Since moving to LA from NYC last year I thought I'd be doing a lot more surfing. It hasn't worked out like that. As soon as the water got warm the waves went flat. I guess that's par for the course in Southern California. Even if I don't hit the beach as often as I'd like, I can still live vicariously through those that do and my favorite surfing blog is El Porto Fridays. Despite the name they surf almost daily and upload pics, video, board reviews and surf spot reports.
Recently they shared a how-to for building a vertical surfboard storage rack. This is the easiest way to store your quiver especially if you have more than 3 boards.
This project is also cheap and only requires a 2x4, wood dowels, wood screws and padding.
If you want a dramatic change to your kitchen, consider adding a glass front to a few of your cabinet doors. Make sure the insides of the cabinet are painted properly and look good and the stemware and dishes in the cabinet are what you'd like to display.
Transforming your cabinet fronts to glass is a great way to open up more space and lighten up the space. Here is a DIY project to add glass to a cabinet door but note that this style of door uses rabbeted panel moulding, which has a small groove cut into the back side, so that it "wraps" around the edge of the door. The pane of glass is slipped into the cutout in the door against the back lip of the moulding.
The big news in the woodworking and diy world today was that Norm Abram, long-time host of This Old House and New Yankee Workshop, will cease production of New Yankee workshop but continue his work as the master carpenter on This Old House.
Apparently the New Yankee Workshop website will remain online which is a positive considering the wealth of knowledge in lessons and plans that are available.
Even if you don't harbor a secret love for Norm this is a blow for those who valued his straightforward and honest instruction and precision techniques. We recently posted this video about his favorite tools which was insightful.
But you can still catch him on This Old House and we can always carve his likeness in a pumpkin for Halloween each year.
We recently contributed to TimeOut New York's Home Design 2009 issue which hit newsstands today.
We're featured in the Steal This Idea section for creating a patina mirror just like you've seen on the walls of your favorite French bistro (We prefer Le Singe Vert over Schiller's any night).
Pick up a copy today!
We want to share one of our favorite new houseblogs, San Fran Vic. The homeowners have chronicled the ongoing restoration of their 1890's Victorian home in San Francisco.
They've done amazing work so far and we are particularly stricken by their staircase renovation which they've laid out in 7 blog posts. Not so much a renovation but more of a recreation as the banister was completely gone and in it's place was a dividing wall which needed to be demo'd before any work could begin. The finished product shown above looks great and we'll continue to check on on their work and so should you.
San Fran Vic
The San Francisco bay area has a rich tradition of diy ethos. Residents take pride in their homes and environment which is unique to any other part of the country. Two of our favorite magazines were born there, ReadyMade and Dwell. It's no wonder there are so many housebloggers in the region who are fortunate to have a plethora of diy resources at their fingertips.
It seems the best value is found in Oakland & the East Bay so thanks to Gene of DIY Insanity we've got your diy needs in the East Bay covered. For other cities check out our complete list of DIY City Guides.
Let us know if we've missed any hidden gems in the comments or you feel a vendor review needs adjusting.
Hardware Stores
Markus Supply Ace Hardware 510.832.6532
625 3rd St., Oakland, CA 94607
When you just need some basics, your nearest hardware store is your best bet. But if you need a wider selection of items but don't want to go to the box stores, Markus Hardware may have what you need.
Ace Ellis Hardware 510.653.4365
5424 MLK Way, Oakland, CA 94609
If you're looking to browse the aisles, head somewhere else. Ellis Hardware has most of what they sell on huge shelves behind the counter. Describe what you need, and they'll get it for you, or tell you where you can if they don't carry it.
Before you decide to stick your head in the oven over a frustrating fix, read these tips from Deren for coping with projects that don't always go as planned.
I could see it coming, clear as day. My precious son, apple of my eye, joy of my life, first-born child, cause of much laughter and contentment, was about to make a big mistake.
A pocket door connects our master bedroom to our master closet. The door is new, but the track and hardware were manufactured during Reagan's second term. Changing out this door three years ago was extremely frustrating and for no good reason other than pocket doors are, by definition, embedded in a pocket. Door replacement should be a 2 on the the 1-10 scale of home improvement difficulty. But this one was not. This is the pocket door from hell.
So when my boy attempted closing this door, using all the 3-year-old muscle he could muster (it is a solid-core door, and heavy is an understatement), I knew it was about to come off the track. Please note: he has done this before. Each time, it led to an hour of cursing and sweating (in that order) as I attempted to get it back on track. This time, though, he found a way to get both tracks off. I was in trouble, and so was he...
The only way to reinstall this door is to swing it out of the opening towards our master bedroom. Easy enough, right? Wrong. Doing so requires removing the pocket door jamb, casing, decorative blocks, etc. Ugh. A good 60 minutes of very careful removal, 60 minutes of door manipulation, 45 minutes of re-installing all the trim, 15 minutes of caulking and filling nail holes, and 60 minutes of touch-up painting using three different colors. All over at least three sessions due to dry time.
So why write about this? Handling home improvement frustration is tough, especially for those who take pride in what they create/alter/refinish/replace. Here are three ways to handle the frustration and keep yourself from sending your kid back to where he or she came from:
Coping Step 1 - Realize Everything is "Fixable"
OK, nearly everything... One thing to remember is, no matter what goes wrong, it can almost always be fixed. The fix may involve more cost and/or time than expected, and it may need to be (gasp!) done by a professional in the given trade, but alas, it is fixable. Maintaining this perspective turns "disasters" into "setbacks." Also, I must admit, there's an element of relief when something breaks beyond my repair abilities. It gets me off the hook, so to speak. I have an excuse to bring in the professional, and my wife usually agrees.
According to this article from the New York Times, Home Depot and Lowes are adjusting their focus and getting in tune with the consumers reluctance to take on larger remodeling projects and instead focus on smaller diy projects around the home.
While the recession has caused consumers to pull the plug on exorbitant renovations, it has ignited a resurgence of small, do-it-yourself repair and maintenance projects. The trend has been so noticeable at Lowe's and Home Depot that those home-improvement chains are taking steps to adjust.
Safety is a top concern when building stairs and it all starts with solid footing and a stable hand rail. We want to expand on our previous article for installing wood stair railing by providing some great resources for building solid stairs and repairing broken railings and wobbly newel posts.
Install Stair Treads and Railings
Build Kid-proof Stair Railing
Install a Stair Handrail [video]
Reclaimed Wood Staircase
Tighten a Loose Stair Rail
How to Fix a Stair Banister
Stair Safety Tips
Secure a Deck Railing Post
Anchor a Stair Railing
October 30, 2009 | Comments ()
