While most people think of planning for the new year before the Christmas tree comes down, our “home improvement calendar” typically kicks off with the arrival of spring weather. Here’s what’s on our list of this year: THE ATTIC It’s been on the list since day one, but continues to get bumped by more urgent […]

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We received our first taste of winter over the weekend with a fast moving snow storm that left us with just under a foot of snow. As far as snow storms go, the timing on this one was about perfect. The snow really didn’t start accumulating until after everyone was home Friday evening and wrapped […]

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The porch plan was simple: new paint, new floor, done. And we were well on our way. The floor was in. The trim was back on. The DW was painting away. Then it rained. The next thing you know, I’m looking at this: Let’s back up. We believe the room was originally just an open […]

Read more on "Porch Update Part 3"

Despite hitting a minor bump, I finished up the new floor on the porch by adding the last of the base trim over the weekend. Overall, I was pleased with how the floor worked out. I knew the floor wasn’t level – which is one of the reasons we went with the vinyl – but […]

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There’s only one room in the house that we haven’t touched since moving in… the back porch. While every other room has received some sort of upgrade, the back porch has remained in it’s wonderful move-in state of bright pink. With the current layout of the house, the porch is the main entrance. The kiddos […]

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One of the hardest parts of working on the house is where to draw the line on a project. What might start with replacing an outlet can lead to hanging new drywall and if you’re not careful the room is completely remodeled before you stop to question how replacing an outlet got to this point. […]

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We have two large ferns hanging on the front porch. Compared to the flowers we’ve experimented with out there over the years, the ferns did a great job. And, if we take care of them this winter, they can go right back out next spring. We just needed a spot to put them. The best […]

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Have I ever mentioned how patient the DW is with me when it comes to certain projects? Let’s just say that this one has gone on for so long that I’ve lost the “before” photos. The dresser was given to us shortly after moving by the DW’s grandmother, who had used it when she was […]

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I mentioned last week that we dug up the yard, again. This time, it involved our electrical service. When we bought the house, we knew the electrical need updating. Starting at the power company’s transformer all the way through to almost every outlet in the house, the electrical was outdated. After we had a nearby […]

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When you buy a place as a “fixer-upper” there are certain things you must be willing to accept: living with some things as they are longer than you’d like or living in a constant construction zone during the slow progress of night and weekend projects typically come to mind. But, the one that’s the most […]

Read more on "A Mess For Progress"