Entry closet makeover under $50

Saving money on your kitchen reno

To-do List

 Wednesday June 8th

1. Borrow camera. Done
2. Roll on waterproof membrane in ofuro (Japanese soaking tub). Done
3. Continue work in entry closet. Partially complete
4. Wacky Wednesday at Ikea to pick-up Hampen area rugs. Sold out in an hour before I got there but p/u'd supplies for kitchen reno
5. See kitchen guy. Done & can't wait to show you guys the kitchen plans for the new house.
6. Investigate the cause of low water pressure (trickle) in cold water tap upstairs bathroom. Done and it works!

Thursday June 9th:

1. Get bank statement showing down payment is on account. Done
2. Get the mortgage documents signed and emailed to Chad the mortgage broker (he can show you how to become a bank robber like me . . . legally of course!) Done, now we just have to wait for the papers to be sent to the lawyer.
3. Continue work in entry closet. Cut 2 angled shelves and puttied old screw holes
4. Start tiling ofuro floor. Someone turned on the water and washed away part of my waterproof membrane before it cured so could not start tiling *sigh*
5. Install the drawers for kitchen island (which I bought at Ikea last night). 

*Note: Click on the red links under each point to follow my progress

How to build a custom Japanese ofuro (soaking tub) with shower

The Japanese ofuro (soaking tub) is traditionally a rectangular or square wooden vessel strictly used for soaking and relaxation at the end of the day. It is similar to the N. American hot tub but without jets. It does not use chemicals to keep the water fresh but rather filled every evening for the entire family. It is an important ritual in Japanese culture for both body and mind; increasing the quality of life and health as it alleviates stress, tension and muscle pain; as well as stimulates blood circulation. When my kiddos were little I couldn't take a bath without them all wanting to get in. This is what got me hooked on this wonderful Japanese tradition.

We had a spot beside our washer & dryer in our finished basement with a 2" drain in the concrete floor. But to make it a soaking tub the drain needed to be modified to hold a popup plug (more about this later).

Next my hubby roughed in the space with 2 x 2 lumber and cement board as the budget didn't allow for a wooden vessel.

To make it water tight a waterproof membrane was rolled onto all walls, ceiling and eventually the floor.  I used Redgard which was easy to work with, dried fast (1.5 to 12 hours) and cleaned up with water before it dried.

The floor needed to be built up in order to slope towards the drain. We used a combination of layers which included regular concrete mix ($7/bag) , King top n' bond ($26/bag) and modified mortar($18/bag). The gravel in the concrete mix made it difficult to get a good slope so I wouldn't recommend using it for this purpose and top n' bond was too expensive and not necessary. **Don't use self-leveling cement or you won't get a slope at all.

We needed a shower for our Japanese exchange students in October '08 before we could finish the floor, so I tiled the walls leaving enough room on the bottom to finish the floor in the future. That's where the project stopped until now.

On Sunday some friends (actually Special-K's boyfriend and future father-in-law) came to help me finish that slope towards the drain.

Yesterday, it was cured enough to roll on the Redgard. I made sure to push the goopy material into any cracks and crevasses, and paid special attention to getting the corners well saturated and tied into the wall membrane I previously rolled on. I used a stick to get the goop out.

The Redgard is dry and ready for tile when it turns completely red from a beautiful shade of pink (1.5 to 12 hours).  

Wash your hands or any spills with soap and water immediately before it dries (unless you like the design detail)

Tiling is on my to-do list for today so check back in the next day or two to see the progress. 

Have a great day!

No cold water pressure in Pfister T42-YP0 single handle faucet

I forgot to add an other item for my list today:

6. Investigate why the cold water is just trickling out of our one year old Pfister T42-YP0 single handle lavatory faucet from Rona.

Hubby who is out of town until June 14th, already cut a hole through my freshly sheetrocked wall (vapour barrier and all) to get to the plumbing, as he thought he might have left the old shut-off valve closed, but it ended up being a huge waste of time. 

That good ole saying 'keep it simple stupid' comes to mind. I wish I would have thought to disconnect the supply hose from the faucet to the valve sooner because gauging from the water dripping from my face, the water supply and valve work just fine. 

I did find and remove a chunk of debris stuck in the connector (bottom arrow), and after reconnecting it found it to work just fine!  I did mention to hubby that I dropped a bit of drywall mud into the valve while it wasn't yet attached to the faucet. I got smart after that and taped up the opening but it was too late.

This was one project I needed some help with because I wasn't strong enough to undo the line. I called over Special-K's boyfriend who loosened it for me with a couple of wrenches. But he kinked the line while doing so (see top arrow). Be careful not to do this as kinking the line could ruin a perfectly good faucet.

Hubby replaced the old shut-off valves with 2 SharkBite Compression Angle Stops in Chrome - 1/2 inch x 3/8 inch from Home Depot, which do not need to be soldered just pressed on. We needed to come out of the wall with a 90 degree angle from the existing 3/8 inch copper pipe. This was also accomplished with a compression fitting. We needed to add a bit of copper pipe between that fitting and the shark valve.

It was easy breezy and they look awesome but apparently "real plumbers don't use them" because they are  "too expensive" amongst other reasons, according to a plumbing master on Terry Love's DIY plumbing forum.  But if you ask me, at $6.49 each they are much cheaper than hiring a plumber! My only complaint is that you need to hold the base with one hand while turning the valve on/off, otherwise it rotates and may become loose causing it to leak.

BTW: Special-K is daughter # 3 and the catalyst of this move which is happening in 3 weeks plus 1 day and the reason for all these last minute renos. We needed to get closer to the university as there is no public transport were we live now.

See what's left on the list

Tara Young and my to-do list for today

As I read over last night's ramblings I realized that I'm never going to write the next great Canadian novel like my friend Tara Young, who is well on her way with her recently published works, Gods' Masks and Shauna's Inheritance. Both can be purchased as ebooks on Smashwords and Amazon for a very reasonable price. You'll even have the option of viewing or downloading a free sample of each! 

You can also follow her weekly posts of a free novella called The Monstrous Hunt, an experimental project she began in which she gives herself only an hour to write an installment. Besides typos, it's published to her website unedited, which is an extremely difficult and brave thing to do in my opinion. It's a horror, fantasy, and mystery story I'm sure you'll enjoy. Good luck Tara!

. . . but nobody's here because you want to read a novel written by me right? You want to see if I can pull off the renos before the big move on June 30th, so here's my to-do list for today:

1. Borrow daughter's camera in order to upload pictures of the stipple removal currently in progress to blog (mine has already been packed) 
2. Roll on membrane/sealer in basement shower stall
3. Continue with entry closet revamping including bi-fold door makeover for under $20
4. Check out Wacky Wednesday at Ikea. Today only, you can get a Hampen shag area rug (160 by 230 cm) for only $19.99. Regularly $99.99. That's the kinda deal I'm talking about!
5. 7 pm: meet with Ning the kitchen guy at his showroom in Edmonton
6. Investigate the reason for little cold water pressure in upstairs bathroom

DIY love

Welcome to the launch of Do-it-myself-chick! A blog about the thrill of do-it-yourself home renovation, the mistakes we've made along the way, and how to stay happily married through it all (most of the time).

I love to do-it-myself. There is no better feeling than the sense of accomplishment that accompanies a finished project made with my own two hands.  I'm a mama of four so the budget is always tight and finding a deal is my nirvana.

After some coaxing from family and friends, I've decided to share my ideas with the world. It's going to be an interesting journey since I've never kept a journal before, not even as a kid. I don't even like writing letters. I spend too much time in my head thinking before getting started. I admit I'm a daydreamer but that allows me to see the finished project as clear as a picture before even picking up a tool. My Gemini alter ego doesn't mind rolling up her sleeves and getting dirty, she just needs a little push to get started.

I'm lucky to have a great husband who helps me with my projects along the way without too much grumbling. He knows there's no point in arguing since eventually I'll get my way ;)  He happens to be very handy with things like plumbing and electrical but he has one weakness . . . he has no patients for home renovation. . . so I've learned that if I want things done I'll need to do them myself.

We just bought another house which closes on June 30, 2011, and are getting the one we presently live in ready for our tenants, so I have tons of projects to share with you.

For example: have you ever wondered if removing that awful popcorn ceiling is a project you can handle or if a flat bi-fold door is worth a make-over? Well, then you've come to the right place . . . I'm working on these projects right now. 

But these are only a small sample of what's happening in our house currently, so I invite you to check back daily to witness the progress. With just over 3 weeks left to go, it's going to be a wild ride. 

Please don't forget to become a follower, I'm dying to read all your feedback!