I’ve had a home improvement project that I’ve been avoiding for quite some time now. The project has to do with making shelves for the insides of the kitchen cabinets, the laundry room, three bedroom closets and a hallway closet. In all, I’d say we need about 15-20 shelves. All different shapes and sizes, mind […]
Home Improvement
The home improvement category should be an entire blog unto itself. It covers a lot, but many of my posts here are full of excellent information on entertaining topics. I've done my fair share of fixing up and repairing houses in my day, so it should be no surprise that a good portion of this entire website is dedicated to the subject. I've installed multiple types of flooring, remodeled kitchens, completely revamped bathrooms, have torn down and rebuilt new decks and porches, and have painted far too many walls than I'd like to admit. In the posts contained in this category, you'll read about my adventures topping off gravel driveways, building sidewalks and stairs, installing wood and pellet burning stoves and chimneys, and insulating basements. It's a good time all around.
Fixing a Smelly Septic Pipe With Fernco Flexible Couplings
I’ve got a fun story for you. You probably won’t want to read it if you aren’t into smelly basements and septic pipes, but if you are, read on. You might be entertained. When we moved into this house last November, I remember going down to the basement to check things out. One of the […]
Installing a Sillcock Valve
Can anyone tell me what happens to a valve if it freezes with water inside? Okay, I’ll tell you. The seal gets ruined. Something happens when the ice expands in the valve, so after a few freeze/thaws, you get some leaks. We’ve had it happen to the kitchen sink after that froze this past Winter. […]
Interior Insulation With Rigid Foam
Rigid foam insulation is the best thing since sliced bread. It’s thin, effective, has a great r-value and acts as a vapor barrier. With the time and space saved, it’s worth its weight in…well, rigid foam. It’s sort of expensive though at $18.99 per 4’x8′ 1 inch thick sheet. But the mice hate it and […]
Installing Mathews Brothers Windows
One of the things I’ve got to finish up before Winter rolls around is the window replacement in the log cabin room. I’ve already done the wood stove installation and now I’m going to tackle the windows. Basically, I’d like to get everything done that I couldn’t do while there was six feet of snow […]
Building a Pool Fence
Back last year, when we were sitting in Florida, looking at houses in Maine online, we discovered a real beauty. The beauty we found online happens to be the one we currently live in. I can thank Laura for that. She did all the research and hunting throughout the web. She had her criteria and […]
SharkBite Vs. Traditionally Installed Water Valve
I was doing some work yesterday that required I turn off the main water source for the house. I had to repair a few frozen broken pipes and I needed to release the water pressure in the system. I also needed to get as much water out of the pipes as possible. After fiddling with […]
Insulating an Unfinished Basement + Rim Joists
From what I’ve been reading online, there seems to be a general trend that’s moving people away from traditional fiberglass (pink stuff) insulation and moving them towards either spray foam insulation or rigid foam panel insulation. Because it’s still relatively new and mostly requires professional assistance, spray foam is expensive. If you were to have […]
SharkBite Fittings and PEX Tubing
I think I’ve told you about my electric hot water heater project coming up. I’ve kind of been procrastinating on this one because it’s going to cost a few bills. I’m picking up the supplies I’ll need piecemeal, so the final cost won’t be such a one-off shock. I mean, it’s not a lot of […]
Replacing a Washing Machine Valve
This was an unexpected and especially annoying repair. I’ll start at the beginning. About a week ago, I came up with a really good idea. I thought that if I bought an extra garden hose, screwed a big garage hook into the wall above and next to the washing machine in the laundry room and […]