The 4 Step Weekend

Home improvements. There is always something to do, to clean, to spruce up. Last weekend was full of this, mainly because I have been sick for the past 2 weekends.

4 main things needed to happen last weekend.

1- Lawn needed mowing
2- Installing garage hardware
3- Insulating the inside of the garage
4- Coloring and sealing the kitchen tile

I went into the weekend with the plan of of the first 3 things, the tile was a last minute add-on. I don't have any pictures of the lawn, it just needed to be done. Badly. Chris accomplished this Sunday, but on Saturday I installed the hardware to boost the curb appeal of our house. We have a front drive house, so that lovely garage door is most of what you see. The house needed this.

It was surprisingly easy, and I do recommend the process for anyone who is trying to make their house a wee bit prettier without spending a lot of cash. The set I used can be found here.

Next was start of the tile grout. Oh my, I knew at the beginning it was going to be tedious and time-consuming, and I was right. Though, quite worth it, I might add. I cleaned the grout about 6 months ago with cleaner and a grout brush. On my hands and knees for a couple hours each nap time for a few days. Inching my way through the kitchen, scrubbing and scrubbing, barely making a difference. I figured the grout was probably worn out of its original sealant and has most likely, never been resealed. So, for less than $20 at Lowe's, I got grout colorant/sealant to slowly paint on over the existing grout lines. I got a color called 'bone' but a similar color can be found here. In about 1.5-2hr increments over 2 days, I spent a grand total of 7-8hrs painting on sealant.

I firmly believe it was worth it. The pictures are good, but it looks even better in person. Plus, I shouldn't have to reseal it again for a couple years, and hopefully we will be in the process of resale by then. ;) Basically, if you floors are gross and cleaning them isn't much improvement, buy this, put in the time, you won't be sorry.

Now for the next project, starting on Sunday. Insulating the garage door.

For sound reasons, and temperature control, we decided to insulate our garage door. You can buy kits, like the one I choose here. A bit pricey, but I do think it was the right decision. I already can tell the difference with the sound...the temperature has been pretty mild as of late, so that is harder to tell. We have a 2 door garage, so I ordered 2 kits. Beware, there are no extra panels. If you screw up a measurement, if you cut it crooked, if you break it, you are out of luck. I can proudly say (after forcing myself to take my time and double checking everything) I only screwed up one panel, and even then I think I recovered well.

Our door had some extra cross bars and such on it from previous owners, so the cuts were a bit tricky in places, but over all it wasn't too bad. Don't be fooled by their instructions though, the panels don't "pop" into place with ease the way they make it sound. You will sweat, maybe even bleed a little (yes, I bled) trying to snap these things into place. It was a work out, but it adds comfort and resale value, so I am pleased.

Next on the list? Well, we have a fence company coming out for a replacement estimate tomorrow, so more on that later. ;)

M.LEWIS