#drywall is thicker than that little screw

[pancakeke]

I was swapping out some curtain rods and this was the hardware used by the old rod lol

[taww]

Acoustically Treating Side Reflections: Even Better and Not as Hard as You Think

It's common acoustics knowledge that "early" or "first" reflections in the listening room are the most damaging to sound quality. Every single loudspeaker setup on the face of the earth will have to deal with these to some degree, and the ill effects tend to be concentrated in the midrange where both the bulk of musical content lives and the ear is very sensitive. And yet many audiophiles, yours truly included, spend far less time addressing this than tinkering with our gear. The reasons are understandable - decor considerations and living practicality often make acoustical treatments a nonstarter. Often we'll throw down a heavy rug to temper the floor reflections and call it a day, leaving side walls untreated to say nothing of the ceiling. I get it, it's a pain to deal with acoustics. But as my equipment continued to improve, one particular pesky reflection was weighing more and more heavily as the greatest sonic issue in my setup, and I finally resolved to doing something about it. Well, I was pleasantly surprised (and maybe a little embarrassed) that I was able to address this with a very minimal outlay of trouble and expense, effecting a massive improvement on the quality of my music!

The Problem

My room is a bit lopsided - I have the system placed along a 11 foot wall, with an exterior wall to the left side and an open layout to the kitchen and entryway on the right. It's over 26' long with 12' ceilings, so rear and overhead reflections are less of a concern, at least at midrange frequencies. A heavy wool rug with pad tames the floor decently. There is a kitchen island to the right but it doesn't seem to factor that strongly as an early reflection source. The left wall, on the other hand, is very clearly causing all sorts of issues - a lopsided stereo image, uneven midrange frequency response (different notes along an instrument or singer's range would pop forward or recede due to the comb filter effect) and a general feeling of glare and confusion that would make extended listening fatiguing, particularly at higher volume levels. I had from time to time mitigated it by propping up absorbent objects like a dog bed against the wall, but after a lot of eye rolling from my wife who pointed out I was robbing one of our pups of his leisure spot, I decided to find a more permanent and effective solution.

Current setup in our open living space.

There are tons of online resources for finding early reflection points - e.g. here's one from GIK Acoustics - so I'll leave you to that homework. I finally used the mirror technique to locate exactly where the side wall reflection point was, and luckily it is nearly perfectly centered on a 36" section of solid wall. I was relieved it wasn't on the windows, as treating those in a spouse-friendly way would have been far more difficult. Now all I needed was to decide whether to diffuse, absorb or both at that point, and find the appropriate treatment.

Treatment Option

GIK Acoustics is a well-known purveyor of affordable treatments and I had a good experience ordering a number of their 242 acoustic panels for my wife's music practice room. I'll comment more on them in a dedicated review, but the important things to note is that they feature 2" of fiberglass foam with 1.5" of air gap between the foam and the wall, which increases overall effectiveness, and they are also available with a "scatter plate" option if you want to mix diffusion and absorption. GIK gives this guidance for early reflection treatment:

Though diffusion is sometimes the right solution in the context of a design that supports it, in most existing problematic spaces absorption is not only more effective, but also a simpler, less expensive option.

I decided to stick with absorption and forgo the scatter plate option. A pack of three 24" x 36" panels ran USD $183 plus shipping. Since I only needed one panel, I used the other two to further treat my wife's room. Most people will need two of these for side walls and you can play with the most effective location for a 3rd panel (e.g. directly behind the listening position, if the rear wall is nearby). I  roughly centered it vertically with the upper-frequency acoustical center of my Audiovector SR 6 speakers (the point between the AMT tweeter and 6" midrange). With the panel's 36" height this easily covers incident reflections from any sitting or standing positions in my listening area. Hanging was a piece of cake - a single screw directly screwed into drywall is more than strong enough.

Results

The improvement was instantly obviously. Finally I had a balanced soundstage, sitting more naturally at the plane of the speakers with a rock solid center image. Vocals and woodwinds took on a buttery smoothness, and the overall presentation was much more relaxed and evenhanded. The GIK panel was significantly more effective than other materials and panels I had tried (e.g. a 2" Acoustimac Eco Core panel), largely making the side wall disappear. It won't kill all reflections - you'd need a significantly thicker panel and bass trapping - but it sufficiently attenuates them to more than tolerable levels.

View from the listening position.

Interestingly, I've found Audiovector speakers, with their AMT tweeters and slender, tapered cabinets, to be relatively sensitive to side wall disturbances. The Silverline SR17 Supreme monitors with their more traditional Dynaudio drivers and cabinet were still able to image pretty well without treatment. I'm guessing the lateral radiation pattern of the speakers is pretty different - I'll have to take some frequency response measurements to confirm - so YMMV, but any speaker will benefit.

Conclusion

If you have a bare side wall by your speakers, you really owe it to yourself to try this most basic of treatments. We 'philes are more than willing to throw hundreds, thousands of dollars at cables and sundry accessories, but a modicum of effort mitigating the peskiest of early reflections can provide far greater return on investment. Using the right type of panel is also key - the GIK 242 measures well and was particularly effective in my application. There are dressier, more visually appealing options from companies like Vicoustic, but check specs carefully to see if they're comparable in absorption. And convincing your significant other of the decor is an assignment I leave to you. 🙂

[accessdoorsandpanels]

List of the Most Effective Ways to Soundproof Walls

Soundproofing is necessary to avoid constant distractions from different noises such as traffic, loud construction, and more. Noises can affect your way of living and productivity, which can be such a hassle. You don't want to be constantly disturbed while working on something important.

Sound travels through vibrations. When a sound wave reaches a solid surface, it creates movement within that surface for the sound to be transferable. In addition, it's harder to transfer sound on heavier objects than smaller ones. Therefore, increasing the overall material of an object will make it more difficult for sound waves to move through the surface.

We have compiled a list of how to successfully soundproof the walls of your establishment. Here are some ways you can try:

1. Adding Blow-in Insulation

Blow-in insulation involves loose, low-density cellulose insulation made from recycled paper or newsprints. The contractors can add this insulation material to walls after construction, which can be very difficult with other types of insulation. Adding blow-in insulation into your existing walls can increase their sound absorption abilities, thus reducing the amount of sound transfer. The cellulose works by trapping sound waves through little air pockets and draining their energy, nullifying the noise before reaching another surface.

Because it is blown-in, cellulose insulation can fill all of your walls' nooks, crannies, and holes. Cellulose is also cost-effective and environmentally friendly insulation material which you can easily install by renting the machine from your local home depot.

2. Seal the Cracks

Waves are very flexible, and they can squeeze into any entry point of a particular surface. Small cracks and holes in your walls or windows are all examples of noise leaks waiting to ruin the peaceful room on the other side of the wall. By closing all the possible entryways, we can diminish outside noise that seeps inside the room.

To do this, you can try sealing all of the corners of your walls and windows. You can use the acoustic caulk instead of the standard latex caulking that you can find in your local hardware store. You can also consider installing soundproof access panels and acoustical access doors

to replace your old access doors. These access doors are proven to diminish the amount of sound transferred from your wall surface.

3. Installing Another Layer of Drywall

This technique is one of the most accessible options for soundproof walls because, in this manner, it increases the mass of the walls, and therefore soundwaves cannot quickly transfer from one surface to another. To do this, you're going to screw an additional piece of sheetrock on top of your existing wall. You should apply thicker drywall (about ⅝ "if possible) for more effective soundproofing. If you want to achieve more effective soundproofing, consider using a layer of noise-proofing glue compound in between the drywall.

4. Add Mass Loaded Vinyl

Mass Loaded Vinyl is a soundproofing material that usually comes in thin sheets. The infused metal particles to achieve a high-density characteristic makes it soundproof. When installed between two layers of drywall, Mass Loaded Vinyl can hinder the vibrations between them, diminishing sound transmission. This material will help absorb external sound sources. You can nail this material directly to your drywall or by overlapping the seams of each piece by two inches and by covering it with vinyl tape.

5. Acoustic Foam Panels

This material is seen and used in recording studios across the globe due to its effective soundproofing. The thickness of the material can range from 1 inch to 4 inches. It depends on how much sound needs to be absorbed. They also come in a different variety of colors for aesthetic purposes. In addition, acoustic foam panels are easy to install. A special adhesive spray creates the simple installation of these materials.

6. Acoustic Fabric Panels

Acoustic Fabric Panels are a great material due to their aesthetic appeal and effective soundproofing. Furthermore, they also vastly improve the acoustics inside your room through the process of absorbing reverberations and echoes. This process can make the sound quality of movies, music, and even conversations better. You can easily install acoustic fabric panels by hanging in many configurations, and this can also help prevent much airborne noise from reaching your establishment's interior.

7. Soundproof Paint

This material can be a great way to soundproof your establishment while sprucing up your walls with a fresh new coat. This soundproof material is also cost-effective than the other options available on the market. Soundproof paint has a very thick consistency and is applied similarly to traditional paint. Although, if your goal is to diminish the sound of loud external noises, this might not be the best option for you.

There are still many various alternatives that you can try to achieve a noise-free space. For a more successful soundproofing project, make sure to consult an expert. Soundproofing is essential since it eliminates loud noises that can affect you and your occupant's comfort. For more informative blogs about construction, be sure to visit Access Doors and Panels where we also provide the best quality access doors for your project needs. You can contact us at 1-800-609-2917 for more information about our products.

[amazingpetenclosures]

I have a leopard gecko in a 20 gallon tank which meets requirements, but I want a way for her to have even more space if possible. Is there a way to maybe add platforms or a second story in a way that is safe and easy? I wouldn't want her falling off and getting hurt, but I'm not sure how to gradually slope everything to make it safe without taking up more space than it's worth.

Absolutely! In my opinion, the best way to add levels is to keep it simple. Leopard geckos are surprisingly capable little climbers. When building levels into my enclosure, I used a thin particleboard (plywood would work just as well) and a 5/8ths dowel rod (I say that diameter because it’s a little thicker and wont split as easy when nailing it down).

Use the dowel rod as the legs of your platform and cut it to several pieces of whatever height you want, or if you want it to slope, you’ll have to decide what you want your highest height to be and what you’ll want your lowest height to be and cut it accordingly. Dowel rod is really annoying to cut by hand, but it can be done with a handsaw. Same with particleboard, but sticking with a thinner board is definitely easier and your geck doesn’t weigh enough to need to worry about it being too thin.

Measure the inside of the tank and decide where you want your platform to be and what shape you want it to take, mark it out on your particleboard and cut accordingly. (If your tank is the kind with the sliding mesh lid, I’m pretty sure there’s bit of a lip to the black trim at the top. Make sure that, depending on the shape of your platform, you leave a little wiggle room to be able to pull it out for cleanings!) Sand down any sharp edges.

When building mine, I wanted it to run the length of his enclosure, but I cut the platform into several pieces so that I’d be able to move and reconfigure the shape of the platform to mix things up a bit when I wanted. Just like rocks and hides, there’s no reason not to be able to move your second level around.  

Leos obviously aren’t tropical, but just to help preserve the life of the wood and protect if from their poo, you might want to seal it with a water based polyurethane (I like polycyclic, it’s stood up to the 85% humidity of my brazilian rainbow boa’s enclosure for going on two years down without issue). Make sure to let it cure for a couple of days. You wont be able to soak the wood for cleanings, but it will easily hold up to a damp cloth or a spray bottle of 1:10 bleach.

After cutting and sealing your platform and legs, you can easily attach the dowel rods to the underside of the plat form with a thin drywall nail through the top of the particle board and into the dowel rod below. If you don’t want to use the nails or screws, you could try silicone to affix the pieces. If you use silicone, make sure you let it air out a few more days!

Add a ramp or a sturdy stack of rocks, or whatever you like, as easy access, and you’re done! :)

[lukerhill]

Building cabinets up to the ceiling

Wow!! I am so thrilled to get this part of the renovation done! I'll admit I was a little anxious on how I would extend our kitchen cabinets so I hesitated a bit. I thought it would be much more involved than it was. Thankfully it went really quickly and was a fairly simple build. (This is a popular updated post from our last home!) For YEARS I've been planning to build our cabinets up to the ceiling. We picked them out more than 11 years ago and went with the shorter versions rather than taller. I knew that tallest shelf would be too high to reach and I was trying not to spend any more money building this house. :) We did have crown and if you have basic cabinets I think it makes a HUGE difference. You can see here where I had taken it down to build in the fridge -- it was still up on the left:

Just adding some crown is a super effective way to make your cabinets look more high end. 

I still would have done this project even with the taller cabinets. I love the look of built ins and building them up to the ceiling just feels more custom to me. 

So here's the thing, I didn't use any fancy tools to build these boxes. They were so crazy basic -- no pocket hole jig even. If you will see the sides of a piece you definitely need to use that, but for these (and the box I built to extend the island), I just use screws: 

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This is my favorite corded drill -- I love it for bigger projects that last longer than my battery operated drill. 

I didn't even use glue (I've learned adjustments may need to be made later). Those who build for a living are probably cringing. :) But these won't be touched much at all and the boxes are strong! My point is, you don't need a ton of tools or a workshop (your kitchen floor is fine) to do things like this. All you need is some wood, a drill and a dream. ;) 

The hard part of every project like this is figuring out the sizing of the boards to make the boxes. I spend most of my time perfecting that. I stand with a tape measure and notebook and draw pictures of what I want to do and end up scratching most of it out before I get to the final. It's how I work it all out in my head. About an hour later I'm ready to have wood cut. 

I have all my pieces cut down at Lowe's -- I didn't do them all at once this time because I was checking sizing as I went. That is SUCH a wonderful service and I don't mind at all that they've started charging for more than a few cuts. It's well worth it to me! 

I built one box at a time and placed them up on top of the cabinets: 

Your cabinets are built to hold quite a bit of weight so don't worry about that -- I later screwed them into the studs above (and to each other) so that took most of the weight off. 

I built actual boxes -- if you are really good you could build the entire piece and then put it up there. You could build one big box with one piece of wood separating each section, but I knew I wanted to mimic the look of the bottom cabinets with trim so I wanted the sides of these to be thicker. I hope that makes sense!

I waited till I had the three installed before I started the cabinet above the fridge. It doesn't go all the way back but I wanted it to go back enough so that I could attach it to the one next to it. It's also screwed into the stud on the wall and into the cabinet below: 

I was already in love!! My husband and child were just humoring me at this point, nodding and saying, yeah it looks greaaaat. Trust!

We had about two feet of space above our cabinets and I made these 16 inches tall. I was adding a header above and didn't want it to be too thick. I also didn't want the cabinets to be too tall either, I thought that would look at little off since our uppers are a basic size. 

Next I had to prep for the header piece. I screwed some scrap wood into the beams in the ceiling for the header to attach to at the top. I didn't get a good pic of this but you can see a piece of that sticking out behind the header to the right in this pic: 

As you can see, after that was secure in the ceiling I was able to attach my header to that and the cabinets. I used a 1x10 piece of wood for this part. 

Also, I didn't remove the crown to put these up -- I knew I could cope new pieces in so that saved me a ton of time. I just notched out a corner in the header so it would fit over the existing crown. 

Next were the finishing touches -- this is my favorite part because things start to come together! I added some trim along the bottom: 

And then I added the vertical trim to mimic the look below: 

I was getting really excited at this point! 

I made the header thick because I have crown and trim that I needed to continue around this part. That takes up about five inches of it. Also, I will be adding lighting inside the cabinets and that will run along the back of the header. This gives me plenty of room to add that and have it hidden. 

Here's a shot I shared on Instagram because I was so excited:

I was working on a deadline here -- I am a procrastinator through and through. I've had weeks to get this done but I work best when I HAVE to get it done. The counters are coming this week and I wanted to get everything up high done that I could. 

I finished up the fridge cabinet and started adding more trim to hide the rough stuff: 

Here's a shot of how that's coming together: 

You can see here we had to have the recessed light moved out a few inches -- it was right in the way of where the crown was going. Renovations are a constant dance of two steps forward and one step back. :) It's hard to see there but if you look close you can see how I added the small trim along the top that goes around the rest of our great room. It's an easy way to make your crown look extra chunky. Here's another shot before the crown was started:

Excuse the mess! We had some drywall fixes to take care of as well. I clearly should just stop trying to clean. A couple of you have asked about the cabinet on the left side -- I won't be moving it because the the way the doors open would be awkward. :) And here's how it's looking with the crown (that I had help with, I'm not great at coping yet):

I absolutely LOVE it. I'm so thrilled!!

When everything is painted it will look exactly like it did in my head all these years. Paint will come last though, so for now I'll just enjoy. :) As of right now I'm not planning to add doors but that may change. If I do they will have glass fronts. I may add one more piece of small trim where the old and new cabinets meet up -- I'm going to wait on that too. I used some extra wood leftover from the fridge enclosure so that helped a ton with costs. I ended up spending maybe another $100 and that includes trim. I would have paid hundreds in labor if we had hired it out. If you have a large space above your cabinets like us, I recommend making them additional upper or open cabinets. If you have less space you can just add the header and close the whole thing up. With a lot of space like we have that would be too big of a header. If you have any questions or if I missed anything please let me know! Have you attempted this project in your home? I know many of you have been thinking about it! **You have to see the finished kitchen makeover here! **Pin this project for later with this image:

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This content is property of Thrifty Decor Chick LLC. If you are reading this on any other site other than https://ift.tt/1kRxOJ2 or one of her social media platforms, please contact her immediately (thriftydecorchick at gmail dot com). Any other use of this content is strictly forbidden.

[diytechnician]

DIY How to Install Pre-Fabricated Deck Railing and Posts QuicklyThis pre-fabricated deck railing set up was purchased at Lowe's. It was a little more than I wanted to pay and wasn't completely top quality but it was able to be constructed quickly and effectively fit the billet of having a deck rail in place on this second story outside deck. The reason I needed a new deck was because the old one had been attacked by carpenter ants in many places so after exterminating all of the carpenter ants I removed the old deck. It made for some good dry backyard bonfire wood. I then took perimeter measurements and figured out how much deck rail I would need. This pre-fabbed railing was a little more than I really wanted to pay so I didn't want to overestimate. I got my materials home and then kind of layer it out to so I could get a visual on how it went together. The first step in construction was to install the 4 X4 posts. I secured them to the outside of the deck with lag bolts, of course, pre-drilling them before sinking the lag bolt in. Since I was a one man show I was able to clamp them into place before permanently securing them. I used two lag bolts per post. Same goes for the rails. I roughly fit them up before  securing them. Pre-drilled the holes then used weather proof drywall screws to hold them in. I pre-drilled the holes using a bit slightly smaller than the screw itself. Since each rail section was a set length I ended up having to trim a little off of one. I measured twice to make sure I had the correct length. I used my hand held power saw to whack the extra part off. Overall this deck rail was super easy to install and had it done in just a few hours as I took my time installing it. The pro's are that is was quick to install, it looked attractive and matched the design of the house, was plenty sturdy (sturdy enough to lean against), the wood was already pre-stained,  and was very simple to install by myself. The only negatives were that I wish the wood was a little thicker on the rails themselves and the other is that this set up wasn't conducive to a simple gutter system if you wanted to put one on. Here's a link on amazon for the quick grip clamps I used here. I use these for a number projects as well: Quick Grip Clamps: https://amzn.to/3akRzIP

[mrstevenbushus]

Finishing the Walls and Rendering

We’ve opted for a mix of timber cladding (we covered this in the September issue) and silicone render for the Education House’s external walls. They need to fulfil two key roles: prevent moisture ingress and provide an attractive finish.

Rendering involves fundamentally the same skillset as internal plastering – hence most plasterers do both types of work (and often floor screed, too). So, many self builders will engage the same team for these wet trade tasks.

In our case, however, we wanted to use a specialist to install the modern render we’ve selected. So alongside Drewett and Hunt’s plasterers, who are completing the internal tack and skim, we brought in silicone render specialist Prestige Energy, which has worked on a number of other projects at Graven Hill.

Benefits of silicone render

We’ve appointed K Rend as a partner to supply its silicone thin coat render, which has a fine textured finish, for the Build It Education House.

A cement-based system incorporating silicone, it offers a number of advantages over traditional solutions. Here are the key reasons we chose it:

1. It’s self-coloured Probably the biggest attraction of our silicone render is that the colour (there are 20 standard options) is embedded into the topcoat. So it doesn’t need painting, and there’s no redecoration to do over its lifetime.

2. It’s very flexible Properly applied and cared for, it has a long life expectancy of 30+ years. One reason for this is silicone render is more flexible than traditional products, so it accommodates movement and resists cracking.

3. It’s water repellent The silicone imparts a hydrophobic quality, which means it’s highly water (and dirt) resistant. So much so, that this type of render offers an element of self cleaning – the only regular maintenance that might be required is a light pressure wash every few years.

There’s no doubt that silicone render is a premium product. Depending on your project, it might come in at double the cost of a traditional finish.

But the speed of application should reduce the amount of skilled labour required for installation, while its dirt-resisting qualities will keep a lid on long-term maintenance. So it can represent very good value for money for a self builder looking to stay in their home for many years.

K Rend sent out a sample pack for us to evaluate, which helped narrow down the options. We were confident a shade of white would be the right fit, as per Lapd Architects’ original design. But we couldn’t decide between two tones.

K Rend again stepped in to help, providing a couple of tubs for us to trial. That helped us settle on Limestone White, which will give a crisp, characterful finish to complement the larch cladding, yellow-grey window frames and red/brown roof tile blend.

Silicone render isn’t the only modern option on the market. A wide range of alternatives is available, each with its own benefits and considerations.

Learn more

Applying the render

It’s best to have all the key elements of your home’s elevations done and dusted by the time the renderers get on site.

Ideally, the windows will be in, other external finishes (such as timber cladding) fitted, and the soffits and fascias installed. With those in place, getting a neat finish should be a doddle.

1. The ground floor part-way through tacking. The pink section in the ceiling is fire-rated plasterboard, which is required by Building Regs to protect structural steel

Prestige’s team, led by site foreman Darren, started by taping up the windows, doors and other joints with exterior finishes to protect them. Incidentally, because our timber windows have a microporous finish that needs to be allowed to breathe, they can only be covered for a short amount of time. All the more reason to use a quick-apply render solution!

With the prep done, the first step was to bed in the PVCu stop and angle beads where the render finishes or reaches internal/external corners (eg at the windows). This is the fiddliest bit of the job, and the team needed to build up a few corner beads to overcome thicker bits of silicone seal.

To keep up momentum, they set to work applying a base coat to the most straightforward elevations first. This was trowel-applied directly to the face of the insulating concrete formwork (ICF) walls, with an alkali-resistant fabric mesh embedded while the render was still wet. The mesh helps to smooth out any imperfections in the polystyrene, which reduces the risk of cracking even further and improves impact resistance.

2. We’ve packed Earthwool acoustic insulation into the first floor ceilings and all the stud walls

Silicone renders can be spray-applied, but Prestige tell me this is more common on commercial projects rather than one-off houses. When the work’s on different elevations, it’s actually quicker and easier to trowel on: by the time you’ve set up the sprayer, you’d be half-way done anyway.

After 48 hours, the wall was ready for its next coat. Once that was cured, a primer was applied. To help streamline our build programme and enable us to get the scaffold down quicker, the team worked over a weekend to get this phase done.

Soon after, the walls were ready for the topcoat, which Prestige advised should be 1.5mm thick. This is enough to give a little bit of texture, while ensuring any imperfections in the substrate are completely hidden.

3. The main basement room, fully skimmed and complete with recessed ceiling

K Rend’s topcoats come in ready-to-go tubs with the colour already pre-mixed. The total build-up of silicone render is just 6mm-10mm, depending on how straight and plumb your walls are. That compares to around 25mm for a traditional cement render.

Add this up around the perimeter of a whole house, and this thinner finish can help maximise on precious internal space.

Internal walls & ceilings

Most self builders opt for plasterboard (sometimes known as drywall or tacking) and a skim plaster finish on the internal face of ICF walls. It’s quicker than traditional wet plastering, requires less skilled labour and avoids the usual 14-day drying time (a skim coat will dry in just two or three days).

As our Nudura system has fastening strips at 600mm centres, the boards can be screwed directly to the ICF wall (rather than battening out) to give a solid feel. The majority of our service runs are located in the ceiling voids, with hot-knifed channels in the polystyrene walls down to sockets and switches. We can also plasterboard directly onto the SIPs panels in zones with vaulted ceilings.

In the basement, we’ve glued stud walls to the floor to avoid screwing into the waterproofing membrane. So we need to batten out the load bearing block internal wall in the vaulted hallway, to ensure the boards are flush all the way up. We’re also creating a recessed ceiling with LED lighting in the media zone, achieved using two different batten sizes.

Tacking

Plasterers are busy people, and ideally want to tackle projects in one big push so they can get the job done and move onto the next. On a gantt chart, you’d plan for them to come in once all first fix works are done so they’re basically the only trade working internally.

In practice, however, there are bound to be delays and overlaps somewhere (the eagle eyed among you will have noticed some images of tacked walls in last month’s update). It’s up to you, if you’re self-project managing, or your main contractor to try to minimise the impact of any setbacks.

One trick is to focus your resource on getting works done in sections to stay ahead of the game. Our tackers started in the basement and worked their way up – giving the rest of Drewett and Hunt’s team time to finalise prep on the storeys above.

Plasterboarding is quick work. For example, with the exception of a few areas of boxing out, the walls and ceilings in the main basement zone were tacked in a couple of days.

In most areas, we’ve used conventional 12.5mm-thick plasterboard, which comes in 1,200mm x 2,400mm sheets. Different thicknesses are available, which can be handy if you need to correct any discrepancies.

We’ve used SoundBloc acoustic board at the main bathroom to reduce noise transfer, but reverted to standard gypsum sheets with Earthwool insulation in the stud walls and ceiling voids. In some places, such as where there are structural steels, there’s pink-hued fire-rated plasterboard to meet Building Regulations.

The main area we couldn’t tack until later on in the build was the vaulted hallway. The crew needed an internal scaffold tower for access here, but erecting this too early would have blocked other trades, such as the floor tilers. So we made the decision to hold back on this section and concentrate on the rest of the house.

As we send the mag off to print, this area is mostly tacked and due to be finished imminently.

Skimming

With the boards in place, your other trades can crack on with any remaining first fix works – for example, the electricians will cut out for light fittings and install back boxes for switches and sockets.

Getting this work done before the plasterers return to do the skim will ensure best results – but some small post-plaster tweaks are inevitable. Skimming is done in two coats: the first gets the wall near-perfect, and the second thinner layer gives that ultra-smooth finish.

Skimming underway in the ground floor living room. It’s best to do the ceilings first to avoid disturbing the wall finishes with any muck that drops off the trowel. The final stages involve ‘troweling out’ the skim multiple times to achieve a really smooth surface.

The main prep is fitting beading at window reveals etc, and covering any joints with scrim (a special mesh tape helps to prevent cracking). After that, it’s all guns blazing. Drewett & Hunt’s plasterers brought in a big crew for this phase – and most of the ground floor was done in a single day.

That’s partly necessity: once you’ve started applying plaster to a wall, you have to complete it. Seeing the process in action is pretty impressive.

There’s an art to achieving perfectly smooth walls and ceilings ready for decoration – and it’s not something I’d fancy tackling DIY (get it wrong and you’d have to start all over again). But it’s bread and butter to skilled trades who know all the tricks and do it day-in, day-out.

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Article reference Finishing the Walls and Rendering

[buildbathroom--com]

DIY Small Bathroom Remodel

What's up guys, I'm Brad Rodriguez from Fix This Build That and today I'm going to show you how to remodel this small contractor basic bathroom and gave it a whole new look with a custom tiled shower surround in all new fixtures. Stay tuned I'll show you just how I did it. This is the small bathroom I'll be working on it's 6 foot by 5 foot, excluding the bathtub and has two doors in it to boot It was also the contractor basic package with bland flooring a sheet mirror generic lights in a basic shower So when my friends at the Home Depot challenged me to remodel a bathroom, I just jumped on the opportunity. I started pulling all the old fixtures out of the bathroom the toilet and vanity go relatively fast is they're just unfastened But the mirror took a little bit of a finesse because it's glued to the wall We donated or sold all the old fixtures we could since they still work great Now, unfortunately, there's really no way to get a one-piece shower surround out of a bathroom without hacking it to bits I started removing the hardware and here's a little tip for the tub spouts Take a picture of the underside of the spout if you see a set screw. It's likely a friction fit You just loosen that set screw and then pull the spout off if there's no set screw there It's a threaded fit and you just unscrew the spout After disconnecting the plumbing I used a nine inch wide strip of plywood to score a line around the walls above this round I used a smaller strip to outline the sides of this round as well Keeping clean lines here is going to help you down the road when it's time for new drywall With a hammer and a pry bar I remove the drywall around the surround to reveal the flange that's used to secure the shower to the wall studs beneath. I checked behind the surround to make sure there is no wires or pipes and then I started cutting And you definitely want to wear a dust mask here while you're doing this The fiberglass is pretty nasty, but a sharp blade and a reciprocating saw makes quick work of the walls I couldn't quite get through the base of the tub though But I got it down to a small enough size where we could pull it out The last piece left was the floor I used a pry bar and pulled the flooring up which apparently wasn't attached very well because it came up really easily and we replaced the Flooring with a modern white large format tile and it really helps make a small bathroom feel bigger I made a whole video on replacing the floor so I won't cover that today, but you can go check out the full video There's a link below and at the end of the video with a clean slate It was time to start building the bathroom back up and we wanted to go with a bright Look to make this small space seem bigger and we also wanted custom touches to give the bathroom a high-end feel and The most involved upgrade was the Delta up style wall system and bathtub And the plumbing connections needed to be moved to fit the new tub, and I'd highly recommend using a licensed plumber for that. I pre-drilled holes in the flanges for the install then I hooked up the drain and overflow connections on the tub And once these were set I secured the tub to the studs with panhead screws I used shims any place where the tub was a little off the studs to avoid cracking the flange Next up I did my first dry fit of the up style wall system we're using I put the back and left wall in a place to check for fitment and the right wall needs cutouts for the plumbing So I took measurements and I made cutouts for the spouts in the mixer valve The up style system is supported by furring strips on the wall Now one thing I'd have done differently if I did it again, though Is that add more vertical studs in there as well and make these 12 inches on center instead of 24 inches on center Which is what my bathroom has. I think it's 16 inch studs though. You'd probably be okay the 24 inch on center Just gave a little more flex than I'd prefer after install And then I did one more dry fit of all the walls to make sure the furring strips are in the right place. I pre-drilled the flanges at the stud locations to make the install quick once the adhesive is put on as well The wall kit comes with double stick tape to help hold the wall to the furring strips while the adhesive sealant sets. I used DAP 3.0 for the sealant which is one of the three recommended products specifically for this acrylic material Now a generous amount of adhesive is put onto each furring strip and then we brought the back wall in We held it in place making sure it was level to the marks that we made during the dry fit Then I secured it to the studs along the top flange and in this little screw recess in the accent tile channel. I pressed the rest of the wall firmly to the double sided tape and spread even pressure along the furring strips for good contact Before installing the wall with applying pipes in it I put on the fire retardant pad provided in the kid and cutout for the mixing valve. I applied the sealant to the furring strips just like before and then I wedged the wall piece Then I secured the wall panel with screws and then I repeated the process for the left side the biggest thing to watch out for here is just to make sure that the sidewall Our tights in the back before you secure them so there aren't any gaps in the corners and everything should have been leveled during your dry fit and Hey if you're new here and like what you're seeing be sure to subscribe. I hope to see you around in the comments As a final step to help the wall set up firmly I use some two by fours wedged against the tub to hold the bottom tight and left it all to set up for 24 hours The wall system has a nice subway tile look but what really sets it apart is the custom accent channel to add your own style We went with the hexagonal mosaic tile for this feature. I set up my tile saw and I used an extra floor tile clamped to the table as a zero clearance cutting surface Cutting a shallow line in the tile lets you see exactly where the cut will be And it also gives you support to cut small tiles which have a tendency to blow out and chip. I Cut down the tiles to the right height of the accident opening and then I cut the pieces to size for the beginning and ends of the channel And the tile install is quite a bit different than normal tile install Regular mastic won't stick to the acrylic. So again here I had to use the special sealant So first I caulk the corners to make sure that they were Watertight and then I filled in that screw channel to seal the screws and also give a flat surface for the tiles After that, the sealant is applied just like the mastic and trialed with a v-notch trowel I pressed the mosaic strips into the adhesive and I use small spacers to keep it from sliding down And the adhesive holds it firmly to the wall so you don't need to worry about it falling off. Just sliding down Now my biggest piece of advice here is to watch your edges on the top and bottom I first started out applying too much of the caulk and it was globbing up on the edges and then I wasn't putting enough on there And it wasn't quite sticking the small tiles in place There's a fine line between getting just the right amount of adhesion without getting a lot of squeeze out There was definitely a little finagling to do with the gaps right between where the strips meet up, but I smooth it all out best I could and let it sit for another 24 hours to cure Now the grounding stage is similar to other grouting the only thing you need to do here is mask off the surrounding areas I use some painters tape and some clear plastic to keep the grout from scratching the acrylic Then I mixed up some unsanded grout and I worked it into the mosaic tiles I did both of the sidewalls first and I came back and wiped off the excess grout With a sponge before it could dry too much and become difficult to remove Then I moved onto the back wall and I did the same process there After that I decided to remove the tape and work the grout joints a little bit around the edges I'm glad I did this because I definitely had some bleed over and working the joints now before they fully hardened Let me still shape them and correct any issues I dinished up for the day by buffing off as much of the grout haze as I could then I came back and got the rest Of it the next day The last piece to button up the shower surround was to caulk all the seams I taped off the seams with painters tape and I used a grout caulk to match the grout that I used for the accent strips It was a little messy on that right side. So on the left side, I went ahead and taped that seam as well For the acrylic seams I went back to the DAP 3.0 and caulked all the seams using my finger to smooth everything out and then removing the tape Honestly, though I'd look into the other two recommended cocks for this task because after a couple of weeks the DAP is already a dingy White and we haven't even used the shower yet And with the shower all buttoned up I moved on to repairing the drywall I covered up the back wall in the lower portions of the side wall with some straight drywall strips For the corners I cut l-shaped pieces out using my multi-tool The multi-tool is great for cutting odd shaped pieces and drywall and it really makes short work of it Using an l-shaped piece instead of two connecting straight pieces also makes mudding and blend in the corners much easier. I taped and applied my initial coat of drywall mud to the seams and the screw holes I'm not particularly good at drywall, but I make up for it by enjoying it even less In total, I did four coats of mud sanding between each one And one thing I've learned along the way is it's much better to do more light coats than to try to do fewer thicker coats Thick coats just take way too long to dry and is prone to shrinkage. Nobody likes shrinkage Before installing the shower hardware, I turned over the painting to Susan and she knocked it out we put up a nice light gray that goes well with a simple modern look that we're going for I hung up the new light fixture to give us some better light and then I moved on back to the shower When I tried to install the mixing valve cover though, I realized the hole that I'd cut wasn't quite large enough I should have cut it much law to allow servicing the mixer valve But at this point I just wanted to open it up enough for the cover to fit So I used my rotary tool to widen the opening The fixtures I'm using are the Everly line from Delta We really liked their look and feel in the curves of the handles in The tub spout has this fun little twist to it That just gives it some great character and they both just screw on in our set in place I also added sealant on both pieces to avoid water leakage into the wall The showerhead was the last piece to be installed. It definitely gives the shower a more custom feel also I finished off the renovation by installing a new Delta toilet a vanity with the everly style faucet and a mirror These are all easy to install in the upgraded versions We went with really transformed the look in the feel of this small bathroom now I'll have links in the description to all the items. I used in this remodel Hey, I got another video queued up for you just click right there It'll take you right over if you're not subscribed to the channel already I'd love to have you as part of the team and until next time guys get out there and build something awesome

https://youtu.be/knBsMeDM5Ac

[richmegavideo]

DIY QRD Diffusers for Home Studios: My Home Studio Renovation Project Pt. 1

The Centerpiece of my man cave, just above my beer fridge is my DIY QRD Diffuser.

Related to Elements: Crate Digging, DJ, Producer You’ve seen these before, those “Skyline” or “Cityscape” diffusers gracing the walls of high end production studios.  Technically known as QRD Diffusers, besides looking really cool (well, they look better than empty egg crates) you may have wondered what they are actually intended for.  There’s all kinds of scientific explanations with audio-nerdaphyle jargin out there.  If you really want to know what’s going on with the sound waves when they hit these things, feel free to peruse this website’s breakdown…  As you can see they even have a program that when room values are plugged into it you can really get into custom sizes.  I truly believe these things work as advertised but finding a professionally built one online at a reasonable price is never gonna happen.  Besides you don’t need an engineering degree, or special software, as long as you have the tools and time you can just adjust your tool belts for your winter waistline and build one yourself!  I’m not even gonna try to reinvent the wheel with this blog post.  I don’t need to since these plans are already out there online and credit should be placed where credit is due.  Here are the plans I followed for the one I built and it is well written, simple to follow, and best of all IT REALLY WORKS!  I can however, enhance these plans with a little how-to tips I learned along the way, perhaps this blog post might dispel some of your self-doubt if you are afraid to tackle this fairly simple DIY. Tools Needed:

Plans

Pencil

Black Permanent Marker

Carpenters Square

Chop Saw or Mitre Saw (the sharper the blade the better, I wouldn’t even attempt with hand saws, that would take forever so, a powered saw is a must)

Strong Wood Glue (I recommend Elmers’ Wood Glue Max since it’s strong, paintable and stainable)

Thin Plywood (1/8″ thick) to mount it on (approx 18″ X 18″) (a 24 X 24 piece will leave plenty of extra)

6 or 7 8 foot long (2X2) pieces (the primary wood)

Course Drywall Screws to hang it. (at least 2″ long)

Heavy Duty Construction adhesive (like wood glue only stronger)

Optional Stain or Paint and appropriate brushes and drop cloth

Make sure you really eye up your wood before you buy it.  Inspect it well, choose super straight (not bent or warped) pieces or you will never get the pieces to stand up right.  If you make perfect cuts with no mistakes you can get away with buying 6 eight foot pieces of 2X2 but I would buy 7 if I were you, there is little room for error with only 6 pieces.  As far as wood types go, you can buy cheap old pine but I wanted something heavier, more solid and when stained I wanted the wood grain to really pop, so I chose solid oak.  At around 20 dollars per each piece this was not cheap so if you are on a tighter budget pine is much cheaper.

Stain or Paint First

One thing I did differently than those plans recommended was I stained the pieces before I cut them.  It is much easier to stain (or paint) several 8 foot long 2X2s vs. cutting them and handling them all one by one.  Not to mention gravity would work against you and you’d have dark spots or paint clots where all the joints of each individual piece of wood touched if you did the staining after the assembly.  It took 3 coats of stain on each side of the wood, so as you can imagine doing it any other way would take way too long.  

Stain First, cut later!  Angle the wood on a 45 so you can do 2 sides at a time.

Find a cool safe place to stain the long pieces.  I recommend water based stain since it doesn’t stink up the whole house and is a cinch to clean up!  To kill 2 birds with one stone I cut a V notch into the top of a leftover piece of wood which held the pieces in a 45 degree angle so I could stain 2 sides at a time for each piece.   Three coats gave it the high gloss look I wanted, stain less coats for lower gloss looks.  Stain, then wait till those sides dry, rotate 180 degrees, then stain that side, wait, rotate again, stain again until you are satisfied that it looks good.

Use Jigs for Easy Identical Sized Cuts

Don’t measure every piece, make perfectly sized jigs

The plans call for 4 different lengths of various sized pieces and I know for sure if I measured every single one and then cut them I would have 50 different lengths.  So using cheap scrap wood I measured exactly each size, labeled it with the sharpie, and nailed a flat leftover piece of wood with an overhang to the end of it.  By doing that I can place the long piece, put my jig right on top of the piece I am cutting and it will butt up against the end tightly.  Holding the jig in place you can lower the blade right up against the jig edge and as long as you hold it tight and don’t cut your jig you will get a perfect cut.  It goes without saying that your chop saw should be locked in at 90 degrees before cutting.  The sharper the blade, the cleaner the cut will be.

Butt the blade against the jig then cut perfect lengths.

Store the cut pieces in a container after they are cut and prep for edge staining

After cutting all the pieces you need, clean them all off with a rag or shop vac and prepare to stain the best cut edge facing you.  The best cut side of each piece should be up if you want to see no blade marks or nicks.

All the pieces ready for the final coat of stain with the best edges up

Now the fun part… (not really)  Staining the ends of 144 pieces, for me 3 more times.  The trick is to put on some kind of music cause this is really boring without something playing.  Have a dry rag handy to wipe the excess drips that run down the sides that are already stained.  Stain is runny, so seriously, have a dry rag nearby if you don’t want black stain runs down each piece.  Paint isn’t as bad but the same dripping will occur with paint if you aren’t perfect (which you are not).

Once you are done staining and it has dried, line up 12 of the pieces (any size length) side by side and measure the length of all these 12 pieces tightly placed in a row.  It should be right around 18″ since the original pieces are not true 2X2s.   Keep in mind it won’t be exactly 18″ because the stain or paint made each piece a little thicker.  You can cut the backer of your diffuser to this to the exact width of the 12 pieces or you can make it a bigger square to make it easier to hang as I did.  I cut my 1/8″ piece of plywood the exact same size as the piece of drywall that it was to cover so it was much easier to hang in that location and it covered the drywall completely therefore making it look like the diffuser was glued right to the drywall with no backer at all.  This is up to you whether or not you want it invisible looking or something with an obvious edge, you could even frame that edge if it bothered you with small pieces of trim.  

Once you cut your backer square piece to approx 18X18″ or larger, print out your diffuser layout for easy assembly of the pieces.

  Before you start gluing any pieces, paint your backer piece the desired color of paint and make sure it is bone dry.  Then find the center of the backer with the old draw an “X” trick.  I found the center of my backer plywood piece drawing an “X” using a straight edge and penciling from corner to corner.  I then drew 2 center lines on the the elevation layout to split it into quarters… 

…like this.

Split diagram into 4 equal quarters and start crossing off as you glue.

I drew the same quadrants on the backer plywood piece using the carpenter square so the center intersection was exactly dead center of the “X”.  Draw these lines darker than the X, if you follow these straight lines closely you will not gradually go off course even without drawing a full grid.  Starting in the upper left of the lower right quadrant, glue the pieces one by one where they belong and cross off each piece you glue as to not loose your spot.  Make sure you spread the glue on the entire surface of the bottom of each piece, and have a dry rag handy to wipe off any excess glue that pushes out when you press the pieces down.  Keep gluing and keep crossing off each number on the layout as you proceed.  It is VERY important that you stay exactly on the edge of the line on this first row because all other pieces in the quadrant butt up against that row.  If you get the first row wrong, it will get harder each row and eventually you will be way off.  Take your time gluing and be a perfectionist with the first row and then it will start to go very quickly.  Repeat for the remaining 3 quadrants keeping the first row perfect with each one.  Gradually as you glue each piece the diffuser will start to come together.  Since I used heavy oak, I glued the sides of every few pieces that touched each other for extra sticking power.  It may have been unnecessary, but I didn’t want any of the pieces falling on my beer fridge so I played it safe with every few pieces getting a little extra side glue.  

Now the hard part…Wait at LEAST 24 hours before moving it, leave it alone on a flat surface so the plywood doesn’t bend and it dries perfectly flat.

Glue and Screw the backer securely to the wall and make sure you hit studs!

For this next part you will want the help of a strong friend.  Mark the wall and draw a perfectly level line where you want the piece to live.  Find the wooden or metal wall studs by knocking the drywall listening for them or use a stud finder.  If there are no studs where you want it, then you should reconsider moving it to where studs are, or at least get some heavy duty drywall anchors that grab the back of the drywall.  I wouldn’t trust them though, because this thing is VERY heavy so try to find a spot with 2 studs one on each side.  If you use construction adhesive along with screws don’t plan on taking this with you when you move, it will never come off with that stuff.  I used construction adhesive and screws, so I guess if the next person who buys my home doesn’t like records they are gonna have to learn to live with it. Once this is securely in it’s new home, drive the screws just beneath the surface of the backer wood and caulk or putty the screw holes to hide them.  Once that filler dries paint it the same color as the wall and it will look like it’s “floating” on the wall. Now, sit back, bust out a cold brew, drop a needle on your favorite record and you’ll notice how much sweeter the music sounds.  I swear by it, this truly does work.  I could tell immediately that slap-back bass echos no longer plagued my space.  After I coughed up all that money for wood and glue, I was quite satisfied with the results.  In the end it became a nice looking functional unique sculpture piece for literally hundreds of dollars less than what I could have bought online.

Fully diffused.

Stay tuned!  Part 2, which is some more in-depth DIY man-cave plans is coming soon.

Also check out the Youtube Video Walk through of my finished Studio for a 360 degree view.

For DIY Records Shelves Plans see our most popular DIY Simple Record Shelves Blog Post For before, during, and after pics of the studio and further information check out the thread post at Cratedigging.co and by all means, please join us! 

The post DIY QRD Diffusers for Home Studios: My Home Studio Renovation Project Pt. 1 appeared first on .

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[andreafestefano]

Hanging shelves in the kitchen

Hey hey! My late owl-ness has kicked in HARD on these shorter days. Goodness, I cannot get my mojo going till evening everyday, hence these posts getting later and later. It drives me crazy and it's worse than ever lately. 

I've been organizing like crazy when I get into gear lately! The bug has bitten me and I've gone through a bunch of stuff. I finished up the mud room closet, the area under the kitchen sink and now I'm working on getting my closet under control. I'll share those areas with you soon, but for today I wanted to show you the shelves I hung in our kitchen awhile back. 

We had a spot that called for an upper cabinet in our plans, and when I was looking for a place to add shelves (because I love them in a kitchen), I knew that was perfect. It's right by our fridge and I had the cabinet removed and a sconce added on the wall. The wall was bare for a couple months but I finally got these up!

I knew I wasn't going to be able to get both brackets into a stud (if you're going to put any kind of weight on shelves you need to make sure they're in a stud or you use a really good anchor). I found these at the hardware store -- they hold up to 100 pounds. I knew my shelves wouldn't be close to that even with dishes, but I usually over compensate with something like this:

Regular anchors are either screwed or inserted into the wall and when you add the screw they open up a bit on the other side of the drywall to hold them in place. Toggle anchors have a mechanism that actually flips open and then braces against the back of the wall. So they are your best bet for anything really heavy. I used similar anchors (made for exterior) when I hung our window boxes on the old house years ago. They stayed put forever!

These are particularly great because they are self-drilling. No need to use a bit to start the hole off like usual: 

source

They were SO easy to get in the wall. That pointy end makes it quick and simple. I used my drill:

I got frustrated though, because when I added the screw, it just kept turning and wouldn't tighten. Whether you're in a stud or an anchor -- your screw will get to a point where it will get tight and stop turning. That's when you know it's secure. These just kept turning. 

I finally read the instructions and realized you have to keep turning for the toggle to open up in the back. It takes a few seconds but eventually they will tighten up. Just a little heads up for any of you that use them. :)

Someday I'd like to add thicker shelves, but for now I just used inexpensive wood. It's just thick enough that the little detail at the end of the brackets overlaps nicely: 

I found these shelves at the Crates and Pallets booth at the Haven Conference last year. They generously offered to send some my way when I needed them. I love that they're simple and a little more industrial than what I used in our last kitchen. As I've said a few times, I'm craving a simpler look in this house and loving it! And I think all rooms need a touch of black so I knew that would work even with the other metal tones. (They come in a variety of sizes, I used the 12 inch.)

You don't have to match all your metals -- spaces are a whole lot more interesting when you don't!:

I just used what we have to fill the shelves -- our everyday dishes are here and the top shelf is more for display: 

I haven't even begun to organize the kitchen cabinets, so what we keep on there may change with time. (As usual, I will add a list of sources at the bottom of the post!)

I'll share a proper tour of the kitchen soon! Still some little tweaks I'd like to make first. But getting these up and the island counter stained and sealed has finished this space off beautifully: 

I stained these in the same color as the island!

Our accent lighting in this room is my favorite -- I love to have the cabinets lights on or just the sconce above the shelves:

I firmly believe open shelves will stand the test of time -- and I find them to be very functional. Even if you don't use them everyday, they are still a pretty way to break up a lot of cabinets in your kitchen. I love them!:

Have you incorporated shelves into your home? I had them in our kitchen and basement kitchenette in the last house and will do the same in this one too. I'm on the lookout for the perfect thick wood for these shelves to chunk them up a bit -- I would love to find something old to use. 

For now I'm thrilled to have even more pretty storage in the kitchen! If you have any questions, let me know! 

Some affiliate links included for your convenience!:

Brackets: Crates and Pallet

Anchors: Most hardware stores, I found mine here

Large glass jars: Walmart or Target

Island pendants: We got these through the builder but these seem to be identical

Brass sconce: Again, not our source but you can find it here!

Island stools: Target

Large cutting board: IKEA

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[chiefcyclestudentblr-blog]

On-line Buy Wholesale Best Screwdriver Establish From China Best Screwdriver Set Wholesalers.

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[ifuriouscoffeestudent-blog]

Armeg VDE Torque Screwdriver Specialist Review.

This is one among the most remarkable torque screwdrivers out there this fastening tool, is an all new one with an enabled fast launch bit locking mechanism feature that assists somebody using it collaborate with a lot of simplicity. The Craftsman 17 computer. Screwdriver Set satisfies all the necessary demands for any kind of small tool box. Once in awhile you will locate that you should fix digital devices around the house, or perhaps you do electronic fixings for a living. Although this is an excellent set to have when taking care of all sort of gizmos, it will certainly serve you specifically well if you possess various other products by DeWALT as well. I examined it against my 4-foot Sola level, a high-end professional brand name, and it was 1/16 inch from degree over 9 inches. This makes it useful for basic usages, nevertheless, it could not be suitable to repair smaller electronic gadgets such as cellular phone. Unlike a host of other cordless screwdrivers that use switches, the DEWALT DCF682N1 is activity triggered. The Williams 100P-8MD Screwdriver Set is the collection you want to go with if you do a whole lot of vehicle technician work. For maximum efficiency of this screwdriver set; do not use it to tear or chisel, or else, it fulfills and even exceeds the appropriate ASME/ ANSI specs. The majority of us tend to overlook the size of the screwdrivers in a set while choosing the most effective. It is an obvious fact that some screwdrivers collections are more convenient to deal with than others as a result of differences in features as well as specifications. When rotating them at higher speeds, takes care of do differ rather a bit in layout and also some feature swivel tops that permit you to maintain a far better hold on the screwdriver. This may can be found in handy some day as well as is well worth spending. a little bit extra on a top quality set. You ought to understand why you require a collection or exactly how will certainly you use it. You need to know exactly how any kind of screw heads are there in the set. best screwdriver set reviews for auto mechanics frequently have various bits, providing the technician greater convenience. For those on the look for just the best screwdriver collection, this DeWALT screwdriver set is a good stopping factor. A good set ought to come with an extensive collection of drivers to get rid of the should buy brand-new drivers for different applications. Longer or taller screwdrivers can supply more torque when driving screws into thicker materials such as hefty wood, drywall, or plastic. Prior to you get, it is most definitely worth investing the time to check out a lot of customer-driven responses to discover just what other individuals actually think of the set that you want purchasing as this will certainly give you the most effective picture of exactly how well it lives up to expectations. This multi magnetic accuracy screwdriver 54 item high precision setup is fashioned to serve virtually all popular notebook computer, mobiles, video game play consoles in addition to extra gadgets. Meant for the minimal as well as professional, Kutir delicately makes its screwdrivers for it to last. You'll discover a wonderful flexible wrench (identical to the one in the HDX set), but aside from that the package has only a small outlet set, suitable with the included screwdriver.

[thomasrush851]

A Top Secret Project for Mother’s Day

If there’s an unsung hero in the epic adventure of buying and fixing up this little farm, it has to be this woman:

That’s my mom. I can guarantee you that back when she used to dress me up in pink paisley dresses, she wasn’t envisioning a future where that sweet little girl grew up and, instead of giving her grandchildren, gave her chickens and donkeys and made her learn how to drive a tractor and use an air nailer.

And yet, here we are. Not only is my mom willing to drive up to the farm any time I need another pair of hands, or to farm-sit when I’m away, she does it all with a smile. (And also shows up with wine.)

And, in return, I spend all of my time fixing up my house, except for the room my mom sleeps in when she comes up for the weekend, which for a very long time looked like this…

A couple of years ago I half-assed “fixing up” this room by painting the walls and buying a new bed frame, but it didn’t take long for the room to revert to it’s usual state of “storage room that happens to contain a bed.”

Then, a week ago, my mom came up to stay for the weekend I happened to walk into her room in the evening and flipped all the light switches on only to find that none of the lights worked. We’re talking 3 recessed lights, one ceiling fixture, and one desk lamp, and exactly zero light in the room. My mom heard me muttering about this and was like, “Oh, yeah, the lights haven’t worked in here for six months… I thought this was just a part of the house being under construction.”

Uh, no. This is part of your daughter being a jerk and never checking to see if all the light bulbs in your room were burnt out.

You guys. Her room didn’t have working lights for six months and she never said anything about it. That is a typical mom reaction when it comes to the farm, she just takes everything in stride, and never complains. (Even when she got poison ivy in her eye two weeks ago while weeding one of the gardens.)

If there’s anyone who deserves a special space on the farm, so after she left last week I started to formulate my Top Secret Mother’s Day Project…

Here’s how I spent all of my evenings for the next week:

Swapping out gross old switches and outlets…

Patching holes I previously drilled in the drywall to release a bird that was stuck in the wall. Seriously.

Also, protip, if you ever need to open a wall (to release a trapped bird or, you know, something more normal) using a hole saw is a great way to go about it because you can use the same drywall to patch the hole back up. My technique is to slip a piece of 1x behind the hole and hold it in place with some kind of string/wire/rope while driving a couple of drywall screws through the existing wall and into the wood to secure it…

Then attach the plug to the wood with another screw…

And patch with some drywall tape.

(These tips from a pro drywaller also apply to patching holes. One more coat of joint compound after the tape dries and you’re good to go.)

But the biggest project was dealing with this little nook.

There was a weird, kind of unfinished desk in here, and there had previously been some brown metal shelves hung on the wall behind it. The concept of a little desk and shelves was a solid one, but I thought I could probably put something a little more, ah, polished, together with just scrap wood I had around the shop.

First, I tore everything out, patched and painted the drywall, and then started mocking up the new desk and shelves.

I decided on two shallow floating shelves on top, and used some 1×2 as the frame for them.

Then I used 1/4″ cabinet-grade ply on the top and bottom…

And to make it feel a bit more solid, I ripped down some 1×3″ select pine to the exact width of the shelves and used it as the front piece…

Then the shelves got a coat of white paint and I cut down some leftover butcher-block from the kitchen to use as the desk…

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

I wanted it a little beefier than typical 1-1/2″ counter thickness, so I ripped a 2-1/2″ piece off the back of the slab and then glued it on the front to create a thicker desk.

Meanwhile, I posted a few things to my facebook page to tease my mom, who really wasn’t expecting much more than to come up and spend Mother’s Day working on the farm…

Ha.

And then, finally, when she came up Saturday evening to spend the night I asked if she wanted to see my secret project…

I mean. We’ve come a long way from this…

To finish off the room I found a couple of small tables from Target that work perfectly as nightstands, hung some curtains I’d purchased for this room months ago (and were still sitting in boxes), added a rug, and even spray painted an old pink lamp my grandmother gave me to fit in with the new decor. And I filled the room with all kinds of things that I know my mom loves. Namely, plants.

(Yes, that’s us in the little picture.)

We actually picked out these air plants together when we went to the garden center on Mother’s Day…

I adore them.

The art in this room is also pretty special. The wood art behind the bed is something I made years ago that she’s always liked, but, even better, there are two beautiful watercolors that my grandmother (my mom’s mom) painted. This amazing bamboo…

And this sweet hummingbird…

This little nook in my mom’s room is officially my favorite spot in the house now…

I still need to seal that walnut desk, but other than that, my mom now has the most finished (and decorated) room to stay in when she comes up to the farm.

And, best of all? Every single light in that room works now.

The biggest thanks in the world goes to my mom, for loving the farm as much as I do, making my gardens look amazing, and most of all, taking care of this place when I’m away. This is a small gesture in the scheme of everything you do for us, but my dream has always been for the farm to be a welcoming place for people to come to stay, and I’m glad the first person I could do that for is you!

from Bathroom & Home http://diydiva.net/2017/05/a-top-secret-project-for-mothers-day/

from A Top Secret Project for Mother’s Day

[cessanderson]

A Top Secret Project for Mother’s Day http://ift.tt/2roL3tz

If there’s an unsung hero in the epic adventure of buying and fixing up this little farm, it has to be this woman:

That’s my mom. I can guarantee you that back when she used to dress me up in pink paisley dresses, she wasn’t envisioning a future where that sweet little girl grew up and, instead of giving her grandchildren, gave her chickens and donkeys and made her learn how to drive a tractor and use an air nailer.

And yet, here we are. Not only is my mom willing to drive up to the farm any time I need another pair of hands, or to farm-sit when I’m away, she does it all with a smile. (And also shows up with wine.)

And, in return, I spend all of my time fixing up my house, except for the room my mom sleeps in when she comes up for the weekend, which for a very long time looked like this…

A couple of years ago I half-assed “fixing up” this room by painting the walls and buying a new bed frame, but it didn’t take long for the room to revert to it’s usual state of “storage room that happens to contain a bed.”

Then, a week ago, my mom came up to stay for the weekend I happened to walk into her room in the evening and flipped all the light switches on only to find that none of the lights worked. We’re talking 3 recessed lights, one ceiling fixture, and one desk lamp, and exactly zero light in the room. My mom heard me muttering about this and was like, “Oh, yeah, the lights haven’t worked in here for six months… I thought this was just a part of the house being under construction.”

Uh, no. This is part of your daughter being a jerk and never checking to see if all the light bulbs in your room were burnt out.

You guys. Her room didn’t have working lights for six months and she never said anything about it. That is a typical mom reaction when it comes to the farm, she just takes everything in stride, and never complains. (Even when she got poison ivy in her eye two weeks ago while weeding one of the gardens.)

If there’s anyone who deserves a special space on the farm, so after she left last week I started to formulate my Top Secret Mother’s Day Project…

Here’s how I spent all of my evenings for the next week:

Swapping out gross old switches and outlets…

Patching holes I previously drilled in the drywall to release a bird that was stuck in the wall. Seriously.

Also, protip, if you ever need to open a wall (to release a trapped bird or, you know, something more normal) using a hole saw is a great way to go about it because you can use the same drywall to patch the hole back up. My technique is to slip a piece of 1x behind the hole and hold it in place with some kind of string/wire/rope while driving a couple of drywall screws through the existing wall and into the wood to secure it…

Then attach the plug to the wood with another screw…

And patch with some drywall tape.

(These tips from a pro drywaller also apply to patching holes. One more coat of joint compound after the tape dries and you’re good to go.)

But the biggest project was dealing with this little nook.

There was a weird, kind of unfinished desk in here, and there had previously been some brown metal shelves hung on the wall behind it. The concept of a little desk and shelves was a solid one, but I thought I could probably put something a little more, ah, polished, together with just scrap wood I had around the shop.

First, I tore everything out, patched and painted the drywall, and then started mocking up the new desk and shelves.

I decided on two shallow floating shelves on top, and used some 1×2 as the frame for them.

Then I used 1/4″ cabinet-grade ply on the top and bottom…

And to make it feel a bit more solid, I ripped down some 1×3″ select pine to the exact width of the shelves and used it as the front piece…

Then the shelves got a coat of white paint and I cut down some leftover butcher-block from the kitchen to use as the desk…

I wanted it a little beefier than typical 1-1/2″ counter thickness, so I ripped a 2-1/2″ piece off the back of the slab and then glued it on the front to create a thicker desk.

Meanwhile, I posted a few things to my facebook page to tease my mom, who really wasn’t expecting much more than to come up and spend Mother’s Day working on the farm…

Ha.

And then, finally, when she came up Saturday evening to spend the night I asked if she wanted to see my secret project…

I mean. We’ve come a long way from this…

To finish off the room I found a couple of small tables from Target that work perfectly as nightstands, hung some curtains I’d purchased for this room months ago (and were still sitting in boxes), added a rug, and even spray painted an old pink lamp my grandmother gave me to fit in with the new decor. And I filled the room with all kinds of things that I know my mom loves. Namely, plants.

(Yes, that’s us in the little picture.)

We actually picked out these air plants together when we went to the garden center on Mother’s Day…

I adore them.

The art in this room is also pretty special. The wood art behind the bed is something I made years ago that she’s always liked, but, even better, there are two beautiful watercolors that my grandmother (my mom’s mom) painted. This amazing bamboo…

And this sweet hummingbird…

This little nook in my mom’s room is officially my favorite spot in the house now…

I still need to seal that walnut desk, but other than that, my mom now has the most finished (and decorated) room to stay in when she comes up to the farm.

And, best of all? Every single light in that room works now.

The biggest thanks in the world goes to my mom, for loving the farm as much as I do, making my gardens look amazing, and most of all, taking care of this place when I’m away. This is a small gesture in the scheme of everything you do for us, but my dream has always been for the farm to be a welcoming place for people to come to stay, and I’m glad the first person I could do that for is you!

Kit

[lukerhill]

Hanging shelves in the kitchen

Hey hey! My late owl-ness has kicked in HARD on these shorter days. Goodness, I cannot get my mojo going till evening everyday, hence these posts getting later and later. It drives me crazy and it's worse than ever lately. 

I've been organizing like crazy when I get into gear lately! The bug has bitten me and I've gone through a bunch of stuff. I finished up the mud room closet, the area under the kitchen sink and now I'm working on getting my closet under control. I'll share those areas with you soon, but for today I wanted to show you the shelves I hung in our kitchen awhile back. 

We had a spot that called for an upper cabinet in our plans, and when I was looking for a place to add shelves (because I love them in a kitchen), I knew that was perfect. It's right by our fridge and I had the cabinet removed and a sconce added on the wall. The wall was bare for a couple months but I finally got these up!

I knew I wasn't going to be able to get both brackets into a stud (if you're going to put any kind of weight on shelves you need to make sure they're in a stud or you use a really good anchor). I found these at the hardware store -- they hold up to 100 pounds. I knew my shelves wouldn't be close to that even with dishes, but I usually over compensate with something like this:

Regular anchors are either screwed or inserted into the wall and when you add the screw they open up a bit on the other side of the drywall to hold them in place. Toggle anchors have a mechanism that actually flips open and then braces against the back of the wall. So they are your best bet for anything really heavy. I used similar anchors (made for exterior) when I hung our window boxes on the old house years ago. They stayed put forever!

These are particularly great because they are self-drilling. No need to use a bit to start the hole off like usual: 

source

They were SO easy to get in the wall. That pointy end makes it quick and simple. I used my drill:

I got frustrated though, because when I added the screw, it just kept turning and wouldn't tighten. Whether you're in a stud or an anchor -- your screw will get to a point where it will get tight and stop turning. That's when you know it's secure. These just kept turning. 

I finally read the instructions and realized you have to keep turning for the toggle to open up in the back. It takes a few seconds but eventually they will tighten up. Just a little heads up for any of you that use them. :)

Someday I'd like to add thicker shelves, but for now I just used inexpensive wood. It's just thick enough that the little detail at the end of the brackets overlaps nicely: 

I found these shelves at the Crates and Pallets booth at the Haven Conference last year. They generously offered to send some my way when I needed them. I love that they're simple and a little more industrial than what I used in our last kitchen. As I've said a few times, I'm craving a simpler look in this house and loving it! And I think all rooms need a touch of black so I knew that would work even with the other metal tones. (They come in a variety of sizes, I used the 12 inch.)

You don't have to match all your metals -- spaces are a whole lot more interesting when you don't!:

I just used what we have to fill the shelves -- our everyday dishes are here and the top shelf is more for display: 

I haven't even begun to organize the kitchen cabinets, so what we keep on there may change with time. (As usual, I will add a list of sources at the bottom of the post!)

I'll share a proper tour of the kitchen soon! Still some little tweaks I'd like to make first. But getting these up and the island counter stained and sealed has finished this space off beautifully: 

I stained these in the same color as the island!

Our accent lighting in this room is my favorite -- I love to have the cabinets lights on or just the sconce above the shelves:

I firmly believe open shelves will stand the test of time -- and I find them to be very functional. Even if you don't use them everyday, they are still a pretty way to break up a lot of cabinets in your kitchen. I love them!:

Have you incorporated shelves into your home? I had them in our kitchen and basement kitchenette in the last house and will do the same in this one too. I'm on the lookout for the perfect thick wood for these shelves to chunk them up a bit -- I would love to find something old to use. 

For now I'm thrilled to have even more pretty storage in the kitchen! If you have any questions, let me know! 

Some affiliate links included for your convenience!:

Brackets: Crates and Pallet

Anchors: Most hardware stores, I found mine here

Large glass jars: Walmart or Target

Island pendants: We got these through the builder but these seem to be identical

Brass sconce: Again, not our source but you can find it here!

Island stools: Target

Large cutting board: IKEA

This content is property of Thrifty Decor Chick LLC. If you are reading this on any other site other than http://ift.tt/1kRxOJ2 or one of her social media platforms, please contact her immediately (thriftydecorchick at gmail dot com). Any other use of this content is strictly forbidden.

[mrstevenbushus]

A Top Secret Project for Mother’s Day

If there’s an unsung hero in the epic adventure of buying and fixing up this little farm, it has to be this woman:

That’s my mom. I can guarantee you that back when she used to dress me up in pink paisley dresses, she wasn’t envisioning a future where that sweet little girl grew up and, instead of giving her grandchildren, gave her chickens and donkeys and made her learn how to drive a tractor and use an air nailer.

And yet, here we are. Not only is my mom willing to drive up to the farm any time I need another pair of hands, or to farm-sit when I’m away, she does it all with a smile. (And also shows up with wine.)

And, in return, I spend all of my time fixing up my house, except for the room my mom sleeps in when she comes up for the weekend, which for a very long time looked like this…

A couple of years ago I half-assed “fixing up” this room by painting the walls and buying a new bed frame, but it didn’t take long for the room to revert to it’s usual state of “storage room that happens to contain a bed.”

Then, a week ago, my mom came up to stay for the weekend I happened to walk into her room in the evening and flipped all the light switches on only to find that none of the lights worked. We’re talking 3 recessed lights, one ceiling fixture, and one desk lamp, and exactly zero light in the room. My mom heard me muttering about this and was like, “Oh, yeah, the lights haven’t worked in here for six months… I thought this was just a part of the house being under construction.”

Uh, no. This is part of your daughter being a jerk and never checking to see if all the light bulbs in your room were burnt out.

You guys. Her room didn’t have working lights for six months and she never said anything about it. That is a typical mom reaction when it comes to the farm, she just takes everything in stride, and never complains. (Even when she got poison ivy in her eye two weeks ago while weeding one of the gardens.)

If there’s anyone who deserves a special space on the farm, so after she left last week I started to formulate my Top Secret Mother’s Day Project…

Here’s how I spent all of my evenings for the next week:

Swapping out gross old switches and outlets…

Patching holes I previously drilled in the drywall to release a bird that was stuck in the wall. Seriously.

Also, protip, if you ever need to open a wall (to release a trapped bird or, you know, something more normal) using a hole saw is a great way to go about it because you can use the same drywall to patch the hole back up. My technique is to slip a piece of 1x behind the hole and hold it in place with some kind of string/wire/rope while driving a couple of drywall screws through the existing wall and into the wood to secure it…

Then attach the plug to the wood with another screw…

And patch with some drywall tape.

(These tips from a pro drywaller also apply to patching holes. One more coat of joint compound after the tape dries and you’re good to go.)

But the biggest project was dealing with this little nook.

There was a weird, kind of unfinished desk in here, and there had previously been some brown metal shelves hung on the wall behind it. The concept of a little desk and shelves was a solid one, but I thought I could probably put something a little more, ah, polished, together with just scrap wood I had around the shop.

First, I tore everything out, patched and painted the drywall, and then started mocking up the new desk and shelves.

I decided on two shallow floating shelves on top, and used some 1×2 as the frame for them.

Then I used 1/4″ cabinet-grade ply on the top and bottom…

And to make it feel a bit more solid, I ripped down some 1×3″ select pine to the exact width of the shelves and used it as the front piece…

Then the shelves got a coat of white paint and I cut down some leftover butcher-block from the kitchen to use as the desk…

I wanted it a little beefier than typical 1-1/2″ counter thickness, so I ripped a 2-1/2″ piece off the back of the slab and then glued it on the front to create a thicker desk.

Meanwhile, I posted a few things to my facebook page to tease my mom, who really wasn’t expecting much more than to come up and spend Mother’s Day working on the farm…

Ha.

And then, finally, when she came up Saturday evening to spend the night I asked if she wanted to see my secret project…

I mean. We’ve come a long way from this…

To finish off the room I found a couple of small tables from Target that work perfectly as nightstands, hung some curtains I’d purchased for this room months ago (and were still sitting in boxes), added a rug, and even spray painted an old pink lamp my grandmother gave me to fit in with the new decor. And I filled the room with all kinds of things that I know my mom loves. Namely, plants.

(Yes, that’s us in the little picture.)

We actually picked out these air plants together when we went to the garden center on Mother’s Day…

I adore them.

The art in this room is also pretty special. The wood art behind the bed is something I made years ago that she’s always liked, but, even better, there are two beautiful watercolors that my grandmother (my mom’s mom) painted. This amazing bamboo…

And this sweet hummingbird…

This little nook in my mom’s room is officially my favorite spot in the house now…

I still need to seal that walnut desk, but other than that, my mom now has the most finished (and decorated) room to stay in when she comes up to the farm.

And, best of all? Every single light in that room works now.

The biggest thanks in the world goes to my mom, for loving the farm as much as I do, making my gardens look amazing, and most of all, taking care of this place when I’m away. This is a small gesture in the scheme of everything you do for us, but my dream has always been for the farm to be a welcoming place for people to come to stay, and I’m glad the first person I could do that for is you!

Article reference A Top Secret Project for Mother’s Day