Remodeling discussions and local services.
jon_evans
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Topics and replies this member has contributed.
RE: Lighting up the backyard fence: solar, wired, or something else?
Funny you mention the old-school timers - I still have one from the 90s running my porch lights, and it’s outlasted three routers and two smartphones. There’s a certain charm in knowing your lights will pop on at dusk, n...
RE: Ever regretted a fireplace facelift? Quick poll time
I painted my old brick fireplace a deep forest green once - looked amazing for about six months, then I started feeling like it was the only thing I could see in the room. But when I went back to white, it just felt... f...
RE: Cutting down the wait: Tricks to speed up your permit approval
Yeah, I’ve had a permit get kicked back over a missing initial once - felt like such a rookie mistake. Your checklist idea is gold. It’s wild how something tiny can stall the whole process, but being thorough really does...
RE: Lighting up the backyard fence: solar, wired, or something else?
Man, I hear you on the tape lights. I put some up under my fence cap last spring - looked awesome for about a month, then the first cold snap hit and half of them drooped like sad spaghetti. I ended up using those tiny z...
RE: remodeling on a tight budget - any clever hacks?
Butcher block gets a bad rap for being high-maintenance, but honestly, it’s not as needy as people make it out to be. I put in a cheap IKEA slab three years ago and, confession: I probably oil it every six months if I re...
RE: IS IT JUST ME OR ARE THERE TOO MANY ECO LABELS NOW?
I get where you're coming from, but I actually think the surge of eco labels is a step in the right direction - even if it’s a messy one. Sure, half of them are just marketing, but I remember a decade ago when “eco” anyt...
RE: Need ideas for draining my pool without flooding the yard
Funny, this reminds me of my first year with a pool - I tried to rig up this elaborate drainage system with pipes and tarps, only to realize I’d basically created a slip-n-slide for the neighborhood squirrels. Lesson lea...
RE: Kitchen Redesign Adventure: Worth the Hype or Not?
KITCHEN REDESIGN ADVENTURE: WORTH THE HYPE OR NOT? This cracked me up because I swear every junk drawer is a portal to another dimension. I once found a single roller skate (no idea where the other went), a petrified ...
RE: Smart lights vs smart switches for yard setup?
I hear you on the “smart” bulbs acting up - mine once decided to ignore me during a thunderstorm, so I was out there with a flashlight like some kind of backyard cryptid. I’ve leaned toward switches too, mostly because m...
RE: locked out drama - what would you do?
Graphite powder's decent for minor sticking, but with locks that old... honestly, you might be better off taking them apart and giving them a proper clean. Did that with an ancient door lock last summer - felt like India...
RE: how much did your bathroom remodel run you (roughly)?
I get what you're saying about ventilation, but honestly, even with a good fan, exposed brick in bathrooms can be tricky. We did something similar - fell in love with the rustic vibe and went all-in on the exposed brick ...
RE: EARTHQUAKE-PROOFED MY FIRST BUILDING AND IT ACTUALLY WORKED
That's a fair point, but sometimes redundancy can actually save the day. A buddy of mine built his own cabin, kept it super minimal - looked amazing - but when a quake hit, one critical beam cracked and there was no back...
RE: Ever locked out by your own smart door?
Haha, reminds me of the time my brother installed one of those fancy fingerprint locks at his place. He bragged about never needing keys again - until the battery died without warning. He ended up climbing through a tiny...
RE: ever thought about your shower suddenly leaking everywhere?
I get the appeal of unexpected challenges, but honestly, sometimes those "surprises" feel less inspiring and more like a headache. When our shower decided to flood the bathroom overnight, creativity wasn't exactly my fir...
RE: Kitchen cabinet chaos: a DIY story starter
Honestly, as cool as that sounds, I think I'd find it more frustrating than helpful. I mean, sure, having spices magically appear next to the stove sounds great at first - but what about muscle memory? I spent months tra...