apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Wow, you guys have more guts than me.

I've done a lot of stuff in my place but I won't go near wires. I won't go beyond shut-off valves on plumbing either. Props to you for not being afraid and learning how to do the wiring. I may get there.

Honestly, I've impressed myself with some of the tasks I've accomplished without instructions, things that don't come with instructions. I had to extend a wall for instance. That involved new studs, drywall, corner beads, drywall compound, sanding and repainting. I had some telephone instruction but that was it, either I wait for a professional and hold up the project or I do it myself. Trial by fire.

I also have done a couple of tile projects and they turned out o.k. People are impressed when they seem them which is a good sign. They don't pick up on the imperfections.

Just like your electrical work, I am a believer in risking a few mistakes to learn something new. Especially with something like tile and drywall because the more you practice, the better you get.

I designed and installed a (complicated) system for hanging my husband's skateboards - decks and completes. It wasn't all that risky or dangerous but I had hardly used a drill before that day. So far, I've been impressed with how sturdy and useful it has been. He even has room to hang his 57" longboard.

I'm pretty proud of the work and it has encouraged me to tackle more projects in my home. Next on the list: a custom media system that will turn some dead space into something useful - cd, dvd and game storage.

Oh let's see, I've replaced sinks, faucets, toilets, done simple electrical work such as switch out light fixtures, replaced switches etc. Helped a friend tile their bathroom one fall (he measured, marked, I cut and he laid them) and in the end, it looked pretty good. :-)

Helped with drywall, painted and I forget what all, most I eitehr knew thanks to my Dad or through watching home impovement shows on PBS or simply learned on my own.

mind scanning and posting that diagram? We have a hideous fixture in our dining room (rental) that our landlord ok'd switching out. I have very little DIY experience but want to give this a try. Otherwise, what would an average cost be for an electrician to come in and do it for us?

Electric I can handle (white to white, black to black, connect ground wire, done). It's plumbing that gives me fits. Inevitably I overtighten (leaks) or undertighten (leaks). I had a devil of a time replacing my kitchen faucet which I thought would be a simple DIY job. It was until I realized that the pipes under the sink were a different diameter than the faucet I bought. I ended up needing a plumber to come out to bridge the connection (there was soldering involved) after I'd already ripped out the old faucet which cost me $150. Grrr. It looked easy.

I love that photo of the directions on using "batties." Ha!!!

Wiring is not too hard as long as you keep the wire colors straight. I just moved a shower, which involved breaking the concrete floor and moving the plumbing over two feet. Now I have to move the toilet but I’ve been stalling. It connects to the main stack which means break out the floor and see how much of that has to be replaced, run to Home Depot, buy the stuff, and then replace it all before anyone needs to use the plumbing. I need the family to go out of town for a weekend.

with wiring, the other thing to keep in mind is that sometimes in older buildings, if they haven't upgraded the electrical, you might still have old wires--the fabric covered ones and there aren't any colors involved. my building has old wiring and I hired a handyman ($20 an hour) to come and replace the light fixture in my bedroom.