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Creative Garage DIYs to Increase Storage Space

September 6, 2016 by Ash 82 Comments

With our garage being my workshop and our primary storage area, it was filled to the brim with tools of all sizes, boxes and boxes of holiday decorations, yard tools and toys, and so much more.

We already did a lot of DIY projects that saved space and created more garage storage. I constructed a folding workbench, which was such an efficient workstation.

In a corner that formerly was a dumping ground of yard tools, I built a sliding shelf tower, which housed all of our holiday decorations. I also had a lot of creative shelves scattered around.

With so many things in our garage, any empty area was prime real estate, no matter how small.

A Hidden Gem

The other day, some wall space caught my eye – the gap between the two garage doors.

Right away I thought that it would be an excellent place for some narrow shelves. Strange that it took me a year to spot the little gem between my garage doors that could provide more garage storage.

Coincidentally, the project I was working on at the time (the built-in bookcase with window seat) produced a lot of scrap birch plywood.

This was expensive stuff – 4×8 sheets sell for $50 at Home Depot. So I wasn’t wasting any cut offs (I was quite inventive in the different ways I reused those scraps).

My shelving idea between the garage doors would be a perfect little project for some of the plywood scraps to get more garage storage.

Planning the Garage Storage Boxes

Simple flat shelves wouldn’t suffice though. With so little space, the shelves would be small, and things could fall off easily.

So instead of shelves, I started visualizing little boxes on the wall. How nice would it be to walk in wearing yard gloves, and have a box to toss them into as soon as I enter the garage?

I took the box idea a step further and considered using French cleats for them.

This would allow each box shelf to be removed by simply lifting it. It would lead to a very modular design where the boxes could be swapped with other ones on the fly.

Rather than digging through a box on the wall to find what I need, or make repeated trips to the wall, why not just take the box shelf with me? Not only would it create more garage storage – but it also would be very efficient.

Now that’s some clever thinking, if I do say so myself.

I came up with this simple box design below:

Here’s another view of the box design, resting on the wall via the French cleats:

Building the French Cleat Storage Boxes

I was excited to get more garage storage from this wasted space – I couldn’t wait to start building. Here’s a TinkerCAD exploded diagram showing in detail how it was constructed:

Constructing the First Garage Storage Box

In the diagram above, the orange piece on the far right is mounted to the wall (to allow the box shelf to drop into and secure to the wall). The rest of the pieces form the box itself.

The wall mounted piece and the other angled cut directly above it (attached to the box) form the French cleat system. I used scrap ¾” birch plywood for the box and French cleats.

For the floor of the box, I used ⅛” thick scrap plywood. I cut all the pieces to size quickly using my table saw, and then miter cut the side pieces for that nice angled profile.

For the French cleat 45 degree lengthwise cuts, I used the table saw again.

Then I used construction adhesive, some bar clamps and my 16 gauge finishing nail gun to assemble the wood pieces into a functional French cleat box shelf.

Technically, I built the first shelf without the nail gun. I just used regular finishing nails and a hammer.

Finishing Nail Gun for the Win

With these types of shelves, the strength comes mostly from the construction adhesive (that stuff is really strong when completely dry). The nails really just hold the pieces in place for the glue to set. So that’s why I used finishing nails.

Also, I didn’t want to risk splitting the plywood scraps, so finishing nails were a good choice due to their thin profile.

As I mentioned earlier, I was in the middle of a bookcase/window seat project at the time. Part of this project involved installing crown molding and baseboard.

I remembered installing crown molding in my previous home, and having an incredibly hard time doing it with finishing nails and a hammer. So, I ended up borrowing my neighbor’s cordless finishing nail gun, and the installation was such a breeze. I just held the crown molding in place, then tap tap tap, and the nails (technically brads) were countersunk, securing the molding to the wall.

So purchasing my own finishing nail gun had long been on my wish list.

I finally bit the bullet and purchased one for my birthday to use on the bookcase project. I also got some angled finishing nails to go along with it.

They arrived in the middle of these French cleat shelves. So the shelves were the perfect opportunity to hone my skills with the gun.

Here’s a picture of me using the finishing nail gun for one of the box shelves:

I originally purchased an 18-gauge finishing nail gun (keep reading to see why I returned it).

Sidenote on Nail Guns

For those not familiar with finishing nail gun terminology, the gauge represents the thickness of the nail. I’m using the word ‘nail’ loosely because these nail guns actually fire brads, which are strips of thick wire with a very fine head.

They are great for finishing applications (like securing trim) because the heads make a very small hole and require little work to conceal. The thinness of the brads also reduce the likelihood of splitting the wood when they are driven in.

Finishing nail guns are not to be confused with framing nail guns, which fire actual nails and use substantially more power to drive them (hence also more dangerous). I used a gas powered framing nail gun in my shed project if you are interested.

Anyway, I was saying earlier how I purchased an 18-gauge finishing nail gun. Unfortunately, I was not having a good experience using it with the birch plywood. Most of the nails would fire in straight, but then bend half way and stick out the side of the wood. It was very annoying.

I did some research online and found out that 18-gauge nails don’t work well in hardwoods (like birch) and will do exactly what they were doing with me (changing direction as they are driven into the hardwood).

So I decided to return the nail gun and get a 16-gauge version instead.

The new nails were noticeablely thicker and worked perfectly for me. The gun is now a permanent addition to my top 12 list of must-have tools.

What’s the best nail gun for a DIYer?

Depending on the type of woodworking project you’re doing, sometimes you’ll need a thinner nail (higher gauge) and sometimes you’ll need a thicker nail (lower gauge).

Unfortunately finishing nail guns can only fire a single gauge, so you’d need multiple guns to accommodate different nail gauges. This is obviously very expensive, and may not make financial sense for you unless you’re a dedicated contractor.

So, 16-gauge is a good compromise because a majority of the projects a typical DIYer works on can be satisfied with that sized nail gauge.

This has held true for me ever since purchasing the nail gun too. I’ve used it for everything from crown molding to shelves to quickly tacking on temporary supports for concreting wooden posts. It’s also my favorite tool, and well-worth the investment.

Finishing Up the Boxes

With the finishing nail gun, construction of 5 box shelves went by very quickly. I only made 5 because I ran out of scrap wood large enough for box shelves. The remaining smaller scraps had another destiny.

Five French cleat boxes were perfectly adequate for the space allocated though and would definitely create more garage storage and organization.

Here’s a picture of the completed French cleat boxes resting on the wall (they are empty below, but filled today will all sorts of goodies):

After this was completed, some of the remaining birch plywood scraps got used for another project.

Get More Garage Storage with These Ideas

I was going finishing nail gun crazy and just wanted to keep tap-tap-tapping brads. So, I ended up making an incredibly useful battery charging station for my cordless tool batteries.

The garage storage station consisted of four L shaped shelves fixed to the wall, with two triangular supports each.

Here’s a picture of the empty shelves on the walls so you can get an idea of the design:

Here’s what the shelves look like actually being used. This little nook helped get more garage storage and organization.

The shelves created more garage storage – enough space for 4+ battery chargers, extra batteries and a host of accessories.

I got creative and tacked on an empty plastic nail box to store stationary-like pencils, markers and scissors.

I’m most proud of my measuring tape holder though. I was always looking for my measuring tape and needed a dedicated location for it, so I mounted a metal strip to one of the shelves, and the measuring tape just clips onto it.

It’s in the perfect location too. Whenever I need a measuring tape, I just open the garage door and grab the tape off the holder. When done, I just snap it back on the holder and it’s there for future use.

Here’s a picture showing my measuring tape holder:

A Lot of Storage for a Little Effort

So that’s it for this round of more garage storage shelving. I constructed five French cleat boxes in the lost space between the double garage doors and added some bonus shelving too. Not only did I create more garage storage but this storage added another level of efficiency to our garage.

I completed everything on a Saturday with no additional cost to me because I used all scrap wood. Although I benefited a great deal from the finishing nail gun I purchased around the same time, it could have been done with just regular finishing nails and a hammer.

Stay tuned for future shelving ideas as inspiration strikes. I hope this article brought you some inspiration to get more garage storage too.

DIY Boxing Speed Bag Station That Stows

August 20, 2016 by Ash 15 Comments

For many years, I’ve been an avid amateur boxer, always looking to have a good sparring match in the ring with whomever is game.

Lately though, it had been hard to make time for the gym, so I wanted to do a lot of my training at home, where it’s more convenient.

I already had a cheap freestanding heavy bag (with the plastic base that you fill up with water – it was less than desirable but it gave me something to work with).

I also have a double ended bag (attached to a ceiling rafter in the basement and to a water filled base on the floor) and a slip bag (maize ball) that I mess around with as well.

Yet, what’s a good boxing workout without some rounds on the speed bag?

I had purchased a cheap speed bag platform many years ago and had it mounted in my previous home.

However, it never got much usage because it was secured to some wall studs that would literally shake things out of my kitchen cupboards on the other side of the wall.

Also, the house was very small and the noise carried everywhere.

Selecting a Speed Bag Location

After moving into our larger home, the question of where and how to mount my speed bag lingered in the back of my mind for a long time.

I really wanted it in the basement with my other boxing equipment, but the ceiling was really low. It would be awkward to hit the speed bag at that height.

Also, remembering back to cereal boxes falling out of the cupboards at my previous home, I was worried about the vibrations travelling up through the ceiling rafters and having repercussions upstairs.

I eventually decided on the garage as the ideal location.

The ceiling was very high, so I could set the speed bag to whatever height I wanted.

There was no second floor above the garage so no foreseeable issues with vibrations affecting things upstairs. Also, the garage insulated sound pretty well.

So as how many of my projects start, I did a lot of staring (at the garage ceiling for inspiration).

Finally it came to me. I would mount some type of contraption close to the center of the garage.

Even with both cars pulled into the garage, there was a center aisle that was open that would be perfect for speed bag workouts.

Determining a Design for the Speed Bag Platform

With the location selected, I had to be conscious of the clearance required for the speed bag platform.

The garage was a busy area for me as it was also my workshop. I did not want to have to keep dodging the speed bag every time I worked on a project in there.

So I thought hard about how I could make a system where the speed bag platform could easily stow away when not in use and be lowered when it was time for a work out.

After messing around in TinkerCAD for a few hours, I came up a design that eventually produced this awesome thing:

Building the Speed Bag Platform

I managed to build it entirely out of scrap wood.

It consists of an upper and lower piece. The top part is a fixed mount attached to the ceiling. The bottom part slides into the top part and allows the speed bag platform to raise or lower.

I used 4 heavy duty bolts, some washers, and some wingnuts to lock the platform into place when in the desired position.

Additionally, I opted for the wingnuts to make them easy to remove. This was rather than using regular nuts and having to use tools to raise/lower.

I also intentionally went a little heavy on the lower piece using some 4 x 4 wood. I wanted to make a solid rebound surface for the speed bag.

Starting with the Lower Piece

I started working on the lower piece first. I cut the 2 x 4s and 4 x 4s to length according to the TinkerCad diagram and connected them together using construction adhesive, 3” deck screws, 3.5” lag bolts and even some 6” TimberLok screws.

Here is the lower piece color coded with TinkerCAD to help explain the order of things:

I built the red part first using 2 pieces of 2 x 4s and 2 pieces of 4 x 4s.

This was followed by the green part (6 pieces of 2x4s).

I connected the green part to the red part using eight 3.5” lag bolts and washers.

Then the blue part (2 pieces of 4 x 4s) was connected to the red/green part using four 6” TimberLok screws.

Here’s a picture of how it all came together. You can probably tell that the 4 x 4s are pressure-treated due to the green tint, but you can’t always pick and choose with scrap wood:

Working on the Upper Piece

The upper part of the contraption is a little simpler.

Made entirely out of 2 x 4s, here is the completed version of it:

The two long 2 x 4s at the top will rest against the ceiling when mounted.

The two dangling vertical pieces serve as guides to facilitate raising/lowering the platform.

They will also have holes that align with holes on the bottom platform. This allows for bolts to lock the two pieces into place.

I used eight 3.5” lag bolts and washers to secure the vertical supports to the long ceiling 2 x 4s.

The upper and lower pieces were now completed.

Here is that they looked like combined (in the contracted/raised position):

Here is what they look like in the expanded/lowered position:

To keep the two pieces in the raised and lowered position, I drilled matching holes (on the four vertical 2 x 4s) in both positions to allow four heavy duty bolts to pass through.

To prevent the lower piece from falling out of the upper piece during a transition period (when all bolts have been removed and I’m raising or lowering the platform), I planned on screwing on two heavy gauge metal plates on the upper piece to catch the lower platform.

Mounting the Top Piece

So to mount the contraption, I had to secure the upper part to the ceiling rafters.

In an effort to reduce damage to the drywall ceiling from vibration (and dampen noise as well), I used ½” thick neoprene rubber sheets in between the 2 x 4s and the ceiling.

I purchased an 8 x 8 square of the rubber and cut it into four 4 x 4 smaller squares.

I drilled a small hole in the middle of each square for the fastener to pass through and placed the sheets in between the ceiling and the 2 x 4s.

For the actual fasteners, I opted to use four 6” TimberLok screws to connect everything to the ceiling rafters.

Here’s a picture of the mount (you can see the neoprene rubber sheets in between the ceiling and the 2 x 4s):

Inserting the Lower Piece

With the upper part mounted very securely to the ceiling, it was now time to insert the lower part.

I placed it into the raised position (highest it could go vertically) and temporarily held it in place with just two bolts.

This was when I screwed on the two metal plates at the bottom to prevent the lower piece from falling out of the upper piece.

Here is a picture showing how the metal plates were installed (you can also see some of the wingnuts from the removable bolts used to re-position the speed bag):

Attaching the Speed Bag

Now that my contraption was mounted securely to the ceiling, it was time to attach the actual speed bag platform.

I just used some lag bolts to secure it.

Here’s a picture from above showing the platform bolted on:

You’ll notice from the picture above that I had to notch the corners of the 4 x 4s. This was so they didn’t protrude beyond the edge of the circular speed bag platform.

Also, the empty square space in the center of the mounting base was intentional.

It allows the speed bag swivel bolts to pass through. It’s also an excellent storage pocket for the removable bolts.

When the speed bag mount is stowed away in the raised position, I don’t need all four bolts in place. So, I just secure two of them and the remaining two get placed in this center square pocket.

Here’s a close-up showing the swivel bolts passing into the empty square hole:

Testing the Speed Bag Station

My garage speed bag project was completed, and I was very satisfied with the results.

I did do some acoustic testing to verify the effectiveness of the neoprene rubber dampeners. I setup my phone to record audio from several key areas of the house and worked the bag as hard and loud as I could.

When I played back the recordings, I could not hear the bag at all. So I was confident that I could now work out whenever I wanted to, and not disturb anyone.

Time and Cost

This project was completed over the weekend for under $40.

I kept the cost really low by using all scrap wood.

My only expenses were the rubber dampeners and some of the fasteners. I already had a speed bag platform and bag, so those cut down costs too.

My platform is really cheap though (I believe I got it at Sears many years ago for $30).

I would like to replace it at some point with a solid piece of wood.

If you get a similar platform, at least get a decent bag (FYI smaller bag=faster rebounds, larger bag=slower rebounds) and a good swivel hook (not the plastic ball-bearing hook that a lot of cheap platforms come with).

Also, I use sandbags (via a heavy duty training weight bag) on top of the platform to add more solidity to the bag rebounds. It reduces a lot of vibrations as well.

Here’s a picture of me working out on the bag:

Finally, here’s a video of the speed bag in action:

Easy, Free Photo Booth App for Parties

July 31, 2016 by Ash 6 Comments

Eileen always throws awesome parties, thinking of every little detail, from the decorations to the games to the desserts.

Yet, once in a while, she enlists a little from from me.

She was looking to create a do-it-your-self photo booth for a small backyard party. She had a backdrop and props planned and was looking for me to help her find a software program that would run on her laptop.

To my dismay, I could not find any simple to use programs out there. Most of them you had to pay for, and the free ones were terrible.

What seemed like a simple task was turning out to be quite problematic.

Making the Photo Booth App

So, I decided to just write my own photo booth software. By the end of the day, I churned out an app I dubbed Easy Photo Booth. Eileen was totally impressed, and we’ve been using the app at parties ever since.

Eileen likes to print out the filmstrips and include them with the thank you notes. Guests seem to love that 🙂

How the Photo Booth App Works

My version was as simple and straightforward as they come.

Setting Up Easy Photo Booth

In front of the backdrop and props that Eileen set up, I placed a laptop (with a web camera) on a small table.

The guests would then see themselves on the laptop screen. Easy instructions on how to proceed popped up.

I even setup the software to save the film strip images to DropBox.

This allowed me to run a slideshow on the large family room TV of a live photo stream from the photo booth (via a second laptop I had plugged into the TV).

This way, other guests not taking pictures got to partake in the photo booth fun.

My photo booth software was a huge hit.

It’s now a staple event at our parties, and even our friends/families have started using it for some of their events. So I wanted to make the software easily available for everyone for free.

Download the Free App

You can download a PC version of “easy photo booth” software below.

I’m sorry, I don’t have a MacOS version of it, but I can port it over to Mac if I get a lot of requests for it.

Using the Photo Booth App

I made the photo booth app as simple and user-friendly as possible. And it has been working out perfectly!

To get an idea, here’s a screenshot of the program in action. There are simple options – such as Start Photo Booth, View Images, or Advanced mode, which provides more advanced options for the DIY photo booth app.

Using Easy Photo Booth - Easy, Free Photo Booth App for Parties

Easy Photo Booth also offers an advanced mode if you want to fine tune the functionality:

Using Easy Photo Booth, a free app for photo booths

Here’s what the software shows the guests after taking their pictures:

Easy, Free Photo Booth App for Parties Film strip images like the picture above are generated from the software. It also saves the images individually in case you wanted to use a snapshot outside of the film strip.

I also added an “overlay” feature, which superimposes foregrounds onto your images. Check it out in action below (I’m hiding behind some tree coverage):

Easy, Free Photo Booth App for Parties

So if you’re looking for free and easy to use photo booth software for your party, you should definitely check out our photo booth app – Easy Photo Booth. Download it using the link above 🙂

Constructing a Folding Workbench with Storage

July 18, 2016 by Ash 61 Comments

Digging through my scrap wood collection, I came across some pieces of pegboard from our previous home that I had forgotten about.

I had just relocated a lot of garden tools to the shed, and there was an empty wall in the garage that would now be perfect for the pegboard.

After mounting the pegboard and hanging up some tools, the wall still looked a little empty. I had a vision of mounting a heavy duty folding workbench to the wall.

This was the perfect location, and if the workbench folded, we could still fit the car in the garage.

Moreover, I was also in desperate need of a good workbench. I had been using the driveway and garage floor for all my projects.

The lack of a completely flat and level surface made projects more difficult. So I embarked on this bucket list project of building my own folding workbench.

Building a DIY Workbench that Folds When Not in Use

Installing the Pegboard in the Garage

First off, the pegboard needed to be installed. I had to create a slight gap between the wall and the board to allow the hooks to be inserted.

I used some scrap 1 x 3 wood left over from a prior project to create the gap.

Using my table saw, I cut the wood in half lengthwise to make 1 x 1.5 strips and screwed them to the studs behind the drywall.

Here’s a picture of the wall showing the mounted strips:

Then I hoisted up each 2 x 8 pegboard sheet and screwed them into the wood strips, using washers to secure the board. It all just seemed too simple, and I needed more of a challenge.

After, I hoisted up each 2 x 8 pegboard sheet and screwed them into the wood strips, using washers to secure the board. It all just seemed too simple, and I needed more of a challenge.

I then remembered some French cleat shelves I recently built in between the two garage doors (post to come soon!). They were portable shelves that could be removed from the wall by simply lifting. At the same time, they were very sturdily mounted.

So I quickly made 4 shallow box shelves and rigged up a French cleat system for them.

Here’s a picture of the shelves, along with the pegboard and my fancy tool collection:

Creating the Folding Workbench Design

With the pegboard and shelves installed, I could start on the DIY folding workbench.

To come up with the design, I first did a lot of research on existing workbenches, especially folding ones.

I was initially considering one that folded up to cover the pegboard when not in use. A nice feature of that design was that it left below the pegboard intact. So, I could make use of the space for shelving in the future.

I ended up ditching that idea because it would hinder my ability to get tools off the pegboard when the table was folded up.

The extra space below the pegboard was not worth that inconvenience.

Thus, I decided my workbench would fold downwards.

Many fold-down tables I came across had built in legs at the front that swung down. I wanted to make my table free of legs to give a more roomy feel, and also allow easy access to the floor when the table was down.

Sweeping up a sawdust covered floor is a lot easier with no table legs in the way. So finally, all my research culminated into a custom design, which I created in TinkerCad.

Here are the TinkerCAD diagrams of the table in the up and down position:

As you can see in the diagrams of the DIY folding workbench, I planned to have the table supported with 3 wall mounted legs.

Each leg would rest on hinges, allowing them to swing inwards and lay flat against the wall. With the legs folded in, the tabletop (also resting on hinges) would fold downwards to lay on top of the legs.

I really liked this floating workbench design and was eager to start work on it.

Constructing the DIY Folding Workbench

The workbench construction consisted of 3 main parts – tabletop, legs, and wall mounts. Once completed, I would need to secure the pieces to each other with hinges.

So first I started with the tabletop.

Building the Workbench Tabletop

For the DIY floating workbench tabletop, I opted to use several planks of 2 x 8 and 2 x 4 wood for the top, much like a picnic table. I liked the look because it blended in well with my existing garage shelves (including a sliding shelf behemoth I made a few months ago).

To assemble them together, I used a number of techniques.

First I drilled 10 pocket holes along the length of each board. I used the Kreg Pocket Hole jig to precisely drill all the holes.

Then I applied construction adhesive to sides of the planks, clamped them together tightly and fastened them to each other with 2.5″ pocket hole screws.

Wood Clamp Tip

If you’re really getting into some wood working projects lately and don’t already have a variety of wood clamps, I would strongly recommend getting some. For years, I never had the need for any.

Then about a year ago, I had to borrow a neighbor’s 3ft bar clamp to help hold some warped wood in place while I drilled it down. I was hooked ever since.

Now I’ve accumulated a host of clamps ranging from 3″ C clamps to 3ft bar clamps. For the bar clamps, I always try to get them in pairs because many clamping scenarios are better with multiple pressure points.

A lot of bar clamps also convert to spreaders, which let you “spread” a certain distance between two pieces of wood (never thought I’d use that feature, but trust me, you’ll run into a scenario where you’ll want to pry apart two pieces of wood).

I’ve also got a few 90 degree clamps, which are a godsend for building bookshelves (or any other scenario where you need to secure two pieces of wood perpendicular to each other).

I even use an awesome Kreg face clamp to keep two pieces of wood perfectly flush for joining (also use it for the pocket hole jig to keep it in place as well).

Alright, enough rambling about wood clamps.

Finally, I ran 3 perpendicular 2 x 4 supports underneath the tabletop for additional strength. These supports also serve as stops for the swinging legs, so the spacing of them was actually determined by the positions of the legs on the wall.

Here are pictures of the top and bottom of the DIY folding workbench’s completed tabletop:

The floating workbench’s tabletop was very heavy but sturdy. The surface and edges were a little rough, so I planned to sand it down in the end and then route the edges with a rounding over bit.

Constructing the Workbench Legs

Each leg consisted of 2 pieces of 2 x 10 planks, cut to 27” in length. I secured the planks to each other, similar to the table top (with pocket holes and wood glue).

I did notch the corner of each leg structure with a 45 degree cut for a nice angled design. This would give me more leg room, and also eliminate a pointed edge to get snagged on.

Here’s a picture of one of the legs being worked on. The DIY folding workbench was already becoming very handy, even just resting on some sawhorses:

The next task was to bolt 2 x 4 mounts into the wall studs. I used 3.5” lag bolts for the fasteners, and made sure they were perfectly level.

I completed the mounts:

For the horizontal 2×4 (that the table top will hinge to) that connects to each vertical support, I used 5 fasteners to secure it.

I used 3 lag bolts to attach to each vertical support and two 6″ TimberLok screws in between the vertical supports to attach it directly to two additional wall studs.

For the lag bolts, it was essential that they were flush with the surface of the wood.

Up until recently, countersinking lag bolts was not a clean and easy task for me.

This was until I bought a set of Forstner bits that made the task a breeze. Unlike regular drill bits, Forstner bits are specially made to cut flat bottom holes to precise depths.

Here is a picture of one of the bolts up close countersunk with a Forstner bit (note the gap around the bolt head to allow room for the socket spanner):

Finally, with the 3 main project segments completed (table top, legs, mounts), I could start attaching them to each other with hinges.

Prior to a Home Depot trip for all the lumber, I stopped by the local Habitat for Humanity Restore. I was in luck because I picked up 12 used door hinges for a mere $3. Home Depot was selling a pack of brand new ones for $23.

I highly recommend the Habitat stores if you happen to live near to one. They can sometimes yield big savings for your DIY projects.

Attaching the Workbench Hinges

Attaching the hinges went on fairly easily. I used three of the regular door hinges for each leg. Then, I used 3 heavy duty hinges for the table top.

Here’s a picture of the workbench legs mounted with some hinges. Once again, I used a level to ensure accurate alignments:

I positioned the table in place, and attached it to the wall mounts with the 3 heavy duty hinges.

I used two types of fasteners for the hinges. For the wall mount connection, I used four 1/4″ lag bolts per hinge.

For the table top connection, I used Simpson 1.5″ structural screws (these screws are amazing for all sorts of projects due to their anchoring strength, so I always have some on hand in the garage).

To prevent the doors from accidentally swinging shut while the table was down, I attached a small bolt lock on each leg to lock them into place.

Here’s a picture of one of the heavy duty hinges used to fasten the table top to the wall mounts:

Here is the bolt lock in action to secure the swinging legs.

Note the rectangular notch I had to make on two of the legs to account for the heavy duty table top hinge when folded inwards:

Final Touches on the DIY Folding Workbench

The floating workbench was practically complete at this point. The tabletop just needed a good sanding, and the edges needed a nice routed cut.

I used a 3/8″ radius round over edging bit with my plunge router.

Here’s a picture of the tabletop corner once routed (looks very professional, doesn’t it?):

Finally, I finished the DIY wall-mounted, folding workbench. Confident in its strength, Eileen and I both sat on it to prove that it was a sturdy design. The table did not even budge.

Eileen has plans to paint the garage walls. She found two gallons of high-quality blue paint at the Restore. And, she has an idea to make the pegboard look nicer too. Stay tuned for an updated picture!

Lumber and materials costed around $150. I completed the entire project over the weekend.

Overall, the DIY folding workbench was a much needed addition to my garage workshop. I will be using it a lot in the very near future.

We are already enjoying how much space the floating workbench saves. We love that we didn’t compromise any of our garage space while also finally having a place to work.

If you are in need of a workbench or are looking for a folding solution, this DIY folding workbench is completely do-able and you will love the results.

A Terrific Table Saw for DIYers

July 17, 2016 by Eileen 6 Comments

Kobalt KT1015 Table Saw Review

In short, the KT1015 Kobalt table saw is an outstanding saw for its value and should perfectly suit the needs of any DIYer.

From ripping plywood sheets to cutting lap joints with stacked dado blades, this table saw does it all for a budget price.

Earning 4 out of 5 measuring tapes, it’s definitely one of my most treasured tools. With the Kobalt in my collection, I am able to complete a whole new range of projects.

The Nitty Gritty on the Kobalt Table Saw

For many years I got by without a table saw. I’d always just used my trusty handsaw or circular saw.

Because our previous home was small, I just didn’t have a need for it. I couldn’t work on as many projects as I wanted to.

This changed once we bought a larger home. The list of projects we wanted to complete on our new home was endless.

A larger yard meant things like planter boxes, storage sheds, and picnic tables. A more spacious garage meant custom shelving and work benches. The projects went on and on.

It was inevitable that the need for a table saw would come up. It was the construction of the shed that prompted this.

The first couple weeks of working on the shed, I used my handsaw and portable power saws. Then as I got deeper into the project, I ran into a wall.

I realized that I needed to make certain long narrow cuts. These cuts were nearly impossible to do reliably and consistently with my current means.

So it was time for a table saw. I was really excited as I had always wanted one, and this was the perfect opportunity to make the investment.

I researched many types online so I could find the best table saw. At the time, the prices ranged from around $250 to thousands of dollars.

I opted for the Kobalt KT1050 table saw from Lowes. After a 10% coupon I purchased on eBay for $2, I got the table saw for just under $300 with free delivery. (Here’s a very similar tablesaw on Amazon.)

Why I Chose the Kobalt Table saw

There were two main deciding factors for choosing this saw versus others in the same price range. The first one was the maximum cutting depth at 90 degrees.

The KT1015 Kobalt table saw allowed up to 3.5 inches of height on the blade, which meant I could cut a 4 x 4 with one pass on the blade. Most of the other saws maxed out at 3.125.”

I could also cut 2 x 4s on the longer side if I needed as well.

The second decision factor was that the Kobalt table saw came with a folding built in stand.

I didn’t fully understand the mechanics of its intended operation until watching some YouTube videos. Then I decided this saw was perfect for me.

During normal usage, the saw sits on its stand and works like a regular table saw.

Then when you’re done your cutting for the day, you press a foot lever, raise two handles and the saw tilts vertically on its side and is wheeled away for storage.

The Kobalt table saw in its wheeled storage position:

The Absolutely Best Table Saw for DIYers In this mode, it looks and maneuvers like a two wheel dolly. Because it stands up vertically, it takes up minimal space against the wall when not in use.

This was perfect for my setup as I did not want a permanent spot for the table saw and was hoping to easily pull it out as needed.

In the picture below, the lever with the lock icon transforms the saw into working position.

The Kobalt Table Saw In Action

The table saw arrived about a week later at my front door. I was held up from working on the shed project due to cuts needed from the saw, so I was eager to set it up and continue construction.

It took about an hour to assemble all of the parts and learn operation of all the features.

Since it was my first time using a table saw, I did a number of practice cuts with scrap wood to get a feel for the saw and its mechanics.

I verified the 3.5” max blade height with a piece of 4 x 4. Then, I tried some angled cuts with the included miter slide. I also ripped some bevel cuts on some 2 x 4s.

The cuts were clean and effortless.

The dust port sprayed most of the sawdust out and away from me, piling it up in a hill.

Once I was comfortable with the Kobalt table saw, I did the real cuts I needed for my project and was very happy with the results.

Here is a picture of the side showing the yellow power switch and the blade adjustment wheel. You can raise or lower the blade by spinning the wheel.

Also, attached to the wheel is a bevel lever that you can use to adjust the angle of the blade. I found the power switch to be in the perfect location because it is easy to turn the saw off with your knee after a cut.

The opposite side of the saw is where the sawdust shoots out.

The Absolutely Best Table Saw for DIYers

One thing I was not too happy about with the Kobalt table saw was the misalignment of the riving knife. The riving knife is a metal splitter that sits just behind the blade.

As the saw blade cuts through the wood, the riving knife slides right into the freshly cut groove and forces the wood to remain parallel to the guide fence.

It’s a safety feature of table saws that helps to prevent a lot of kickback (when the spinning motion of the blade forces the wood to jerk back at you).

The riving knife is supposed to be aligned perfectly with the blade, but mine was not. It actually wasn’t too bad at the beginning, but as I used the saw over the next couple months, the alignment got worse.

The Kobalt table saw manual did come with instructions on aligning it via some hexagonal screws, but I haven’t gotten around to fixing it.

I did also read online about a number of people having trouble with the alignment and could not fix it regardless of the adjustment screw settings.

Some people have even had to stick washers into the riving knife mounting points to align it manually.

Hopefully when I get the time to look into it more, it will work out for me.

In the meantime, when I cut wood, the riving knife either happens to nudge into the cut groove, or I have to place a pre-cut block of scrap wood to force the alignment.

I do occasionally just use my finger to manually nudge the riving knife into place with the blade spinning, but this is highly dangerous and I would not recommend to anyone (note to self to stop doing this and fix the alignment).

Another thing that I was not too fond of was aligning the guide fence. This is the guide that runs parallel to the blade that you slide your wood against to ensure your cut is even.

The guide has two clamping levers on both ends that you engage to lock it down to the table saw surface.

The problem with this technique is that you have to manually ensure the guide is parallel to the blade. If the guide isn’t parallel (within a close margin of error), then your cut is not going to be straight.

Also, your wood will likely get stuck at some point as you slide it through the blade. So both ends of the guide have to be the same distance away from the blade.

It’s really not that difficult to do. However, it can get annoying if you’re making a number of cuts and constantly adjusting the fence.

I’m used to using a tape measure to ensure both ends of the guide fence are the same distance from the edge of the table. Other people use a speed square to quickly align the fence.

The fancier table saws use a rack and pinion system for the guide fence. This is where you spin a handle to slide the fence left or right.

This would be perfect for me if I had a few more hundred dollars to spend on a table saw. Yet, that was outside my budget.

Here is a picture showing the guide fence with one of the adjustment levers.

There is a ruler on the front to help you set the distance from the blade, but I find this not to be always accurate. I tend to rely on my trusty measuring tape.

Using the guide fence on the table saw

So the misaligned riving knife and the work needed to setup the guide fence are my only squabbles with the KT1015 Kobalt table saw.

It’s a terrific saw for a great value and should satisfy the needs of your typical home DIYer. My most prized item in my tool collection is definitely this Kobalt table saw.

For a mere $300, it has put me on a whole new level of craftsmanship, and allowed me to accomplish projects that would have been nearly impossible in the past.

Kobalt Table Saw Accessories

I ended up buying a featherboard. Some people make one but I found it easiest to just buy one.

Featherboards are great when you need that extra bit of precision as your guiding your piece of wood into the blade, the featherboard will keep the beginning flush against the fence ensuring a more consistent cut.

It was a pretty cheap purchase, and it’s a really nice accessory to have with the Kobalt table saw.

Hammering It Home…

Listed below are the projects where I used the Kobalt KT105 table saw. To see detailed steps and pictures, click the project below.

Gel Stain that Completely Transforms Furniture

July 16, 2016 by Eileen 11 Comments

General Finishes Gel Stain

General Finishes Gel Stain is a DIY dream. If you are up for the work, you can completely change the look of your dated kitchen cabinets or bathroom vanities. You can also refinish furniture with this stain.

Easy-to-use, General Finishes gel stain is undoubtedly the best gel stain brand, as it involves little prep, and produces high-quality results.

With kitchen renovations costing thousands of dollars, this gel stain is about $30 for a quart (a quart goes a long way).

My only complaint is the strong smell, but a well-ventilated area solves this.

Earning 5 out of 5 measuring tapes, it’s my best kept secret.

The Nitty Gritty

When we moved into our new house, a lot of our cabinets were old oak originals from the 1970s. Our bathroom looked completely dated with an oak vanity.

In our kitchen, the previous owners updated the countertops with granite but left the old oak cabinets. The speckled tan and brown granite clashed with the oak.

I wanted a cost-effective solution, and at this point, I wasn’t quite sure how to do it.

Here’s a picture of our dated kitchen. I couldn’t wait to refinish those oak cabinets with a much darker look.

Deciding Factors

Spending time scouring pinterest and googling my options, I stumbled across a blog post where gel stain was used to completely change the look of a bathroom cabinet.

The blogger recommended General Finishes Gel Stain and emphasized this was the best brand of gel stain.

I had some time on my hands and decided to try the gel stain finish on the bathroom vanity. I started small – on the inside of the cabinet door.

If I liked the way it turned out, I could go ahead and finish the cabinet. In the back of my mind I was thinking that if it went really well, I could attempt the kitchen.

Below is a before and after of the gel stain used on the bathroom vanity. I was thrilled with how it turned out.

Between the gel stain on the vanity and the new mirror, this bathroom had left its aging past behind.

Prior to gel staining cabinets, I had a lot of experience working with regular wood stain, but I had never worked with gel stain.

However, it was easy-to-use and yielded exactly the results that I was going for.

I was so thrilled with how the bathroom vanity turned out that a few months later, I gel stained all of my kitchen cabinets. It was a huge project, but the results were phenomenal, especially for the money.

What makes gel stain different?

To give a little background on gel stain versus regular stain, when using regular wood stain, or thin-liquid stain, it actually penetrates into the wood. Whereas with gel stain, the stain sits on top of the wood.

When using regular stain, sometimes the wood unevenly absorbs the color and you end up with some dark splotches.

With gel stain, you don’t have this problem because the wood doesn’t absorb the stain. Because it sits on top, it masks the grain of the wood, especially if you pick a dark color.

When using gel stain, even though no uneven spots will show through, you will also lose some of the grain of the wood, depending upon how dark your stain is.

This is a matter of preference though.

General Finishes in Espresso is very popular color stain on the blogs. It’s so dark that is almost opaque, hiding the grain or any other imperfections.

I thought Espresso would be a little too dark for my kitchen countertops. I went one shade lighter and used Antique Walnut.

With this hue, you can still faintly see the grain of the wood, which makes the cabinets look authentic.

When using gel stain, you don’t wipe off the excess stain the way you wipe off regular stain.

It also is a thicker consistency and doesn’t really drip. This makes it easy to stain vertical surfaces.

After loving the bathroom cabinet and doing a little more research, I decided to tackle the kitchen. Here’s the after picture. (We also installed backsplash and new appliances, but the difference just in the cabinets was amazing.)

I haven’t even told you the best part – when using this gel stain, you don’t need to strip the wood or spend too much time sanding.

You do need to do a thorough sanding, just enough to give the gel stain something to stick to.

General Finishes Gel Stain in Action

Here’s the back of the cabinet door after a light sanding.

After sanding and thoroughly wiping down the pieces, I used foam brushes to start applying the stain.

I preferred using the foam brushes (I used a regular size foam brush and a smaller size for crevices) rather than rags because I was wearing thick chemical gloves. So, I was able to get into the nooks and crannies with the foam brush more easily than with rags.

The stain went on easy – just like painting. And again, there’s no need to wipe it off.

I did three to four coats, and while it did look streaky during the first and second coat (it is supposed to), the third coat is magic.

One thing you have to be careful of is leaving a build-up in the corners and grooves.

These will harden and dry, and then stand out like a sore thumb.

After each coat, thoroughly check the grooves and other areas for any build-up.

After three to four coats, the cabinets looked great. You can get by with three coats, but four seals the deal. There were absolutely no streaks or uneven surfaces.

As far as color, Antique Walnut is a solid dark brown – like Hershey’s chocolate brown.

As far as smell, the stain isn’t too pleasant on the nose. Make sure to keep your area well-ventilated.

I did a lot of the cabinet doors in the garage with the garage doors wide open, but I still prefered having a fan, blowing out the stinky air. (The good news is that the polyurethane sealer is water-based and has little to no smell.)

Will it match?

During this project, we added a cabinet to our kitchen, so we ordered two new, unfinished cabinet doors.

I was worried about the gel stain looking the same on the unfinished cabinet doors – as the rest of the kitchen, where the gel stain was resting on top of an oak finish.

I’m happy to report that the gel stain went on the unfinished doors easily and matched all of the old doors almost perfectly.

The only difference is the two new doors looked a tad shinier than the other doors.

In hindsight, we would have only used one coat of polyurethane.

The Savings

Because I put on thick coats, I went through three quarts of the General Finishes gel stain between the bathroom and the kitchen.

Between the foam brushes, stain, and polyurethenane, the whole project was under $150. You simply cannot beat that!

Kitchen renovations are thousands of dollars.

If you are willing to put the work in, this is a fantastic solution.

General Finishes Gel Stain is the only gel stain that I’ve worked with, but I heard it’s the only brand to work with.

Ash used a different brand of gel stain with a piece of furniture years ago and ended up sanding the stain off.

He was extremely skeptical of my desire to use the gel stain but was sold when he saw the bathroom vanity completely madeover.

I’ve also read posts from other bloggers who have tried different brands and been disappointed with their results.

If you are thinking about using gel stain, definitely go with this brand!

Pictured below is Ash reattaching the cabinet doors.

Where can I find General Finishes Gel Stain?

General Finishes Gel Stain is a little hard to find – you have to buy it a specialty shop or on Amazon.

We bought the first quart on Amazon and found the next at a speciality shop a couple hours away, due to poor planning on my part!

I did have a funny conversation with the store owner, who asked me what I was using this stain for because it was selling like hotcakes. He also thought I was crazy for driving to another state, so I could finish my cabinets 😉

Looking at the before and after pictures of our kitchen cabinets, the difference is incredible. Don’t get me wrong, it was a lot of work, but it completely modernized our kitchen.

Hammering It Home…

Here are the projects where we’ve used this gel stain. For detailed steps on how to gel stain kitchen and bathroom cabinets, click the project below.

Building a Picnic Table in One Day

July 7, 2016 by Ash 54 Comments

When we were getting our yard ready for spring, we took a trip to our local landscaping center to look at their plants.

On their patio, they had an array of beautiful outdoor furniture. Eileen sat down at a picnic table she liked, looked at the price (a very high $450), and said to me, “I bet you could make this.”

I nodded, thinking about all of the creative things Eileen and our son do in our yard, like having backyard picnics, bubble-making, and painting.

Having a DIY picnic table in the middle of the backyard would be perfect.

Plus, I’m always up for a good woodworking project.

Researching Picnic Table Plans

I did some research online for how to build a picnic table and ended up choosing the first one that came up – PopularMechanics.com.

It seemed simple to construct and the design plans were of a high caliber. The best part was that this picnic table plan called for using composite decking for the tabletop and seats.

This eliminated any concerns I had about having to use pressure-treated wood in close proximity to foods, or having to spend time staining or sealing the surface of the DIY picnic table.

Cleaning the composite decking on the picnic table would be a cinch too. It was a little more expensive than using real wood, but it was worth it.

The rest of the wooden picnic table (legs and supports) would be regular pressure-treated wood, so costs would still be low overall.

The specifics of how to build a picnic table is outlined pretty well in the source website, so I’ll just recap my picnic table building experience.

Overall, it was quite a fun project to work on, and best of all, I accomplished it all on a Saturday (albeit a long Saturday from morning to night).

DIY Picnic Table Material Order

I printed out the materials list from the website, and then I placed order on Lowes’ website for in-store pickup.

I normally don’t like doing store pickup for lumber because you are at the mercy of whatever employee is selecting your wood. This usually means a random assortment of quality, with crowning knotty boards.

However, I found an awesome deal on eBay for multiple $15 off $50 Lowes coupons, and they were valid online only. Using an Excel spreadsheet, I distributed all the materials across 4 separate orders to total just over $50 each.

Then I purchased 4 of the coupons on eBay for a mere $4 (coupon codes were emailed to me immediately after purchase) and placed four Lowes store pickup orders. Just $4 on eBay saved me $60. Not bad! The Lowes guys didn’t mind when I went to pick up the order either.

Here’s my car full of wood after the lumber excursion to Lowes (ignore the concrete and the pipes – they are for an upcoming shade sail project):

I did have to get some wood cut in the store for the picnic table. I ordered several 12 ft pieces of composite decking and I knew that wouldn’t fit in my car.

So I had an employee cut them in half for me. Having the store cut your wood is convenient, but it’s not always worth it.

Their cuts aren’t that accurate, and sometimes you have to wait a while to get help.

Additionally, there seems to be a trend starting in stores to charge you for too many cuts.

Always thinking of how I can save money, I brought a measuring tape and a handsaw in case I decided to cut the picnic table wood myself in the parking lot.

As it turned out, a thunderstorm appeared out of the blue when I got to Lowes, so that forced my hand and I had to have them cut it for me. They usually charge 75 cents for the cuts, but they waived it.

How to Build a Picnic Table

The first step in my how to build a picnic table project was to cut all the wood. So when I got home, I spent an hour cutting all the wood according to the plans. This hard work resulted in the picture below.

Doesn’t it look like a kit just waiting to be put together?

The next step in how to build a picnic table is to put together the picnic table’s legs:

Here comes the tabletop support:

Next up was the pair of seat supports for the DIY picnic table:

Here are the five pieces of the picnic table project that would soon come together to form the table’s skeleton:

I clamped some of the pieces together and picnic table project was now three dimensional:

With the seat supports attached, it was starting to look like a picnic table now:

Here I used a diagonal support beam to prevent the picnic table’s legs from shifting inwards:

Here I had to reinforce the structure with some 3.5″ galvanized carriage bolts to support the weight of people and tabletop loads:

It wasn’t too early to take the DIY picnic table for a test drive. Here I am taking a break from the work:

Finally, the crowning moment of the project came when I attached the composite decking on the DIY picnic table.

I highly recommend using a countersinking bit for pre-drilling the holes for the deck. I believe they make special screws for composite wood, but I didn’t have any.

At first, I used regular deck screws, and without a countersink bit, they did not look good after the head penetrated the wood.

Unlike real wood that compresses under the screw head, the composite material made a really ugly blemish on the surface.

After trial and error, I found the countersink bit did a wonderful job carving out a notch for the screws.

I used my router and a round-over bit to smooth/bevel the edges of the deck wood:

Finally I completed the DIY picnic table. Eileen helped me move it into the backyard. It was extremely heavy, but that was just a testament to its quality.

Here’s what the picnic table looks like in its element (notice our garden planter and rain barrel in the background).

The total cost of this professional quality DIY picnic table ran us $140, but that’s after a $60 discount via the $4 eBay coupons.

I estimate a pre-built picnic table of this quality would have cost a few hundred dollars in the store and even more at the landscaping stores!

If you are thinking about buying a new picnic table for your yard, instead learn how to build a picnic table with these plans and tips. We are absolutely loving the DIY picnic table, especially the composite tabletop.

Our DIY picnic table is already getting a lot of use and is sure to be a hit at our next BBQ.

Four Happenings from our Fourth – A DIY Holiday

July 4, 2016 by Eileen Leave a Comment

It’s been a busy holiday weekend over here.

We didn’t go to the beach like most do on the Fourth nor did we see any fireworks this year (although hearing them was a different story).

And, we certainly didn’t party like it was 1776.

Instead, we got a heck of a lot done off of our DIY summer projects checklist.

Finishing the Bookshelf

First, we wrapped up the window seat bookshelf project, which was my favorite of our DIY summer projects, so far. 🙂

This was a long project, being that a lot of the work needed to be done in the room next to where our little one sleeps.

With our downtime being his naptime and bedtime, the project was more drawn out than we had hoped.

After taking the above photo, I caulked a few last spots and put the last coat of paint on the shelves.

Here’s a selfie (or should I say shelf-ie) before I did some last few spots.

I’m just so pleased the shelf is done. Not only is another project checked off the list, but we have about 12 boxes from our move stacked in our mudroom that are filled to the brim with books.

We hadn’t unpacked them because we hadn’t a place to put them.

So, now we can finally finish unpacking from our move.

I’m so excited about that! (Now if only I could finish getting all of our pictures on the walls…).

Check out how the bookshelf looks completely finished and filled 🙂

A Picnic Table in a Day?

Just when I thought the weekend couldn’t get any better, Ash finished the picnic table that he started the same morning.

He built a picnic table in ONE day.

Crazy, right?! And, his post tells you how you can too!

Here’s what I saw Ash working on in the morning, when I snapped a few quick shots:

And, the same evening, a perfectly-built, sturdy picnic table was in our driveway.

I was floored!

But I shouldn’t be too shocked being that this is also the guy who single-handedly built a shed last summer.

We brushed the table off and moved it to the backyard, so we could put it use on the Fourth. Definitely a useful summer project:)

Fresh Veggies!

Our third item of the weekend was discovering vegetables in our garden! So exciting!!

Ash and I have been together over a decade, and this is our first garden.

This year, we have made a switch to clean eating and living a more healthy lifestyle.

I have been living by Anthony William’s book The Medical Medium, which is all about healing our bodies through what we are eating.

His information is life-changing, and he most prominently discusses just how amazing organic fruits, vegetables, and herbs heal our bodies.

With our new way of life, our beautiful backyard, and Ash’s talent at construction, we decided to plant a garden this year. Ash built a DIY planter box as an early summer project.

We hadn’t seen too much happening in the planter box…until this weekend. First we noticed a couple of hot peppers…

…then a few tomatoes, and finally some itsy, bitsy red and green peppers. It was a Fourth of July miracle!
I can’t wait to keep checking it, let alone harvest our fruits and veggies! If our garden is a success, I might have to help Ash build another DIY planter box next year.

Catching Some Shade

The fourth, and last project we had happening this weekend (other than some yard work) was installing a shade sail for our very sunny patio.

We were looking for a cost-effective way to throw some shade on our hot patio in the summer months, and we came up with this solution.

A shade sail is a weather-proof fabric that is held up by the house and a few poles.

It appealed to us because it’s quite modern-looking and not permanently affixed to the house. We didn’t get too far into the project, but we will keep you posted on how it turns out (update – check out the full tutorial).

Here is Ash double checking the measurements of the fabric, and Zeus who always seems to make his way into the photos 🙂

We didn’t have a conventional Fourth of July weekend, but it was a great one. We spent some time checking off a few projects, starting a new one, and of course, discovering our homegrown fruits and vegetables!

Above all, the best part was our family picnic on our new outdoor table – built in ONE day. I’m still impressed 🙂

Installing Kitchen Tile Backsplash

June 12, 2016 by Ash 48 Comments

In our previous home, we had painted blue cabinets and laminate countertops. We were in a rush to sell our home quickly (we sold our house in less than a week!), and our kitchen didn’t compare to some of the other neighborhood comps.

So, we had subway tile backsplash installed and the laminate countertops replaced. We hired a contractor to get it done quickly and because we didn’t realize how handy we were back then 🙂

Both the kitchen backsplash and the new quartz countertops made a huge difference in the kitchen; however, it was the tile backsplash that pulled the whole kitchen together nicely.

Accordingly, we were looking to do something similar in our new kitchen.

We had already gel stained the kitchen cabinets. We refinished the old oak to a modern-looking walnut with gel stain. The next phrase of our kitchen overhaul was installing tile backsplash.

This time around, however, we did not need a contractor. I made sure to watch our previous guy as he was installing the subway tiles in the kitchen, asking a lot of questions and trying to learn everything I could about how to install tile backsplash.

Luckily, he was a real sport about it, giving me lots of tips and tricks. And, I learned how to install tile backsplash. A tool that I could now use in our kitchen.

Therefore, I was confident I knew how to install backsplash and that I could tackle this kitchen project.

Here’s a before and after picture of our kitchen. The after picture has the gel stained cabinets and the tile backsplash. Such a big difference, right?

Deciding on the Tile Backsplash

The first step of this project was deciding on a tile backsplash.

Eileen always handles our designs. She wanted to find something that would bring together the granite countertop and chocolate cabinets, something that was modern-looking, and it couldn’t be “too matchy-matchy.”

It also couldn’t be too busy of a design because the countertops were already very elaborate.

After looking up tiles and prices online, Eileen decided Lowe’s had the best selection of tile backsplash for our kitchen, so she went to the store and took pictures of a few of the ones she liked.

Then, I superimposed the sample tiles to create virtual showrooms, so we could visualize our kitchen with each of the choice.

Eventually we settled on a natural stone tile backsplash for the kitchen.

Sold on sheets of 15 tiles each, we calculated how many sheets of tile backsplash we would need based on the approximate surface area of the wall.

We made sure to pad this number by at least two, to account for any waste factors.

Here’s Eileen holding a sheet of the tiles we chose for the kitchen backsplash:

Selecting a Grout Color for the Kitchen Backsplash

The next decision to make was selecting a grout color for the kitchen backsplash.

The grout is the filler material that goes in between the tiles. Grout comes in two types – sanded and unsanded.

When your tile spacing is less than ⅛”, you need unsanded grout.

Our stone tiles used ⅛” spacing, so we needed regular sanded grout.

Selecting a grout color was actually the hardest part of the the kitchen tile backsplash project because we kept changing our minds.

You don’t realize it but grout plays a big role in a tiled area, as one grout color can completely change the look of the area.

Once again we relied on our virtual showrooms of superimposed tiles to guide us on this decision.

We initially went with a dark-colored sanded grout, thinking it would match the cabinets; however, we changed our mind when we started using it because it was way too dark once mixed.

We ended up going with a grayish colored grout in the end.

Determining How to Cut the Tiles

Next, I needed a way to cut the tiles in order to tile the kitchen.

I remembered from discussions with our contractor friend that there were several ways of cutting tiles.

Option 1: I could use a hacksaw with a tungsten carbide blade. Although this was the cheapest solution, it seemed like a lot of work.

Option 2: I could use a manual tile cutter. It scores and breaks the tile for you. That sounded like a simple option.

Option 3: Then, there is a wet tile saw, which is basically a mini-table saw with a water reservoir to keep the blade wet and the tile dust to a minimum.

Coincidentally, Home Depot was having a Black Friday sale on wet tile saws, so it was hard to turn down the deal.

Admittedly, I would rarely use the saw in the future (how often am I installing tile backsplashes), but it was selling at half price and would greatly expedite progress on this project.

Pictured below is the wet tile saw ready for action.

Now, that we had our tile and grout selected (and a brand-new wet tile saw), it was just a matter of preparing the area in the kitchen and getting a mortar mix to bond the tile to the wall.

Prepping the Kitchen for the Backsplash

Prior to tiling the kitchen, I removed the small patch of red, pizza-kitchen tiles above the oven (pictured below) with a hammer and chisel.

Although they came off fairly easily and quickly, I had to be careful not to cause too much damage to the drywall beneath (the new tiles will need a sturdy and flush surface to adhere to).

Then, I prepped the area for the new tile backsplash by removing all the face plates from any electrical outlets/switches and covered the countertop with plastic.

Making the Mortar

We bought a bag of thinset, which is just a quick drying cement used for tiling.

It comes in powder form, and you just have to mix it with the right amount of water. The water/powder ratio is the trick to getting good workable thinset.

Too much water and the thinset is too runny and the tiles do not stick well to the wall during the drying period.

Too little water and the thinset gets too thick and causes difficulties spreading on the wall.

So I started with a few scoops of the powder and added in a very small amount of water. I used a paddle mixer attachment for my drill and a large bucket to stir the solution well.

My trick to getting the perfect thinset consistency was to slowly add in more and more water until I was comfortable with the result.

Once I mixed the right thickness, I let the thinset sit for 15 minutes. This wait time (called slaking) was an important step because it gave the thinset ingredients time to activate.

After the slaking period, I gave the mix one more stir, and it was ready to use.

It was time to start tiling the kitchen.

How to Install Tile Backsplash

Using a notched trowel that I purchased specifically for this occasion, I started spreading the thinset onto the drywall.

Remembering a tip from my contractor, I worked in small batches.

I only put on enough thinset to adhere one sheet of tiles at a time to the wall.

To apply the thinset, I scooped some onto a flat (non-notched) side of the trowel and spread it on the wall.

Once the thinset was spread evenly over a patch, I switched to the notched side of the trowel. I ran it across the thinset, leaving behind evenly spaced grooves.

The grooves are important to help the tiles stick to the wall. I placed a sheet of tiles on the wall and pressed each tile into the thinset.

The Importance of Tile Spacers

Here is where I made an incorrect assumption about tiling. I thought that because the tiles were already spaced on a sheet, I did not need tile spacers (little plastic wedges that help you keep your tiles evenly spaced).

However, once I adhered the sheet to the wall, shortly afterwards some of the tiles started to slide down the kitchen wall.

Luckily, I had some plastic washers that were ⅛” thick. I wedged those in between the drooping tiles to maintain the spacing.

So, I ran out later that day to get some actual tile spacers for the rest of kitchen tile project.

I also had an issue of drooping tiles, especially over areas with no countertop (like across the back of the stove). They just kept sliding downwards.

To solve this problem, I put temporary finishing nails below some of the tiles on the bottom row to give them a ledge to rest on.

However, the tiles above the countertop drooped too, and I could not have the tiles resting directly on the countertop, as I needed to have a ⅛” spacing.

Instead of using finishing nails there, I used some paint stirring sticks, which happened to be the right thickness.

At the time I thought it was a great idea, but what a big mistake it turned out to be. The next day when the thinset was dry, I tried to remove the stirring sticks. They would not budge.

They were embedded in the dry thinset, like the tiles above it. I had to use a chisel and a hammer to remove it, and even that did not do a great job.

I ended up having to use a special grout removal bit on my Dremel to grind out the wood/mortar mix in the groove between the tile and the countertop.

So note for future tile backsplash projects – always use proper plastic spacers rather than improvisation.

Making the Tile Cuts

Here’s a picture of one area of the kitchen wall, just after I applied the tile backsplash to the thinset:

By now, my newly purchased wet tile saw was really starting to pay off.

Cutting the tiles was a breeze, and all my cuts were very accurate.

Just like a table saw, I set the fence on the tile saw to the right distance, and slowly slid the tiles through the blade to cut them, guided by the fence.

There was practically no dust in the air, and it was fairly quiet. I could work in the garage at night and not have to worry about disturbing anyone with the noise.

Here’s a picture of me getting ready to cut one of the stones with the tile saw:

Most tiles just required one cut to fit a narrow gap.

However, several tiles required two perpendicular cuts, leaving behind an L-shaped tile. These pieces mostly wrapped around an electrical outlet or the corner of a cabinet.

To cut these, I held the tile up to where it was going. Then, I penciled in some notches on the surface to remember where to cut it.

The only problem I had with the tile saw was where the 2 perpendicular cuts met each other.

Since the blade was round, I had difficulty getting the cut lines to fully intersect without over-cutting slightly on one side of the tile (the side facing down on the saw table).

I dealt with this by making sure the back surface of the tile faced downward when cutting. The over-cut lines were not visible once the tiles were stuck to the wall.

It would have helped to have a tile snipper too.

I probably could have eliminated the over-cut problem by getting close enough with the wet tile saw. Then I could have broken off the waste part and then used a tile snipper to clean up the remaining piece.

Something to keep in mind for my next tile project, invest in a cheap tile snipper to work alongside the tile saw.

I started tiling on the area off-set by the fridge.

It was a small area, and when I was happy with that. I continued along the perimeter of the kitchen.

I finished installing the tiles in about 2 hours.

Eager to start grouting, I had to wait for the mortar to properly set, which meant letting it dry overnight.

Applying the Grout to the Tile Backsplash

The next evening, I started the grouting process.

I mixed the grout very similar to how I did the thinset. I added the grout powder to the bucket. Then, I slowly added in more and more water (mixing with the paddle) until I got a good consistency.

Afterwards, I let the mixture rest for 15 minutes to slake.

It was now time to apply the grout.

I really just used 3 tools for this process – a grout float, a sponge, and a bucket of water. I used the grout float to scoop the grout out of the bucket, and fill in between the tiles.

Also, I made sure not to get any grout into the spacing between the tiles and the countertop. That area actually requires caulking.

It would technically look fine if grout was packed in there, but there’s a good chance that grout would crack after some time.

I used a sanded caulk that was the same color as the grout.

After I packed the grout into the grooves, I let the grout sit for 15 minutes.

At this stage, the kitchen wall will look like a big mess, as the grout is wiped all over the tiles.

After the setting in period, I used a wet sponge to wipe off all the excess grout. I wiped a few tiles at a time, cleaned the sponge in a bucket of water, and repeated.

I saturated the sponge with water, but not enough so that water was dripping down the wall. The wet sponge is what really made the difference.

After wiping down the tiles, glimpses of what the final tile backsplash looked like started to reveal itself.

Next, I gave the DIY tile backsplash another sponge cleaning 3 hours later.

This time though, I completely wrung out the sponge before each wipe, so its just barely damp when wiping the tiles.

Also, its important to perform the wipes in one continuous motion, and not backtrack over already wiped tiles.

This last cleaning process is important to help reduce the amount of grout haze the next day when everything is completely dry.

The next day, I used a dry towel to dust off the tiles and remove any remaining haze. from the grout.

Here’s a close-up of the finished tile backsplash:

Applying a Tile Sealer

With the grout applied to the tiles, I had almost completed the kitchen tile backsplash.

Since the natural stone tiles were porous, I waited a few days after grouting and wiped on a tile sealer to help keep water out and protect the stones from daily kitchen use.

All in all, it took two days to complete the backsplash, and even though I learned a few things the hard way, I successfully installed the tiles in the kitchen.

Months later, the DIY tile backsplash looks the same as the day it first went on.

It’s amazing how much of a difference the DIY tile backsplash makes. It really ties the whole kitchen together.

In learning how to install backsplash, I used new tools and added quite a few skills to my toolkit. It was a fun project to work on.

If you are looking to install your own tile backsplash, it’s really quite simple – and it turned out amazing.

As for our kitchen, it is slowly coming together. The next phase of the kitchen overhaul is painting the window trim lighter to match the newly modern feel of the kitchen.

Then, installing some pendent lighting, and finally converting the desk area to a cabinet.

Check back for these projects, or check out our kitchen cabinet post to find out how our kitchen makeover started.

How to Professionally Paint an Old Wooden Desk

May 31, 2016 by Eileen 30 Comments

Years ago, I painted an old dresser white with turquoise knobs. It looked really cute, but it was apparent that it was painted – the surface wasn’t anywhere near the quality of the furniture you would buy from the store.

There are so many tutorials online about painting furniture, and so many say that you can skip sanding or priming. Here’s my advice – don’t skip sanding, don’t skip priming, and use a high-quality paint.

Lately, I had been in the market for a new desk in my craft room. I was determined to find a good deal on an old wooden piece and then figure out how to paint the desk like a professional would.

You see, my current desk was an old kitchen table. Ash was in the process of updating my craft room with beautiful built-in bookshelves and a window seat, so it was time for my kitchen table-desk to get the boot.

I didn’t want to pay $200 for a new, modern-looking desk, so I scoured a few flea markets and thrift stores. Finally, at a Habitat for Humanity thrift store. I found a brown wooden desk that I could work with. It was originally $40, but with a 50% coupon – I paid $20.

Being that my craft room would have mostly white furniture, I decided to try my hand at learning how to paint a desk like a professional.

How to Paint a Desk White

Below is a picture from before I started painting the wooden desk.

It’s not a great picture. It had only been in the garage for about two hours, and Ash had the desk covered with tools and wood from another garage storage project. (I should have taken a better picture, but I am always so excited to start my projects that I forget.)

Preparing the Wooden Desk

Before painting the desk, the first thing I did was remove the drawers and knobs. Then I cleaned the desk really well – wiping off dust and anything else that had collected on the surface.

The next step of the desk makeover was sanding it down. To sand, I used a random orbital sander with 80-grit paper. This got the desk down to the bare wood quickly. However, even though the desk was smooth to the touch, I probably should have gone over it with 220 grit paper afterward for a more fine finish.

Here is the desk after the sanding and before painting. Notice I put the feet of desk on pieces of wood to raise it up, so I could easily sand, prime, and paint the desk’s legs.

Priming the Wooden Desk

After I was finished sanding, I wiped the desk down again to get all of the sawdust off. You can use a cheese cloth for this or even paper towels. Next, I was ready for the primer.

Priming Materials

I had a 2-gallon bucket of indoor/outdoor primer leftover from painting the shed last summer, so I was all ready to go.

I used a large roller brush for the desktop. Then I used a small roller brush and a 1-inch brush for corners and tight areas.

In addition, I used an 1-inch foam brush for the rungs.

If you are wondering what the most challenging part of how to paint a desk is – it was painting the rungs. The rungs on this desk were in such close proximity to each other.

As soon as I would paint one side of the rung, paint would build-up on the bordering sides.

I would then smooth this, and once again, the bordering sides would have some build-up, continuing the cycle.

Thus, I had to very meticulously spend time painting the desk rungs, being careful not to use too much paint and being conscientious about going around and around to smooth everything.

If your furniture has a design like this, be sure to leave lots of time (and have plenty of patience).

Also, since the foam brush put on such a light coat of primer, I knew I would have to do at least two coats on the rungs of the desk I was painting.

After two coats of primer on most of the surfaces (I did 3 on the top of the desk as well as the rungs), I was happy with the results and continued on to painting.

Painting a Wooden Desk White

After priming, I was ready to start painting. I was already happy with how the white primer was looking and was excited to finish up the project.

Using a High-Quality Paint

For this, I used a high-quality enamel paint (urethane acrylic satin).

This type of paint differs from regular paint in that the paint pigments are floating in a urethane solution so it dries to form a very hard, protective surface – much like how polyurethane dries.

It is expensive (about $50 a gallon), but its recommended for furniture that gets a lot of use. (Also, I only used about 1/3 of the can painting the desk, so I had a decent amount left for future projects.)

Applying the Paint

To apply this special paint on the desk, I used a foam roller brush.

It is recommended to use a foam brush with this type of paint to give it a smooth finish.

If you use a regular nap roller (like the ones you use when painting walls), it will soak up and waste a lot of the paint, and it leaves a textured finish.

In addition to the foam roller brush, I also used a 1-inch foam brush for the rungs and tight areas.

I applied a thick topcoat on all of the surfaces of the desk, taking my time with the rungs.

After it dried, I put a second coat on the top of the desk only. This provided extra protection on this surface since it would get a lot of wear and tear.

Also, this probably goes without saying, but if it’s a windy day, paint your furniture in the garage if you can, so particles don’t blow and stick to your piece.

Here’s how the painted desk turned out:

The White Painted Desk

The surface of the painted desk had a nice protective enamel that made it easy to wipe, and it looked professional painted.

However, the painted desk still looked like there were ridges in the wood; it wasn’t a sleek, smooth finish like the brand-new furniture you buy directly from the store.

Don’t get me wrong, I was still very happy with the way the wooden desk turned out. However, in hindsight, when I sanded the desk down to the bare wood (even though the wood felt smooth to the touch), I probably should have gone over it with 220 grit paper for a more fine surface.

The 80-grit paper quickly got the old finish off, but the 220 would have given it a smoother seal.

I still loved the way the painted looked – it was a welcome addition to our bright, airy craft room, and I learned exactly how to paint a desk.

Here’s a side-by-side view of the before and after pictures of how to paint a desk. Not bad, right?!

Time & Cost of Painting a Wooden Desk

The time span of painting the desk was the course of a week – including dry time and airing out time. The paint fumes were not strong, but a little extra time never hurts.

The total cost came to $70. The desk was $20, and the paint was $50. We had previously purchased the primer and the painting materials, so that wasn’t a cost for us.

And, there was primer and paint leftover for the next project 🙂 If you are wondering how to paint a desk like professional, these tips and tricks should definitely set you on your way, keeping you loving your professional-looking piece for longer.

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Planning the Garage Storage Boxes

Building the French Cleat Storage Boxes

Constructing the First Garage Storage Box

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A Lot of Storage for a Little Effort

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Researching Picnic Table Plans

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Fresh Veggies!

Catching Some Shade

Deciding on the Tile Backsplash

Selecting a Grout Color for the Kitchen Backsplash

Determining How to Cut the Tiles

Prepping the Kitchen for the Backsplash

Making the Mortar

How to Install Tile Backsplash

The Importance of Tile Spacers

Making the Tile Cuts

Applying the Grout to the Tile Backsplash

Applying a Tile Sealer

How to Paint a Desk White

Preparing the Wooden Desk

Priming the Wooden Desk

Priming Materials

Painting a Wooden Desk White

Using a High-Quality Paint

Applying the Paint

The White Painted Desk

Time & Cost of Painting a Wooden Desk

The Nitty Gritty