DIY home improvement projects

[AgronAlum]

Avoid Behr for staining. They make excellent paints but IMO their stains aren't nearly as good. I personally like Thompson's but I know there are many who aren't fans.

If your deck has any kind of age to it avoid transparent stain, I'd go with semi-transparent if you still want to see some of the wood graining.

Also, find a day/days when you know it's not going to be too windy. First time I did it there was a pretty stiff wind and stains are so thin and watery compared to paint a good wind will blow that sh*t everywhere.

I'll also add to avoid Pittsburg. If you're going to Menards, go with Cabot.

Deck stains also have a lot of negative reviews that aren't warranted, as well. People don't prep well enough or at all, blame it on the top coat and then go online blasting reviews everywhere.

 

[CyByrd]

I'll also add to avoid Pittsburg. If you're going to Menards, go with Cabot.

Deck stains also have a lot of negative reviews that aren't warranted, as well. People don't prep well enough or at all, blame it on the top coat and then go online blasting reviews everywhere.

Its a little more expensive, but I love Penofin penetrating oil for decks/fences

 

[VeloClone]

Next task I want to tackle is replacing our existing deck boards/railings with composite material. They're getting pretty worn and I'm tired of re-sanding/staining so often. Seems to be pretty straightforward (assuming the undercarriage is still in good shape), open to any tips from anyone who has done it in the past.

Consider the color and the amount of sun it gets. My BIL built a house and had a composite deck attached. Granted this was in KC, but their darker colored (medium to dark grey) deck got so hot on sunny summer days that it was pretty much unusable during daylight hours. Wood can get pretty hot in direct sunlight, but this was another level.

He has since covered it with screened porch and gets a lot of use out of it now.

 

[Hammerschlagen]

We live in a split foyer and the entryway isn't very big. I got tired of everyone's shoes always cluttering up this entryway and getting in the way of the front door, so I ordered a metal shoe cabinet and I built it into the wall. It still needs a little touch up paint on the trim, but it's essentially done. The cabinet is only 4 inches thick so it barely sticks out of the wall, and it holds a total of six pairs of shoes. Now my cluttered entryway problem is solved!

An essential characteristic of every DIY project

 

[CYEATHAWK]

Anyone have recommendations on how to stain a fence and deck?

Treated or cedar?

Old or new?

 

[psycln11]

anyone on here familiar with Onyx showers? typical price range? ease of install?

finishing basement and not sure which route to go.. for the money may just do standard fiberglass?

My parents completely re-did their master bath last year. New Onyx shower and counter-top with two built in sinks. Let's just say the overall project was NOT cheap!

Note: They did a complete upgrade and tore out the built-in jetted tub and went with a new walk-in shower.

 

[Gonzo]

Consider the color and the amount of sun it gets. My BIL built a house and had a composite deck attached. Granted this was in KC, but their darker colored (medium to dark grey) deck got so hot on sunny summer days that it was pretty much unusable during daylight hours. Wood can get pretty hot in direct sunlight, but this was another level.

He has since covered it with screened porch and gets a lot of use out of it now.

I've heard too much direct sun/heat can warp that stuff too.

 

[1SEIACLONE]

My parents completely re-did their master bath last year. New Onyx shower and counter-top with two built in sinks. Let's just say the overall project was NOT cheap!

Note: They did a complete upgrade and tore out the built-in jetted tub and went with a new walk-in shower.

Onyx is really a nice material in a shower, our contractor talked us into using it when we remodeled our upstairs bathroom in the old house. Loved it, and we never had any problems in the 5 years we used it before we sold the place.

 

[Pope]

An essential characteristic of every DIY project

Yeah, my wife hates my 80% rule. That is when I'm 80% done with a project, I lose interest and I'm ready to move onto the next project. Getting that last 20% done is the hard part.

 

[VeloClone]

Yeah, my wife hates my 80% rule. That is when I'm 80% done with a project, I lose interest and I'm ready to move onto the next project. Getting that last 20% done is the hard part.

Completion is overrated. If it isn't completed she can't discard me without consequences...

 

[Gonzo]

Yeah, my wife hates my 80% rule. That is when I'm 80% done with a project, I lose interest and I'm ready to move onto the next project. Getting that last 20% done is the hard part.

Weird, 80% is about all my wife can handle.

***EDIT: Who am I trying to kid...

 

[qwerty]

This is an actual company in C.R. Bring in a good Cy-Hawk reference in this ad.

 

[Pope]

Here's my latest DIY project. I picked up some cedar picket boards from Home Depot and made some shutters and flower boxes for my son's home. It was a very easy project and each window only cost around $35 in materials.



Made me wonder if I should consider making these to sell and advertise them for around $75 or $80 per window.

 

[Althetuna]

Summer project: Slowly refreshing the deck. Here's where I'm at now.

 

[mramseyISU]

I'm building this shed kit from Lowes right now. I've got the floor done but between the ball soup weather and all the rain that we've gotten since it got dropped off on my driveway it's not as much progress as I would like.

 

[mschmitty17]

Need to remove this section of the wall near the shower and caulk it so it doesn't leak again and then replace everything, but no idea where to start. I'm a new homeowner and have no experience with drywall if anyone can give me some tips.

 

[DSMCy]

Need to remove this section of the wall near the shower and caulk it so it doesn't leak again and then replace everything, but no idea where to start. I'm a new homeowner and have no experience with drywall if anyone can give me some tips.

Is the damage just that small spot in the corner or is the whole wall damaged?

If just that fairly small corner, I wouldn't replace any drywall. Fix the leak, recaulk and paint if you want to cover up the water damage.
Obviously give it time to all dry out as much as it can.

If you do need to do larger drywall repair, there are a lot of youtube videos to watch.
Lowes has drywall patch sheets that I think are 2'x2' so you don't have a buy a big 8' piece.
Get a putty knife, a tub of joint compound, fiber tape and a sanding block

To try to match the wall texture, they make texture you spray out of a can. It works pretty well but takes some practice.

 

[JEFF420]

Need to remove this section of the wall near the shower and caulk it so it doesn't leak again and then replace everything, but no idea where to start. I'm a new homeowner and have no experience with drywall if anyone can give me some tips.

honestly, get a beer. hop on youtube

 

[qwerty]

Is the damage just that small spot in the corner or is the whole wall damaged?

If just that fairly small corner, I wouldn't replace any drywall. Fix the leak, recaulk and paint if you want to cover up the water damage.
Obviously give it time to all dry out as much as it can.

If you do need to do larger drywall repair, there are a lot of youtube videos to watch.
Lowes has drywall patch sheets that I think are 2'x2' so you don't have a buy a big 8' piece.
Get a putty knife, a tub of joint compound, fiber tape and a sanding block

To try to match the wall texture, they make texture you spray out of a can. It works pretty well but takes some practice.

If you are drying and repainting, I highly recommend a coat or two of Kilz first to prevent mold/mildew.

 

[clones_jer]

Public service announcement: if your sump pump is 30+ years old it's time to replace the damn thing.

my aunt called in the middle of a 5" downpour on Saturday to explain her basement (thankfully unfinished) was flooding. found what looked like a boat anchor on the titanic in the sump pit. she's owned the house 30 years .. AND NEVER EVEN LIFTED THE COVER. I spent half the night jiggling the cord every 3 mins trying to get it to operate, eventually clearing enough water to clear the floor anyway.

Pump, check valve, 3' section of pvc, glue = $205 at Menards. Took me all of 10 mins to install. I guess she's ready for another quarter century+ lol.