The Fixie Chick blog
Brenna Hartmann is the co-founder of Fixin'Chix Inc., a do-it-yourself enterprise that includes a comprehensive home improvement website; how-to workshops, seminars and publications; and a product line. Brenna is dedicated to empowering women "do-it herselfers" (DIHers) who have the passion and desire to improve their homes. Brenna writes the popular Fixie Chick home improvement column found in Home & Yard Handbook, and is the co-host of "Home & Yard Radio with the Fixie Chick" on 950 ESPN. Brenna lives in Webster with her husband and two children.
Installing Carriage Door Hardware On Your Garage
Here's a do-it-yourself home improvement project you can complete in under an hour, for way under a hundred dollars! Carriage door hardware attaches right onto your existing garage door for an elegant, upscale look. There are about a dozen styles and finishes to choose from, so you can choose the look that's right for your house.
For this project you will need:
Hardware Kit
Cordless Drill
Rivet Gun (I recommend a convertible or universal gun)
Adhesive (I recommend Liquid Nails)
Tape Measure
Marker
Safety Glasses & Work Gloves
Paper Towels
Gather all your tools in one place so they are easily accessible
Step 1:
Place the hardware where you want it and mark the holes with your marker. When you mark the second door, choose a reference point(s) and measure the distance from handle to reference point and strap to reference point to ensure even placement.
Step 2:
Put on your safety glasses. Using a bit that about the size of your rivet, drill a hole in each of your marks.
Step 3:
Liberally apply Adhesive to the back of one piece of hardware and apply to garage door, lining up holes in hardware with holes in door. Hold the hardware to the door until a bond forms, about a minute.
Step 4:
Insert rivet into one of the holes. Place rivet gun opening over rivet, and using a pumping action press arms of rivet gun together two or three times to create a pressure seal. Once you feel pressure, press arms together hard. Rivet nail will pop off, leaving hardware riveted to door. Pick up and dispose of rivet nail. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until all hardware is attached. Carefully wipe off any excess adhesive as each piece of hardware is applied.
Check out the Fixie Chix column in the July issue Home & Yard Handbook. And don't forget, if you have any questions about this project or any other, please email me. I look forward to helping you.
Happy Home Improving!
-The Fixie Chick
WHEW FINALLY...Done!
Remember my filthy, cluttered, unorganized garage?
Well, look at it now! Photos don't do this project any good, but trust me, it's so transformed that I feel like I've moved!
At last, I can park in my garage, I have a refrigerator for extra storage and it even smells good! Not that I'll be entertaining in there, but the spruced up space is a delightful welcome mat to my home.
Heed this advice and you too can Take Back Your Garage.
STEP ONE: Devote at least a four hour time block that you can work uninterrupted.
STEP TWO: Empty as much of the contents as you can. As you are emptying the garage, make separate areas for like items. Keep similar items together. It's nice to have a hose handy to spray off the dust and grime. Spray first, allowing plenty of time for your items to dry in the sun before you are ready to replace.
* If you come across items you no longer need, move them into two separate areas: "give-aways" and "for-sales". Have a few clear plastic storage bins on hand. Cardboard boxes for garage storage are a big no-no. Not only do they get soggy and grow mildew, but they are also highly flammable. It's nice to be able to see what's inside AND, clear plastic storage containers are easy to stack.
* If you come across any paint or stain that has been in the garage through a winter season, It is no longer any good. Call your town to learn how to properly dispose of old paint and any chemicals you may no longer need. If you are not using them, properly dispose of them. They just add to the clutter and most are highly flammable.
STEP THREE: Put your broom and/or shop vacuum to work. Start at the ceiling and work your way down to the garage floor. One you have removed the dust and dirt, it's time to start putting your new garage together.
STEP FOUR: Create a designated space for each of your like items. Keep the items you use most often most accessible. If you have children, I highly recommend investing in one of those "sporting good" organizers. I am so glad that I did! Begin returning everything, like items together.
STEP FIVE: This is the fun part. If you have a window, purchase an inexpensive treatment for it. See if you can find a durable carpet remnant to match. Last but not least, Buy a few air fresheners (all the same sent please) and place them around the garage. These finishing touches will not only give you a warm welcome, they will remind you to keep this extension of your home neat and clean!
I hope this blog inspires and motivates you into creating the ideal living space for your home.
Next up- Tune into CW-16, or channel 13 on Monday, June 25th beginning at 6 am. I'll be showing Rochester homeowners how to install decorative hardware on the "New Front Door". Yes, the garage door. Don't miss this one.
-The Fixie Chick
Almost There
I had hoped to post my completed garage project by today. Though I did accomplish the organizing and cleaning on Monday, I spent the better part of yesterday scrubbing out my salvaged garage refrigerator. I have a few finishing touches to add this afternoon and I promise, tomorrow I will share my expirience and my tips on how you too can take back your garage.
Talk to you Friday.
-The Fixie Chick
I'm Taking Back My Garage!
It's true, I have been unable to use my garage for anything other than storage in quite some time. Every time I open the door I get an uneasy feeling. Perhaps I am overwhelmed at the thought of organizing it. I remember reading an article in the Home&Yard Handbook that resonated with me. Something about the laws of Feng Shui and how many use the garage as the main entrance for their home. The gist of the article said that negative energy is released from cluttered and unorganized entryways and that it sets the tone for how you (and others) feel upon entering the home. It seems to make sense.
Even though I have this information and believe that the grass clippings, gardening tools and toys strewn about is genuinely effecting my mood, I have consciously avoided the chore of cleaning my garage!
According to a recent survey by Rust-Oleum, 55 percent of homeowners use their garage for more than just storage and 45 percent spend one to two hours a week there! Imagine a garage with clean floors, organized walls and open, usable space for parking your vehicle and easily accessing your garbage cans! That's what I'm talking about.
If you are anything like me, you'll probably need something to get you motivated. Today I'm having my motivation (a refrigerator) delivered. I have really wanted one for my garage. So today is the day. I'm taking back my garage!
Check back to Thursdays blog, I'll be sharing my b & a photos along with my advice on how to get it done. If anyone has advice for me, please do share. I'm going to need all the help I can get with this one!
Escalating Energy Prices: Guess Who Gets Hurt The Most?
Americans For Balanced Energy Choices (www.balacedenergy.org), recently released a report that says America's poorest families will be hit the hardest by skyrocketing energy costs. The report predicts that residential and transportation energy costs for America's poorest will rise from 23 % of after- tax income in 1997 to a whopping 46 % in 2007.
The key findings state that for most low and middle income families, energy costs are consuming nearly 1/5 of after tax household income. Over the last ten years, average energy bills for American working families, earning between $10,000-$50,000 annually, have almost doubled!
Americans earning less than $10,000 annually are being hit the hardest by rising energy costs. In fact, their residential and transportation energy bills are expected to more that double this year, compared to 10 years ago.
To read this full report, go to www.balacedenergy.org
The more I read and learn about our energy crisis, the more I want to join in the masses to learn how I can make a difference.
What to Do Next?
I hope you have enjoyed sharing my experience of installing a paver patio. Perhaps you will be inspired to install one of your own. I have to say, even though the patio is only 3 weeks old, I have definitely gotten my efforts worth out of it! I have enjoyed being able to use my patio furniture and have even clipped some peonies for the wicker coffee table. It truly is an extension of my home. I love to watch my two year old son pushing his trucks on his hands and knees while I enjoy a beverage with the neighbor. Though I have a deck, it gets much too hot in the sun for him to crawl around on, so I am rarely able to "sit" up there. The pavers NEVER get hot- even in the blazing sun.
For now, I will relax on the patio and dream up my next home improvement project. Stay tuned!
-The Fixie Chick
10 Steps To The Perfect Patio
Step 1:
Use the stakes, string and line level to determine the height and pitch of your patio. You want a slight pitch for drainage. Always set the pitch away from your house.
Step 2:
Excavate 8-10" deep depending on your soil conditions. If you have wet soil, you'll want to go deeper.
Depending on the size of your desired patio, you may want to hire a professional landscaping or excavation company to dig and haul the topsoil. For my 350 sq. ft. design, I hired a landscaping crew to excavate with a mini excavator and dump truck. In about 2 hours, the 10" excavation phase was complete.
Try to schedule your material delivery as close to the excavation and date as possible.
Step 3:
Use your wheelbarrow and a couple of helpers...DIT (Do-It-Together) to begin filling in the first layer of crusher run. (For my 18 X 19 patio, it took me and three guys about 3 hours to completely lay the crusher run.) Thankfully my friend Chuck, agreed to lend me his plate compactor & give me a hand with the installation. A plate compactor can be rented for around $75 per day.
The first layer should be about 2-3" thick.
TIP: Build a ramp with the crusher run for easy access to the pit.
Dump the crusher run, rake it out, lightly hose and tamp it. Use the hand tamper around the edges and the plate compactor to finish first layer. Check your pitch with 2 X 4 and bubble level.
Step 4:
Repeat Step 3.
Step 5:
Repeat again.
Now we have 3 layers of compacted crusher run.
Step 6:
Refer to step 1 and reset your stakes, string and line level at the patio height.
Bring in more loads of crusher run and rake it up toward the string line. Position your measuring tape so that 3" is at the line; bring the gravel up to touch the bottom of the tape measure. Our last layer of gravel will be spread 3" down from the line (the height of the patio). The pro's call this step "Three-ing it up"
Dump the crusher run, rake it out, lightly hose and tamp it.
Step 7:
At the house foundation, lay 1" ridged pipes vertically atop the compacted crusher run. Place a nice straight 2 X 4 across the pipes. The pipes will be removed; we are simply using them to measure and level 1" of stone dust. Beginning at the foundation, dump the stone dust around the pipes. It's nice to have a helper like my friend Lorri. (DIT) She brings me the dust and I begin screeding by smoothing out the dust with the
2 X 4.
Continue screeding away from the foundation by sliding the pipes back and repeating the screed process until the entire area is smoothed out. DO NOT walk anywhere on the screed. Don't worry about the voids from the pipes, we'll screed that by hand as we lay the pavers. My friend Lorri and I completed the screeding in a few hours (we took lots of breaks).
Step 8:
We set up our line level around the parameter of the patio. This is our guide for a straight edge.
Wet the screed with a light water spray.
Starting at the foundation, gently place the pavers in a random pattern. It's helpful to have a friend like Lorri to run your pavers and stack them behind you. And, Lorri's husband Michael has installed several patios so he was able to help us get moving. He showed us how to break up lines with random patterns. This is the fun part! It's very similar to working on a puzzle.
At this point Lorri and I are ready for an aspirin and ready for help. Chuck came back to give us a hand. The four of us stacked and placed the pavers, moving out from the foundation.
Step 9:
Now that the entire patio is laid with pavers, it is time to install the edging restraint. Make sure the edging is half way below the patio level.
Hold the edging tight to the edge of the paver and install your spike about 8 inches apart. Try not to drive the spikes too deep, we just need to hold the edging tight around the patio.
The Edging can be easily cut to fit.
Give your patio a good sweep and run the plate compactor over the installed patio with edging
Step 10:
Make sure the patio is completely dry. Here is where the breathing mask comes in. We are going to sweep in the polymeric stabilizing sand. The sand is pre-treated with chemicals and bonding agents (stuff we never want in our lungs).
Keep sweeping back and forth to fill in the cracks. Sweep off all access sand from the patio. Make sure there is no sand on the pavers. Mist the stabilizing sand with a light water spray. Then hose it down good. We are now ready for patio furniture and a toast with our friends!
TIP: During the excavation phase we saved some sod to fill in the edging after our patio has been completed. You can also fill in with fresh topsoil and re-seed.
TIP: List any unused materials for free on freecycle.org
FOR STEP BY STEP PHOTO IMAGES GO TO www.FixieChix.com
Phase 4
With the help of a trusted salesperson and your completed diagram, choose the "paver" that best suits your needs, availability and ability to install yourself. (Some pavers can require a lot of cutting - it's time consuming, tedious & potentially dangerous -- sometimes better left to the pros)
Once you know that you can Dig Safely, you can calculate and order your materials.
The base material is the least expensive, but most important part of a paver patio.
Materials for my 18 X 19 paver patio:
Crusher Run aka Gravel
Stone Dust
Pavers
Stabilizing Sand
Edging Restraint & 12" Galvanized Spikes
7 Cubic Yards of Crusher Run for the first layer, we need about a 6" layer
The formula to measure for crusher run is:
L X W X D divided by 27 plus 15-20% for compaction
18 X 19 X .5 = 171 / 27 = 6.33
1.5-2 Cubic Yards of Stone Dust for the second layer of base material, we need about a 1" layer
Same formula as above
18 X 19 X .01 = 3.42 / 27 plus 15-20% for compaction = 1.5 cubic yards
342 sq. ft of Pavers for the third layer
The formula to measure square footage is:
L X W
18 X 19 = 342 Square Feet
46 feet of Edging Restraint.
Measure the parameters of your patio minus the home foundation edge if applicable.
3 Bags of Stabilizing Sand
Approximately 1 bag per 100 sq. ft.
Tools:
Spray Paint or Flags for markers
Eye Protection
Breathing Mask
Gloves
Knee Pads (optional, but helpful)
Line Level & String
Spirit/Bubble Level
2 1/2" Metal Stakes
Hard Rake
Edging Shovel
Spade
Wheelbarrow or two
Weed Block Fabric (optional)
Hand Tamper
Plate Compactor (optional, but helpful)
1" ridged pipe for screed
Straight 2 x 4 for screed
Water source & hose
Push Broom
Muscle
