Renovation // Transformation

As part of the pool install, we installed a wall-hanging, tankless hot water heater today… well, we didn't — Water Heaters Masters did. Casie discovered them through Angie's List.

We really didn't need a hot water heater, immediately — our old water heater had anywhere between 3 and 7 years left in it, but we're putting the pool equipment in the room, so (1) the space-saving will be nice, (2) we'll eventually need a water heater and pulling out the old tank over the pool equipment would be tough, (3) if we ever did want one, we'd have to upgrade the gas line (larger) and we already had a trench dug… so it just made sense to install one now and not have to worry about a hot water heater for another 25 years.

…

In Hot WaterRead More »

One of the nicest elements of the single-garage Eichler design is the covered carport and the screen to the atrium. It creates a barrier, but still feels friendly and bright. Unfortunately, Erin's wasn't as inviting as it could have been.

What started as a simple door replacement found a replacement of everything but a single original redwood post in her entry. The previous version was in terrible shape — the post that secured the door came down with a simple kick — nothing was securing it to the foundation. The original door has a handle where the deadbolt used to be — a victim of a foreclosure and a few break-in attempts took its toll. The securing post was splintered and… not secure.

While it's weird to geek-out on things like precise strike-plate and hinge mortising, but these details really help to make an entryway sharp — and something that after a few door repairs, we've gotten good at. Coupled with a now-secure main post (and a great color scheme by Erin), the new entryway is ready for the 21st century.

…

Erin’s New Door (finished)Read More »

What have we done?

Remember when Jaime, Max and Clemente laid the beautiful concrete pavers in the side yard? Well, Max and Rogillio are taking them up today in preparation for the new pool… on Monday we received a permit from the City to start the project. Fingers crossed.

Double-door-a-palooza! This weekend found three new doors at Dan's house and one at Erin's… a four-door-weekend.

We replaced Dan's front door not long ago and this weekend, we hatched a plan for a pair of closet doors and — just for fun — a garage door.

…

Dan’s new door — part two…Read More »

In keeping with "Door-a-palooza/2012", Erin needed a new front door (and a little more) and yesterday found me tearing out a good bit of the entryway.

…

Erin’s New Door: Day OneRead More »

This holiday weekend found me heading to Marin to install an ISS shelving system for Matt and Ki — neighbors of Michael and Iris.

I was greeted by a tidy palette and a few boxes tucked into the garage and in short order, had it unpacked and splayed out. One of the things that didn't greet us was a detailed set of instructions. A low-res PDF was emailed but the photos in the instructions were so poorly shot and so low res (and the instructions so generic) that they really weren't much help. Fortunately, I've a black-belt in cabinet assembly after our kitchen assembly and these things are pretty standard. However, the unlabeled cabinetry parts in the palette coupled with the lack of decent instruction added at least four hours to the install (maybe six) as we had to test fit, twirl around and — in most cases — re-assemble the parts to get the correct configuration. It would have been nice to have had stickers (drawer side, cabinet back, cabinet top, inside/outside) on the dozens of pieces rather than spending 1/2 of a saturday sorting them out.

…

ISS Shelving System Install: Day OneRead More »

We've been planning a pool for over a year — a lot longer in many ways (as Casie bought me the book The New American Swimming Pool over 10 years ago)… but we're getting closer.

Since this is an ever evolving project, check other updates on the page or search "pool" in the search field.

…

New Pool PlanRead More »

Our friends and neighbors, Chris and Laura, were in dire need of door replacements. Their house was a victim of a shoddy flip and they've done a lot to bring it back to life.

All of the interior doors seemed to be made of pressed cardboard and a slight tap seemed to put a dent in them — they were terrible. The front door was solid, but very inappropriate for the house. This is where we come in… seeing as door replacement has become kind of a "thing" for us.

…

Chris and Laura’s Door-a-PaloozaRead More »