90 replies to this topic

[RShack]

I can't believe I didn't know about this method of defrosting windshields before...

 

[Mackus]

Just finished up redoing my kitchen cabinets.  Painted the boxes, added beadboard and trim to the sides that are exposed, built a hanging pot rack, added trim to the doors, painted the doors, and replaced all the hardware.  Took about 6 weeks from start to finish, but pretty happy with how it turned out.  And did it all for about 1/4 the cost of buying new doors and 1/10th the cost of replacing all the cabinets.

 

Before:

 

 

After:

 

 

 

Sorry for the massive photos.  Couldn't resize them for some reason.

[RShack]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

Looks great.  I especially like what you did to the cabinet fronts... am having a hard time being sure about exactly what color that is...

 

It makes me want to put cream subway tile between the counter and the cabinets, and make the countertops be butcher block that's just a tad lighter than the floor....

[NewMarketSean]

Looks good Mack. Solid work.

I just finished a project of my own, installed wood floors in our last bedroom which is essentially our old computer room and my closet. Looking to move our elliptical machine up there and make it a home gym, but it's pretty small.

Anyway, floors look great, just a tick darker than the floors in the rest of the house. I just wish I had gone that dark everywhere else.

Next, and hopefully final, home project in our house is going to be the basement where we'd like to install a gas fireplace, built-ins, hang a big screen over the fireplace, and tile part of the basement where we're going to build a bar area with sink. Maybe this summer. I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WILL BE ENOUGH TIME.

[Mackus]

Thanks.  The color is a greyish blue.  Queenstown Grey from General Finishes, to be precise.

 

I'm currently working on a butcher block counter top for the kitchen island (not pictured) which is wrapped in beadboard and painted the same color and has same crappy tile counter.  I found some guy on craigslist selling a bunch of awesome, thick walnut for real cheap.  A buddy of mine is a terrific woodworker, so he's been helping me get it cut, milled, and glued to be a countertop for that island.  This part of the project has been going on for well over a year now.  Working on the glue up now, then all that will be left is final planing and oiling, but its been a few months since we've been able to work on it due to both of our crazy schedules.  Hopefully by mid-summer I can get it done.

 

We've got a similar plan to your ideas Shack for the rest of the counter tops and the backsplash, though not sure we'll ever get around to doing it.

[RShack]

^^^^^^^^^^^

 

Maybe something changed but when I looked into it years ago, the reality of putting a big TV over a fireplace made for a bad idea... if you plan on using the fireplace....

 

I did it anyway but never used the fireplace.... was too chicken re: melting a $1000 plasma....

[RShack]

Thanks.  The color is a greyish blue.  Queenstown Grey from General Finishes, to be precise.

 

I'm currently working on a butcher block counter top for the kitchen island (not pictured) which is wrapped in beadboard and painted the same color and has same crappy tile counter.  I found some guy on craigslist selling a bunch of awesome, thick walnut for real cheap.  A buddy of mine is a terrific woodworker, so he's been helping me get it cut, milled, and glued to be a countertop for that island.  This part of the project has been going on for well over a year now.  Working on the glue up now, then all that will be left is final planing and oiling, but its been a few months since we've been able to work on it due to both of our crazy schedules.  Hopefully by mid-summer I can get it done.

 

We've got a similar plan to your ideas Shack for the rest of the counter tops and the backsplash, though not sure we'll ever get around to doing it.

 

You're gonna have a butcherblock island lid made out of walnut?  Is this correct?   If so then, well, damn!

 

I looked into getting butcherblock counter tops a couple years ago... I was pleasantly surprised at how reasonable it can be if you're just buying the completed wood and doing the rest yourself... but I imagine you know this already....

 

p.s. I love beaded board... the last two kitchens I did used it sparingly ($$) but in the right places...  there was a company that made plywood that looked like beaded board... I couldn't tell the diff... but their factory burned down and nobody else made the stuff... so I had to use the real thing... which was OK but more $$.

[NewMarketSean]

^^^^^^^^^^^

 

Maybe something changed but when I looked into it years ago, the reality of putting a big TV over a fireplace made for a bad idea... if you plan on using the fireplace....

 

I did it anyway but never used the fireplace.... was too chicken re: melting a $1000 plasma....

 

I think you just need a mantle to divert the heat away from the TV.

[Mackus]

You're gonna have a butcherblock island lid made out of walnut?  Is this correct?   If so then, well, damn!

 

Yep.  I was torn between leaving it the wide planks (I bought four pieces, each about 7 feet long and ~1 3/4" tick, varied in width from 8" to 12") and cutting it down to butcher block.  It was going to need tons of resurfacing work and planing if we left it wide, so I thought the 1 3/4" thickness would end up being trimmed down to like 1 1/4".  So instead we cut it into long strips 2+" thick on a bandsaw, jointed and planed each strip to be square, and then are re-assembling.  Going to be a much thicker countertop, about 2" thick.

Before:

 

During:

 

We bought beadboard plywood for the island and the cabinets we wrapped.  Was very reasonable, like $35 a sheet.

[BSLMikeRandall]

I’m afraid of what my new front porch is going to be. Our old one was falling apart, like you could pull bricks out with your fingers falling apart.

Saved up the money, hired a company to put a fresh concrete slab on top and concrete steps centered with our front door. (Old one was off center).

So The old porch was hollow underneath, you could see in a grate halfway back where a row of cinder block went across it, so we wanted it smaller. We demoed back half way to that row of block, which will be the new front. Then demoed out the top which was held up with old plywood and rebar. So that basically the walls will be built, just the top and steps need to be poured.

So the contractor is going to start tomorrow. He comes out yesterday to see how the demo is going and there were some loose blocks on a side that fell out, not damaged, that I was hoping he could stick back in. Said something about putting a steel barrier up? He then said with all the gravel and broken concrete to fill in what will be the new porch. That he’s not going to make it hollow like the old one. All that stuff is filler and the concrete will go on top. Now I’m thinking what is this going to look like?

After two days of back breaking jack hammering and sledge hammering and shoveling and what not, with a pile of debris to fill in, I rent a bobcat. Never used one. Watched a video. Practiced in the street for a good 10 minutes. Pull up in my yard, make one scoop, dump it in, back up, and clip the top of what is supposed to be part of the front of the new porch with the bucket of the bobcat, and a three foot section of bricks come tumbling down. Not to mention the wheels chewed up the grass. I called the rental company and said they come pick it back up, I’m just gonna shovel the stuff. Hope I can get a little refund since I barely touched the thing.

So my front porch looks like a bomb blew up on it. I have no idea what a finished product will look like. I have no idea what the contractor is gonna do, or want when he shows up tomorrow. I hate projects.

[NewMarketSean]

Looks good Mack. Solid work.

I just finished a project of my own, installed wood floors in our last bedroom which is essentially our old computer room and my closet. Looking to move our elliptical machine up there and make it a home gym, but it's pretty small.

Anyway, floors look great, just a tick darker than the floors in the rest of the house. I just wish I had gone that dark everywhere else.

Next, and hopefully final, home project in our house is going to be the basement where we'd like to install a gas fireplace, built-ins, hang a big screen over the fireplace, and tile part of the basement where we're going to build a bar area with sink. Maybe this summer. I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WILL BE ENOUGH TIME.

 

We did the fireplace and TV project last fall, however, it was not DIY. I paid a contractor for the fireplace surround, mantle and built in shelves and we did the floors ourselves. Paying someone to do the grunt work was awesome.

 

I'm in love with the basement now and almost look forward to the winter.