The vanity was one of my first projects when I bought the house. I walked around with maximum measurements on my person for weeks (this was 2001 and pre-smart phone- I actually carried this information around on paper!) and eventually found the perfect sized thing... which was a bit more of a challenge to plumb due to the fact the chest has drawers (rather than doors). I didn't think to shop sinks beforehand to learn some standard dimensions, but I got lucky- the sink was the smallest available my [then] employer offered. Sold! Then I learned about all the different types of faucets (the holes in my sink = widespread). The plumbing guys who were leery of me when we opened the store (cuz I was a girl and from an uppity department store) grew to love me... and shared their years of experience and knowledge with me.
In the end, I ran out of time and rushed the project, so the top wasn't as well protected as it could've/should've been. (Also, people are MESSY in bathrooms and tend to splash a lot I learned. So when you come to visit, please make sure the vanity top is dry as you exit the very tiny bathroom. While it's much better protected than it was before, you really can't be too careful. Kthx. )
The vanity was stored in Dad's shop while I was in AZ. When it came back to ATL, I determined the top needed much love, so I loved it right down to the bare wood and back again. I really like the color of the finish, so I hoped for color matching mojo...
See how it turned out after the jump...
21 August 2009
18 August 2009
Project: stripping paint
In today's episode, I'm not very green. I'm rather anti-green since I use icky solvents and such.
This morning (before coffee, even!) I slapped a coat of stripper on a small bookcase/room divider thingey with which my mom grew up. It's been in my possession for years and I've meant to undo that unfortunate paint job I gave it in the late 80's.
Apparently, today was the day.
Let me tell you I LOATHE this type of work. It's not fun. It's not pretty. It's not the fun sorta messy. Unfortunately, it's rather necessary.
After fetching a cuppa and while the stripper did its thing, I did a bit of sanding on an old desk/vanity I picked up somewhere along the way (some yard sale in Birmingham) that's also needed love for quite some time.
Until something happens to make me reconsider, both these items will get a stain finish rather than my usual mess around with paint until something interesting happens treatment. Gah- am I getting boring? Surely not...
There's tons of helpful stripper how-to info out there, so I'm not going to reinvent the wheel. Helpful links:
And I always forget to take "before" photos, but here's a "during" after giving up on the icky chemicals (aka: I ran out of icky chemicals and didn't want to buy more because it's icky and I have plenty of sandpaper):
As a bonus, I stumbled across this cool tip for removing paint from hardware sans chemicals at youtube while googling for helpful linkage. It has nothing to do with these projects, but I wanted to save it for posterity just the same.
This morning (before coffee, even!) I slapped a coat of stripper on a small bookcase/room divider thingey with which my mom grew up. It's been in my possession for years and I've meant to undo that unfortunate paint job I gave it in the late 80's.
Apparently, today was the day.
Let me tell you I LOATHE this type of work. It's not fun. It's not pretty. It's not the fun sorta messy. Unfortunately, it's rather necessary.
After fetching a cuppa and while the stripper did its thing, I did a bit of sanding on an old desk/vanity I picked up somewhere along the way (some yard sale in Birmingham) that's also needed love for quite some time.
Until something happens to make me reconsider, both these items will get a stain finish rather than my usual mess around with paint until something interesting happens treatment. Gah- am I getting boring? Surely not...
There's tons of helpful stripper how-to info out there, so I'm not going to reinvent the wheel. Helpful links:
- Paint stripping: the site isn't very pretty, but it is quite informative
- How stuff works "how to strip wooden furniture"
And I always forget to take "before" photos, but here's a "during" after giving up on the icky chemicals (aka: I ran out of icky chemicals and didn't want to buy more because it's icky and I have plenty of sandpaper):As a bonus, I stumbled across this cool tip for removing paint from hardware sans chemicals at youtube while googling for helpful linkage. It has nothing to do with these projects, but I wanted to save it for posterity just the same.
Resource: vacuum cleaner bags
Discovery of the week: the vacuum cleaner bag compatibility list.
I was able to run out and buy a bag to fit my vacuum just when I was beginning to lose hope.
Of course I know practically anything can be bought on the 'net, but I was rather desperate...
I was able to run out and buy a bag to fit my vacuum just when I was beginning to lose hope.
Of course I know practically anything can be bought on the 'net, but I was rather desperate...
17 August 2009
Insert product info here:
The bathroom vanity (a project from 8 years ago) needed love. So, it got love. Now it's back! (Oh, how I missed having a bathroom sink!) Note: I posted about the project here.
Plumbing it all up again proved to be complicated, as has most everything related to the house (somehow nothing at all is standard). As a result, research ensued. Then I did some hardware related stuff as I want to replace the door knob and deadbolts that were damaged and since lost.
This entry serves as a means of documenting said "stuff".
Bath Faucet: Delta Teapot Series 3577 Series (white handles) - style discontinued (drain assembly purchased- yay!)
Baldwin door hardware*:
(keyed-alike replacements purchased- from this site)
*NOTE: need remaining lock's key info in order to match
Plumbing it all up again proved to be complicated, as has most everything related to the house (somehow nothing at all is standard). As a result, research ensued. Then I did some hardware related stuff as I want to replace the door knob and deadbolts that were damaged and since lost.
This entry serves as a means of documenting said "stuff".
Bath Faucet: Delta Teapot Series 3577 Series (white handles) - style discontinued (drain assembly purchased- yay!)Delta RP23103 (lift rod assembly) here and here
Delta RP5651 Chrome (drain assembly) Google, site offering free shipping (the most likely option- there seems to be an issue with the drain, which isn't the original drain...)
Baldwin door hardware*:
(keyed-alike replacements purchased- from this site)
Baldwin egg knob keyed entry (1)Deadbolt (2)
09 August 2009
I didn't do it.
After all that research on refinishing hardwood floors, I learned it would be best for me to hire someone else to do it. While I'm confident in my mad DIY skills, the move and joblessness things have maxed me out.
Way before: apparently dropcloth utilitzation never occurred to the previous owners. I was aware this lurked under the wall-to-wall carpet because my real estate agent and I are nosy.
Just before refinishing: the house was built in 1948 and the floors haven't exactly been loved.
During: they sanded down fine- just as I expected. I knew there were some deep gouges and dark water stains that would remain, but let's be realistic- it's a sixty year old house that most recently was a rental in a low income neighborhood. I didn't expect showroom perfection; I just wanted them to be better.
More during: the polyurethane stage went well, too.
The guys were nice enough to humor me when I popped in to see how things were going.
The next day I went to see the floors. They looked good at first glance, but upon closer inspection I was prompted to call the business owner to let him know I wasn't happy with the results. There were several rough spots where saw dust mixed with polyurethane, there were puddles of polyurethane in a few places, and any nails that'd slipped past me when I removed the carpet weren't pulled (I pulled them while waiting for them to come back, though- they were much easier to spot at the time). The business owner was pleasant about it and they got right to work. While the end result showed some improvement, I noticed the same lack of attention to detail and some of the same issues after the second pass. I considered the cost (great price/"get what you pay for") and compared "before" to the "after", and deemed the floors acceptable. I was also quite ready to get on with the nesting phase; the gypsy routine can be wearing.
And I still have some water damaged corners to repair- the attempted patch job the floor guys did wasn't acceptable. at. all. I have materials on hand to do that, I just need to plan the messy job and borrow some tools and an extra pair of hands.
Some dark spots, a result from leaky roofs and standing water:
Close up- what the majority of the floor looks like:
Way before: apparently dropcloth utilitzation never occurred to the previous owners. I was aware this lurked under the wall-to-wall carpet because my real estate agent and I are nosy. 
Just before refinishing: the house was built in 1948 and the floors haven't exactly been loved.
During: they sanded down fine- just as I expected. I knew there were some deep gouges and dark water stains that would remain, but let's be realistic- it's a sixty year old house that most recently was a rental in a low income neighborhood. I didn't expect showroom perfection; I just wanted them to be better.
More during: the polyurethane stage went well, too.The guys were nice enough to humor me when I popped in to see how things were going.
The next day I went to see the floors. They looked good at first glance, but upon closer inspection I was prompted to call the business owner to let him know I wasn't happy with the results. There were several rough spots where saw dust mixed with polyurethane, there were puddles of polyurethane in a few places, and any nails that'd slipped past me when I removed the carpet weren't pulled (I pulled them while waiting for them to come back, though- they were much easier to spot at the time). The business owner was pleasant about it and they got right to work. While the end result showed some improvement, I noticed the same lack of attention to detail and some of the same issues after the second pass. I considered the cost (great price/"get what you pay for") and compared "before" to the "after", and deemed the floors acceptable. I was also quite ready to get on with the nesting phase; the gypsy routine can be wearing.
And I still have some water damaged corners to repair- the attempted patch job the floor guys did wasn't acceptable. at. all. I have materials on hand to do that, I just need to plan the messy job and borrow some tools and an extra pair of hands.
After:
Some dark spots, a result from leaky roofs and standing water:
Close up- what the majority of the floor looks like:
my accidental discovery of not-so-ancient OxiClean not-so-secret
Sodium percarbonate, which is essentially powdered hydrogen peroxide, gives OxiClean it's magical cleaning powah apparently.
I came across this info via some article about something else on a friend's page at facebook earlier, and was reminded by this today when I lost my mind googling for suggestions on how to deal with my bathroom's was-once-white tile floor. (See also: original. See also: 60+ years old. See also: bleach makes me wanna die.)
And so far with the floor? Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda FTW. The in-the-corner-and-behind- the-toilet_ness is just taking forever. Empty houses get dirtier than I ever imagined possible, especially in those hardest to reach but plainly visible spots.
Some informatively helpful links:
And I since have an empty spray bottle Imma mix up some hydrogen peroxide and sodium carbonate (/soda ash... or washing soda) for something sorta like liquid OxiClean (an alternate recipe using baking soda can be found here). Note: I've yet to try the baking soda/second recipe, so I can't vouch for it. I DO always have a spray bottle on hand with the hydrogen peroxide + washing soda mixture, though and LOVE LOVE LOVE it. A lot.
The least expensive sodium percarbonate online sources I've discovered thus far:
Another note: we're working with pounds of a raw material here, so expect shipping to cost more than the actual product.
I've not yet had a chance to seek it out locally, but it's on my to do list. Also, if anyone finds a great source for this stuff, please gimme a shout!
I came across this info via some article about something else on a friend's page at facebook earlier, and was reminded by this today when I lost my mind googling for suggestions on how to deal with my bathroom's was-once-white tile floor. (See also: original. See also: 60+ years old. See also: bleach makes me wanna die.)
And so far with the floor? Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda FTW. The in-the-corner-and-behind- the-toilet_ness is just taking forever. Empty houses get dirtier than I ever imagined possible, especially in those hardest to reach but plainly visible spots.
Some informatively helpful links:
And I since have an empty spray bottle Imma mix up some hydrogen peroxide and sodium carbonate (/soda ash... or washing soda) for something sorta like liquid OxiClean (an alternate recipe using baking soda can be found here). Note: I've yet to try the baking soda/second recipe, so I can't vouch for it. I DO always have a spray bottle on hand with the hydrogen peroxide + washing soda mixture, though and LOVE LOVE LOVE it. A lot.
The least expensive sodium percarbonate online sources I've discovered thus far:
Another note: we're working with pounds of a raw material here, so expect shipping to cost more than the actual product.
I've not yet had a chance to seek it out locally, but it's on my to do list. Also, if anyone finds a great source for this stuff, please gimme a shout!
UPDATE: Not much luck in a local search until discovering Ecover's Non-Chlorine Bleach is 100% sodium percarbonate. In Atlanta, it's available at Whole Foods and many independent natural/health food type places. I have yet to check prices, but I love the option to avoid the big "raw materials" shipping fees!
UPDATE to the UPDATE: I've discovered Green Cleaners USA, who carries sodium percarbonate. While the product price is a bit higher than other online sources, the price per pound decreases the more you buy AND they offer FREE SHIPPING.
YET ANOTHER UPDATE: (JAN 2012) The awesome source above stopped offering consumer sized portions. I'll re-look into the Ecover product as well as the discount store option, Sun Oxygen Cleaner (sodium carbonate peroxide, which is sodium percarbonate and sodium carbonate, which is soda ash, which is washing soda).
So... I bought 2 lbs for a trial run and had no problems with the purchase what so ever.
One label on the [inner] (there are 2) bag identifies the product and another contains words of caution and the url for mixing instructions. OMG I can clean anything (well... except silk, wool or redwood).
*Squee*! I'm completely geeking out on this now... even though I should be prepping to go camping this weekend...
YET ANOTHER UPDATE: (JAN 2012) The awesome source above stopped offering consumer sized portions. I'll re-look into the Ecover product as well as the discount store option, Sun Oxygen Cleaner (sodium carbonate peroxide, which is sodium percarbonate and sodium carbonate, which is soda ash, which is washing soda).
Backlog- I has it!
I have been so busy with the house I've not really documented anything. But... I've done 900 gizillion little thing that aren't exactly worth documenting.
I have made some interesting discoveries along the way.
I didn't refinish the floors myself, though. I researched myself right outta that project!
As things settle, I plan to give this place a little attention and love...
I have made some interesting discoveries along the way.
I didn't refinish the floors myself, though. I researched myself right outta that project!
As things settle, I plan to give this place a little attention and love...
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