Confessions of a non-DIYer
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| DIY Girl |
I spent my Saturday afternoon covered in a fine white powder, up a stepladder, balancing a laundry basket draped in garbage bags*, scraping at the ceiling. My parents have decided to undertake some small home renovation projects and my dad, smart and handy fellow that he is, wisely started with the powder room as a guinea pig. It’s the smallest room in the house and has practically all of the renovation hurdles that we would need to overcome throughout the rest of the house. A microcosm of renovation, if you will.
I've also been so motivated by all of the home renos that I have seen via bloggers I follow (Alli / Hooray, Nina at Livingin40, Tinajo at Home, Erin at Like/Want/Need) that somehow, I've imagined that we could indeed Do It Ourselves. And convinced my parents that we could. Which is why I ended up choking on popcorn-ceiling** dust on Saturday. Valuable lessons learned?
Wearing a mask and goggles and old clothing may not be fashionable but sure is practical.
When people recommend laying down a tarp or drop cloth, as wasteful as it may seem, they do so for good reason (the reason? saving two hours of floor scrubbing time).
We’ve still got a long way to go before we get this little room where my parents want it. There’s wallpaper to strip, ceiling, walls, cabinets to sand and paint and replacement of the pipes, mirror and light fixture. This also means that there are fixtures, parts and paint to buy. I’d love to hear any of the helpful hints that you all have for a beginner at DIY.
*The laundry basket was to catch the popcorn as it fell. Again, now I know why people use tarps. You know, besides rolling bodies in.
**If you aren’t familiar with popcorn ceilings, then count yourself lucky. If you’re curious, wikipedia explains it pretty concisely here. It would be really inconvenient to get asbestos poisoning from doing this. We still have the entire house to go.
I hate popcorn ceilings! Why on earth did we ever think they were fashionable? Good luck. Honestly, the only tip I have to give you is to search for information on that specific job you're doing. Or email HGTV, maybe they'll answer you. :)
ReplyDeleteI think it's great you're doing it though. You started with a tough job, but don't be discouraged. Just try tackling it a step at a time and take pride in the small achievements.
lol, brilliant, can't wait to read more :)
ReplyDeleteSomewhere in the back of my mind I think I remember reading it softens if you wet it. Not sure if you're supposed up use plain water or some other solution. The laundry basket was a good thought.
ReplyDeleteI hang onto "Sunday shirts" (worn-out tees) to wear during dirty jobs. At the end of the day I can just take it off and throw it away if it gets too funky during the project. Whenever I wear one of those, that's when the lady next door decides to come over to chat. She must wonder how a "homeless" man manages to live next door.
I'm not really a DIYer either. We've done some, but there are some things you just hire out. Seriously. Good on you and your dad, but Lordy.
ReplyDeleteI'm not DIYer, but my husband is...what can I say? There are pros and cons to it. That's really cool though that you're doing it:)
ReplyDeleteWhat a hectic picture you painted for us. The laundry baskets seems like a good idea, in theory anyway!! I love how gung ho you are about helping your parents with this big project. I'm sure it'll look fantastic when you're finished.
ReplyDeleteI always wish I was a DIYer but I so am not.
ReplyDeleteI once tackled a popcorn ceiling many moons ago. Not easy. And the dust travels through the whole house.
ReplyDeleteI'm curious to see those renovation blogs you posted.
Haha, you crack me up! :-D
ReplyDeleteTo comfort you; I´ve messed up a thousand times as well - and after that was done, I actually learned something. Yes, it took just that long. You´re way ahead of me in other words..! ;-)
Thanks for linking by the way!
hah...I love this post. It's so relatable since I adore the idea of DIY...but I'm more accident prone than I care to admit!
ReplyDeletexo,
nancy
Funny thing is that I like the *idea* of DIY more than I like the DIY itself. Sounds awesome, post pics when your're done? :)
ReplyDeleteOh, don't you love all that dust too?! This brings back memories of when we were renovating our kitchen...i feel your pain!
ReplyDeleteI love me some good DIY fun but scraping off a popcorn ceiling does not sound fun at all. For me DIY is definitely a lot of try and error but I always feel like I can handle mistakes because you can always fix them. Sometimes I had to learn the hard way and now good prep work is everything to me. You CAN do it! It "just" takes some blood, sweat and tears but the end result will be worth it.
ReplyDeletehaha sounds like quite the undertaking!
ReplyDeletejessica
www.jumpintopuddles.com
Crikey. I'm not a DIYer either . . . which is why the whole popcorn ceiling business remains on my to-do list.
ReplyDeleteI have been collecting hints: the drop-cloth, for one. Also, wet it.
Also, FYI--usually the only kind you need to be worried about (for asbestos) is the sparkly kind.
Rooth, my hubby usually does all the house renos by himself. It's pretty laborious, but he does get them done so no complaints. His last project was another shed this past summer.
ReplyDeleteHonestly the biggest tool you need to be a successful DIYer is enthusiasm. If you really WANT to get any projects done, you have to enjoy it the whole way through (otherwise, that's why professionals exist!). The end result is usually enough of a motivating factor, too. And in this case, a popcorn-ceiling-less world is a big, big motivator. You go girl!
ReplyDeleteUgh. Gross. Popcorn ceilings bother me so much, I can't imagine having to scrape it.
ReplyDelete7% Solution
Oh my goodness good luck with your parents' renos. I like to pretend I'm a DIYer but when it comes down to it I'm just too darn lazy.
ReplyDeletewallpaper and popcorn ceilings, those are the projects not even the most season of diy'ers wants. well, after those two things are done everything else will feel like a walk in the park! hope you show us some pictures.
ReplyDeleteGood for you guys - that is impressive! My mom is super handy around the house and is renovating what looks like an abandoned farmhouse from the 1800s - it's kind of insane in my opinion. But impressive too. My little do-it-myself goal is to replace the sagging crown molding in my apartment. I don't even know where to begin, but I figure it can't be *that* hard.
ReplyDeleteMy parents have those ceilings and the walls in their basement are the same gross type.
ReplyDeleteI'm great at doing things if I get paid but not so good if it's a DIY. I put them off so it's good that you are at least trying! Glad you know about the asbestos. Did you have it tested?
i like a lil craft project, but anything that requires measuring, consider me out!
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