Your DIY Home Improvements - Post'em up!

[Chick_Maggot]

Hey guys, since buying our fixer-upper a few years ago, I find that I'm really getting into sprucing it up, making some décor, wood working, etc. I never really had an inclination for doing this in my last home, so I have no idea where it came from now, but I'm into it.

I'd be interested in seeing the level of DIY talent here on the board. Let's see what you'd like to brag about!
Here's my latest project - a ceiling treatment. I felt one of the seating areas in the home needed something that would help offer a bit more of the Hawaiian/Tahitian vibe we’re going for, so I took advantage of the ceiling area around a fan (electrical for the fan was done by a pro). I built a simple 8' x 6' wooden coffered box, stained it, added some trim and highlighted it with some Lauhala matting, and inlayed some green tortoise shell bamboo and burlap into the faux beam componants.

I cheated a little on the leafy insert around the base of the fan. I did produce the design, but I had a company put it into a CAD program, then laser cut it from some birch plywood. All I had to do was stain and install it. I also did some very minor electrical work so the design can be back-lit at night via the fan remote. I think it really helped pump up the space and I only have about $400 into it.

[Chick_Maggot]

The foyer needed a lot more appeal, so I decided a large piece of art was in order. I found a sizable image I thought the boss might like (luckily I was right) and felt it would make a good focal point in this small area.


Before: Started by laying out the image location and marking the hang points. Then, covered the wall with bamboo flooring trimmed with a dark border similar to the art's frame.



After: Not a bad return for a few hours of work. It seems to give the vibe we're looking for.



View from inside the foyer. The carpeting will be leaving soon (too much traffic in this area). The balusters and stair railing will also be replaced with something much more appealing.

[x77-69z28]

Awesome work. I like the ceiling treatment

[Chick_Maggot]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: x77-69z28</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Awesome work. I like the ceiling treatment </div></div>

<span style="font-size: 14pt">Thanks. I think it helped the space.</span>

[68l30]

Just swaped out the rollers on my garage doors with ones that have nylon wheels &amp; roller bearings. The noise drove me insane. Lubed up all the hinges with never seize also. The only noise I hear now is the opener running. Silence is golden!

Small job, but well worth it!

BIG

[Lynn]

That is the same fan we put in our game room.

[scuncio]

Nice work, big improvement. We bought a 1924 Georgian Colonial a few years ago and it's become more of a time commitment than my cars!

[markinnaples]

We're in the last stretch of a major backyard redo. Sure wish we would have ran into Yard Crashers or hit the lottery or something before doing this project, ugh. We dug the hill out and built the wall (my wife, my father in law, 15 yo step son, and me) by hand, each block at a time, not to mention putting up a couple hundred feet of privacy and aluminum fencing, and the pics don't show the entire wall, the sod, the sprinkler system we installed ourselves, etc., etc. It was a lot of work.
Here is the start:


And at the same time as this, we had a pool installed but this is what it looked like a couple weeks ago (will need to update this next week when we're done):

[Chick_Maggot]

<span style="font-weight: bold">Mark, that's going to be a pretty impressive outdoor space when completed. The short retaining walls were a great idea.</span>

[Chick_Maggot]

Did some work at the front of the house. As you can see, the place had ZERO curb appeal when we bought it. There are 200 homes in our neighborhood and ours was definitely in the bottom five.

Yeah, that's me muggin' for the camera. Sorry I'm not better looking.

My two kids and my wife and I tore everything out to get a clean slate. I replanted everything here with the exception of the huge quad-trunk palm. I also built the multi-level bamboo back-drop for the raised planters along the garage. I came up with the design for the retaining wall, pavers, new stone steps and greenery layout. Pros painted the house, built the rock retaining wall and laid the turf.

Before #1


Before #2


After #1


After #2