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Archive for the ‘Cabinets’ Category

Pre Paint Prep with BONDO

Thursday, February 18, 2010
posted by Craig

Thats right folks the same 2 part epoxy mix that autobody shops use on cars. In SOCal where some of the new rich reside is also Satisfaction Gauranteed seal of approvalwhere some of the best professional house painting occurs. Magazine model material, custom multi-million dollar homes with the same home improvement center paints the rest of us buy and use on our biggest investments in our IRA plans, the biggest dpainting preparation BONDOifference though is the prep work being done to create some of the finest home painting on the prestigious west coast.

I only emphasize this painting prep point, because I see the difference. Bondo or whatever brand you buy will change your homes detail of paint grade finish like night and day. Case and base nail holes, vacuum dents, mars and gouges, offset splices and even some miter joints go from nice job to vavoom. Interior spackling never really can give you that it truly is “all one piece look” but bondo does and does not shrink.

How to DIY laser LeveL

Thursday, February 4, 2010
posted by Craig

builders level [common excavation use]

Funny thing about this new age gizmo, laser levels are very accurate and can be extremely helpful in many area’s of home improvement projects. Being highly unlikely that any home, such as yours, is perfectly level. From the floor up to the ceilings, you will be surprised at exactly how far out of level most homes end up in the final escrow stages or purchasing ready product. Rather than fret though, the old saying is simply ” close enough”, and not to worry because the off kilter numbers in mention here is within a 1/4″ to 3/4″ of an inch, in eight feet. More importantly, there are some types of finish cabinetry work that better be within an 1/8″ inch for styles and margins to appear and function right.

Stanley makes a great laser level that shoots an awesome beam up to 60′ or so and will aide in many outdoor home improvements like a sweeping deck or masonry block wall, where the ends need to equal the whole by the time you adjoin the opposing sides from a distance. The down side is you have to level the laser in place for it to pivot and do its function’s. Which is said here because it can be a difficult and frustrating process. Every make or model of laser levels has good and not so good points to consider, so pick your poison.

stanley laser [manual pre-leveling]The other selection is a 4 AA battery operated laser level tool that is a gem but mostly for indoor usage. The sun tends to supersede the red laser light beam and you cannot make it work past 10 or 12 feet, because you cannot find the laser light to measure or mark, period. But the good feature on some of these is that if placed on a small flt surface [paint bucket] the self leveling adjust before, and then signals when it is ready. When storing from non usage remove the batteries, though.self leveling battery laser beam tool

Rebuilding Haiti

Tuesday, January 26, 2010
posted by Craig

It’s been 24 hrs since i have reached out to Mr Scott Kraft, a Los Angeles times media reporter. My message was very clear and to the point, in that i wish to donate 100% of the commission proceeds for 1 month, starting yesterday. I expect for him to publish our story and return my phone call and e-message tonight, we want to put a little pressure on all of our E-store affiliates IE., Sears.com/ Amazon.com and Home Depot.com, when they meet our challenge of charitable contributions and building supplies as well as energy efficient lighting fixtures and plumbing supplies.

The building codes are questionable at best but that will not stop the masses from any further advancements. We will build a better tomorrow for the people of Haiti and their families, that have suffered long enough. Our vision here at My-DIY.net is for a brighter future in all the world, pull soldiers from the middle east and put soldiers to work on an island that right now is far worse off than any war zone Mr Obama, let us help each other in this world and end the chaos today.rebuild starting with one brick

Stand tall you masses and understand how critical a place these Haitians are in at this very moment, tell a friend/coworker/family member about this action that requires all of us to rise above and shout ” WE CAN DO THIS”. Climb on board with that donation and help make a difference today.

Haitian Relief [proposal]

Monday, January 25, 2010
posted by Craig

Good evening world. As we can all sit back in the comfort of our homes tonight, there are many out there that have not been quite as fortunate. But my vision and beliefs are that we all can do something to aide those in need. I just left a message for Scott Kraft of the LosAngeles Times news paper, asking him to help circulate our story. Me here, on this world exposed blog, am offering 100% of the  affiliate marketing proceeds as a charitable contribution. All of the purchases staring at 7:30 pm pst will be going towards a lump sum dollar amount to the people in dire straights of Haiti. The catastrophic events of the 7.0 earthquake that tore down this place nearly 2 weeks ago has many children and their families literally upside down.haitian need helphaiti 2010 earthquakehaitian families in need

Any of us that want to help, can and will by using anyone of many E-stores via here on this blog site or at MY-DIY.net. When enough of us pitch in we are able to give back a little bit to help make a difference. From Home Depot / Amazon / Bestbuy / Commission Junction or Ebay all of which are my affiliates. I am also asking that everyone of those mentioned here and now stand up and meet us with our purchase power. If Home Depot / Amazon.com / Bestbuy.com / Commission Junction or Ebay.com can hear us roar, they will hear loud and clear that this is a challenge. That’s right, we are calling them to the mat for a no holds barred bout of matching the funds and or materials to donate.

Not only will this be of great service, the 2009 tax benefits can be of credit for all of our next filings on april 15. Lets create a better avenue of building services and appliances. I expect that Mr Kraft will help us with the broader publishing efforts involved but email this to as many friends as possible and lets start today by making a grander difference in this life.

Sincerely,

Craig E. president

MY-DIY.net and MY-DIY-BLOG.com

DIY for resale

Wednesday, January 20, 2010
posted by Craig

Upscale Projects best ROIbest bang for the buck

  • Siding Replacement (fiber-cement or foam-backed vinyl). With the economic slump, home buyers aren’t being dazzled by bells and whistles as much as they are improvements that will ensure lower repair and utility bills. Although replacing current siding with fiber-cement has lost value from 2007, it still nets an astonishing 87% ROI. If you prefer a foam-backed vinyl product replacement instead, you can still look to recoup 80% of your cost.
  • Window Replacement (vinyl or wood). Windows are not only an aesthetic feature. For most homeowners, they represent one of the easiest ways to lower home heating and cooling bills. By replacing your current windows with more efficient vinyl or wood ones, you can save on your utility bills, attract future home buyers and net a nearly 80% (vinyl) or 77% (wood) return on your investment.
  • Bathroom Remodel. Depending on the size and amenities of your desired bathroom, you could expect to pay over $50,000 to tear out walls, repair joists and wall studs, change structural elements and make major layout changes, such as switching a toilet and shower. However big the price tag, you can still expect to recoup nearly 71% of the cost (which would be $36,400 if you have a $50K bill) when you go to sell. This project increased its value since 2007, while its sister project – adding a complete bathroom – fell in value.
  • Major Kitchen Remodel. Kitchens are typically the most frequently used room in a home, so it makes sense that investing money here is going to pay off when it comes time to sell. While a major kitchen renovation is usually the most time-consuming and expensive home improvement job (averaging more than $110,000), it’s also one of the most profitable. Regardless of the size of your financial layout, you can expect to get a nearly 71% ROI
  • Win/WIN/WIN and DIY today. BTW how has the stock market been working for you?

Simple Bathroom Renovations

Tuesday, January 19, 2010
posted by DI-Myself

cabinetRemodeling the bathroom can seem like a chore best left to the professionals. However, simple bathroom renovations are not all that difficult even for the person who doesn’t have a lot of knowledge of interior design. Doing a bathroom remodel is an excellent method to entice potential homebuyers for people trying to sell their home, and also having an updated bathroom is nice for personal use. To get started with a bathroom remodel, first address tiling and cabinetry. For people who don’t have a cabinet unit housing their sink, there’s no need to address the cabinetry obviously. But for those who do have cabinets, ripping out and installing cabinets is quite simple, but the plumbing can be a little tricky and it’s advised to hire a professional to hook it up.  In terms of tiling, it’s a tedious process, but for people with patience and a keen eye, tiling is simple.

Cabinetry and tiling are the main aspects of a bathroom remodel, but don’t be shy about repainting or installing new lighting fixtures.  Skylights, while quite expensive, also make excellent additions to a bathroom.

Bathroom sink info

Monday, January 18, 2010
posted by Craig

Materials used for manufacturing bathroom sinks fixtures include enameled cast iron, china for traditional baths, plus metal, glass, crystal, stone, and solid-surface resins for a contemporary style. When making a choice, it’s important to save the most delicate sink materials–glass and crystal for example– for little-used bathrooms, such as powder rooms and guest baths where making a design statement is more important than durability. glass contemporary bath sinktraditional bath sink basin adding more volumeopen front euro style bath sink

Deck-mounted models, which can be set into or on top of a vanity or a freestanding frame, allowing storage below, whereas most pedestal and wall-mounted sink styles require storage to be handled by separate cabinetry. Integral bowl sinks, like their kitchen counterparts, form part of a countertop and come in many prices, colors, and materials, including fiberglass, solid surface, vitreous china, concrete, and cast polymer.

Console sinks, which offer an expanded deck space for sundries, a bathroom sink piece of furniture to create a stylish, spacious look. Some bathroom sinks come with holes bored for the faucets, in 4 or 8 inch layouts . For more about bathroom sinks, check the variety on Amazon or Home Depot to name two online sources we use and prefer.

DIY electric tool (dremel)

Saturday, December 26, 2009
posted by Craig

Super deal of the century has the Multi Max factory-reconditioned Dremel 6300-02LR 120 volt oscillating kit at over half price, this beauty comes with all the extras. Including blades and sanding disc’s plus the carrying case at under $70 US. In my professional opinion I could not have given a more valuable gift to my crew than this super duty bad to the bone electric tool for almost any detail cutting on the job site, every diy’er or pro has got to have one of these.  Amazon got this one nailed for sure.

dremel multi max deal exclusively at AMAZON.com

Gift Cards the perfect gift

Monday, December 21, 2009
posted by Craig

As we all well know, tis the season, and trends have been evolving since the beginning of recorded time. Time well spent this holiday season is bringing up the efficacy level of finding the perfect gift. Whether it may be a coworker, friend, family member or that proverbial someone special.DIY gift card The ever increasing popular gift card trend has been growing stronger, as every holiday comes and goes. In all actuality the gift card is the most practical present given out because the recipient as well as the shopper truly gets want they really do want. An even amount of capital to shop and spend in their very own favorite places to buy want they really do desire or what they really do need. It may also be true that this gift card giving exchange has taken a little bit of that personal touch away from the gift of giving, but it all gets ironed out in the end and sure beats the heck out of standing in lines and mall parking lots. Hard to say sometimes though, because another new tie will always find the right time and place to be wrapped around that someones neck….

DIY crown moulding cuts

Thursday, December 17, 2009
posted by Craig

As in all the trades, different strokes theory comes to mind. Cutting crown moulding can be coped out on the second piece going up, and into the first, on the inside corners. The first image shows a cope cut for a profile inside corner cut, (paint grade). Leaving the face a little longer than the back insures a nice clean fit.coping out an inside corner of a crown moulding install90 degree profile of crown mouldingDIY coping saw for crown moulding cuts

Now this is one way of getting the crown moulding miter cuts looking like a professional installed it. On a scale of easy, this being the easiest application. The most important element is understanding that a wall and ceiling is a 90 degree, the crown moulding of choice is milled to set an exact way on the wall and tight to the ceiling, if you get the outside corner cuts just exact than the diy crown moulding install becomes much easier. But note that all types vary and a jig on your saw will aide in this cutting crown moulding process. A smaller piece of scrap can assist in the narrowing down the right cuts process as well, with a left and right side test piece you will get there faster, then mark on your saw the holding place of your angle and bevel cuts. Contact me if you wish and i will help as much as i can……….      :)