Archive for February, 2009

american chopper

Monday, February 23rd, 2009

The helicopter I have now seems perfectly adequate to me. Of course, I’ve never had a helicopter before, so maybe I’ve been deprived and I didn’t know it.
President Barack Obama, at the Fiscal Responsibility Summit on February 23, in response to a comment from John McCain about military procurement and a new fleet of Marine [...]

pop quiz: which is sanded grout, and which is non-sanded?

Sunday, February 22nd, 2009

11 reasons not to start grouting at 4:45 pm on a saturday in february

Sunday, February 22nd, 2009

It’s only a few tiles on a small counter top. You’ll think it’ll be a quick job. You’ll be wrong.
You won’t get the hose ready for cleanup because it’s cold outside.
You’ll grab a way-too-small container in which to mix the grout. You’ll spill the dry grout everywhere. But, you’ll demonstrate some sense by putting your [...]

my favorite tools #1: shop•vac, you really suck

Thursday, February 19th, 2009

It goes without saying that the shop•vac cleans up construction mess, from drywall dust to large chunks of wood and concrete, without missing a beat. But here’s my favorite shop•vac story. My friend’s car is, sadly, lacking in cup holders. He was in the habit of wedging his 149 oz. 7-11 Big Gulp into the [...]

finishing the laundry sink – part 2

Wednesday, February 18th, 2009

Installers of granite or synthetic counter tops will usually run a bead of caulk or construction adhesive along the top rim of the cabinets, lay the surface in, and let its own weight keep it in place. Since my counter top is made of three layers, I decided to take some steps to make sure [...]

almost four years

Tuesday, February 17th, 2009

It just hit me. While writing my first ever post, I had to go back and figure out when I started the basement renovation project. I couldn’t remember off the top of my head. Turns out I started demolition of the old basement in mid-2005.
People are always asking when I’ll be done and why I’m [...]

finishing the laundry sink – part 1

Sunday, February 15th, 2009

Many many months ago, I built the base cabinet for the laundry sink. While finishing the utility room, I installed the cabinet, and there it has sat for months.
Today I began the process of creating a counter top. I’d looked into solid surfaces, both synthetic and natural, but the estimates for this small cabinet (24″x42″), [...]

zen and the art of doing it yourself