DIY Home Improvement Guide

Polyurethane Crown Molding

The only person that knows that your crown molding isn’t wood is going to be you!  Polyurethane crown molding works just as good, if not better, than regular wood.  It can be used both indoors and outdoors, and is cut, sanded, glued, and nailed just the same as wood.  Even better, at the end of the day your arms are going to be much less tired because it only weighs a fraction of what wood does!

Polyurethane is a very dense foam that has many of the same qualities that wood does, but without all of the splinters and inconsistencies.  Most crown moldings will come to you smooth, primed,  and ready for paint.

Due to the mild flexibility of polyurethane you have to be sure to use adhesive and nails into the studs of the wall.  The extra precaution isn’t to prevent it from falling, rather to keep it from sagging between the nails.  This isn’t a major issue, because most installations will require that you use both.

Another added bonus is that there is no worry of rotting and bug infestation like there is with wood.  This aspect of polyurethane is excellent for crown molding, but terrible for landfills.  It’s known for creating some environmental issues, but you can offset the use of polyurethane crown molding by reducing the need for trees.

Faux Crown Molding

Faux crown molding is pretty sweet.  There are obviously going to be those that discredit it for not really being wood, but the thing is that they probably will never know!

Faux wood crown molding is way easier to install then the real stuff.  It paints the same and looks the same.  There is no sawing involved, no mitering, you just get a kit and install it!

It all works along the same lines as flexible crown molding.  It’s usually made from plastic (there are other materials too) but since it is so lightweight compared to wood it can usually be installed with just adhesive.  Also, with plastic you never have to worry about shrinkage or warping, it will always hold its shape.

There is also an alternative to plastic crown molding (I guess you could call it faux faux crown molding!) that is a specially created foam that is painted just the same and even more lightweight.  With this foam material you can create any shape imaginable, whereas with wood there aren’t an infinite amount of designs or routers to create the molding.

Both the plastic and foam moldings are easiest to find online, but there are becoming more and more local stores that are carrying it as its popularity is increasing.  I always recommend starting your research online so that you know what is out there and what it’s going to cost, then looking locally to try and help out your neighbors.  Either way you go, faux crown molding is an excellent choice.  It’s cheaper than wood, lasts longer, and is much easier to install.

MDF Crown Molding

MDF crown molding is an excellent choice for giving your home a very complete look.  MDF works very well because it is easy to cut and will last as long as your home does.  Another thing that draws people to MDF is its consistency.  Since it’s fiber board you don’t have to worry about knots and splinters like you do with regular “tree wood”.

Painting MDF crown molding requires a serious coat of primer.  MDF sucks down paint, so you have to take all necessary measures to make sure that there aren’t blemishes or light spots.  Be sure to give a light sand between all coats of primer or paint (after the paint has dried, of course) to get a real professional look.  The ability that MDF has to be stained makes it great for cabinet crown molding.  This is especially helpful when it comes to kitchen cabinet crown molding because many times you’re going to be installing it onto existing cabinets that may have been stained years ago and have faded since.  Having the ability to apply stain one coat at a time and have it absorb fast means that it takes less time to get your stain to look like the same level of “fade” that the cabinets they’re going to be installed on have.

On installation be absolutely sure that you’re getting the nails into the studs.  You may even want to nail these by hand to be even more cautious.  MDF is dense and can bow from gravity away from the wall.  It will appear that it’s been warped or shrunk, but gravity is just taking its toll on a lazy installation job.

MDF crown molding pricing varies a lot from area to area.  In most regions (like mine!) it runs about the same price as maple crown molding.  I’ve heard of it being prohibitively expensive in other regions, so be sure to shop around before making a buying decision.

Painting Crown Molding

Painting crown molding is an easy but time consuming job.  Taking shortcuts and skipping steps will really show once all is said and done.  Dedicate plenty of time to painting once you have all of the planning done!

Planning the color may seem easy, but you have to consider what the color will look like if you have a very open house that allows you to see walls from different rooms.  Also, consider how you’re going to switch from one color to the next, does it happen between two walls or is an abrupt transition?  There really isn’t a specific crown molding paint that you should use, any paint that works with wood will work out just fine.

Many people wonder whether cabinet crown molding is supposed to match the color of the cabinet or the color of the wall/ceiling.  There isn’t a cookie cutter answer for this, and the answer varies from the kitchen to the bathroom.  Many people will stain or paint kitchen cabinet crown molding to match the cabinet.  In the bathroom many people will do the opposite and paint it the color of the ceiling, or a totally different color altogether.  What you can do is to paint a few scrap pieces different colors and test them out to see which one you like the best.

As for the actual painting, a primer is an absolute must.  There is going to be a lot of this painted crown molding in your house so flaws and blemishes are going to be noticeable.  Pay attention when you’re buying crown molding as to whether or not it’s been pre-primed, many already are.  If you lucked out with pre-primed molding, give it a quick and light sand then move on to painting.  If you’re working with untreated wood, use a high quality primer and be sure to give it plenty of time to dry before moving on to painting.

After priming the wood, give it a light sand with a high-grit sandpaper (220 or s0), clean off all of the dust, and get painting.  This is just like all other painting jobs you’ve done, so there shouldn’t be any surprises here, but using a brush that is a bit wider than the molding will save you some time.

I’m sure that you don’t want to have to go back up and paint all of the molding every few years, so spend the time to give it a quality second coat.  Sand and clean it the same as you did after priming and slather on that last coat.

Flexible Crown Molding

Flexible crown molding is one the coolest inventions of recent time.  Before, any molding that was to go around a round surface had to be either carved in or made completely from scratch.  Both of those options are expensive and time consuming.  Sure, flexible crown molding is a bit more expensive than the standard wooden faire, but way cheaper than the alternative.

Installing flexible crown molding can be a bit of a pain.  It is generally secured with a polyurethane adhesive which allows some expansion and contraction due to the weather, but it has gravity going against it while the glue is setting.  Depending on humidity levels and type of adhesive, the molding is in spot to slide down the wall for a little while.  You can get around this by either holding it in place (which sucks) or hammering a few small nails that won’t be visible after they’ve been removed.  When working with most types of flexible crown molding it should be warmed up to at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit so that it will become pliable and not crack when the nails go into it.

Flexible crown moulding is a great choice for finishing round rooms and columns.  It’s easy to work with and fairly easy to install.  That sounds like the perfect job for the handy DIY’er!

Maple Crown Molding

Maple crown molding is an excellent choice for decorating the interior of your home.  Maple is a hard wood with a very tight grain that works great with stain, paint, or a simple clear coat.  There are infinite options for your home when it comes to quality decoration like this, so I’ll try to keep this brief!

Using maple for your baseboards or crown molding will make sure that it lasts just as long as your house does.  Since maple is hard it is much less resistant to warping over time.  Installing this crown molding is the same as most other applications where the ends have to be mitered at a 45 degree angle so that the patterns match up properly around corners.

Your local hardware store will have lots of different options for molding and you’ll probably be able to find what you’re looking for there.  If you want to get away from the standard and generic moldings, I recommend finding old homes that are being demolished or renovated.  Maple was a very common material for cabinet crown molding in the past, and most old homes will have it.  It may have to be cleaned up a bit before you can use it, but its quality probably hasn’t faded.  When salvaging wood like this be sure to look for long spits and cracks, and check long pieces for vertical warping.  You’ll be able to get away with a little bit of horizontal warping, but if it’s not going to line up with the ceiling you’ll have a hard time getting it installed.  Sometimes you can get away with using it for kitchen cabinet crown molding if it’s warped because it doesn’t necessarily have to butt up to the ceiling.

Cheap Flooring for Halls and Entrances

The hall should be one of the most welcoming places in your home. After all the hall and entrance are the firsts part of your home that your visitors (and you) see. But the hall is also one of the places where flooring suffers the most from dirt and wear. So you need some kind of flooring which will withstand a lot of foot traffic and which can be easily cleaned.

The Romans had the right idea with their mosaic tiles. The mosaic floors looked beautiful, were extremely hard wearing and yet they could be easily cleaned. Other ancient civilizations used marble which was equally effective and looked especially majestic in public buildings with wall to wall marble. These days you can buy marble flooring material for halls in the form of tiles but it is very expensive and only for you if you have a large budget. This makes it more likely to be found in top public buildings and corporate headquarters than the average home.

Other effective flooring materials for halls are wood and laminate wood flooring with laminate having the edge as it is more resistant to the water which might be brought in from shoes and wet umbrellas. Quality laminate (which would be required to give a hard wearing surface) and solid hardwood are not cheap when it comes to flooring either however so these may be beyond a limited budget too.

There is one solution to flooring you hall which does not cost the earth.

If you are looking for cheap flooring for your hall which is also attractive take a look at vinyl tiles. If you lay alternate black and white tiles in a checkerboard pattern you will have a very attractive floor which is hard wearing and easy to keep clean. Alternatively use vinyl tiles all in one color and then brighten up your floor with an entrance runner or mat.

Window Crown Molding

Window crown molding is an excellent way to add distinction and style to either the interior or exterior of your home.  The best part of crown molding window trim is that it’s cheap and easy to install.  It only takes a saw, level, can of pain, and hammer and nails to get the job done.

The design that you choose is up to you.  It can either match the existing molding that you have, or be something different to add more accent to the window.  Most DIY’ers will paint the molding to match any existing molding or accents already in the home.

For exterior window crown molding you can use the polyurethane type to help it last as long as the house does.  Polyurethane isn’t great for the environment, but it will prevent you from having to repeatedly replace molding as time goes on.  Wood molding can be painted to be weatherproof as well, so you can choose from either option.

There aren’t a lot of things that look as classy as a well designed molding and window shutter combination.  Those two details can really help a home stand out from the rest of the houses on the block.

Screen Door Knobs

Having to fix a screen door knob may seem like a pain, but it’s really a good opportunity for you to upgrade one of the small details of your home.  When lots of these “little things” around the house get updated it can really transform your home and allow you to really express your sense of style.

One of the biggest problems you face when upgrading or fixing your screen door hardware is that there are so many different models of screens, and so many different parts out there.  The first step is usually to figure out what the manufacturer of the door is, find the company’s website, and work backwards from there.  At the very least, you should be able to find the exact replacement part from the manufacturer.

If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere that has a really well stocked Home Depot, you may be able to find the screen door knob that you need there.  The trick with this is to bring the old one with you so that you can find an exact match.

Upgrading parts isn’t too difficult either.  In most circumstances you can install upgraded screen door knobs into the existing screen frame.  This will allow you to improve the appearance, security, or both depending on what you were starting with.

In short, don’t look at replacing screed door knobs as a pain in the ass.  Instead look at it like you’re tweaking one of the many little things in your home to give it the exact feel that you want.

The Value of A Corner Armoire

There are many ways to incorporate valuable storage space into the bedroom, but sometimes there simply isn’t the room to add the furniture that you think you need. If this is the case then it will be time to do a little bit of lateral thinking and try to make the best use of the space that you have. The good news is that there are still some stunning furniture options available that will give you a traditional and rustic item that is also exceptionally functional.

A corner wardrobe armoire is just the sort of piece that is designed to fit into a room making the most of every available inch. If there is a free corner you should be able to find a suitable corner armoire that will provide you with ample clothes storage.

A tall armoire comprising only drawers will easily fit behind the bedroom door giving you all the drawer space you need for the smaller items of clothing freeing up the other wardrobes giving you more space. Some of the tallboy armoires are incredibly detailed and even though they will be situated in the corner of the room it is impossible to ignore them thanks to the craftsmanship that goes into them.

The great thing about corner wardrobe armoires is that they don’t necessarily have to be used to house your clothes. The corner is the perfect position to locate the TV and hidden behind the doors of the armoire is a great way to house it. There are many types of wardrobes that can be used in this way either as ready assembles units or as DIY wardrobes.

Another great use of the corner armoire is to store a desk and computer. An antique corner wardrobe armoire can easily be adapted to contain a foldout table and a computer table so that the interior will give you the best of the modern world while the exterior will present a traditional look that will blend in with a room that has been decorated in a rustic or traditional style.

By adding a corner wardrobe armoire to a room you are effectively maximizing your space options while still placing a highly decorative piece on display.

Designing A Kitchen Part 2: Planning Utilities

This post is part deux of our series on kitchen design.  It might be a good idea to read part one first, Kitchen Planning, before diving into this post.

Using the existing layout of your kitchen will cut down on the need for planning utilities, but not eliminate it.  New appliances may have their hook ups in different spots than your old ones, or they may have an entirely different fitting altogether.  Either way, using the original layout is much easier than designing a new one.

If you are creating a new kitchen from scratch, I recommend tackling it on your own only if you’re an experienced DIY’er.  Getting these things right the first time is extraordinarily important.  You don’t want to figure out that you have a gas leak inside the wall after it’s been closed, or have a faulty wire in the ground after it’s been tiled over!  So if you know what you’re doing, more power to you; if not, it’s a good idea to hire some help.

Things To Consider When Planning Utilities

Whether you’re doing it yourself, or are hiring someone to help, it’s important to know how everything works and what your options are.  Having a pro help out is awesome, but it will be even better and go more smoothly if you know what they’re talking about!

Propane And Natural Gas

When buying gas appliances figure out where the hookups are and where the lines run.  This is going to have a huge impact on where you place your appliances if you don’t want to change the entire gas scheme of your kitchen.  Quite often older appliances will use a different connection than the new fancy one you just bought, so you may need adapters or fittings to make it work properly.

Never, ever forget that gas explodes!  Always keep the gas off when working on things like this.  It’s always a good idea to have a pro do the connecting of appliances, or at least have them check your work, to make sure that nothing is going to blow up.  Also, if you aren’t comfortable working with gas, hire a pro.

Electricity

There is a whole lot of electricity running through your kitchen.  Everything from the toaster to the lights has to be considered during the planning phase.  In most remodeling jobs you’ll just use the existing wiring layout and add a few outlets as you need them, but overhauls require a lot of work to get everything right.

Don’t forget that large appliance need special outlet to be plugged in.  Dishwashers, refrigerators, and electric stoves/ovens require 220 volt outlets.  Most ovens require a special outlet that allows it to draw major power to heat up then reduce it to keep the oven warm.  Either way, that has to be worked into your plan.

While it doesn’t blow up, electricity is still very dangerous.  I recommend having a pro come check your work at the very least, if not doing the job for you to make sure that it’s safe.

Plumbing

Once you understand how plumbing works it’s fairly simple, but you probably won’t have that kind of familiarity until you complete a big job like a kitchen.  Both your sink and dishwasher have to be plumbed in.  The sink will need both hot and cold water, as well as a waste pipe.  Most dishwashers get all of their plumbing from the sink, but that isn’t always the case.  Some plumbing jobs, especially extending the waste pipe, will require you to notify your local building inspector.

Order Of Operations

You can put all of this together however you want, but I really don’t recommend it!  Getting the work done in your kitchen is a lot like getting dressed in the morning.  You put on your underwear and socks before you get to your pants and shoes, doing that in a different order will still get you dressed but…

So, the order that this all goes down in is as follows:

  1. Electric
  2. Plumbing and gas
  3. Walls, ceilings, and floors
  4. Cabinets
  5. Counters and backsplash
  6. Sink and dishwasher
  7. Stove, oven, and microwave
  8. Exhaust hood

There you have it!  On paper it doesn’t really seem that hard!  Be smart and cautious in all of your decisions when remodeling your kitchen.  The extra planning will take more time, but it will help ensure that you get the job done properly and stay within your budget.

Designing A Kitchen Part 1: The Layout

Designing a kitchen takes planning and foresight.  Due to how expensive it is to remodel or plan a kitchen from scratch, mistakes that are made can be very costly.  This means that extensive planning is necessary for a successful kitchen design.  An easy place to start is by working with your existing kitchen layout.  Using the existing layout will reduce the need for redoing electric, plumbing, and gas, but there will still be some that has to be done.  In most cases, you can get away with just updating the appliances, cabinets, and counter tops.  If that doesn’t meet your final vision for your kitchen, or you need to create more room for storage and appliances read on to learn about how to plan your kitchen layout.

Planning Your Kitchen Layout

DIY kitchen remodeling is pretty complex.  There needs to be strict budgeting since as much money will be spent on installation as it will on cabinets and appliances!  Doing these things yourself will certainly free up some money, but you have to consider the time you’ll spend sans kitchen, and the cost of meals while eating out every night.

Choosing Appliances

The first steps is to decide what appliance you need.  Obviously, kitchens need a dishwasher, sink, oven, stove, and microwave, but other options are available like a second oven or trash compactor.  It isn’t necessary to keep all of these in the kitchen, but they should at least be very close by.

Ideally, you want there to be a triangular layout between the stove, refrigerator, and sink since this is the common travel path when preparing food.  The triangular setup allows short movements between the three of them and counter space in between.  The alternative to that is the island setup that allows you to move circularly around the island to knock out all of the preparation.  Something to consider about an island setup is that it will require electrical to run in the ground and up through the island.  That’s fine if you are installing new flooring, but if the tile is going to stay you’ll have to tear some up to run the wires.

A common sense rule is that you don’t want your fridge next to your stove.  The heat from the stove/oven will transfer onto the fridge and make it work harder to stay cool.  Also, you’ll end up with a huge grease smear up the side of the fridge after every time you saute something!

Planning Storage

It’s very easy to get into the mindset that more equals better when it comes to storage, but smart planning can save you a ton of space.  Decide what’s going to be stored in the kitchen before deciding how much space you need.  You can extend the amount of existing storage by using accessories like a lazy susan or a built in trash can, or increasing the height of the cabinet rather than its footprint.

Planning Countertops

Countertops are an area of your home that will have the a very dramatic impact on the overall feel.  It makes sense to budget tight on other things and do extra work yourself just to have the perfect countertop.  Granite and marble are popular, but there are also butcher block countertops that can also function as a cutting board (with proper care).

Keep in mind that your counter tops will also function as eating surfaces and a place for the family to hang.  It must be easy to clean and sanitize, as well as have the visual impact that you want.  My recommendation is to allocate as much of your budget as you can to your counters since it’s one area that you’re going to have a hard time building and installing yourself!

Before The Final Plan

Before you finalize anything, spend some time in other kitchens to see how they feel.  Every kitchen has its own quirks and deficiencies, so spend time cooking in a friend’s kitchen to see how you like it, even if theirs is different that what you’re planning.  Sometimes, seeing something different that what you’re used to will spark new ideas for your own kitchen.  Also, some layouts are a pain to cook in for those that are left handed so you may want to take that into consideration as well.

Don’t make your final sketch on the back of a napkin!  Either hire someone to draw it out for you, or use a simple and free CAD program like Google Sketchups to create a digital version of what your kitchen will look like.  It will take a little bit of time to get the sketch done, but that time is well spent if it reduces your need to “wing it” through your kitchen remodeling!

Sliding Screen Doors

Sliding screen doors are an integral part of any home.  They keep people in, bugs out, and a breeze flowing through.  Unfortunately, they are constantly breaking, squeaking, or in need of repair.  So what are you to do?  You can either spend a ton of money replacing them or learn to fix them!  I vote for the latter, and I assume most people would.

The trick to figuring out how sliding screen doors work is to install one.  This may mean that you have to take yours off, but in order to see how it really works it’s the best way.  Every screen door is different, but it usually comes off by loosening the screws at the wheels and wiggling it out from there.  It’s also a good idea to take apart the wheels and give them a good lube while you have it off.  The lubrication is what is going to prevent the door from squeaking when it’s opened and closed.

If you have to repair the wheels, it’s normally as simple as taking the old one off and putting the new one on.  The problem that you’re going to run into is finding the exact set that you need.  There are tons of different makes and models of screen doors, and each one has its own assembly system.  Hardware stores will carry most of them, so bring the old one with you so that you can match them up.  If you can’t find it there, turn to the door’s manufacturer for help.

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