A large part of my DIY activities involves home improvement. In the past, I’ve completed many large as well as small projects. I renovated an entire kitchen. This was an interesting project as I elected to use granite tile for the countertop. That involved learning how to polish stone using abrasive pads. That was a great learning experience.
I have also installed a reinforced deck for a hot tub, as well as a surrounding “floating” deck around the tub itself. One of the most ambitious projects I have undertaken was putting in a KOI pond with a waterfall and stream.
That particular project had an interesting history. When we first moved into this home we decided to put an above ground pool in. The only problem was that the entire property sat on a slope. I ended up putting in two retaining walls. One behind where the pool would sit and one in front. I had this filled in and leveled. We installed the pool and used it for a few years. Once the kids were in their late teens the pool fell into disuse so we got rid of it.
That left us with a big flat spot and two retaining walls which we had no idea what to do with. My wife had previously banned me from having any more fish tanks in the house. So I thought, why not put in a Hoi pond on the flat spot. That would give me an outdoor fish tank, so to speak and take care of the flat spot in the yard.
Naturally, I couldn’t just put in a pond. I’m inclined to overbuild my projects. So I ended up putting in an upper pong feeding a stream that fed a waterfall that fed the koi pond. Not exceptionally large (1200 gallons) but big enough that it was a MAJOR project. I’ll be writing some posts on that project as well as pond care and maintenance in the future.
Another big aspect of my DIY activities is home repairs. Sometimes it seems as if there’s a constant stream of things waiting to get fixed. Having had a house full of teenage boys, fixing large holes in the walls became a constant task. As a matter of fact, I got quite good at it and can patch in a large hole so that it is indistinguishable from the surrounding wall!
There are other numerous home repair projects that I will cover. You can expect to see articles on electrical wiring, plumbing and other “fun activities that always seem to crop up.
This is probably the shortest Article I have written to date. But, I promised an update at the four week mark so here it is. Overall, Using Hydroponics to filter Koi Pond water and grow vegetables has been an overwhelming success! I’ve learned that there are some plants that seem to thrive in this environment […]
Hydroponics Koi Pond Filter Results – Part 2 Read More »
This is my try at a hydroponics Koi pond filter. If this works out, it solves two problems with one solution. Keeping the nitrates down in a Koi pond is always a challenge, couple that with an interest in hydroponics, this seemed like a good approach in solving both problems. This setup is temporary, after
Hydroponics Koi Pond Filter Experiment – Part 1 Read More »
I’m a great believer in pet doors! But I also abhor the thought of cutting holes in doors or walls to install them. I think it potentially decreases the value of your home. Those holes can be fixed, but repairs will be costly. My solution is to install our cats’ door in a window sash.
How to Install a Cat Door In a Window Sash Read More »
Most sheds, including my own, don’t really have a shed foundation. Most sheds are placed on concrete blocks. I built my 16×16 shed about eight years ago. When building it, I did what most homeowners do. I built pillars using concrete blocks. Carefully leveling the blocks by either digging and adding a gravel base or
How to Repair a Sunken Shed Foundation Read More »
There’s a Hole in my Drywall! If you are a typical homeowner, you will eventually have a drywall patch you’ll need to take on. This is especially true if you have kids, boys in particular. We raised four teenage boys. It seems like every once in a while one or the other would want to
How to Repair and Install a Drywall Patch Read More »
You’ve bought a new ceiling fan and you’re stuck with an old standard light fixture. There are only two wires that were used to control the old light. You can wire the fan and fan light to the two wires and use the pull chains to control the fan speed and light. Alternatively, you can
How to Install a Ceiling Fan Remote Read More »
Why Get Rid of a Popcorn Ceiling Esthetics for one. Personally, I think they are hideous and in most cases a sign of a cheap builder or contractor taking the easy way out. You’ll find that underneath of a popcorn ceiling there is drywall. In my experience, it has been taped and the screws have
Popcorn Ceiling Removal Made Easy Read More »
