DIY Projects

[Khan]

Nothing is ever level, plumb or square in a house.

I put some linoleum down in an added on laundry room 4 years ago. The room was positively trapezoidal. Six inches of difference between the back wall and the front wall and not a square angle in any of the corners. I had to use a non-patterned lino or it would have been really obvious.

Yeah verily, there is no such thing as a right angle. The guy who installed the kitchen cabinets said they were close enough to square to make it easy.

Tile should always be laid from the center out.

 

[free4now]

I've discovered that 98% of "must be assembled/operated by two people" issues can be resolved by a few screws or a roll of tape.

This thread is quite apropos... I was nailgunning some studs together today and a nail ricochet'd off a knot in the wood and out into the palm of my hand. The xray shows it didn't hit any bone, so I'm fine just a bit shaken. Ergonomically it is difficult to hold the studs in alignment without putting your hand in firing range. The proper way is to have someone else hold them together. Screws or duct tape would have worked

 

[samclem]

This thread is quite apropos... I was nailgunning some studs together today and a nail ricochet'd off a knot in the wood and out into the palm of my hand.

Ouch!! I count any project that doesn't result in a trip to the ER as a success. Single edge razor blades are my most frequent tool of choice for prompting a visit to the ER. My wife now throws them out whenever she finds them in the house, so I have to hide a stash. I've been lucky with the nail gun, but I'll take your experience as a warning.

Oh, and that "Great Stuff" polyurethane foam? It's really groovy and is good for a lot of things, but I've learned that it makes a terrific mess and will not come off skin with any solvent known to man.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Owie. I havent hurt myself with a nail gun yet and i'm not looking forward to the time it happens.

My BIL cut himself up pretty good with a single edge razor trimming down some brick trim. I've found a mototool replaces a lot of the need for razors, although if you're not careful with one of those you can do a little damage.

 

[calmloki]

This thread is quite apropos... I was nailgunning some studs together today and a nail ricochet'd off a knot in the wood and out into the palm of my hand. The xray shows it didn't hit any bone, so I'm fine just a bit shaken. Ergonomically it is difficult to hold the studs in alignment without putting your hand in firing range. The proper way is to have someone else hold them together. Screws or duct tape would have worked

Gives you visions of nailing yourself to the project, right?
Did that while twisting a stud into place and toenailing into the top plate - bounced the nail off my forefinger knuckle. lucky lucky lucky.
My DIY project for yesterday was skinnying under a rental house and replacing a section of rotten cast iron drainline. Communing with the spiders and the fiberglass insulation, breathing the heady aroma of dirt, fiberglass sparkles, mouse droppings, aged stuff from the leak - all in a cozy space i had to dig to get too. Good times!

 

[Dreamer]

Wow, we just went and started looking at solid wood floors to install in the main floor of our house. I will have to tell DH to be really careful when he gets ready to start.

The laundry room and the closet jobs look fantastic.

I am still trying to get a contractor to do a small job (banister railing on our stairs). He told me in May that he would probably get it done in June, but it does not appear that it will happen. I have not heard back from him. I think that I might try calling a couple of more people and ask them to do the same job and see which one comes first. It is extremely hard to find someone to do small jobs.