Exterior Paint

The exterior of mom’s house hadn’t been painted in at least 15 years. The exterior of our house was painted during the remodel, 15 years ago. Both needed some work. I contacted our general contractor from the remodel,… Read More

Redoing the driveway

As we worked to fix the sewer, we needed to dig out a portion of the driveway for access. And we realized that there was some sort of leak in an irrigation pipe that went under the driveway…. Read More

Revisiting landscape irrigation

Technology has changed since we did the landscaping in 2007, particularly with the ability to control things remotely. I had to replace the controller (timer) at my mom’s when the hard-working device my dad placed well over 20… Read More

Upgrading a ceiling fan – DIY is never that simple

When we first bought the house, we installed a ceiling fan in the kitchen. That fan ended up in my office, and has been really great… but it finally stopped working. Newer devices have options for remote controls,… Read More

Battery Tender – trickle charger for your car

When my dad died, we had troubles keeping the battery in his car working, because we just didn’t drive it enough. After needing a jump from a friend, they recommended we get a trickle charger. I did some… Read More

Whirlpool Gladiator “Freezerator”

We got a Whirlpool Gladiator series garage fridge/freezer, the “Freezerator,” after the remodel.  It looks like a typical fridge/freezer with a smaller top section than bottom — except that the bottom is the freezer, and the top is… Read More

Mounting grab bars

Mom decided that she wanted a grab bar on the two-step transition from the front hall to the back hall/laundry room, and another one at the bottom of the main staircase. (Wow!  she’s letting me change her house!)… Read More

Swapping out Sargent Locks

Continuing the saga of house improvements for my mother… After her fall, we knew that she needed someone in the house with her full time.  But she had spread her papers (financial and otherwise) all over the house…. Read More