me luck!