Tuesday 31 January 2017
Wednesday 25 January 2017
Laundry Room Makeover: DIY Plywood Countertop
I’ve gotten a few questions so far on last weeks’ big laundry room makeover reveal, and to no surprise, many of them were about the DIY wood countertop. So, I figured the first post I would put up this week should include some answers!
Note: some links to products are affiliates, which help to support the maintenance of this site. See my disclosure page for more info.
About the Plywood Counter
The laundry room’s wooden countertop is made from 3/4″ Purebond maple plywood. It’s pretty heavy, so I had a beast of a time getting it to fit on my walls, which were also wonky as hell (the back corners were just slightly wider than the width of the wall where the front of the washer and dryer are… oh, the joys of working on an old house!) :) Remember: measure twice, cut once, and hammer to fit. In my case, I also used an electric hand planer to knock off 1/16″ widths at a time until things weren’t getting stuck on the drywall anymore.
Before installing, I did a little research and spied that Mandi from Vintage Revivals uses a nifty trick to save on the cost of a thick piece of plywood by gluing a more expensive one underneath, and I love that idea! If I’d had more time than an extended weekend to finish mine (I was under a pre-Christmas deadline), I might have tried this same trick, too; I think it would have made the plywood counter even stronger and less likely to bend under any weight (it’s not doing that now either, but in time with use, that could be something I go back and try to reinforce even more). Perhaps if/when I upgrade the front piece of the counter to look more substantial (even though the supports are offset from the edge of the counter by a few inches, you can still see some of the support along the wall, which could be hidden with a longer decorative piece of lumber attached to the front), I’ll see about adding another piece underneath. The plywood is actually just wedged into place and doesn’t move, so I can easily take it back out again if I needed to with a few swings from a mallet.
Cutting Plywood to Size
I bought a full sheet of plywood, but I took my measurements to Home Depot before the purchase and asked them to cut it for me (which they’ll do for free unless you have a lot of cuts to make… I only had 2, and they also loaded the pieces for me into my SUV).
Tip: When having a big box store cut the wood for you, it’s important to inspect the full sheet of plywood and make your cuts strategically so that you can get as smooth of a cut as possible and wind up with the section of the plywood you like the most. Their saws can handle the cut with ease, but there’s a lack of control and speed that you’ll have as a customer (compared to, say, cutting it yourself with saws you’re more familiar with using at home) and it’s good to be observant when they’re cutting things down.
When the saw was cutting with the grain (along the length of the plywood), the wood had very little splintering. This was important, since this would be the cut along along the front edge, where it meets the front of the washer and dryer (as in, the most noticeable front lip of the countertop once installed). But on the pass for the crosscut (when you cut the wood perpendicular to the wood grain), I was worried that it would splinter a lot. Even though these edges would be on the left and right side walls in the laundry room (so, not as noticeable as along the front edge), the concern was that these areas would not take stain as evenly if I had to patch it up with wood filler (even when it’s a stainable filler, the texture looks different, and I wanted to prevent/minimize the obvious parts that were patched). Using the first cut as a guide, the clerk and I both noticed that the wood splintered slightly more on the front of the cut than the back on the saw. So, I used that as a way to plan which side of the plywood would be the top and bottom so I could hide the splintered side underneath.
Countertop Support
As far as installation goes, I treated the countertop similar to how I installed the floating shelves on the right side: as one large shelf in need of support along three sides. However, given the narrow space, the room’s dimensions were a little tricky to work around. For one, everything I did along the back wall had to be done around the washer and dryer; moving them out of the room through the hallway and into the kitchen would result in both units getting off balance (it’s important to keep them from knocking around), so I made the choice to keep them in the room and simply climb over them to install the supports along the three surrounding walls.
The supports were created mostly out of some inexpensive 2x2s (be sure to inspect them carefully at the store for warping). I would have used 2x4s, but the height of the lumber would have created a huge gap between the counter and washer and dryer, and I didn’t want that much clearance on top (while you do want to leave some space for air flow around the units, I wanted things to still look like a more snug fit). Measurements of the room are far from square, so it was a lot of trial and error to get things level. It helps in these situations to mark everything down on the wood itself so you know which end is up, where the studs are, etc. Given that the room is also surrounded by the garage on the left, an exterior wall with masonry along the back, and a closet and bathroom along the right, I was very careful to use a stud finder and heavy duty drywall anchors to put each support in place.
Figuring out how to support the middle between the washer and dryer was a little tougher; with the entire length a little less than 5 feet wide, I was reluctant to try to build support from the floor (I already had so little wiggle room to move the washer and dryer around, any structure in the middle would have been very snug!). So, I settled on a heavy duty shelf bracket — the largest I could find in store boasted a 600-lb weight capacity — by attaching it to the back wall.
Stain and Seal
As for the stain color, I pretreated the wood with wood conditioner for an even coat and then used a couple of coats of ZAR in Modern Walnut along with a few topcoats of poly to seal.
To hide the plywood layers along the front lip of the counter, I again used 3/4″ iron-on veneer edging like I did with my entryway closet. Again, since I can see some of the supports still, I’ll probably cover this over at a later date with a stained piece of wood instead.
To my surprise, it didn’t take much effort to get the plywood level (pictured is my 4-foot level that I inherited from my grandfather). Phew.
Once in place, I tested it out a couple of times, and it’s very sturdy. While I don’t think it would be wise to stand on top of the counter itself and put my full weight on it, I planned for it to handle at least two full laundry baskets full (though the hope would be not to leave things in the laundry room anymore!). Estimates online said a full laundry basket could be around 18 pounds, so I planned for 40 but still made sure that the anchors I used in the wall could handle twice that amount.
The depth of the counter still had a small gap in the back to allow for the cord for the washer.
There you have it! More details about other features in the laundry room makeover, along with more DIY projects, coming your way shortly!
The post Laundry Room Makeover: DIY Plywood Countertop appeared first on The Ugly Duckling House.
Website // Subscribe // Advertise // Twitter // Facebook // Google+
from The Ugly Duckling House http://www.uglyducklinghouse.com/laundry-room-makeover-diy-wood-countertop/
Friday 20 January 2017
What You Didn’t Know About Today’s Garage Doors
Most people don’t realize that their garage door is the largest moving object of their home. Here is everything you should know about it as … Read More
The post What You Didn’t Know About Today’s Garage Doors appeared first on Garaga Garage Door Blog.
from Garaga Garage Door Blog http://www.garaga.com/blog/en/didnt-know-todays-garage-doors/
Monday 16 January 2017
Friday 13 January 2017
How to Stain a Metal Garage Door to Give it a Faux Woodgrain Finish
Are you tired of looking at your faded garage door and want to give it a fresh new appearance? Maybe you’d like to give it … Read More
The post How to Stain a Metal Garage Door to Give it a Faux Woodgrain Finish appeared first on Garaga Garage Door Blog.
from Garaga Garage Door Blog http://www.garaga.com/blog/en/stain-metal-garage-door-give-faux-woodgrain-finish/
Thursday 12 January 2017
How to Build a Laundry Room in Your Garage
Is space at a premium in your home and you’re wondering if perhaps you could use part of your garage as a place to install … Read More
The post How to Build a Laundry Room in Your Garage appeared first on Garaga Garage Door Blog.
from Garaga Garage Door Blog http://www.garaga.com/blog/en/build-laundry-room-garage/
Wednesday 11 January 2017
Organizing My Photography Equipment
I am a compensated 3M-sponsored blogger. Opinions are my own and additional products used in the project were selected by me.
Does anyone else ever do this? Just before the holidays arrive, I often start thinking about quick and easy interior organization projects. I know that a lot of people tend to wait until January and the new year to feel the organization bug, but I have found that for me, getting something just a little bit tidier before the Christmas decorating begins serves as the stress-reducing palate cleanser that I desperately need before the house explodes in twinkly lights and glitter (which I hope to soon have a lot of). This is one of them: my new photography equipment stand.
Last year, Mom picked a theme for my Christmas gifts, most of which centered around photography. It’s something I’ve always wanted to improve on (I mean, I take a lot of photos), but in order to get better at this particular hobby, you tend to need a lot of practice — and a lot of stuff. Between tripods, lighting gear, and other equipment, my office has had a pile of all of these in various stages of disarray for the last year. So finally, I decided it was time to give these things a decent home.
I looked for ideas on Pinterest with a few goals in mind:
- Most of my equipment comes with bags for safely traveling around with it. Even though I don’t really travel beyond the house with this equipment much, I liked the idea of keeping all of the equipment together and in their assigned bags for easy transport. This basically meant that I wanted a hanging system rather than a built-in closet organizer, which is most of what I found in my search.
- Given the other DIYs on my plate, getting something that worked but was also quick and easy seemed best.
- I had a number of hooks left over from an over-shipment from a previous project, so if I could make use of this, the less hardware I’d need to buy.
The closest idea that popped up on my radar was the concept of creating a post that normally would hold Christmas stockings like this one. I thought if I modified the concept, made it a little taller, etc., it could be a perfect adaptation to suit my equipment, plus I could then also move it around the house whenever I needed to have all of it accessible nearby.
Materials Needed:
- 2 – 2x4s, cut between 4-6 feet in length, your choice (I went with 6′ so I could have lots of hanging space between each hook)
- wood putty
- sandpaper
- wood glue
- hooks (I used black robe hooks, which served well for hanging straps across both prongs)
- painter’s tape (for delicate surfaces)
- paint and/or stain
- Scotch™ Felt Pads, Rectangle, 4 x 6 inch (sponsor)
1. Create a 4×4
In most of the tutorials I found for this project idea, the plans called for using a 4×4 deck post, which wasn’t going to work for me. The main issue with using it is that decking materials are typically made out of cedar (which is rough and would require a lot of sanding for the smooth look I wanted) or pre-treated (“PT” for short) lumber. Pre-treated lumber is much cheaper, but it’s often still wet from the chemicals it is treated with when you buy it at the store. This means that you have to wait for several weeks or even months for it to dry out before you can paint or stain it. And I didn’t have that kind of time patience. So, I went with an equally inexpensive option: making my own 4×4(-ish, since it’s more like 3×3.5″) post. To do so, I took two whitewood boards and glued them together. Then, I clamped them tight to allow them to dry…
And filled with wood putty, then sanded the whole thing down.
2. Cut base to size
I had some leftover 3/4″ birch plywood from a previous project, so it was an easy choice to square it off and use it as my base. The key is to make sure this base provides enough sturdiness to keep the post from being too top-heavy, so I would say at least 12″ or even 16″ is a good idea (mine is 13″ just because that was the largest piece I had).
3. Add edging to base
Since the edges of the plywood were really rough-looking, I once again used iron-on veneer edging to create a more polished look for the sides. I swear, I have used an iron for projects far more than actually ironing clothes!
4. Paint, stain, seal
I decided I wanted to go with a combination of white paint and stain, with white for edging and trim, and stain for the base and two sides of the post. This color combo nearly exactly matched the bookshelves I also keep in the office, so I liked the way this made the new post tie into the design of the room.
Getting the stain to match wasn’t easy, so I procrastinated a little between these steps and painted the other parts first. I found that a mix of natural, golden mahogany, and a quick wash with some antique walnut was the closest (there’s really no method to any of this; I just mix and test on a scrap piece until I find the color I like). Be sure to use painter’s tape to block off the parts that you’ve already painted (I used one for delicate surfaces since it was newly painted).
5. Add the base to the post
Once everything was dry, I marked off the center of the base and glued/nailed the pieces together. I also cut down some ready-to-install trim that I bought on my last trip to the store on a whim, and I really like the polish it added to the base.
6. Add felt pads to the base
Scotch® Brand sent me a big box of products to try out earlier this year, and one such product was perfect for adding to the bottom of the base.
These 4×6-inch Scotch™ Surface Felt Pads can be cut to size, but I used all four included in the package to cover up the splintery bottom of the plywood and keep this stand from scratching up my floors when/if I move it around the house.
7. Add hooks to the post
I hung two hooks closer to the top, a couple more about two feet lower, and two more about halfway down, alternating between the painted and stained sides of the post.
Then, it was just a matter of hanging everything up and finding it a spot in the office.
The post Organizing My Photography Equipment appeared first on The Ugly Duckling House.
Website // Subscribe // Advertise // Twitter // Facebook // Google+
from The Ugly Duckling House http://www.uglyducklinghouse.com/organizing-my-photography-equipment/
Monday 9 January 2017
What are the most common problems with garage doors?
We tend not to worry much about our garage door until something goes wrong. However, it’s easy to ensure that it works properly at all … Read More
The post What are the most common problems with garage doors? appeared first on Garaga Garage Door Blog.
from Garaga Garage Door Blog http://www.garaga.com/blog/en/common-problems-garage-doors/
Wednesday 4 January 2017
New Year’s resolutions I should make to ensure that my garage door works properly at all times
Did you know that between 8 and 10 percent of people manage to keep their New Year’s resolutions? Are you one of them? Here are … Read More
The post New Year’s resolutions I should make to ensure that my garage door works properly at all times appeared first on Garaga Garage Door Blog.
from Garaga Garage Door Blog http://www.garaga.com/blog/en/new-years-resolutions-i-should-make-to-ensure-that-my-garage-door-works-properly-at-all-times/
Tuesday 3 January 2017
Résolutions que je devrais prendre en ce début d’année pour que ma porte de garage fonctionne bien en tout temps
Saviez-vous qu’entre 8 et 10% des gens réussissent à respecter les résolutions qu’ils avaient prises en début d’année ? Faites-vous partie de ces statistiques ? … Read More
The post Résolutions que je devrais prendre en ce début d’année pour que ma porte de garage fonctionne bien en tout temps appeared first on Garaga Garage Door Blog.
from Garaga Garage Door Blog http://www.garaga.com/blog/en/resolutions-que-je-devrais-prendre-en-ce-debut-dannee-pour-que-ma-porte-de-garage-fonctionne-bien-en-tout-temps/