As you know, owning a home is a big responsibility. (Well, it is if you don’t want to let it fall into disrepair.) And although most people understand that, I’m always a bit surprised at how much homeowners don’t know about their homes. And it’s not little stuff either. It’s stuff that could save thousands of dollars in property damage or even somebody’s life. (That’s not hyperbole either.) So, here they are, the top 10 things every homeowner needs to know:
Wooo! After almost of a month of trying to get our stupid bathroom plumbing approved, we finally passed our rough-in inspection! That was a huge deal, because it meant we had the green light to start closing up interior walls. And that’s one big step closer to completing the project! Read on to watch my weekly video journal and see what other big steps we took this week.
My palms were sweaty as I watched the inspector walk through the house for the third time, and when he finally signaled that everything looked good, I could barely contain myself from squealing. Continue Reading
Last week, we failed our first plumbing inspection. Horribly. This week, the inspector came back and kindly failed us again. Read on to watch my weekly video update, and find out why I have $300 worth of PVC fittings in the back of my car.
So, yeah. The inspection was on Monday, and just like last week, he failed us within a minute of walking in the door. I fixed the toilet venting (as he asked), but didn’t fix the shower vent (as he claims he asked, but I beg to differ). Continue Reading
Weelllll poop. After spending the better part of a week completely revamping the bathroom plumbing, we failed our inspection (spectacularly). Read on to watch my weekly video journal and see why I have no love lost for Mr. Plumbing Inspector.
So, plumbing is either very or not very complicated, depending on how you look at it. The primary (and really, most important rule of plumbing) is pretty simple: sh*t flows downhill. After that, it’s a lot of details. Continue Reading
Hi! I’m Alexandra Hedin – a lifestyle and entertaining expert from the Pacific Northwest. I provide inspiration, recipes, and crafts for creating a lovely life. It doesn’t take much to make everyday lovely – or to have fun. And isn’t that what life is about? All week I’ll be here showing you how I threw together a little springtime affair that takes only a little thought and some good friends.
All week I have shown you how to host the perfect little soiree outdoors. Continue Reading
Just when we thought we’d seen just about everything possible made out of a CD spindle case, Petar92 turns one into a rainforest shower head. And…AND…he did it in ten minutes. Other stuff he used included a hot glue gun, some hose, a shower head (he says the one we have now will work just fine), a needle, ruler, scalpel, candle and ‘some ordinary tools’. For the entire tutorial, check out this Instructable.
These light fixtures from MESH Architects score very high points. Clever yet simple; industrial yet romantic. DIY-able? According to our very own Chris, absolutely! (Here’s a tute to prove it.) But if you’re not feeling handy, you can snag them ready made at MESH Architecture’s Etsy shop.
The fixture below will set you back $145, so a custom install like the one picture above is, you know, not cheap.
Via.
When the makers of The Draw Claw offered up a freebie for me to try out, I watched one of their videos and was simultaneously intrigued and seriously grossed out. Intrigued because my master bathroom’s sink was experiencing slow-drain symptoms. Grossed out because I shed like a collie and KNEW the cause of the lazy drain.
In the past, MWT has actually dismantled the trap underneath the sink to get at the hair ball clogs, which made me feel totally guilty because the ball was made up of 18″ long brunette hair. Continue Reading
Furniture designer Ryan Wickre has embraced hardware store decor in a BIG way, creating this beautiful TV stand that he calls ‘Braash’, which, btw, would look superb with my Literary Ladder featured in Make It! Hardware Store Decor. Ryan made Braash using 3/4″ plywood and copper pipe and brass fittings that he found in the plumbing aisle. He tells us that the only tools used in its construction were a drill, pipe bender and a wrench for assembly. Continue Reading
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