Adventures in Home Improvementing

Home Improvementing

I think I briefly mentioned some home improvementing that I have been doing lately. It’s been a drain on my finances for one, which has prompted me to rethink how I handle my finances which, in turn, prompted me to start this blog. In other ways, though, it has been rather enlightening and even liberating.

The perpetrator showing off his new haircut last year.

Blame it on the Cat

In March 2013, I came home from dinner out with my daughter to find that the cat had gotten locked in my bedroom. In his attempt to free himself, he clawed at the carpet at the doors until he shredded it down to its tack strips. This was more than a little Duck tape could cover so my plans to buy a new appliance for the kitchen was shelved and it was decided that it was time to replace the carpet.

The carpet needed to go so this was not a huge surprise. I had wanted to replace it with laminate flooring for years. Laminate flooring would be better for my dust allergies and easier to take care of, too. The problem was that I figured that I could afford the supplies, but not the installation. I was going to have to screw up my courage and face this problem myself. I work full-time and my schedule can be rather demanding so I've been doing most of the work myself on the weekends.

The landing at the top of the stairs finally finished. The door to the left is to the bathroom, which will be rehabbed at a future date.

Big Honking Milestone Achieved!!

This past weekend, I finally finished the flooring on the second floor. An enormous milestone. HUGE. Dance-worthy. Seriously. I even opened a bottle of Prosecco in celebration. Yes, it's that big. I still have a lot more to go on the first floor, but I am gaining confidence as I go.

You can look forward to a few posts about various steps of the project that I've accomplished along the way and how I feel you can use a little elbow grease and an aptitude for learning to save a little money if you decide to take on similar projects.

In the meantime, here are two things I've learned about myself during this process: 1) Burning your elbow with a heat gun is a great way to remind yourself to keep them off the table; and 2) I am capable of far more than I ever realized. Far, Far more.