<p>Any do it yourselfers out there? I find myself doing more and more of this, partially because of the ecomony and really enjoy it. Am willing to tackle just about anything, unless it involves plumbing, electricity and large saws…</p>
<p>I sew, paint, build, refinish and garden. How about you? Do you have a favorite task? Where do you find your materials? Work with existing things or curb crawl, trash to treasure, etc?</p>
<p>Thanks for starting this thread! H and I are avid DIY! We ran out of projects in our old house and had to buy a new one. 
We completely landscaped our yard, built a fence around it, H “electrified” the yard so there is a power outlet in every corner of it, put drip irrigation in the garden, rebuilt the deck… While DH loves anything that involves the use of saws and other scary looking power tools, I tend to stick to more artistic projects, like tiling, grouting, painting - anything that requires precision and patience. My current project involves patching up the wall in the master bath where DH made a few huge holes when wiring it for the mirror (ah, the *&%#@ mirror!). Our materials come from the usual sources such as Michael’s, Dunn Lumber and HD, but we also go to other, more specialty stores, like Tacoma Screw (DH’s favorite) and Tap Plastics (yes, it is fantastic, just like in their jingle).</p>
<p>My husband and I are big DIYers. I even helped cement our driveway twice. I helped paint our house. Did all the gardenwork, sprinklers installment, etc…
Husband did all the car work. I do all the yard and gardenwork. I did all our curtains and couch/chair covers.</p>
<p>Dare I admit that I love the trash to treasure stuff… the ugliest thing at an auction, the forlorn piece from goodwill, and even…gasp a curb treasure or two. I love to tackle them, paint, refinish, reupholster, etc. We 've furnished several starter apartments from the efforts. </p>
<p>I refreshed the kitchen, painted cabinets, new hardware, refinished some great old furniture for the dining area. Did all the painting, wall repairs, etc myself. Helped hang new lighting, and even with the new sink, but chicken to try that on my own. Getting ready to attack the bathroom. I want to retrofit an old double cast/white enamel farmhouse sink into the plan.</p>
<p>I have great ideas(!) but H and I have minimal skills. The problem is, I am the only one of the 2 of us who understands this obvious fact!</p>
<p>Mafool - I just snorted my drink!</p>
<p>In our house, a condo actually to cut down on family disasters, my beloved spouse is NOT allowed to touch any power tools. He is capable of painting in vanilla (a shade of cream by MAB) paint. His philosophy is if God wanted us to do these things we wouldn’t have a contractor section in the yellow pages.</p>
<p>The oither day DH and I were discussing why we love DIYing so much, and came to the conclusion that (i) we both do not have the time and patience to babysit contractors and (ii) our gardening and home improvement projects serve as a nice distraction from feeling the gloom of a failed research project (which happens more often than one would think).</p>
<p>There were a few yard projects that we left to the pros, like taking down a 100-yr old Douglas fir.</p>
<p>Sorry, WNP2!</p>
<p>I should amend to say that I am a REALLY good painter. You would think that my art-school grad husband would be, as well, but he is not. Think Jackson Pollock. </p>
<p>We do really well with wall paper. I am anal about planning the job, measuring, matching patterns, plumb lines. etc. H can hang the paper perfectly. Unfortunately, I haven’t been “into” wall paper for a long time.</p>
<p>When we get to carpentry skills it is a train wreck.</p>
<p>I’m a big DIY’er - remodeling the house including doing demo, framing, drywall, electrical, plumbing, painting, etc., performing most of the mechanic functions on my cars (a couple of old 60s Mustangs and a Dodge with 189K miles) including pulling engines, suspension/steering work, brakes, etc., computer related items including both hardware and software, etc., major sprinkler work and cutting trees/removing stumps, etc. There isn’t much I’m not willing to tackle unless I consider it too unsafe (I decided not to go up on my steeply pitched and very high off the ground roof anymore) or the tools needed are too specialized and expensive. </p>
<p>My W is a major sewer (that’s sew er - not sewer - haha) and spends a lot of time making quilts to give away to charities but can also make clothing, etc.</p>
<p>I’m taking quilting next. Just wait until I tackle my garden first. It’s been taking 2 years on my weekends.</p>
<p>“My W is a major sewer…” Seamstress, I guess. :)</p>
<p>What was the most unusual DIY project you completed? Ours was a fiberglass-lined koi pond (we came home during lunch to put on the epoxy coating so the neighbors who were working outside their homes would not complain about the stench).</p>
<p>We bought 1900 vintage house 28 years ago- unfortunately maintenance takes what little time & money we have to spare. ( H only has a couple weekends off a month & his job is quite physical so he is pretty tired by the time he gets a break)
We do most of the work on our cars ( non electrical- replace brakes, serpentine belts, radiators etc) H loves his 1964 Ford truck cause he can practically stand in the engine compartment. ( as opposed to newer cars that really require a rack)
Have done some minor electrical on house ( install new outlets & fixtures )
Do own landscaping ( I removed all our sod & replaced with shrubs & trees myself )
Don’t really sew & I donated my machine.
Sand & paint exterior/interior of house.
Replace front/back steps & repair rotted fascia board etc.
Refinished floors, lay linoleum/carpet ( H used to do that professionally)
Minor plumbing, replace toilet, install sink & tile.
We get stuff from Home Depot/Lowes usually- there is a Tacoma screw near us, but H like Ballard or Stoneway Hardware.</p>
<p>H did install a cement pond- but it was a trial and error sort of thing & if I had been asked I would have never installed it underneath the neighbors curly willow. :rolleyes:
The birds like it though.</p>
<p>We are VERY much into DIY (as my D said the other day, almost to a ridiculous extent!). Thing is, now that our kids are grown and have their own places, we spend most of our time on projects for THEM rather than at our house. Gladly, of course, but at some point we need to get back to our own projects! </p>
<p>We have, (between the two of us) just recently, built decks and a play-set, done landscaping, built retaining walls, painted, tiled, re-upholstered and/or slipcovered furniture, installed a pretty elaborate water-proofing system in our son’s basement, repaired plumbing, built furniture…</p>
<p>Come to think of it, maybe our daughter was right.</p>
<p>Just drug home several upholstery projects this weekend. Spent Saturday building a new planter box to relocate the honeysuckle into. Have finally finished painting the house (interior) and now prepping for wood laminate in all the rooms. I will hire a contracter for that, my shoulder couldnt handle the job… </p>
<p>Really want to build new dog houses, when I get my nerve up. Has any one seen the Anna White website? She has wonderful woodworking patterns, instructions, etc.</p>
<p>I need to learn upholstery. I have a love seat that is the perfect size for its space & it is still well built but needs new material.</p>
<p>EK- it isnt that hard. First time I did it by a book, theres some good ones out there. Now a days there are tons of tutorials online. Or do you sew? If so slipcovers are a great options as well.</p>
<p>I spray painted our outside lights with textured paint to update them from the shiny brass finish last year. I thought they turned out well.</p>
<p>Getting ready to paint my bathroom, then off to trim the overgrown hedge. Of course, DH wants to buy a power trimmer. :rolleyes: Since it is Fathers’ Day, I have no veto power over any power tool purchases made today.</p>
<p>MY DIY consists of calling The Guy. Would any of you like to be My Guy?</p>
<p>I’ve installed 7 kitchens’ worth of cabinets and counters, installed and refinished hardwood floors, put down hundreds of square feet of vinyl flooring, torn out (literally) tons of horse-hair plaster, installed hundreds of pieces of sheet rock (and done the joints), hot-wired new electric circuits in the panel, painted 3 house exteriors, can’t even count how much interior painting. (Maybe this should be in the brag thread).</p>
<p>This was all done on our rentals, and I have saved multiple $10’s of thousands of dollars doing as much of my own work as possible. Sweat equity really does pay off.</p>
<p>I draw the line at plumbing though.</p>
<p>For those who think they have no skills, it’s really not that hard - watch a few DIY programs and get some tools. Start small. I got started watching This Old House many years ago.</p>