I don’t regularly read Popular Mechanics but maybe I should. A few of their features captured my attention when I happened upon them quite accidently online.
The first one is some great advice on fixing leaks and shingles on a roof from the March issue. Yeah, I know. Call a roofer.
But, if you have the ability to scale a ladder, aren’t deathly afraid of heights, and possess even a minimal skill level, you can do this. (Of course my boss would love this after kidding me in a meeting with a: “What? Don’t you have a roof to put on your house or something?” during a recent meeting. Of course, he kids me, but he couldn't do it. I could.)
From that Web page, there’s a whole lot of useful tips and step-by-step how-tos from keeping handrails and baseboards together to some easy fixes for problem flooring.
They also featured a basement replacement. Looking at this took me back more than a decade to my first major project which was redoing the downstairs family room. Wow. It was bad. It’s a wonder that that project didn’t sour me on DIY forever.
On the PM basement replacement, I’m with the commenter who thought the before pictures were better. Not that I think that brick looks good. I just think they went to a lot of trouble for nothing. I agree with the choice they made on the ceiling. Those doctor’s-office drop ceilings suck it.
But before I tore out all of that brick … I would have a) painted it or b) put beadboard up over it or c) done both so that half the brick remained exposed.
I did not care at all for that wrap tiny shelves around the support beams maneuver. It looks like some space-age ‘70s crap to me. I think I would have again, painted them, or gotten those polyeurathane wraps and given it a more classic/colonial feel.
And, like the commenter, I think the furniture is guhhh. They could have put in a really nice bar, and had a nifty backbar mounted along some of the exposed brick.
But that’s just me.
A non-professional,faux home improvement blog dedicated to the insane yet diligent do-it-yourselfer,thoroughly peppered with random views and thoughts from me
3 comments:
I had no idea that Popular Mechanics did home-improvement stuff! I don't like the basement re-do, though. I'm with you--I would've kept part of the brick and put up beadboard. Beadboard as a backbar would've looked great. That fold-up desk they did is really fugly! If it wasn't so ugly, they wouldn't have needed those folding doors to hide it. Actually, all the furniture was ugly. And those dinky shelves around the beam really are terrible.
Great ref material. Thinking about replacing the wood spindles in my railing with metal. Have looked at for weeks trying to decide if it's DIY or not. Article has made me realize, ask for help when you need it!
Jayne -- Me either! I'll have to check them out more often now. I'm glad I'm not the only one that found that make-over less than appealing!
CD -- I can try to help you. I'm not sure if it's a DIY job either!
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