DIY Life

There's a lot of wooden objects that you just don't want to bring back indoors: patio furniture, picnic tables, planters, etc. One thing they have in common is the ability to stand up to wind, heat, and rain. You don't have to buy the expensive stuff, just make your own!

Water-repellent preservative recipe

As with any other time you mix various potentially hazardous or flammable materials, take precautions and ventilate the area properly. Mix together:

• 2 gal. Mineral spirits, Turpentine, or #1 or #2 fuel oil
• 5/8 qts. Boiled Linseed Oil
• 3/16 lb. Paraffin Wax
• 1 qt. Penta concentrate 10:1
• 1 to 3 fluid oz Color Pigment / gallon of the above mix
  

The paraffin must be melted in a double boiler; if you try to use a regular pan, fire is a very real possibility (keep an extinguisher close.) Let your concoction age overnight before applying it and stir it well; the pigments will settle.

With the high price of gasoline, we're all looking for ways to stay home, rather than loading up the car with the kids and heading off to have some summer fun elsewhere. One solution kills two birds with one stone: building a deck will give you a place to hang out and entertain, and add equity to your home.

Of course it's no secret that DIY deck building takes some careful planning, some tools that you probably already have, and lots of elbow grease. What you might not know is the construction details and tricks that the pros use. Read on and you'll be an expert!

All homes have exterior surfaces that are designed to protect the home from the elements. There are many different types, but the two general ones are brick and siding. Some homes have a combination of the two.

If you're giving your home a face lift, you have choices. Let's talk about the many types of siding.

Cedar Siding for the Home

Western Red Cedar siding is the type most commonly used. It's a natural product, known for its beauty and durability. For energy efficiency, rigid foam sheathing may be applied prior to installing the siding. If this option is taken, kiln-dried cedar siding should be used, because of its stability.

There are many times when you need to drill a hole only so far -- and no deeper. Either it's a "break-through" issue, or you're doing some production holes that have to be the same equal depth. This is easy enough with a drill press fitted with a dial-in depth stop.

But what to do if you don't have a drill press, or just as bad, the workpiece won't fit in it? This can easily be the case with a tabletop drill press.

You just have to DIY. All you need is your hand-held drill, the proper drill bit, and a roll of tape: electrical tape, duct tape, or masking tape -- your choice.

Simply measure the depth of the desired hole from the tip of your drill bit, and make a couple of wraps of tape around the bit. When your drill bit is spinning, the tape will blur into a perfect line. All you have to do is drill slowly, and back off just as you approach it!

What a concept! It's summertime and we've already got the sun's heat beating down outside, while the air conditioner struggles to keep up inside. Why make it worse by using the stove and oven? Kill two birds with one stone, by using the sun's heat to do the cooking outside!

This tip for a solar stove comes to us just in time from Craftster's "ladybuggins" -- it'll be almost 100 degrees here, and I'm hankerin' for some chili! Here's what you'll need:

• A cooking pot with a lid
• An auto windshield sun reflector
• A few clothes pins and...
• Plenty of sunshine!
  

First, curl the reflector around into a funnel shape and secure it with the clothes pins. Set it on the ground with the open funnel pointing upwards. Place the pot with the food in it down in the center, and the radiant energy will focus into the center of the parabola to cook the contents. Bon appetit!

The proper way to prepare a wall for wallpaper (paper, vinyl, bamboo weave, etc.) is to first apply a coat of wallpaper sizing. This serves two purposes. First, it seals the drywall so that the paper will adhere properly. The second purpose is to make the paper easier to remove at a later date.

So, hopefully your walls were properly prepared. Also, if the paper is of the "strippable" variety, your job will be considerably easier. First, see if it will just strip off by hand. If so, more the better!

But if not, read on...

The next step is to loosen the glue. The best way of doing this is to first moisten the surface with a pump-up sprayer filled with warm water. Next, use a sponge and a bucket of warm water to wipe it down, pull off some paper, and then move on to the next section.

Do you still have a stubborn customer? Try this recipe:

• 3 gallons of hot water
• 1/4 cup of liquid fabric softener
• 2 tablespoons of baking soda
• 1 bottle of wallpaper remover containing reactive enzymes
  

Next, skim the wall

Depending on how hard it was to get the paper off, chances are that you've got some damaged drywall on your hands. To bring it back into line, you'll need to skim it with drywall compound. In the best of circumstances, you can simply use a wide drywall floating knife.

But what if the damage is more severe? I've worked on walls where chunks of drywall have been pulled off with the paper. In this case, you'll need to use drywall tape as well. Do yourself a favor and use the fiberglass mesh type with adhesive on the back.

Now finish the job

Once the walls are floated to your satisfaction, sand them with drywall sanding screens on a sanding pole, and apply the new finish. If the plan is new wallpaper, just prime and size the walls properly and then hang the new paper.

But what if you want paint? The best approach is to apply texture first. Slick walls present their own class of problems. Every imperfection in the walls will scream out, "Look at me!" Also, slick, smooth walls offer too much of a clinical feel.

After texturing, apply a coat of high-quality latex primer and finish off with the paint of your choice. With a good quality paint such as Behr or Glidden, you'll probably be able to get away with one coat of paint with a few areas to come back to and touch-up.

This part of the remodel should be able to be completed over the course of a weekend and perhaps a night or two after work.

Giving tile a face lift on a budget

What if you just don't like the color of the ceramic tile in your bath? Is it left over from the psychedelic 60's? Sure, it was way groovy then, but now that the trip's over...

One solution is to demo all the tile, install cement-fiber backer board, install new tile, and then grout it. Whew. Not only is it a lot of work, but we're talking a major expense here. Relax, you have options!

Tile tattoos are an option

Tile tattoos are a fairly recent arrival on the decorating scene. Made of vinyl, they stick to ceramic tile surfaces without using adhesive. They go on quick, in case company is almost on the doorstep.

Do you want to apply them to all your tiles though? Most likely not. They're available in many different colors and patterns so they're best suited to using as decorative accents in patterns. Also, they can be pricey. I just did an Internet check and they're about $14 for each set of 6.

Paint over ceramic tile? You bet!

But don't get your spray cans out and start tagging yet! That's not what this is about, Homie. No, this is about a process that uses a paint from Graham Paint that incorporates ceramic microspheres. Unlike conventional paint pigments which are ragged and irregularly shaped, microspheres are smooth and round, so the paint goes on smoothly.

The first thing to do is clean the surface of the tile with TSP (Tri Sodium Phosphate) or a similar product. Next, sand the tile to improve adhesion. When you're done with that, either spray or roll Aqua Borne Blockout/Undercoater White.

After that coat is dry, spray or roll Graham's Acrylic Enamel, using a universal tint if you're not looking for a white finish. You can choose either a gloss, satin, or flat sheen. I can't imagine wanting to use flat, but, "Each to his own," said the man who kissed the cow.

This part of the remodel should be able to be completed within one day.

How about that floor?

If your bathroom floor is tile and you don't like it anymore, you're in the same situation as you were with the tile walls. Demo and replacement is a big deal. Once again, let's look at a cheaper option.

How about covering the floor with a seagrass rug? This is a green option (the lifestyle, not the color.) Seagrass grows in the sea, as you might imagine. And finally, a product you don't have to go to China for! Didn't think there were any of those left did you?

Seagrass is a plant that is harvested and woven into different products such as rugs, insulation, stuffing for pillows and mattresses, and doggie beds. It's flea proof! Seagrass lends itself to the bathroom floor very well because it feels soft under the bare feet and it does extremely well in wet environments. Makes sense, considering where it originates.

Some people make the mistake of substituting rugs made of sisal, made from the agave cactus. Unfortunately, although sisal looks magnificent, it feels prickly underfoot, and it stains when exposed to water.

Give those cabinets a face lift

Cabinets in bathrooms see a lot of wear and tear. They also look dated after a while. But you don't have to chunk the old ones and replace them. This is a situation where a cosmetic wave of the hand is all they need to come to life.

Resurface the vanity

There are several approaches to making-over the vanity surface. First, you can apply a new plastic laminate surface and come in with a material bill under $100. All you need is the laminate, contact cement, a circular saw, a J-roller, and a router.

An alternative is to use the same Graham paint system as described above in the tile update above. Or, if you don't mind the additional maintenance routine (cleaning grout lines, etc.), why not lay tile? There's a multitude of patterns to choose from. Use your imagination.

Cabinet remodeling

The problem with most cabinets, and this is very true of contractor-grade models, is that they totally lack character. Once again, a little bit of cosmetic window-dressing can work wonders. And this doesn't have to be a wallet-buster.

For example, it's easy to nail on some wood trim and molding. This can literally transform the piece. Add to it some new drawer pulls and other matching hardware and your bathroom will be livin' large.

Filling in the blanks

Take a look around your new bathroom. Notice anything missing? There's just a few items left on the list. How about adding a new shower rod and curtain? If you've got a window you'll likely want to add a new window treatment.

It's always a nice touch to change out those utilitarian items like towel racks and toilet paper dispensers. It's really nice if you're a hard-core DIYer with a wood shop full of tools. Nothing says cool like real craftsmanship that doesn't look like it was stamped out with a million other pieces.