034 Prep for a New Closet

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Whether a first time homeowner or a seasoned veteren, it’s always disappointing to see the standard, drab single shelf and rod in your closets. Not only are they made of cheap particle board and blandly painted white but also make for quite a bit of unusable space. Whether you’re having professionals put in a complete… [Continue Reading]

Bathroom Crash – Part 6: Finishing Touches

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Before a new bathroom is truly usable, there are some additional accessories needed to truly make the space functional and convenient. It doesn’t hurt to choose products to match the more permanent color palette of the room either. In this post, I’ll briefly go over the reasons for my personal choices. I’ve always been a… [Continue Reading]

Bathroom Crash – Part 5: Vanity

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The vanity was the most straightforward part of the crash but there were still some minor obstacles to overcome and some stumbles along the way. The plan was simple enough. The old cabinets, counters, sinks, fixtures, mirror and lights would be replaced one to one. The original cabinets are standard for the era, 21.5″ deep… [Continue Reading]

Bathroom Crash – Part 4: Shower Construction

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The shower is the single biggest time suck of the entire project for the exact reasons you’d expect. The hidden stuff is done first (plumbing, framing), then the sub-surfaces (drywall, waterproof membrane), then the finishes (tile, grout, sealer, fixtures, etc). Due to the many layers of material that had to cure or dry, much time… [Continue Reading]

020 Replace a Shower Door

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The most common type of shower door is sliding (bypass) and framed on 4 sides. The doors come in both framed and unframed with variations in glass texture patterns. You can find these in any home improvement store. In this video, I’ll go over how to both remove and install this type of door. The… [Continue Reading]

Bathroom Crash – Part 3: Ceiling Construction

016 Bamboo Ceiling

There’s this trick when it comes to tight spaces. If you don’t have the length or width, a room can always feel bigger by using height. This was my plan with this small space. Not only would I increase the height of the ceiling for an actual physical effect, but I’d also tile all the… [Continue Reading]

Bathroom Crash – Part 2: Demolition

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You’d think this was the fun part. This is the part the home improvement shows insist you never pay anyone else to do. This is supposed to be therapeutic and easy. After all, there’s not real skill involved in demolition. All you have to do is not break anything you meant to keep. Well, things… [Continue Reading]

Bathroom Crash – Part 1: My Why

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Reasons for a remodel are as varied as the people taking them on. I had been putting mine off for quite some time, years in fact. Given the state of the economy and the uncertainty of job security, the other two bathrooms in my humble abode have always been occupied. There are several reasons why… [Continue Reading]

019 Install a Shower Panel

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Ever since I saw the first shower panel on some home improvement show, I was hooked. They looked great and seemed like an easy way to get a lot of pre-plumbed features. I’ve watched a lot of DIY television and they never show how these shower panels are installed. I even talked to a handful… [Continue Reading]

018 Replace a Microwave Hood

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Did your microwave make a weird noise and die? Is waiting 15 minutes to heat up your cold pizza in a toaster oven just way too long? I know, right?! Watch this and go fix it! Microwave hood combinations that mount below a cabinet are all pretty similar. You may have to adjust a few… [Continue Reading]