DIY Life

Not all home improvements are created equal. I have already written about which improvements you should avoid completely, as some renovations give you a much larger return on your investment (ROI) than others. If you are trying to decide between adding on an office or doing a full remodel of your outdated kitchen, you probably want to consider which one will be worth the most in the long run.

1) Kitchen: Whether large or small in scope, renovating your kitchen is always money well spent. In recent years the trend has moved away from formal living areas to the kitchen really being the focus of the home. Entertaining has become more casual and many people are not even bothering with formal dining and living rooms anymore. With that, there has become and increased focus on the kitchen not just being functional but also attractive and decorated.

Kitchen renovations can be as large as tearing everything out and replacing it all, to just replacing old appliances, from refacing cabinets to simply replacing cabinet hardware.

ROI at resale: 75-80% according to the 2008 annual survey by Remodeling Magazine

Most home owners renovate their homes because they have a vision of how their home could be better. They believe that in the end they will see an increase in the value of their home. But as many a wizened home renovator knows, this isn't always the case.

Before you spend money on those home improvementsyou think you can't live without, you need to consider how long you're planning to live in your home. Only a couple years? Then, you really want to pay attention to the cost versus value ratio of any extensive projects.

Are you in your home for the long term, trying to turn it into the castle that you've always wanted -- perhaps complete with a moat and drawbridge? Well, then you shouldn't look so much to the cost versus value ratio, but rather look more to the amount of enjoyment that you'll get out of the house. Who knows? Perhaps in twenty years moats and drawbridges will be all the rage.

According to the Census Bureau, the average American moves about 12 times during his or her lifetime. This means that most of us probably do care about the return on our investment. To get the most bang out of your renovating buck, here are five home improvements that you should NOT do.

Is your home looking a little tired? Are you dreaming of doing some renovating, but lack the funds to do so? Well, you aren't alone. According to the latest research form Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies, so far there is a 12.3% drop in 2009 spending on home improvement projects. This is a slight improvement over the 13.6% drop in 2008. But things aren't expected to get much better any time soon.

Most of us think of home improvements and imagine huge projects that cost buckets of money and lots of time. The truth is that most homes can benefit from smaller projects, from a little attention to detail that often gets neglected. Most often renovations are undertaken because we want our homes to look better and function better.

With this in mind, I've rounded up my favorite tips and tricks to easily improve our homes on a very limited budget:

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Looking for deals on DIY-related gear?

If you're staying home this 4th of July weekend, it's a good time to work on the house and yard. Let's visit the big boys of home improvement supplies: check out July 4th deals from Lowe's here, and The Home Depot here. Neck-and-neck as always, both stores are offering 10% off major appliances ($397 and up) and deals on carpet installation.

Lowe's is offering gift cards in return for purchases, too, starting at a $10 card for purchases from $99 to $199 and going up to $100 cards for purchases of $600 or more. Nice to get something in return for all that spending, huh? Oh, and Lowe's is also offering 10% discounts this weekend for military personnel and their immediate families.

Most walls can benefit from a fresh coat of paint every few years. This is one project where you can make more work for yourself if you don't do your homework. Try these tips to paint like a pro!

• Use a 5 gallon bucket rather than a roller tray. There's less chance of spilling or putting your foot in it. It also allows you to mix more than one gallon together for larger jobs, guaranteeing an overall identical shade. Hang a roller screen in the bucket. They're cheap.
  
• Use the edge of a screwdriver blade to scrape off a tiny path of ceiling texture at the ceiling/wall junction. This will give you a crisp line when you cut in the top of the wall or the edge of the ceiling.
• Sanding chair rail or crown molding? Use sanding sponges rather than sandpaper. Conform to the curve!
• When you're rolling paint, be sure to hold the pole so that the open side of the roller (not the side where the handle connects to the roller) is, on the wet paint side of the wall. This will minimize "roller marks" and can cut your labor by 30%!
• Make sure to use high-quality blue painter's tape, not masking tape. Or, you'll be sorry.
• Wear safety glasses when rolling the ceiling. Splatter happens.
• When buying white paint for the ceiling, seek out the special paint that contains a disappearing dye. This will prevent missing a spot which you only notice after the paint has dried. Who wants to drag out the painting gear all over again?
  

Using these tip will make your painting experience less painful and more enjoyable. And faster!

Eric Stromer.

Now I'll pause while you ladies catch your breath and quit daydreaming...

If you're not drooling, but wondering who I'm talking about, Eric Stromer is a popular DIY personality. Beginning his career on Clean Sweep and Trading Spaces, he now hosts his own HGTV show, Over your Head.

In this series he rescues DIY'ers from themselves, coming into disasters and turning them into successful projects. He's written and illustrated a book titled The Do-It-yourself Family where he offers projects for the whole family and shares reflections about living the DIY life.

This interview with Stromer sheds some light on the man behind these projects, his passion and motivation. The family man encourages parents to include their children in home improvement projects, making DIY a way of life and something over which families can bond. He offers some great suggestions for kid-friendly projects. He also offers tips for the new DIY'er, recommending starter projects.

Even as one of People magazine's sexiest men alive, he has more fans of his work than his good looks. How does he react to all the attention on his looks? Well, he doesn't seem to think it makes one ounce of difference. He comments that if you're good at your work and know what you're doing you could have a bag over your head and you'd still be respected.

Stromer is down to earth and professional. While I believe that's true in the home improvement industry, I'm sure his good looks helped his TV career.

Sometimes we choose DIY for the love of DIY, but other times it's for the monetary savings. Doing a project yourself, getting exactly what you want, and not paying through the roof makes DIY projects appealing to so many of us. Labor costs account for half (sometimes more) of construction costs. Doing work yourself can be your biggest savings, but only if you really know what you're doing, or have the time to learn. First, go through this quick checklist and figure out if you should do it yourself or not. If you do decide to take it on, this list of money saving tips will help you get the most for your dollar and the best end result.

The article suggests setting priorities and re-evaluating the scale of improvements. They offer tips on choosing which improvement will yield the greatest return, and suggest ways to obtain moderately priced materials instead of higher end expensive ones. They also warn what corners not to cut. Saving money is great, but not at the expense of safety, or quality. There are ways to do it well without re-mortgaging your home. With 10 tips in all, finishing with the DIY option, you'll find great pointers on how to save money on your home improvement projects. Check them out and let me know what you think is missing. How else do you save money with home improvement projects?

My Dad is a handyman of sorts. One day, when I was about 8, my Mom commented that she wished she had a bigger kitchen. She went on about how nice it would be if it were brighter and open onto the backyard. She described a space with big window and French doors. She wanted a table big enough to fit our family of 8 and guests, along with a separate seating area. Obviously she was just dreaming right? Obvious to us maybe, but to my Dad, not so much. She went out for the day and came home to my Dad having torn down the outside wall. "I'm building you a kitchen!" he announced.

This might have been a chivalrous act if he had any idea what he was doing, but he didn't. It may have even been OK if he had free time to finish what he'd started, but the weekend ended and he went back to work. He used his holidays, evenings and weekends building this perfect kitchen. This meant over 5 years without a kitchen sink! With 6 kids and no kitchen sink I don't know how my mother survived, but she did, and she's been enjoying a show-home kitchen ever since (eventually finished by contractors). We all take a bit of fun in giving my Dad a hard time about the projects that he starts and doesn't finish.

According to research done by Saga home insurance, my Dad isn't alone. 52% of homeowners in London have unfinished DIY projects around the house, with an average yearly spending of 2000 pounds. That's almost $4000 USD. Reasons for the unfinished work ranges, but lack of time falls high on the list. My Dad has become better since retirement, seeing most projects through until the end rather quickly. The research reflects this same thing, noting that only 36% of homeowners aged 50 and older have un-finished projects, making them the age group that is most on top of their DIY projects.

Can you top my Dad's 5 year kitchen re-model? Share your stories of unfinished DIY projects in the comments. Also, what's your number one reason for letting time pass on projects?

Perpetual Remodeling Syndrome (PRS) is brought to you every Thursday by Kelly Smith, who is hopelessly afflicted with this home-altering ailment. Remodeling can be a never-ending and contagious illness, so read on, at your own risk. Don't say we didn't warn you.

For the past few years I've been involved in what I have come to call PRS (Perpetual Remodel Syndrome). Ahh, the joys of home ownership. Since I do enjoy doing home improvement, I feel it's a blessing that my subdivision has no home owner's association. I know the argument; it keeps the standards up. But at least here, there's only one tacky house out of a few hundred.

That being said, today's topic is laying interior ceramic tile floors. Laying tile on a porch or patio has its own considerations.

Tools for the Project

• Wet saw
• Scraper
• Notched trowel
• Tile spacers
• Electric drill
• Ribbon mixer
• Utility knife
• Claw hammer
• Small pry bar
• Knee pads (Trust me!)
• Chalk line
• Tape Measure
• Rubber mallet
• Grout float and sponge
  

Preparing the Sub-floor

We wanted ceramic tile in the living room but wanted to keep the carpet until the kid could navigate without falling down. I found that the easiest way to remove the carpet was to pull it off the tack strips, cut it into 5' wide strips, roll them up, and use plastic tape to secure them. Then, I did the same with the padding. Next, use the claw hammer and pry bar to take up the tack strip. If there are any drywall compound splatters on the slab from the initial construction, scrape them up.

Now, to get the slab clean, don't sweep; the dust that has sifted through the carpet is very fine and will go airborne. Use a shop-vac. Eyeball the slab carefully. Minor imperfections are alright but if you have major ones, skim them with thinset.

Do Your Tile Layout

Find the center of the room in both directions and snap chalk lines. Visualize this; the chalk lines will look like a big plus sign with the intersection being in the exact center of the room. These are your "control lines." Be sure that your control lines are perpendicular. Use the 3-4-5 method and adjust as needed.

Now it's simply a matter of measuring back to find your border tiles (taking the grout line spacing into consideration). Once you have the border tile size, snap chalk lines so you'll know where to start laying tile. The lines will be parallel to the control lines so the borders might vary in size a bit as you go down the wall. Don't do all four sides of the room; you only need two walls (intersecting in the corner you'll be starting out of). Leave an exit; don't be like the guy that painted himself into a corner!

Mix the Mortar and Lay the Tile

I used mortar on my floor but there are other adhesives out there as well. Your choice. Spread the mortar or adhesive with the trowel evenly and begin laying the tile using the spacers. I like to lay about two rows of four full tiles on one chalk line and then cut and lay the borders. Then I do the same for the other line. Seat each tile by lightly rapping it with a rubber mallet.

Remember to spread the mortar slightly beyond where the tile will lay so there's no void. Voids cause tiles to crack at some time in your future, drawing displeasure from your spousal unit and casting a shadow of doubt over your impressive DIY skills. Don't go there.

All done? Clean up your tools and have an adult beverage of your choice.

Time to Grout!

Grouting is the fun part. I let the mortar dry for twenty four hours first. Mix the grout using the ribbon mixer again. I know you can buy it premixed, but that's cost-prohibitive for all but the smallest of projects. Start grouting where you started laying the tile if that worked well for you. Arm yourself with the sponge in a bucket of water.

First scoop some grout onto the float and work it in between the tiles (removing the spacers as you go). Then grab your sponge, wring it out, and start wiping the grout off the tile surface with a light touch, and forming the concave shape typical to grout lines. As the tiles dry off, you'll see a glaze on them. Don't worry about that now; you'll wipe it off with cheesecloth later.

Finally, after a day or so after the grout's dry, come back and apply a high-quality grout sealer. Other than nailing up the baseboard, your work here is done. As before, clean up your tools and enjoy an adult beverage. You've earned it!



Additional resources:
Laying a vinyl tile floor (This Old House)
Tile setting tools (The Tile Doctor)
Installing hardwood floor (Hometips)
Laying floor tile (Hammerzone)

The DIY life does not come easy to all of us. Some of us are project-challenged, meaning we would love to DIY it, but perhaps lack the skills or know-how to get the job done. Others of us are just plain clueless when it comes to projects. Nails, we need nails you say? And what about wood? How do we go about getting that sort of thing?

If you have an inner DIY-er aching to get out, but maybe lack some of the skills, following are a few hints to figure out what sort of wood you might need for any given project. The actually assembly is up to you, but this is a great place to start.

1. Visit a lumberyard rather than a home center. A lumberyard caters to those in need of wood and the sales staff is more likely to understand exactly what it is you need.
2. Choose between hardwood or softwood. Your project determines which kind of wood you will need. Click here for more details.
3. Understand the grade of the wood. Different grades are better suited to different projects. A lesser grade of wood, due to its imperfections, is better for something that will be painted.
4. Get a feel for the different sizes of woods.
   
5. Precut wood is fabulous for standard sized needs like stairs or chair legs. Getting something that is precut saves time and maintains uniformity.

These are just a few tips for choosing your wood, for more please click here and get a full education in all things wood.