Framing around the ductwork in my basement had me completely and totally stumped. The key to wall framing for your basement is visualization. If you can visualize what the finished wall needs to look like then you are half way there.
It’s a skill that takes some time to develop but then is very easy to repeat. Even though I had already framed a few rooms for my basement I need some help from friends to wrap my brain around how to handle framing around the ductwork.
Be sure to check out my “super tip” at the end of the post for a solution to a noisy pipe problem that must be solved before you close up your ductwork framing with drywall.
Wood framing around duct work for a finished basement. Duct work framing is often called a soffit or soffit run. Which is French for - a type of ceiling that can be a pain in the ass.
What is “Ductwork” and Why do I need to Frame It
Okay, so here’s the deal. The ductwork I’m referring to is the main line (a metal box) that carries the cold and hot air from your basement HVAC area to the rest of your house.
In my house I have 2 main ductwork “lines”. One goes straight up from the HVAC unit and delivers air to one side of the house. The second travels across the basement to the other side of the house and then [click to continue…]
Wood pallet projects seem to be all the rage these days. They certainly have all the popular elements. Basically free. They look great. They reuse what would be trash and they are easy to find. Just one thing.., they could kill you. And I’m not talking about rusty nails or a bad splinter.
In most cases you should be totally safe but be sure to check out the warning at the bottom of this post. The last thing I need is for my blog readers to go dying on me. ”Don’t you go dying on me“.
This entire adventure started from single picture that I posted on my Pinterest board. Well, technically it started when I made a sudden and compulsive decision on Sunday at 2:00pm to go ahead and start a project that’s been renting space in my head since I saw this picture:
This is the inspiration photo from my Pinterest account. Looks awesome right? Well, instead of just commenting that I wanted to do it (which I did) I decided this weekend that I WOULD do it!
The wall in the photo above is being covered in wood strips from old shipping pallets. I think this look is really cool and I’ve been wanting to try it out.
Sunday. Around 2pm. Kids, asleep or “having quiet time”. Wife, half asleep in front of the TV. Me, wired from drinking way to much iced tea and watching way to many HGTV shows. Time to do this! Time to take action and [click to continue…]
Seconds after this photo, I realized I had a big problem. Be sure to read Step 4 to see why this light switch installation was only just beginning.
How do you install a light switch? It seems simple enough. Just walk right up there and install it. No problemo.
I remind Charlotte and Christian about 2000 times per year to turn off the lights in the basement after feeding the cats. Sometimes they remember, other times, not so much.
Regardless, each night I have to trudge down to the basement storage room, which is about 8 leagues under the sea, and check.
The solution. Install a new motion sensing light switch. On the surface installing a light switch seems easy. Heck, even the back of the box shows it in 3 easy steps.
Except, it’s not so easy if you haven’t done it before. At the end of the post I have a list of 4 gotchas that make this easy project… [click to continue…]
Sometimes you get to ride "The Avalanche" together at Disney. Other times... you clean out crap from your laundry room together.
There are two things I love to do with my spare time. Work on the basement and work on this blog. Oh… and hang out with the kids, wife, family, friends… those guys too. And golf. And sports. And beer. I’m sliding off track here.
This past Saturday I couldn’t do any of those things. My wife Jenn had reported that the washing machine was leaking. Nothing, and I mean nothing, gets my attention faster than something in the house that is leaking water.
I investigate and yes indeed there is water, albeit a small amount, in the washing machine tray, which also happens to have a bunch of cracks in the front of it.
So I soak up the water with some rags. We pull out the washing machine and start digging around behind the washing machine and the dryer.
Journey to the Land of Lost Socks:
If you’ve never been behind your washer and dryer before be sure to bring some form of GPS unit or guide dog because it’s a whole different world [click to continue…]
So light weight that my super-model wife only whined a little bit when posing for this picture.
It used to be that if a screw was buried deep into a piece of wood you might as well get the out the saw, hatchet, hammer or grenade cause you’re going to have to bust it up.
At least that’s how it was in the olden days. (ala 2001) Then along came the invention of lithium-ion batteries and with it…
The greatest tool I’ve ever bought!
The impact driver. Specifically, a cordless, air-less, small as my hand, impact driver.The Bosch PS40-2A-RT . I’m crying inside as I write this because if I could redo my wedding day I’d ask my Bosch impact driver to be my best man (sorry Dad).
I can’t count the number of times this little tool has saved me hours of frustration. An impact driver looks almost exactly like a regular drill, even smaller perhaps, but trust me, it’s [click to continue…]
