Hey guys, figured I would make a thread that gives ideas and how-to's for improving aspects of your home. I am a recent first time home buyer and always looking for good weekend projects. I will post pictures of everything I do, but would also like to see what you guys are doing to get ideas as well.
So far, I have only mounted a TV and hid all the wires behind the wall, and ran the power cables to the outlet in the bedroom behind the wall...I do not have any pictures of the work of before, but you can imagine a big empty wall, then this...
I have also done little "Accents" here and there. My fiance and I put a new chandelier up in the kitchen, and have done those decorative "handles" to the garage door...
I will be attempting to create a little handrail/bar around the patio in the next week or two. My idea will be something like this..
4x4's placed into the ground, coming out to about 46-48" high, use a composite decking as the rail/bar top. It will be in a "L" shape on the patio so when we are hosting a party, guests can put their drinks and plates there since we won't have much sitting area. No pictures of this idea but will get some before, during and after when I start on it.
Let's hear some of your ideas and what you have done/will do.
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Thread: DIY home improvements ITT
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04-01-2014, 07:16 AM #1
- Join Date: Jul 2012
- Location: North Carolina, United States
- Age: 34
- Posts: 598
- Rep Power: 8767
DIY home improvements ITT
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04-01-2014, 07:18 AM #2
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04-01-2014, 07:19 AM #3
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04-01-2014, 07:20 AM #4
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04-01-2014, 07:46 AM #5
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04-02-2014, 10:08 AM #6
- Join Date: Jul 2012
- Location: North Carolina, United States
- Age: 34
- Posts: 598
- Rep Power: 8767
Guys, I need to figure out a way to get oil stains out of my garage. I have read several different ways. but do you any that have worked? The garage floor is 12 years old, so there is some good stains set in. I have heard anything from certain types of acid, to dawn dish soap, to kitty litter. What works?
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04-02-2014, 10:13 AM #7
Kitty litter for a few days (keep sweeping it) and then pressure wash. Best to just cover it honestly
I'm going to epoxy mine soon.
So far since moving into my 10 year old house is repaint, replace the shower heads & cartridges (PIA), some faucets, toilet valves, and replaced the nasty carpet in a bedroom with laminate flooring (easy job). I want to do more but its expensive + time consuming
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04-02-2014, 10:20 AM #8
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04-02-2014, 10:21 AM #9
- Join Date: Feb 2014
- Location: Yorkshire, United Kingdom (Great Britain)
- Age: 42
- Posts: 151
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You will never get rid of the oil staining in concrete, especially if they`re really set in.
kitty littler, detergent, acid can work for recent spillages (kitty litter is great for absorbing any kind of spilled chemical)
you can also try sprinkling some cement over the area, but that depends on how smooth the surface is.
Also great Idea for a thread,
I`m about to start renovating my second house as soon as I graduate this summer (BSc (hons) Construction management)
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04-02-2014, 10:24 AM #10
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04-02-2014, 10:24 AM #11
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04-02-2014, 10:25 AM #12
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04-02-2014, 10:30 AM #13
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04-02-2014, 10:33 AM #14
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04-02-2014, 10:34 AM #15
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04-02-2014, 11:42 AM #16
- Join Date: Jul 2012
- Location: North Carolina, United States
- Age: 34
- Posts: 598
- Rep Power: 8767
I am surprised this is getting some attention. Awesome. I am still young so learning all these tricks/techniques is sweet. I have done a bunch of little stuff here and there, hanging new light fixtures/ceiling fans, replacing shower heads, hanging shower curtains and very little things like that. My fiance is all about some Pinterest so she gets the idea, buys the supplies and I do the research on how to do it. It's actually kind of cool to see it slowly come together.
Also, this might be one of the dumbest questions, but how can you tell if a floor is hardwood or very high qualify laminate? I have looked to see if there is any nail holes for the hardwood or anything, and find nothing. The wood itself (assuming its hardwood) has defects in it like splitting very small and you can tell the ends are not 100% smooth. My assumption is that this is real hardwood.
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04-02-2014, 11:47 AM #17
The grain on true hardwood never is the same. If it's laminate, more than likely there is going to be some repetitive boards. If you don't have nails, it's more than likely laminate or engineered hardwood. You will also see imperfections in true hardwood - knots, dents, scratches, irregular patterns, etc.
"Just Get It Off"
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04-02-2014, 11:52 AM #18
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04-02-2014, 11:53 AM #19
In on this. Already built a deck for my above ground pool and a shed. Already thinking about rennovating the shed. Wife used crappy paint and i didn't hang the door properly. I tend to rig chit up to make it work.
Funny story about my shed, i live on a corner lot so i get a decent amount of traffic. I told my wife i wanted her to paint the shed red after she was done making me a sammich so she went and got some red paint that when applied it was pink until it dried. It took 8+ hours for it to dry red so everytime someone passed by my house i could see them staring at my pink shed. lulz were had.LOL @ people who follow politics
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04-02-2014, 11:57 AM #20
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04-02-2014, 11:59 AM #21
- Join Date: Apr 2009
- Location: Jacksonville, Florida, United States
- Age: 36
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Can't see your pics OP.
I'll be closing on my first house this Friday. Most likely going to end up gutting 95% of it. Itz original still from 1971. I don't know how to do any of this home renovation stuff but my dads an engineer and will also be my new neighbor. Anyways, I'll prob start my own thread with pics of said renovation. House is nice though, 2500 sq fr 4/3 with 2 car garage.
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04-02-2014, 12:02 PM #22
Subbed
Bought my second house recently, I built my first and kept it as a rental, there is some stuff we want changed on the new one though.
Little projects we will do ourselves, painting, hardwood floors, new carpet...
But there are some bigger projects in having people give me quotes on, new windows and sill, gutter system, and landscaping
Cool thread idea though, I'll rep you when I can op.___----Xtend Representative----___
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04-02-2014, 12:04 PM #23
strong location, and mirin house
chapel hill brah checking in"Psai is the love child of Rick Ross, Ghandi and Oz" - Phoenix9369
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04-02-2014, 12:20 PM #24
We are currently rehabbing our second house. This one is almost finished. So far we've refinished the hardwood flooring and replaced subflooring, painted every room and ceiling (3700 sq), updated light fixtures, new screen door, new bedroom doors and hardware, replaced windows. We hired out the stucco and the pool refinishing.
My husband built the fence around the front acre. I'm landscaping the front and backyards. I planted a 25 tree fruit orchard and I'm currently leveling the spot that I want the spa (right outside the master bedroom) for cement to be poured. And in our spare time we are converting half the sunroom into another bedroom.
Home ownership is expensive. But satisfying.
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04-03-2014, 06:02 AM #25
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04-03-2014, 06:11 AM #26
- Join Date: Aug 2009
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It depends I got one with the house I bought which the seller paid for as an incentive and I went ahead and renewed it because my HVAC system is ancient and could go at any minute. I guess it's a call you can make depending on how old the items it covers are or if something were to fail if it would be a huge financial burden on you etc. You're basically paying 300-500 or whatever a year for the chance that you might not have to pay 500-10,000 in damages depending on what fails.
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04-03-2014, 06:26 AM #27
Pics of pergola? I'm putting a deck around my pool and have ideas for a pergola or some sort of shelter type thing. I already have electricity ran for the filter and had an additional circuit breaker put in so I can run lighting and electronics.
I'm picturing late august Saturday afternoons outside with kids in the pool, a football game on the outside tv, and hopefully a fridge handy with some cold beers in it.*SCC*
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04-03-2014, 06:28 AM #28
- Join Date: Feb 2014
- Location: Yorkshire, United Kingdom (Great Britain)
- Age: 42
- Posts: 151
- Rep Power: 150
Floor boards can be fixed with a nail through the grove so no nail may be seen from above.
Another thing to look for could be any filler in knots and other imperfections
Also find an inconspicuous spot (coverd by the sofa etc) and press on it with some thing firm, if its laminate it probably wont mark natural timber however will normally be much softer and you may find a slight indentation left behind.
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04-03-2014, 07:18 AM #29
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04-03-2014, 07:53 AM #30
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