ComesWithTools's profile

My father was a jack of all trades and worked hard designing, building and taking care of cottages. I would tag along and help him on his projects when I was a child. I never really got into renovations until 10 years ago. Once on my own I finished all the projects my ex left in the house as he always seemed to leave things undone i.e. the trim, paint jobs etc. and he would not allow me to finish them. He would say he would do them tomorrow but never did. So the day after he was out of the house I started finishing every room that was left undone....I was hooked. Three years later I renovated my house, complete with new tile flooring in the kitchen, hallway and dining room including underlay, I took out a small wall to open up the living room, and painted the whole inside of the house. I put the house up for sale and it sold in less than 2 weeks. It was not in the most desirable neighbourhood and it needed a new septic so I decided fixing it up would be my best bet, 2 showings and 2 offers came in, both from women. I bought a small house in town and these past few years have been slowing fixing and changing things. I built a 10x10 wood shed, I laid laminate flooring throughout the house, gutted my only bathroom on a long weekend and installed drywall and a tub surround, a new bathtub, sink and toilet and all new taps (I learned how to solder that weekend!). I installed new lights as well as I wainscotted using beadboard. My next project was the breezeway between the garage and house. I painted it and laid outdoor carpeting then it was the Muskoka Room (a 3 season porch) where I laid laminate flooring and painted it as well. This spring I painted the whole exterior of the house, made custom shutters with cutouts of blackbears on them, refurbished an old screen door from the Habitat store and also put a cutout of the black bear on it, and built a deck that incorporated a pond and a veggie garden. Also from the Habitat store I bought plastic lattice and made frames to coverup underneath my porch. My kids are in their 20's now and are on their own and are amazed at what I do. It has rubbed off because my 26 year old daughter learned how to change the oil in her car and install a muffler as well. She is in the process of looking for a house to purchase and flip and I'm sure she will call me for tips. I have a b/f that is an artist and is handy with tools but not handy with renovations and doesn't care to be. He helps when I need a 2nd set of hands but I'm more than happy to renovate on my own. It gives me peace inside and it makes me proud. I'm sure my dad is my DIY angel and has been watching and guiding me along the way. Its funny what you retain from childhood, all those years of helping him by holding the wood he was cutting, getting him the right screwdriver and just plain watching. The guys at Home Depot know me well now. At one time I would ask the questions and they would turn and answer to my b/f. He would tell them to tell me as I was the renovator. Now when I go to HD they ask what my new project is. It took a few projects before they started to actually believe me but its finally sunk in. I wish that men would stop and realize that women can do these projects and do them on their own without a mans help. I usually do my research on the internet and at the library and then I go and ask at the home improvement store. I'm glad there is a website that is for women renovators. Keep up the good work BeJane!

Recent Comments

On: I did see a tool once
"on a reno show on TV that was made for that purpose. It helped by holding the moulding in place when cutting with a mitre saw. It made it really easy. I'm sure that a local reno store should have i..."

On: Can you take a picture...
" and post it for us. It would give me a better understanding of what your asking for. Thanks ..."

On: Yes you can
" As long as the joists underneath aren't water damaged you can cut out the subfloor with a skillsaw shortened only to the depth of the subfloor so as not to damage the joists. Cut along the length o..."

On: Here's a suggestion
" There are programs that you can take a picture of your rooms and then recolour the walls. That way it gives you an idea of what the colour would look like. Better Homes and Gardens also has a prog..."

Recent Posts

Just built a wardrobe on wheels
"Here it is. I made it out of tongue and groove cottage grade cedar, the same as the new walls in the bedroom. The bedroom didn't have its own closet and I was going to use it as an office so I decided to build a closet on wheels so it would be easier to work around while organizing the new office. My house is cabin/cottage chic. The door handle..."

Just built a new shed/workshop
"Here is my b/f's new painting booth. As we live in Ontario Canada the winters get cold so this workshop had to be insulated. I found a Popular Mechanics shed on the internet and took the exploded plans and built the workshop from it. Its small, only 6x8 but thats all he needed. I changed a few things, i.e. the insulation, made it a little talle..."

Adding on to my Shed
"I would like to add on to my existing shed (a 10' x 8'addition). The roof is gable and I plan on extending the side walls out. The roof would be extended and would almost be flat due to the addition. Does anyone know of free plans to make this addition. I'm just wondering how to tie into the existing shed. This part of the shed would be its ow..."

Changing/replacing stones on fireplace
"I have a fireplace with 70's style bricks. They are supposed to look like real ones cut from stone but it just doesn't work. I want to tear these out and rebuild the fireplace with riverrock. Has anyone tried this...what am I getting myself into? My house has a cottage/cabin look to it with cathedral ceilings. I would like to put the stone up ..."