There are a lot of cabinet hardware jigs out there. I’ve used quite a few. Most of them work fine for standard 3″ (maybe up to 4 or 5″) pulls for door handles. And they leave a lot to be desired when drilling holes on wide surfaces, like drawer fronts. What if you have longer […]
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Home security and monitoring is easier than ever. But finding a wireless camera with easy setup, great performance, and value, is tougher than it sounds. We recently checked out the new VTech VC931 HD wireless pan & tilt camera—and recommend it for the high-definition video quality, night vision, and pan and tilt camera control.
We installed the VC931 in our downstairs den. It monitors the sliding glass door and den area, which would be a common place for a thief to break into our home. Beyond the peace of mind the VC931 provides, we have found it useful for monitoring the activities of our 5-year old son. We no longer have to yell throughout the house to locate him, as we simply open the app and will usually find him playing with his magnatiles or building Legos. We’re expecting a baby in April, and considering getting another VC931 to use as a baby monitor.
We had a stationary camera setup in the den when we moved in, but the limited view was a real bummer. The pan and tilt feature of the VC931 allows us to easily scan and zoom the room using the app, with a swipe or pinch of your fingers. Grainy videos are not an issue as the VC931 provides high-definition resolution in daylight as well as during night vision.
There are a ton of other features available with the VTech VC931 that you’d only expect from a camera costing much more. These include:
An unexpected bonus with the VC931 is that it looks good on our shelf. It’s small and discrete, which is what we want. It’s also silent when moving, so it won’t call attention to itself. We’re thoughtful about every item we display on our shelves and this camera takes up such little room there is no need to design around it.
The VTech VC931 is currently available on their website for $120. That’s a heck of a deal considering all that you get in this tiny camera.
This post is sponsored by VTech, but all opinions are 100% our own.
I had a hankering for cookies this weekend so I made Lemon Drop Cookies. Which is something because I hardly ever cook anymore. Wes has become our house chef ever since I (80% complete) remodeled the kitchen. Which I couldn’t be happier about because I really don’t enjoy cooking. I do like baking and making […]
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The job site lighting category has exploded in the last couple years. It quickly went from the traditional heavy, hot, halogen towers that everyone used to lightweight, durable, and cordless LED lights in all shapes and sizes. Milwaukee’s advancement in battery technology with their always improving M18 platform has made their job site lighting lineup shine even brighter.
We’ve had the M18 Rocket LED for a few years, and the newest generation light is one of our most used lighting solutions. It’s compact, portable, and illuminates the darkest rooms or environments. We’ve transported ours to work sites everywhere and it easily fits in the back of the truck or behind the seats. People are always amazed by the easy open stand and omnidirectional lense. The beauty of this light is that is can also run on AC and will serve as a charger when needed.
In addition to the M18 Rocket, our two handheld lights get the most action. We use them for working under the sink, under the hood of our truck, to camping, and around the house. Our go to handheld lights are the M18 LED Stick Light and M18 LED Lantern/Flood light. They’ve been dropped from ladders, dragged through the dirt, and coated with oil, and they’ve never failed.
The Milwaukee Tool handheld light we reach for the most is their Penlight. It’s small and sturdy and delivers Trueview light, so you’ll never have to guess if a red is really a brown or if a green is maybe a blue? The clip makes it easy to stash and the water resistant push-button will never fail.
From Milwaukee’s Rover lineup we’ve got the original M18 Rover flood light and the new M18 Rover Mounting flood light. Both of these lights are made to illuminate a targeted area in a bath of Trueview light. The new Mounting flood has a spring loaded mechanism that allows you to secure it to a 2×4, storage shelf, or anywhere else that it can clamp to.
That last group of lights that Milwaukee Tool has are their Radius LED lights. These lights are designed to illuminate entire rooms and provide the most coverage possible. The M18 Radius with One-Key is currently the only Milwaukee light that can be controlled via the One-Key app.
These lights are the ones we have the most experience with, and within each category there are many others to choose from. We know Milwaukee will continue to innovate in lighting and we look forward to seeing what they announce at this years new tool symposium.
Closing on our new home signaled the end of the buying process, and the beginning of the journey towards making the house our home. The first step towards achieving this was painting the entire interior of the house, as well as the front exterior. We knew this would make the most dramatic change to the house and provide the most bang for the buck. We’ve been fans of Benjamin Moore paint for years, and were ecstatic when they agreed to partner with us to paint our home.
Our 1940 traditional home has great bones, and overall the walls aren’t in bad shape either, but the previous owner had an eclectic taste in colors and nearly every room was a different shade of blue, brown, green, or red. Sponge painting techniques were used liberally and there were a few rooms that looked as if a six-year-old painted them.
We had the vision to look beyond the rainbow of colors, and saw the potential of how our modern palette would work. It was helpful to mock up some exterior photos in photoshop and we took the time to test a variety of colors and sheens, during all times of day.
We chose Benjamin Moore Aura as we wanted a high-quality and no-VOC paint, that was safe for our family and durable enough to last for years. Covering red and other dark colors, often takes multiple coats of paint, but with Aura we only needed one coat of primer and two coats of of paint to achieve our desired results.
You’d think choosing a white paint would be easy, until you see how many variations of white Benjamin Moore offers. It’s difficult to see a difference in the swatches, which is why you need to see them side by side on the wall. It’s only then that the various hues and shades will appear based on the lighting in the room and the other colors such as the floors and furniture that will complement your walls.
We narrowed it down to four different whites and painted 1 foot x 1 foot squares on various walls throughout the house. We could have selected a different white for each room, but we wanted to go with a uniform look. We needed a white that could act as a chameleon and look great in multiple rooms and and complement different colored furniture, flooring, and other paint colors. Fortunately one white stood out from the rest.
We chose Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace OC-65, as the white which would cover 90% of the interior of our home. According to Benjamin Moore, Chantilly Lace is defined, “As delicate and refined as the lace it was named after, this crisp, clean white evokes images of pure silk, soft linen and simpler times.” We couldn’t agree more. Crisp and clean, without being harsh or too blue was what we were looking for. We wanted a white that would work in every room, including our den which we went for a really big contrast.
Selecting a sheen was an easy choice as we’ve got a young one (and one on the way), so bumping into the walls and grabbing them seems like one of his favorite pastimes. Aura is extremely durable, washable, and in eggshell, provides just enough pop. We also painted the ceilings in flat throughout the home, and went semi-gloss for the trim and doors.
The den located on the lower level of our home, consisted of wood paneling as well as two different browns that covered the walls and ceiling. We were a bit torn on keeping the wood paneling, but ultimately decided to keep it, but by painting it a dark color we could modernize it.
We also did the same for the wood hearth above the fireplace. We wanted a black, but not one that completely contrasted with Chantilly Lace white. We settled on Benjamin Moore Black Beauty 2128-10 for the wood panel of our den as well as some areas of the front exterior. The black wasn’t too deep, and provided a nice contrast to Chantilly Lace. Black Beauty also looked great on the wood grain, and unexpectedly brought out some great texture in the wood.
Our dining room features a Scandinavian table set and mid-century chandelier. Our original wood floors complement the original wall features which we wanted to retain. Chantilly Lace works well in this room which is bathed in light throughout the day.
The breakfast nook just off our kitchen was one of the most difficult rooms to setup, as we plan on remodeling the kitchen in the near future and don’t want to make any design choices that would only be short-term. We chose a modern white table and chair set helps pop the splash of color from the art hanging in the corner. Again, Chantilly Lace looks great in this space and we are going to appreciate its durability and easy to clean attributes being next to the kitchen.
Our son’s bedroom was one of the most shoddily painted rooms when we moved in, but after a fresh coat of Benjamin Moore, it now radiates with the warmth and energy we all desired.
Our living room is central to the home and where we spend time working as well as entertaining. This room has a southern exposure and receives full sun throughout most of the morning. We didn’t want a white that would cast too much of a blue hue, but rather we preferred a warmer glow, which Chantilly Lace provided.
The final room where Benjamin Moore paint made the most impact, was our guest bath. It’s a tiny room, but after a new coat of Chantilly Lace paint on the walls and Black Beauty on the cabinets, we had an entirely new looking room. We weren’t sure if the dark color would make the room seem smaller, but it actually had the opposite effect. Our little dark guest bath, is now featured gem of the house.
Painting our home has proven to be the biggest bang for the buck improvement. We were able to immediately put our own stamp on house, and can start with a blank slate when it comes to future design. Check back for our next article on designing and painting the exterior of our home, which was possibly even more dramatic.
Hey there Sawdust Girl Friends! It’s been a really long time it seems since I was here sharing a project with you all!! I am excited to be back and sharing some great knowledge that I gained recently when Sandra pushed us all out of our comfort zones and challenged us to try a new […]
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In addition to the mirrored pocket door, my latest completed project is the linen cabinet. WOOHOO!!! The carcass had been done for a while but I just got around to building the drawers and installing the doors that Cabinet Now sent me. Linen Cabinet Recap Looking back at all my video footage to get photos for […]
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Even a well-played instrument impacts roommates, neighbors, and family. Whether you play in a big house or a small apartment, it’s important to strike a balance between quiet and the sound of music. Here are a few tips to help soundproof a room.
Find gaps in door or window frames. A sound escapes through even a tiny gap. Reduce them by adding a door sweep, covering windows with thick curtains, or lining your heating and cooling ducts with soundproofing liner.
If your room has hard surfaces, the sound will reverberate, which means it will bounce around and hit surfaces repeatedly. Combat reflection with textiles and soundproof materials. Cover floors with carpeting or thick rugs, hang material from the wall, install soundproof curtains, or tack up vinyl or install acoustic insulation. Avoid cheap alternatives, such as egg cartons and mattresses – these are ugly and ineffective.
If you live in a small space, consider adding a false ceiling or replacing hollow doors with solid, heavy core ones. Also, take note of shared walls and consider moving your instruments to a garage or a shed in your backyard.
If you have an unused guest room, why not turn it into a recording studio? Here are some tips:
1. Cancel feedback from electrical equipment by placing items like amps far away from microphones.
2. Don’t annihilate sound reflection; leave spots open and treat them with diffusers.
3. Think about installing bass traps to dampen the sound for lower frequencies.
4. Have plenty of outlets and make sure they’re the right wattage for your equipment.
5. Think seasonally. Will the AC clicking on and blowing into your studio alter your sound?
6. Think about the number of musicians that will be playing in your room and arrange it accordingly.
7. Maximize your space by using appropriately-sized equipment.
Original article from Redfin
Bosch has just changed the tool tracking game by introducing GPS tool tracking technology on their newest breaker hammer. This GPS technology is also available as a retrofit on current breaker hammer models.
Bluetooth tool trackers from Milwaukee and others, have been the only tool tracking game in town until now. While these Bluetooth systems have their merits, they are limited in range. Job site managers have no recourse if the tool goes missing from the job site, but with the GPS tracking technology, you can follow it’s every movement, anywhere and at anytime.
Bosch has been on the sidelines with tracking devices and they will be jumping into the Bluetooth tool management game later this year with, Bluehound, which looks to be a direct competitor to Milwaukee’s One-Key.
We hope Bosch can really deliver with the GPS tracking tech and that it trickles down to the rest of their tool lineup including their 18V and 12V tools. It’s bound to happen, and it looks like Bosch has the lead on this.
I’m so excited to tell you that I’ve finished 2 (yes–TWO) projects this week! One is the mirrored pocket door that leads from Madison’s bedroom to the Jack and Jill bathroom. I love pocket doors. They don’t take up floor space and they don’t ever smack an unsuspecting occupant standing on the opposite side of said door. […]
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As a blogger in the home improvement world I’ve come to know quite a few construction professionals so when I had a question regarding the differences between circular saws, more specifically the worm drive and the sidewinder, I asked my friend Robert Robillard who is a carpenter and also writes about tools and home improvement challenges at A Concord Carpenter.
As a seasoned DIYer who lives on the west coast I’ve only really shopped for sidewinder saws which I always just called circular saws. But circular saws also come in another variation which is a worm drive saw.
It seems there is a regional bias for what type of saw contractors use. Early on the sidewinder saws were marketed to the east coast and the worm drive to the west coast. The SKIL 77 worm drive saw is a legendary workhorse and many right-handers prefer it because you don’t have to look over the motor to see the blade cut. Sidewinders have become the preferred choice among DIYers because of their lighter weight and lower cost.
Sidewinder vs. Wormdrive
Robert breaks down the differences for me.
Carpenters from coast to coast have used worm drive saws for framing, stair and roof rafter construction. The “Worm drive” is the name of the gears inside the saw. The motor drives a worm gear that transfers power to the blade. Because of this a worm drive has more torque and will cut when a direct drive saw would stall out. Which means more powerful!
It also means more weight and for years this was a negative for a lot of carpenters who are not framers.
In my opinion, worm drive saws are unmatched for their line of sight and blade visibility [blade on left for right handers] as well as their ample power. As a carpenter I can attest that my job site needs change and evolve with newly developed materials, updated building techniques and streamlined methods of working. Todays worm drives are lighter like the DEWALT 13.8 saw.
Many carpenters who do rafter and stair work would have a worm drive and a sidewinder for the opposing bevels.
Sidewinders or direct drive saws are small, light and get the job done. I personally own both and if I’m making a few cuts I use the lighter sidewinder. If I’m on a framing job – it’s the worm drive.
I’d love to hear what type and brand of circular saw you use and why?
photo: Fine Homebuilding
