Home Improvement Projects Fall/Winter

It's finally feeling like Fall, and now that our huge projects are finished, I'm looking forward to some smaller, more manageable DIY projects (as well as starting to save up for a few more bigger ones). Here's my new wish list.

1. Build a new garbage can bin.DONE...we just removed it, that was an easy fix!
2. Cut down the dying walnut tree. (not DIY)
3. New driveway and garage floor (wishful thinking/not DIY)
4. More lighting in the kitchen. DONE
5. Paint remaining unpainted door trim on the house. DONE
6. Paint the sheds. DONE
7. DIY build a retaining wall along the other side of the concrete steps.
8. Grade the dirt behind the garage to the proper level.
9. Build the 2nd deck behind the garage.
10. Gutter Covers (not DIY) DONE
11. New back patio, possibly extending entire length of house. Not going to get done, but you never know!
12. Seal cracks in front porch floor. Maybe tile porch?
13. Paint inner door frame of entry door. DONE
14. Replace broken refrigerator. DONE

 

I thought you were going to take a break?

 

We are taking a break, sort of. Finances will force us to take a break, however, paint is relatively cheap (well actually I have a closet full of perfectly fine paint). That I can work on without having to spend more money.

 

Well, this was NOT fun. I found out after the contractors started that they weren't going to be able to cover the door trims because of the style of our storm doors (they were attached to the exterior trim). So, the J channel got installed around this door before I could get it painted.

Unfortunately it was a tight fit, and I really did not want to get paint on my new vinyl. So I made a shield using card stock and jammed it between the door trim and the j channel. After painting, I had to use an exacto knife to cut the paint away from the card stock, then pull out the card stock. It was mostly successful, I had to touch up a few places when finished, but it worked pretty well.

 

DH also installed new storm door.Not easy task since now you have to drill handle hole. Before you could just say want handle on this side. But going to have to redo it+ inside. 90 mph winds we had this summer. About ripped it off house.And the light -he did get new one.

 

We went to the big box home improvement store to try and find something nice looking to rebuild our garbage bin. Yuck, yuck, and yuck. I liked nothing. So, we just got rid of it, and that's free. One garbage can in the garage should be plenty now that we're empty nesters. It's so much nicer to have the junk gone. We took everything we could to the recycling center & threw away the rest.

Before


After

 

tidy and pretty.... great combination.

 

I love power washers, used mine to get the loose paint off the south side of the sheds yesterday, then discovered it cleaned my cedar swing really nicely. Looks almost new again!

Luckily I only needed to paint the door and trim on the big shed, and the entire south side of the little shed. All I can figure is these sides get more weather/sun perhaps. Can check another one off my list! Hubby was happy I didn't have to cover my murals on the other sides of the sheds.

 

I wanna see the murals, please.

 

I've posted these before a few years back, but for the life of me I could not find any pics. So here's a few from today. The paint is fading, so it will get repainted next year. It has sentimental value though because our young daughter got to paint on it (the grass, flowers, leaves, things like that), she's now 21 so it's lasted a long time. I'll probably paint something on it again, but haven't decided what.

The big shed has bees & ladybugs randomly placed.


The small shed has the paint our daughter did with me.

 

thanks for posting the mural.It is so pretty!

 

I love the design on your shed. We're taking down 2 old garages out back in our 2 acres. Told Dh we could make new shed- with some of good lumber. DH said not this year.