Everyone has to start somewhere! If there’s one thing we could say to everybody out there it would be that. Nobody is born with the innate ability to build or fix or paint or DIY like there’s no tomorrow! It’s learned over time, through experience. Today we interview Bob Snowden from Snowden Builders in Grandville about exactly that! If you don’t have the confidence to jump into that next project, give this episode a listen!
Listen here:
Show notes for episode 048:
We've all been there. We want to work on our house. We think the project we choose should be easy enough. But then we talk ourselves out of it because what if we CAN'T do it?? What if we screw something up or run into a problem.
To help us ALL gain a little confidence when it comes to tackling home projects, Bob Snowden from Snowden Builders stops by to give us all a DIY pep talk.
Ok, so a week or two ago we talked about refinishing wood floors. That prompted us to make a wood floor display for an upcoming Home Expo. It started out as a simple idea but grew when we decided to add a stenciled border. What we ended up with is something we are so proud to show off!
This project also got us thinking...why stop with the floor? What else can we use this for? It seems so versatile. It could be used on anything from furniture (wood is recommended!) to ceilings. We just recommend you buy the stencil adhesive to be sure you don't have any issues with bleed through (or under as it may be).
Dan and Betsy both LOVE front porches. Dan greatly misses the front porch at his old house with the couch for reading. And Betsy has always wanted a farm house with a giant wraparound porch.
It was this mutual love of porches that led to a brief conversation in passing with Sharon Ferraro, the Historic Preservation Coordinator for Kalamazoo. It was instantly clear that a front porch history segment was necessary. So, without further ado, we give you "The History of Front Porches."
Well, we had a stroke of genius this week. Our conversations with both Sharon and Bob inspired us to mash their topics together to bring you one amazing final segment!
Warmer weather has us looking at front porches as we drive around town and we have noticed a number that we can't imagine are usable. They look like they could use a little TLC. But porch projects in particular can seem a little daunting. They seem like they might require a bit more skill than we think we have. This is why we did a little research to get you started.
Here is a great blog from the Home Repair Tutor about repairing cement steps. They tell you all the tools you need and walk you through the process, step by step.
This Old House has a fantastic article that tells you how to replace porch decking boards easily. Trust us, it isn't nearly as hard as you think!
And finally, how about those windows that are painted shut? Don't go just yanking on them until they either spring open or the glass breaks! Watch "Simple Steps to Working Windows" FIRST, then try opening them with confidence.
Amazing! How did you come up with such clever ideas? This is fantastic for beginners.