Being a father/husband and owning a home is always an adventure. The many of us that fit into that category know that all too well. My question today for you guys out there reading this….are you handy? Can you go beyond changing a lightbulb when it comes to home repair? I’m sure what we can all do falls into a large range.
When I was young, I used to love hanging out in the basement with my Dad while he did woodworking. Still love the smell of sawdust and through the years I’ve become a fairly decent carpenter. My favorite thing to build? Bars!! I’ll eventually post on my bar and the bars of several friends that I helped build.
But today is about what else CAN you do and what else are you at least willing to TRY.
The first house we owned was about 80 years old and there was plenty of opportunities to test my skills. My thought was always “I’ll give it a try…and if I completely screw up, then I’ll call in the professional”. It was served me well with minor plumbing and electrical work through the years and has probably saved me a ton of money. Don’t get me wrong, I know when something is completely out of my league and have had to call in the pros. But I love getting my hands dirty and trying new things. I also find YouTube videos on “how to do” stuff very helpful.
Today a fairly quick project was the basement bathroom floor. Old floor looked like crap, floor under it was even worse. I’d done a few floors in the old house and knew this wouldn’t take long.
Here’s the list: Home Depot Peel and Stick Tiles (two boxes cost about $75)
I already had sponge, grout, grout float, bucket, a pair of heavy duty scissors and my helper Deke watching close by.
The pictures are the progression that only took a few hours. Not bad for a little time and $75.
So if you have something that needs fixing….give it a try…you might just find you’re quite capable. And that extra money you saved? Go ahead…treat yourself to some beer for the weekend!
