In August I built a ramp for Abbey Medical. Recently due to OT request, I modified it and added a landing in the middle.
It is on a pressure treated base with pressure treated decking for the surface. I added a wood/metal railing on one side, as well.
Awhile ago I put up an accent shiplap wall for Janice and Dale; they called and wanted another one. I measured the wall, then picked up the MDF shiplap and left it with them to paint, and to acclimatize to the house as well for a few days. Later I came back to install it.
This is an exterior wall with a built-out area where the foundation wall meets the windows. The issue with shiplap here was that you could see the top of it when it reached that transition. My solution was a small bar/shelf that covered it a little bit.
I asked my wife’s cousins if they had any work for me while we were visiting their area; they had a patio door that had been waiting awhile to be installed. So I removed their old one and replaced it. The new one was smaller so there was a little bit of extra framing involved.
I wasn’t able to remove the main glass panel from the new frame – I thought it would be easy but it seemed quite secure. It was manageable though. The sliding one definitely had to come out to make the frame lighter!
New, wider mouldings had to be installed inside and out. This tends to happen when a bigger framing gap is created! However it worked out nicely because they are already framing their outdoor doors and windows with wider mouldings anyway.
Here’s another tin roof over an exposed basement door… these new $2M houses really need to start adding some sort of overhang on these things… too much water gets in.
The important part is to avoid the light and the vent and still snug under the flashing.
Ingredients: fir 2×2, primer, black spray paint, screws, and galvanized roofing.
I helped my father-in-law build an outdoor firepit. He found instructions on the Family Handyman site. He had some bricks from an old building or chimney and we re-used them for the outside and top ring.
First we poured a ring base with some 1/8 hardboard and stakes and cement. We left a round piece of coroplast in the middle to help keep the circle shape.
Then we used a special mortar to glue on the firebrick (safer than regular brick near the heat).
Then we tired our hand at bricks and mortar. It was not easy and I was not super happy with how it turned out, but it does look okay. It was my first and likely my last attempt at bricklaying!
We didn’t get to have a fire while we were there, because the mortar has to cure for a week first…maybe next time!
Oh yes – we also added a ring of blocks around the base using a gravel/sand base. The cat was not much help.
I did some work for Get Well Physiotherapy in May and June. They moved locations and needed some walls moved, partitions added, painting done, and a few other things. I had to bring in some other trades to help.
Here are a few before / during / after photos.
I built a small roof for Sandee to keep the rain off an exterior door a little bit. She wanted plexiglass so I did buy a piece and stick it up there… haven’t much experience with it so I installed it with roofing screws with rubber washers, and pre-drilled oversized holes. Seemed to turn out ok!
Noel asked for a composite deck in his backyard; just a square slab.
I haven’t worked much with composite before and it’s not the miracle product I thought it was. Turns out it expands and contracts like wood (if not more?). But the part about not staining and refinishing it is certainly attractive.
It took about 16 hours start to finish. Noel bought the decking on Marketplace at a good discount and I bought the pressure treated lumber for the base.
Colleen hired me to replace a bathroom cabinet. I took out the old one, sealed the wall/floor a bit, and built a new one from scratch. The countertop was done by another company.
I used standard soft-close ball bearing drawer slides as I usually do. However, the company I normally get hardware from suddenly went bankrupt so I had to order from the States with a new brand. They seem to be ok but they are a different brand than I’m used to.
The drawer faces and doors were custom made stile-and-rail, ogee panel. I used 1/4″ white melamine for the panels and mahogany (I think) for the frames. It was time-consuming to get everything square and exact as possible. But also quite satisfying to do some “real” carpentry for a change!
I had some trouble with bleed-through while painting. Even with several layers of different types of primer and several layers of premium cabinet paint, the frames were slightly yellow. Finally I did 2 minutes of google research and found I needed to seal it with shellac first. The Zinsser BIN shellac primer worked wonders and was very quick. I still had to do some more sanding, filling/caulking, and repainting anyway as they weren’t good quality enough for my customer at first, but they turned out very nice.
Gallery 7 (www.gallery7theatre.com) is now showing Jeeves Intervenes on the stage at MCA Abbotsford. It’s a delightful farce/comedy. I had the privilege of designing and building the set.
I really enjoyed reading the script. In my research I read some of PG Wodehouse’s other works and watched the TV series “Jeeves and Wooster.” What I enjoyed most was the ridiculous amount of privilege that Bertie Wooster enjoys, and how even though he has problems like everyone else, he can muddle through them with grace given by his manservant and others.
So…how to build a posh London 1920’s flat with a modest budget? I spent a lot of time hunting for “vintage” furniture on Craigslist and Marketplace. It started off with a beat-up turn of the century wardrobe and the collection built from there. Many items were cheap but needed refinishing or reupholstering. I had many volunteers for this show, who were all helpful in making Bertie’s place come to life.
Below are some pictures starting with the concept drawing and then showing a few building pictures.
Set – almost finished!
handyandrew.ca 