Category Archives: Home Projects

Home Projects to Repair or Improve

Shaker Kitchen Cabinet Update – Painting the doors and drawers

Posted on by September 10, 2013avatar
Shaker Kitchen Cabinet Update – Painting the doors and drawers - The DIY Girl

Finally. It took almost 2 weeks for me to get all the MDF strips done. I was working in the basement and the cool temperatures made the drying time for the Liquid Nails take forever. I had stumbled across the original post where the paint choice and instructions had come from at Ask the Paint Gurus http://paintgurus.typepad.com/blog/2011/01/the-right-way-to-re-finish-kitchen-cabinets.html. It’s a Benjamin Moore site. It’s a good write-up and I’d recommend a read for anyone planning to paint their cabinets. Set up I had saved a wooden door (I replaced a wood interior door that led to the garage with a steel door … Read more…

Shaker Kitchen Cabinet Update – applying the MDF strips

Posted on by September 10, 2013avatar
Shaker Kitchen Cabinet Update – applying the MDF strips - The DIY Girl

I need to point out the fruit or futility of this project isn’t going to be evident until the final doors are hung from their hinges and the drawers are slid into their tracks and I can see how they look. Until then — who knows? It’s an exercise in faith. Correction — an exercise in faith by a complete novice with a minimal tools. I’m sure pros would groan over my methods. Prep for applying strips I built a couple of frames to assist me. For the drawers I cut sections of 2″ x 4″ and added some trashed … Read more…

Shaker Kitchen Cabinet Update – the materials odyssey

Posted on by September 10, 2013avatar
Shaker Kitchen Cabinet Update – the materials odyssey - The DIY Girl

I had read a blog post from a couple who had found 1/4″ MDF at a lumber yard that also cut it into strips for them. This is what I was seeking. Do you think I could find it? Heck, no. Can I tell you how sick I am of walking into my kitchen with open cabinets and no drawers? I am so ready to get this project to be completed, my kitchen totally unpacked and fully functional. After making many phone calls for a month and a half I finally tracked down 1/4″ MDF in 4′ x 8′ sheets … Read more…

Non-DIY — new roof

Posted on by September 10, 2013avatar
Non-DIY - new roof TheDIYGirl.com

I don’t do roofs. I don’t even want to get on roofs. I can’t believe roofers do roofs. They have my respect for being tough enough to work at heights in temperature extremes year after year. They are made of far tougher stuff than I am. Weather delays I knew the roof was long past needing replacement when I bought this foreclosure, but have been waiting for it to stop raining and get warm enough to put a new one on. It was supposed to be upper 40’s today (only hit 35) and in the 60’s for the next three … Read more…

Removing caulk from drywall behind backsplash

Posted on by September 10, 2013avatar

I had gone into the kitchen update fully expecting to replace the countertops so I dribbled paint on them and had no concern for them whatsoever. So follow this with the decision to keep the countertops and paint them. Need I say I thoroughly regret my earlier lack of care that resulted in swipes and sprinkles of primer and cabinet paint? Note to self: Don’t ever assume you’re going to discard something until it’s discarded. Take great care while you’re working on things. Better to be careful now than sorry later. The curse of poor workmanship – again Don’t you … Read more…

Decisions on countertops and backsplash

Posted on by April 19, 2015avatar
Decisions on countertops and backsplash - The DIY Girl

I ran across a great article at The Family Handyman on comparing cost and materials of different countertop options: Buying Countertops: Plastic Laminates, Granite, and Solid Surfaces. At the end of the article is a link to a pdf that summarizes Wear and Maintenance Comparison Chart for each type. Great information when trying to decide what direction you want to go in for a kitchen remodel. They also have a good tutorial on installing laminate counter tops yourself. Decision 1: Countertops Well I’ve made a decision about countertops. Or rather the decision was made itself for me. I made a trip to … Read more…

Painting kitchen walls

Posted on by September 10, 2013avatar

After struggling in other rooms to cover the nasty gold paint that had been sprayed in every room of the house I decided to try primer to cover it before painting. It surely couldn’t make it any worse. I rolled primer on all the walls including the backsplash area even though I had no idea what I would end up doing with that area. Color choice I have to thank Jennifer at Ace Hardware. I went in undecided about what yellow to go with and she steered me to a paler shade than I was thinking. As soon as it … Read more…

Unpacking kitchen and painting prep

Posted on by September 10, 2013avatar

Unpacking finally.. and partially. I decided since the cabinet frames were painted and I was hitting a brick wall on finding 1/4″ MDF at a lumber yard that would cut it into 3″ strips so I could update the cabinet doors that I should go ahead and unpack some boxes so I could cook more. Unpacking the boxes would also make it easier for me to get to the walls to remove the remaining chair rail, repair the drywall, and paint the walls. You can see the chair rail running along the wall behind the microwave. Besides, it was a … Read more…

Shaker Kitchen Cabinet Update – painting tips

Posted on by September 13, 2013avatar
Shaker Kitchen Cabinet Update – painting hints - The DIY Girl

I won’t go into detail — after everything else I’ve written about painting kitchen cabinets it would be about interesting as, well, watching paint dry. So just some observations. Read the label As mentioned I am using Benjamin Moore’s ADVANCE Waterborne Interior Alkyd Paint – Satin Finish (792). I got curious about Alkyd — their site says Water Reducible Alkyd.  Apparently the major components of an alkyd coating are fatty acids and triglyceride oils and are not petroleum products, but slow the drying time so you end up with a harder finish. On kitchen cabinets this is a good thing. If you try … Read more…

Replacing ceiling light with ceiling fan

Posted on by September 10, 2013avatar

Over the years I have replaced quite a few ceiling lights with a ceiling fan/light. Since I tend to be frugal with my air conditioning dollars, fans are important for comfort in the hotter months. Ceiling lights don’t require a whole lot of support, unless they have to be a chandelier so support is the biggest issue when replacing a standard ceiling fixture with a fan. It’s not just the weight of the fan, but the vibration and movement when it’s running. I have had great luck using the Reiker 33000. It’s a really solid support that inserts through the … Read more…