Category Archives: House Remodel

Been Busy After a Dumb Mistake — Time to Plan our Next Adventure

House Remodel, Senior Moments,

Senior Moments

The original solar installation on our low slope patio roof.

Where has Nick been? I haven’t posted in a while. Been busy installing a new patio roof. And now it is time to plan our next camping adventure. Here’s an update of what I’ve been doing. What I have been doing is the consequence of a dumb decision I made four years ago.

Yeah, I had a Senior Moment four years ago when we had our home solar system installed. My “moment” was my poor decision to install the panels on our patio roof. It was a mistake. In this story I’ll relate several steps that can be applied to many decision making situations; even for backpacking or camping. It has to do with researching products.

Continue reading Been Busy After a Dumb Mistake — Time to Plan our Next Adventure →

House Remodel: Wall & Floor Tile

House Remodel,

Few things in a home remodel can make as dramatic and durable transformation like tile can.

For the first time DIYer, tile work may seem rather daunting. With planning and understanding, the first time DIYer can lay tile, resulting in a professional look and long lasting surface.

I had never laid tile before we did our house remodel, so I am a first time DIYer. Continue reading House Remodel: Wall & Floor Tile →

House Remodel: Drywall Tips

House Remodel

Many years ago, before the age of Internet, I did some drywall work, using a couple home improvement books as a tutor. Normally, I prefer reading than watching a video to learn how to do something. Things like hanging drywall, which require a learned skill, are much different. Watching someone show you how to tape and finished drywall joints is much better than reading about it. Continue reading House Remodel: Drywall Tips →

House Solar Install

House Remodel, Solar, The Environment,

I have been an advocate of solar power for almost 20 years, ever since we installed our first solar system on our camper in 2003 and then on our next two campers. Solar isn’t for everyone and it isn’t applicable for every situation.

Back at the end 2016, after we completed extensive energy efficiency upgrades to our house, I asked posed the question is a post here (click for link), “Is home solar lipstick on a pig?” What this means, is solar just a Band-Aid for an energy inefficient home. I was advocating that homeowners should address the inefficiencies in their house before installing a solar system. I also mentioned that after a full year of data, after our energy upgrades, I would re-evaluate solar for us.

Given the accelerating costs of electricity rates, we decided to install a solar system. Continue reading House Solar Install →

House Remodel: Guest Bath Demolition Phase

House Remodel

 

Before the remodel.

If I haven’t bored you yet, this is the next post on our house remodel.

Of all the rooms I completely tore down to the wall studs during our house remodel, this was the easiest. Probably because my skills improved as I progressed room-by-room, it was more intuitive to anticipate problems, and there was only one big obstacle in this room. Continue reading House Remodel: Guest Bath Demolition Phase →

House Remodel: Kitchen Demolition Disaster

House Remodel

Again, I’m continuing the House Remodel series. What else can I do since backpacking and camping in California are pretty much closed to me. I have patience. The last post in the series was about our master bath demolition, which went well over all. The same cannot be said about the kitchen.

Of all the work I had planned, the kitchen was supposed to be the easiest.

In my post on planning for the demolition, I mentioned that,

A simple galley kitchen, there wasn’t a lot that could be done without some really, really major construction. So we would end up upgrading the cabinets, countertops, and flooring.

As it turned out, we found a plethora of problems after we removed the old kitchen cabinets. Continue reading House Remodel: Kitchen Demolition Disaster →

How to Plan House Remodeling Projects (or anything else)

House Remodel,
Joyce and I built this retaining wall in 2007 and it hasn’t moved an inch.

Most of us are sheltered in our homes due to the coronavirus pandemic. Now might be a good time to plan your next project, whether it be a bathroom remodel, making your own backpack or sleeping bag, or even just painting a room.  I’ll share some tips on planning big projects, which of course, can be applied to almost any task.

Planning and research can help you complete projects as well done as professionals do it. Continue reading How to Plan House Remodeling Projects (or anything else) →