Cliff May Restovation

New Mailbox

2012-01-12T23:25:00.000-08:00

If you have $200 to spend on a modern mailbox...definitely buy this one:

http://www.neutrabox.com

The craftsmanship on the Neutrabox is unparalleled and the price, given how it's made, is actually quite reasonable. But if you're like me, you might need something a bit more economical.

So how did I get into looking for a new mailbox, anyway?

Like many problems, it started with the innocent but erroneous believe that a tilting item on a post would be fun and charming, like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The reality, like most leaning structures, was that eventually my mailbox would fall down.

This thing was a bit of a last vestige of the previous owner's poor planning. It was located in the wrong spot and was the wrong design. There aren't really a lot cool, modern, post-mounted mailboxes. I decided to go back to some of Cliff May's original ideas: common materials, executed simply.

Instead of the awkward, complicated post pictured above, I decided to go with something simple...just a plain 4x4 post with a hidden platform to support the mailbox. No crossbars, not piece rising up in back, no bevels. And for the mailbox I wanted something simple and elegant, but also common. If you're on a budget, a great way to find modern-looking stuff is to go industrial or even agricultural. That's where you find the simple, functional stuff. Ultimately I decided to go with a simple rural mailbox, just like the one I have above...but in clearcoated aluminum.

It really looks great with the stainless house numbers. Anyhow, I had to put in a new post and it's really important to get the details right (like having it be level and plumb). It only takes a few extra minutes to add some stays and double check your work, but you'll appreciate a post installed right for years to come.

Finally, here is the finished product. I even used stainless screws to make sure they'll always match the clearcoated aluminum mailbox. It has a very "fragile" look but platform is completely hidden underneath. In reality, it's very solid, and feels great when it snaps closed. I just need to paint the post and I'll be done.

New Desk

2011-10-20T23:50:00.000-07:00

I'm a total workaholic...especially lately. One of the things that makes that lifestyle choice a bit more palatable is a kickass desk. Also, you may have noticed I haven't done an update on the floor project. I'm actually done (including baseboard repainting) but haven't had a chance to take pictures.

As a quick aside, painting baseboards the same color as the wheels does some much to streamline the appearance of a room. This is even more true in Cliff May homes where white baseboards just stick out and unnecessarily dry your eye to the lower edges of the room. Even in a plain-old tract home, this is great way to help the room "read" modern. The only pitfall, of course, is that your wall color and floor have to actually go together.

Anyhow, below is the desk. I started off with the Ikea Vika Lilleby trestles -- at $15/ea there's no way I could duplicate them. However, I was a bit disappointed their glass top selection. Not only was the glass either frosted or "circuit board" patterned, but it was only 3/8" thick and tempered. Tempered glass sounds like a great idea for a desktop, but it isn't. Tempered glass is very susceptible to bumps from the edges. Instead, I found a local glass company that made me a custom-sized piece of 1/2" non-tempered clear glass with straight edges and gently-clipped corners (so I won't poke myself). The price was reasonable and for $200 I now have a kickass desk.

Some Success!

2011-09-04T23:55:00.000-07:00

My goal through the holiday weekend was to remove the tiles from my office. In my arsenal of tolls I have a scraper, heat gun, chisel, and hammer. I had heard this job can be a real bear so I wanted to give my plenty of time to complete it (and take breaks as to not lose my sanity).

I was able to get it mostly done, save for some cleanup around the baseboards and the closet area (which is more because I have stuff I'm too lazy to move. I also still have tomorrow. The plan is to pick up a product called Bean-e-doo (it's made from soybeans) on Tuesday as it will turn all of the black mastic into oily goo. From then, it's time to degrease and clean. Finally after that I can explore some surface treatment options. Here's a closeup:

In my case it went pretty well. Some tiles came up a lot easier than others and I learned there are definitely some subtleties to proper flooring scraper technique. Fortunately, there was only one spot with about 8 tiles that required me sitting on the floor with a chisel and hammer.

As for surface treatments, right now I'm leaning towards a satin finish acrylic sealer. I think the "wet look" epoxy will be a little too much and I'm worried about stripping it later if I don't like it.

It Begins!

2011-09-03T01:33:00.000-07:00

This has been on the plate for a while now. Cliff May homes were built with asphalt composition tiles in throughout the house. A black, asbestos-containing, super-strong mastic was used to adhere them. I love the look of the tiles that my house came with. Instead of black, I had a deep ox-blood color. Unfortunately, when one of the previous owners installed carpet the tack strips obliterated the edges of all the rooms. In my office I have decided to remove the tiles and go down to the concrete to see how that feels for a while.

I couldn't wait so I did a test spot with crappy adhesive remover. It took the mastic right off. I think the Bean-e-doo will work even better.

It's been TOO LONG

2011-08-15T15:05:00.000-07:00

So here's the deal...

I've been lazy. That's the truth of it. I've also been busy with two new work websites: www.BroadmoorExclusives.com and www.OCModHomes.com. These aren't Cliff May-specific websites, but if you like my blog, mid-century modern homes, or cool houses in Orange County, California -- they're worth checking out. We're also getting ready for something big: www.OCCliffMays.com -- but it's not quite ready yet.

Anyhow, as part of a photo shoot in the Broadmoor Exclusives neighborhood in Tustin, (see the results here) I rented a special, architectural wide-angle lens for my trusty Canon Digital Rebel. While the rental price was affordable (just $28 for 2 days), the cost to purchase this lens is about $900 -- but after my

experience with it, I'm beginning to think it just might be worth it. Here's a picture at the right...it's actually a 10-22MM lens, specifically designed for digital SLRs.

Anyhow, I think the photos turned out great and the lens is especially useful for those tight interior shots and downright irreplaceable for small spaces like bathrooms. While I had the lens, I thought I would take some pictures of my own house. And here they are...listed below.

New Website!

2011-03-13T23:19:00.000-07:00

I've been busy.

It sounds like a lame excuse and in a lot of ways, it is. But it's been for a good reason. For a long-time I've thought that's it's a bit of a travesty that so many young folks in Orange County are buying crummy stucco boxes when they want something more interesting. Unlike areas closer to Los Angeles, there has not been nearly as much coverage about mid-century modern homes in Orange County.

As some of you know, I'm a real estate agent by trade. I work in Orange Orange County, California and love mid-century modern homes. Combing all of that, I've created www.OCModHomes.com. In short, I've set about cataloging all the great, affordable modern

home neighborhoods in Orange County.

At first, I thought I would wait until it was complete and 100% ready. But then I realized that would probably never happen and I didn't want the perfect to be the enemy of the great. So I've decided to start promoting the site, even as I add material.

My goals are actually two-fold. I want this to be a resource for those looking to buy mid-century modern homes in Orange County and those appreciate the homes. But I also want this to be a resource that will improve the state of many of the neighborhoods. Sadly, many of these homes are not treasured by their owners and many people are unaware they even exist. People often ask, "who's job is it to be an advocate for these neighborhoods?" Well, I think it should be the real estate agents that want to service these homes; more specifically, I think it should be

me.

More bathroom pics

2010-12-19T10:52:00.000-08:00

I was able to get the drywall done and the mirror mounted. What a pain the mirror was...you need to get the clips perfectly level but because it's a mirror, it's heavy and you need to use drywall anchors -- notorious for not going in straight.

It doesn't look too bad with the drywall patch primed....
Of course, the proof is when it's painted and...I suck at drywall. This was my first time doing any kind of mudding and it's a lot harder than it looks. For the next time around I think I'd do a much better job. I also learned some tricks along the way. For starters, the pre-mixed mud is a little thick and rubbery. It works a lot better with a small amount of water added and thinned out. Here's the result...hopefully the mirror will cover most of it:Fortunately, the mirror covers a lot of it.

Quick Bathroom Refresh

2010-12-12T18:07:00.000-08:00

I'm not exactly sure how it happened, but dropping a toothbrush (net weight: 2oz) on my sink resulted in this:

As you can see, there are also numerous stress cracks around. So I knew it was time for a new sink. I've never been a fan of the pedestals (though I like how they make small bathrooms look bigger). Anyhow, this is one of those situations where one thing leads to another (notice the funky tile on top of the sink) and you can quickly end up with a gutted space and drained bank account. Instead, I thought about what was most important to me and established a firm limit of scope.

I decided I would need a new sink, vanity, faucet. I also wanted to remove the aging medicine cabinet, add an electrical outlet inside the vanity (to keep the toothbrush and shaver chargers hidden) and finally move the bathroom light so it would be centered over the sink.

Whoever installed the previous sink loved construction adhesive. It was used to attach the sink to the wall (in addition to brackets) and the pedestal to the floor. Surprisingly, the tiles on top of the sink came off without a hitch. The construction adhesive did a number on the drywall. Even though it would be covered by the new sink, I had to add it to the list of little things I needed to make right, along with new quarter-turn angle stops and escutcheon plates.
After a quick clean up I did a mock-fit of the new sink and faucet. I ended up "Ikea Hacking" -- using pieces and parts from different items not originally designed to go together. This required some modifications, but I'm happy with the result.

Now onto the fun part that I had been dreading: drywall. I have purposely avoided any drywall projects. My standards are high and experience non-existant. Those two trait rarely go well together. I made the patch panels and got on my first layer of mud. I was also able to move the electrical junction box for the light and patch that area as well. I think it's going to take me another week. Fortunately, a new mirror will cover most of where the medicine cabinet was and the new light fixture will hide mistakes in the upper patch as well. I'm trying to take my time...if it takes 5 iterations of mudding to get it right, so be it.
What's left...I need to finish the mudding, repaint / texture the wall. And then it's just a bunch of odds and ends. I'd like to hang some art and really "finish it off."

2010-06-27T22:16:00.000-07:00

So I've pretty much given up TV...which has given me a lot more weekday time to do little things. None of these are really that monumental, but it's cool to work on a lot of the little details to make things perfect.

Today, I did do something cool. I really want the courtyard 100% finished. I've been struggling with an area of dirt wondering what to plant. It's really too small for a tree, and with a tree so close to the house there's always the fear that today's dream will be a nightmare 5 years from now. I was originally planning on going with a special species of Podacarpus but no one around me has it right now. I stumbled across Kangaroo's Paws in 5 gallon containers -- I didn't realize these plants got tall enough to act as a focal point -- up to 8ft.

I snapped this while I was getting new pipes. If you are wondering whether or not your house is a Cliff May prefab, this is proof-positive, should you find it in the walls (it's also in the garage walls).

This winter I've really got to think about the pool replastering / backyard remodeling project. It's the next outdoor area after the courtyard.

Rancherondack Chairs

2010-05-17T00:36:00.000-07:00

A while ago I built some benches for my courtyard. If you've ever shopped for outdoor furniture, you'll understand the primary motivation for making my own outdoor furniture: cost. Secondarily, though, are the matters of choice and size. It seems that most outdoor furniture (especially if you want something modern-looking) is of a few simple styles. Additionally, you're stuck with whatever size they make. So I made the benches and now I've set about making some chairs.

Whenever you're building anything that requires more than one leg, it's good to have a system that will help you make them more consistently. This is my leg alignment jig:

When I built the benches I used a general-purpose saw blade. This time, a friend let me borrow his primitive dado set. It's a set of chipping blades that dig out a much bigger groove. More modern dado sets have "endcap" fine blades that leave cleaner cuts. With these there was some tear-out but that's fine on outdoor furniture. The dado blade set works much faster than a single blade and I no longer feel like I'm working in a deli when making the interlocking cut-outs.

Here are the two finished legs. People always ask me what type of wood I use expecting me to say something exotic. The fact is, I use standard douglas fir stock available at any (and every) Home Depot or Lowes. In this photo, I haven't sanded the frame down yet but it really cleans them up a bit and they take the stain well. Speaking of stain, since this is outdoor furniture I just treat it like a deck and use a water-proofing stain.

Here is the almost-completed chair. It was getting late and I was out of wood so I still have one armrest to make along with some staining touchups. I'm amazed at how similar it turned out to my Google SketchUp modeling. The ergonomics are very similar to an Ikea Poang chair. Never having built a chair before, I wanted to ensure a minimum of modicum of comfort so I used that chair as a guideline for things like seat depth, height, and armrest dimensions.

Here's another angle, detailing the slats.

Built-Ins!

2010-05-02T22:26:00.000-07:00

Okay, built-in...this weekend I decided to tackle a long-term problem. One of the things you learn in a smaller house is to really make the most of all space. In one of my secondary bedrooms there is an awkward little corner between the closet and a floor-to-ceiling window. To put it in perspective, the area you see below is about 28" wide and about 30" deep from the center divider of the window. I decided that this might be a nice spot for a built-in desk.

Below I'm making the ledgers for the top to sit on. Sometimes it's the little details that can make the difference. Normally, you would only see the bottom of this desk when hooking up your computer. However, being that we're near a full-height window and there's glass down below, it seemed like I should spend a little extra care. On the ledgers I drew the center line, laid out my screws, and pre-drilled before installation. It made them a lot easier to mount and they look a lot nicer.

The almost-finished product turned out pretty well. The angle was added because it's gives just a little extra width for a keyboard / mouse and also aligns your chair with the open window to take advantage of nice breezes. The top of the desk was also painted with high-gloss enamel to make for easier cleaning. I still need to cut in the wall-color and finish painting the window frame.

Here's the underneath. All of the ledgers have also been properly caulked so there are no gaps. Again, it's really the little things that can make the difference. There are two things that give the built-in look: 1. items that are custom-sized / proportions for a specific space and 2. No gaps between the unit and the house. I've still got some more painting to do here.

Ultimately, I was able to get rid of a large, bulky desk and replace it with this...in a space that wasn't being used for anything. In a small room that also has a tv and queen size bed, it makes a big difference.

Let There be light! (Part II)

2010-04-26T00:07:00.000-07:00

This weekend was all kinds of crappy; but instead of focus on the negative, I thought it might be nice to share the positive. I have been meaning to add some landscape lighting to the courtyard as a bit of a "finishing touch." I think the biggest problem with landscape lighting is that people tend to overdo it. I installed some lights this weekend and this was the result:

Just as a fun exercise in comparison, this is what might courtyard looked like when I first moved in:

Finally...plants

2010-04-04T14:00:00.000-07:00

I've actually had half the plants for a while but then nobody could get the rest. Everyone said it was too early in the season for papyrus (after I had just bought 5 of them). I also added a drip irrigation system to mitigate the water-hungry nature of the plants. I also added in some mulch to control weeds, enrich the soil, and keep everything moist:

Also, it's amazing how much a difference real, live, plant material can make. I'm hoping the papyrus will grow to around 7 or 8ft and add a feeling a seclusion. Already, the space feels so much more "human."

Seating for 8 (+1)

2010-01-31T23:42:00.000-08:00

This was actually a very productive weekend. It feels great to start off with those words. Weather-wise, this time of year is a bit of a crapshoot. After being waterlogged for a week straight, it was great to have a rain-free week. I really wanted to use this opportunity to get a lot done. I was able to finish assembling (and staining) the second matching bench. Additionally, I cleared an area by the pool for the new bamboo, leveled / tilled the courtyard planting areas, and finally installed a new toilet which has been sitting in a box in my living room for the past year and a half.

Below are the completed benches. I've very pleased with how they came out. As it stands (or sits), I've got seating for 8. With the lounge chairs completed (coming up!) I'll have room for 10.

Seating for +1

I've had a Toto Carlyle toilet sitting in a box for the past 18 months in my living room -- mainly because I've been a bit intimidated by its non-standard installation process. This toilet is about as nice and you can get without spending obscene money and treading into the territory of rapidly diminishing returns. It's not just pretty, it actually has a number technological improvements over lesser toilets. Among those, is a special installation system that allows the same toilet to be used with 10", 12", and 14" rough-in locations. This is important as my two bathrooms don't share the same rough-in size. And so with great optimism my new toilet journey began.

The optimism quickly faded after removing my old toilet. With the view below spread before me I began to rethink whether I really needed a new toilet at all:

The Toto "UniFit" rough-in system is really quite ingenious. However, it's also very non-standard and requires drilling into the concrete slab. Drilling into concrete is easy and I've done it many times before. Drilling ceramic tile is not, as I discovered. One might think a masonry bit (which works great in concrete) would also with ceramic tile. Nope. And I spent an hour making very little progress, other than turning my drill bit red-hot, until a ventured out out to Home Depot and discovering there was a special bit for drilling through glass and ceramic tile.

Oh, here's some more funness with installing a non-standard toilet. According to Toto, the water supply valve should be at least 8" off from the center line of the toilet. This is not typical and many houses have 5" offset supply valves. I measured mine and got 6.5". Measuring on the toilet, it looked like it should just work for me. On top of that, remember how I mentioned the toilet has interchangeable attachment plates that let it work on 10", 12", and 14" rough-ins? My rough-in measured 11.5". Per the installation diagram, there was a 3/4" gap to the back of the wall. So, I basically figured I have 1/4" to spare. Between that and the supply line I wasn't comfortable drilling into the slab without having certainty it would actually fit.
It ended up fitting. Now that's it in and flushing, I have to see I'm very impressed. It's the best flushing 1.6gallon toilet I've ever seen. It looks great as well. I think the straight sides not only look great, but will be much easier to clean versus the typical toilet.

Fun with SketchUp

2010-01-21T23:43:00.000-08:00

I thought that by now just about everyone had heard of Google SketchUp. However, a friend of mine mentioned that he didn't know what it was. In short, it's a free piece of software that let's you design and visually represent your ideas. Unlike normal CAD software, it works far more intuitively, doesn't take very long to learn, and is free.

Anyhow, this is the design I've settled on:

I really like the side profile:

The "Photo Match" feature is one of the greatest things about SketchUp. It lets you mix reality and rendering. In this case, it's great to see the new chair design will integrate really well with the bench.

Sta-in Out of the Rain

2010-01-17T23:50:00.000-08:00

We have a really funny relationship with rain in Southern California. We need it, but we don't really like it. Subsequently, we get news of a mostly wet week and people talk about like it's time to start loading the Ark. Anyhow, even I caught the rain fever and begin to think it might be weeks before I get work outside again. Subsequently, I wanted to finish the staining.

I'm really happy with how it turned out. Now I just need to build another one. Some people have asked for details on the legs:

Next is a modern reinterpretation of the Adirondack chair in the same design language. With the rain this week I might have time to draw something up in Google SketchUp. The hardest thing about a lounge chair is getting the ergonomics and proportions right. I've already started researching seat to back angles and the like.

Progress...sort of.

2010-01-11T08:50:00.000-08:00

I'm making some progress. One thing interesting is how you evolve your process when building things. So far I've built 3 of these legs. The most recent leg is by far the best. Below is a picture of the jig I made to help line up the pieces and make my marks for the cuts.

I also gave them a quick sanding and applied two coats of weatherproofing stain. I did do a test piece but I think I forgot to shake the can because these came out a lot more orangey than I expected. I think I might get a quart of "naturaltone" to go over the "cedartone" (aka: oompaloompatone) to try and tone it down a notch. Below is a mockup of the positioning. Obviously, I need to build a second one. With the lounge chairs I should have seating for 10.

Couches!

2010-01-10T00:03:00.000-08:00

People need places to sit. It's a fact of life. Too often in landscapes you see the ubiquitous "seating wall." I've never been a fan. Does anyone ever look comfortable when you see them on a seating wall?

I resisted the urge and decided that I wanted something more defined and permanent. I've always envisioned the courtyard as an alternative living room rather than a landscaped garden. To that end, I needed some couches.

Outdoor furniture has become quite popular...even Walmart sells it. If you want

contemporary and reasonably-priced, however, your choices are pretty limited. I looked at things like what you see below....over $2000 (at WalMart!) and I wasn't even particularly fond of the style.

So I decided to try building something myself. It would be considerably less-expensive, unique, and hopefully closer to what I want. It's easy to say that out loud. But around 10AM this morning I was staring at some lumber with the dark realization that I needed to turn it into something I could it on:

I found a basic design online, here, and went about modifying. The angularity definitely plays off elements of the house. I'll be using a wood-tone translucent stain to tone down bare douglas fir.

Here's how I ended the day. Tomorrow I need to make another leg, add the seating surfaces, and stain / seal them. Then make a second one.

Rain, go away!

2009-12-20T22:19:00.000-08:00

I had one weekend ear-marked for soil prep, sprinkler install, and papyrus planting this month. And it rained Friday through Monday.

I wanted to give a shout out to some folks in Long Beach with a Cliff May home. They have built a unique picnic table. I have struggled a bit with seating for the courtyard. I'd like to build something similar in construction type to table below...but as a sectional sofa.

Read more about it here: http://ranchorehab.blogspot.com/2009/12/picnic-table.html

Planting Time!

2009-11-28T08:26:00.000-08:00

So my courtyard renovation is (finally) moving right along. I've got in the floor. I've got the infrastructure situated. Now I need some plants. Below is a photo of the area in question:

I've got several issues to deal with. The first is visible in the photo. The structure seen behind block wall is the roof of my neighbor's garage. I don't think I need to block it out completely, but it would be nice to tone down its prominence. The second issue is the fence on the left borders the front yard and is visible from the street so whatever I plant that pokes above the fence has to look good from the other side as well.

Right now I've got two ideas:

Papyrus planted all the way around. The area stays fairly wet and I think papyrus would look great against both surfaces (dark brown fence and silver block wall). In my location I think it would get around 7 feet tall -- 1 foot higher than the fence / wall.
Build a sculptural trellis (think a grid with square voids intentional left out and plants orange trumpet vines. These will grow as high as I'd like and completely fill in. They'd also add a splash of orange color.

Any thoughts?

Progress Photos

2009-11-22T09:11:00.000-08:00

I was able to get in all the gravel so I thought I'd take some shots. Amazingly, this effect costs under $3/sq ft in materials.

Updates

2009-11-18T23:45:00.000-08:00

More work on the courtyard. Don't have much commentary, but ask questions if you've got 'em:

Paving Stones Go In

2009-11-01T00:25:00.000-07:00

I'm finally making some tangible progress. Here's the before:

And here's where we are now. I've still got some pavers to place and get the gravel in. Surprisingly, placing them goes a lot faster than I thought.

I couldn't wait so I decided to add some gravel to get an idea of the finished product. I'm really happy how it's turning out.

Work Continues

2009-10-25T12:43:00.000-07:00

Work continues on the courtyard. One of the most amazing things is to see a space which had been, more or less, unusable begin to resemble the finished product. In a home like a Cliff May the outdoor spaces are almost as important as interior ones. Even the L-shape layout of the house implies an exterior floorplan. For the past 4.5 years I've lived without any of the outdoor rooms completed. So I'm pretty excited to be well on the road to get one done.

Here's a photo of where we are:

Infrastructure is also a big improvement. I'm sort of following the motto: Any area I redo, I don't want to excavate again. This has meant a lot of extras. It adds up and I even had to draw up a "trenching plan" for the crew to go from. It also means thinking ahead.

One of the biggest things was figuring out how the previous owner had gotten live water over to this side of the house. Unlike most homes built today, in the 1950s it was uncommon for builders to provide outdoor spigots. This meant that the first homeowner would run all of their own exterior water lines. In my case, I had an oddly-placed spigot in the courtyard and a funky riser with a lone sprinkler valve sticking 2ft out of the ground about 10 feet away. It turns out all of this was galvanized pipe, part of which ran all along side the house. I'm fairly certain it

was original, from 1954. In accordance with my motto, I decided to replace all of it with PVC at the proper depth. Below is a photo of what came out of the ground...I'm shocked it wasn't leaking.

Onward (and downward)

2009-10-18T21:01:00.000-07:00

So today started off like a good day. It sounds like the "people" behind me are moving out. I checked the title the house and it looks like it was or will be very shortly, foreclosed upon. I wouldn't wish a foreclosure on anybody but I think these people were perfect examples of the kinds of people that had no business buying a house at all.

I finally had the contractors over to start up the courtyard. It's taken a while to get my schedule in order and say go, but I'm pleased to report the ball is rolling. Below are some photos of the preliminary progress. We've already made some tweaks to the design as proportions feel a bit different laid out on the ground with spray paint than they do on a piece of paper.

Unfortunately, things don't always go quite according to plan. We were supposed to start actual work today (I completed the trenching plan for them too) but while on the other side of the house I noticed water burbling up in the middle of the yard. Turns out my water main broke. The only lucky thing was that I already had an experienced person there with me. It turns out it really wasn't that bad, a previous owner PVC glue joint had blown out (evidently, the main in my house is PVC halfway from the meter and then switches to copper in the middle of the yard on its way into the house.)

A couple of hours later it had been repaired. I gave my contractor some money to order materials for the courtyard and asked him how much for the pipe repair. He told me to just pay him what I thought it was worth. This actually put me in kind of an uncomfortable position. Too much and I'm throwing money away, too little and I risk alienating someone I plan to give a lot of work to.

Anyhow, I gave him an amount and now I feel like it was a little low. So, to remedy this, if anyone needs any kind of outdoor masonry, landscaping, grading, etc type of work, I've got just the guy.

Post #100!

2009-09-10T00:51:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that I've posted 100 times and the house still isn't done.

Work on the landscaping continues. I was finally able to get some horsetail planted in front of the fence. Hopefully these things will live up to their week moniker and fill in nicely.

I also decided to call in some help on the courtyard. With fall approaching and the nights getting cooler, I'm anxious to be able to use some of the outdoor space Cliff May homes are famous for. My contractor suggested I create some drawings to better illustrate what I wanted and give them a roadmap. I used Google Sketchup (of which I am a HUGE fan). In about 20 minutes I put this together. The gray areas are plantings and the sand area are compacted sand for paver placement.

This is hard work!

2009-08-31T00:32:00.000-07:00

Many of you not in SoCal have probably heard of the big heat wave (and fires) we're having out here. Luckily, the fires are far from my home and the wind has blown the smoke and ash away from direction.

Still, I'm rethinking my decision to work in the 100 degree heat. I think all home improvement work is a bit strenuous to the weekday desk jockey. However, landscaping work is truly hard work. Shovels, rakes, wheelbarrows -- they're all instruments of torture. Anyhow, I'm just about ready to plant.

I'm getting ready to plant horsetail...the area is pretty shady and moist so I think it will do well. Horsetail is fairly invasive, but I'm taking several steps recommended by the nursery: 1. regular pruning of unwanted culms, landscape cloth surrounding the plant, and rocks on top of the landscape cloth.

Let there be light!

2009-08-27T23:34:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to laying some low voltage wiring and playing around with the lighting. In this era of energy conservation I don't know how anyone could condone "mock disneyland" lighting schemes. I'm thinking of focusing on function: house numbers and walkway. To get the angle right I'm actually going to have to bury the light in the grass. One thing I did was select a fixture with a 12V MR16 halogen fixture. This allows me to choose from a number of wattages and beam spreads. For example, I think I will go with the "super narrow" beam pattern to really focus the light below.

I'm just about ready to get it all smoothed out and add some landscape cloth and gravel. I'm looking around at the various places for different rock options but I like the simplicity of the ubiquitous 3/4" grey gravel. It's also very reasonably-priced. At 3" depth it's only $0.56/sq ft + delivery.

Progress...continues

2009-08-17T00:12:00.000-07:00

I finally got had a free weekend day today and was able to get some things done. For the longest time I've had a string line setup out front marking a new bed for the horsetail. I've grown rather tired of looking at it so I decided to actually get to work. In a lot of ways, that area in front of the fence is like a test area. It incorporates a lot of things I will need to do in other areas of the yard, but it's a smaller space where the execution of such things is less critical as they will be hidden by plants.

The photos may not look like much but a lot got done. The biggest items was installing and extension to the existing flower bed irrigation system. I refuse to plant anything without a workable plan to keep it watered. I trenched down to install the PVC the length of the fence and added a few risers. I plan on installing drip irrigation but I wanted the traditional risers to allow future flexibility. Here's a fun hint...soaking the ground makes a big mess of your shoes, but also makes trenching much easier.

Next, I worked on leveling out the dirt and breaking it up. When your soil has a high clay content, this can be pretty exhausting. Finally, I was able to install the edging I've been working on. This has been a bit intimidating. I don't really like any of the available edging systems on the market and pouring concrete seemed like it would be too thick. I do like the bent sheetmetal but that seemed too thin. I settled on getting some 5/8" by 5 and 3/8" redwood. This gives just a hint of organic separation, lasts a long time, and is priced reasonably (a hair over $2 per linear foot).

Lastly, I've been working on some lighting schemes to light up the house numbers. I'm no fan of Disneyland-esque landscape lighting, but I think key lighting of functional items (steps and house numbers) adds a nice touch. I've decided to go low-voltage and picked up a Malibu well light on ebay for $15, shipped. Unfortunately, it was only available in a hideous hammered faux stone finish. One of the cool things about the fixture I got is that it takes MR16 halogen bulbs. These bulbs actually come in several different wattages and, more importantly, beam widths. I'll probably have to experiment to get just the right look for the house numbers. I really like the fact that it's a well light so it's essentially hidden in the ground. $4.09 for a Rustoleum rattle can and I made it a much more pleasing aluminum color.

Fence = Finished

2009-07-31T00:26:00.000-07:00

Excuses...I know. With summer in full swing I've been torn in many different directions. Between work, my other car:

and social obligations I've been pretty busy. I've also been feeling a little burned with house stuff. I've found in situations like these it's best to take a little break rather than force myself down the path of resentment. With that said, I'm still excited to get the courtyard space completed and usable. In the meantime, the fence is actually done and here's what it looks like on the inside:

No pictures...

2009-07-12T23:26:00.000-07:00

Sadly, this week, I don't have any photos...but I've got something better:

A CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE!!!

Okay, perhaps I'm overplaying the excitement a little. However, I've noticed a direct relationship between setting a schedule and things actually getting done. Like most people, I'd imagine I'm fairly deadline driven.

My overall goal is a lofty one, I want my courtyard done by Labor Day so I can actually throw a party by the time summer ends. Of course, for those of you who live in SoCal, you know that summer really extends until October -- so I'm giving myself a bit room. Here's the schedule:

This week: Paint inside of new fence (more than a trivial job when you count primer + 2 coats)

Week of July 20th: Complete trenching for new irrigation, low-voltage lining, hose bibs, sprinkler control lines.

Week of July 27th: Actually install sprinklers, timer, low-voltage wiring, and outdoor outlet.

Week of August 3rd: Build and install custom trellises

Week of August 10th: Remove old bricks and grade for new pavers. Install and compact sand.

Week of August 17th: Install new pavers and rocks

Week of August 24th: Plants and odds-n-ends

As of right now I'm about 70% complete with painting the fence.

Am considering hiring out the grading, sand placement, and compacting. Since my paver pattern is a bit artistic and unique, I definitely want to do that myself.

Also, at some point I *do* need to finish the front plantings in front of the new fence.

It's Done! (almost)

2009-06-30T23:40:00.000-07:00

At least the outside that faces the street. The frosted glass in the door is actually plexiglass with privacy film applied to keep the wait down and safety up.

With the holiday weekend coming up I think I'll have a chance to work on the irrigation, grading, and low-voltage wiring.

Lots of Work

2009-06-22T00:08:00.000-07:00

So it's been a pretty big weekend. I got a lot of work done. I also experimented with the video mode on camera....which resulted in the video below. I've always been fascinated the art of hanging doors, so I was somewhat surprised mine worked right n the first try.

New Fence Gate from Stephen Meade on Vimeo.

I thought I'd take a picture of the whole door assembly, painted. I stuck some plexiglass in just as a mockup. The bottom piece has a crack and the top one still has the plastic protective films. Ironically, I really like the blurred / frosted look of the protective film, but it's not durable enough. I'm current looking for a film to put over the plexiglass as Home Depot only carries clear plexiglass.
I also thought I'd do a photo from the street, now that the old fence has been removed, too. Unfortunately, I think it's apparent I've got a bit of landscaping to do.

Oh yeah, I'm also left with quite a bit of a mess in the courtyard...

Success!

2009-06-17T22:21:00.000-07:00

Well, I can now say I've made my first door. It's not perfect, but I think it will work out just fine. I still need to get some glass or plexiglass and paint it. I'm also working on the jamb. Making a door with a knob is a lot harder than a simple gate with a latch.

The Word of the Day is Infrastructure

2009-06-14T23:17:00.000-07:00

I don't know why, but I somehow had this notion that once the wall was done, everything would look awesome.

Well, the wall looks awesome...and everything else look like crap. I think, deep down, I've known that the courtyard was going to be a, more or less, start over type of deal. That's really got me thinking about infrastructure. Where will I need water, power (12V and 120V). Will I want lighting? Where do I put the sprinkler and lighting timers?

I really want to spend a little time designing this to allow not only what I envision today, but things I might want tomorrow. I'm trying to think of all the shortcomings of the existing courtyard space and what things I need to do to correct those shortcomings. To be quite honest, it's all bit overwhelming as the courtyard has never been anywhere close to the way I've wanted it. This is just a quick tweak, but a real rethinking.

95% Complete

2009-06-12T20:00:00.000-07:00

Almost there. Just need to fill with concrete and set the cap.

Starting to look like a wall...

2009-06-11T20:20:00.001-07:00

Okay, maybe I'm way too excited about this, providing daily updates. BUT, I've been waiting for years for this wall. One thing I'm discovering is there are a ton of projects that I've relegated to the back burner under the guise of "not until the wall is done."

More Progress

2009-06-10T23:16:00.000-07:00

Work continues. If you've never watched a wall be constructed, it's actually quite interesting.

Progress

2009-06-09T22:38:00.000-07:00

We've got rebar. And from the looks of it, this wall will never come down:

It begins!

2009-06-07T19:18:00.000-07:00

It feels like I've been waiting eons but in reality it's only been 4 years. One thing you find with landscaping projects is that they are often interrelated. Something as basic as a wall provides a solid foundation for so many other things. Plus, it's a fairly intrusive so it's important to complete it before you do plantings and anything else near the wall. As you can see...I really needed to do this.

THE NEED:

THE START:

Almost there...

2009-05-31T14:21:00.000-07:00

As you could gather from the last post, my first attempt at remounting the numbers resulted in a less-than-perfect result. Many times, just spending 10 minutes to think about how to do something before starting can make a big difference in the result. I was sharing this with my neighbor who opined, "that's much easier said than done." I agree, but I thought it might be good to show an example -- so I documented what I did this time around:

STEP 1: Position the numbers exactly how you'd like them (use math) and trace them out.
STEP 2: I added short screws to the back of the numbers and then dipped them in red paint.
STEP 3: By lowering them down precisely I know have a great drilling template.
STEP 4: Do a test fit before you go nailing the plaque.
I was also able to complete a second coat of paint this weekend and get the numbers formally mounted outside. I think it looks. This is about as far as I can go without getting the block wall (separating my yard from the neighboring one on the left) completed. Fortunately, construction on that starts this week and should be done within a week.

Pain by Numbers

2009-05-28T23:25:00.000-07:00

Before I start, here's a better picture of where things are now. Just remember there will be plants in front.

I'm also trying to relocate the house numbers:

This is turning out to be a lot tougher than I thought. Originally, they came with a paper template for drilling the holes. Now I want them horizontal and since the place I'm putting them is a very specific width I want a very particular spacing.

I thought I'd be super smart here. I positioned the numbers and traced them. Then I put in the rods in back, dipped them in red paint, and tried to position them (lining up with the traced outlined) to mark the drill holes. Unfortunately the rods are a bit long and I wasn't as lined up as a thought.

This is one of those times I remember what a car upholsterer told me. He said just about anyone can recover car seats. The key is having patience and being willing to redo things a bunch of times until you get it right. This is definitely one of those things where that applies. I want the numbers aligned just right and I've got some ideas to improve my method.

Coming Along

2009-05-27T23:18:00.000-07:00

Carpentry isn't hard work, but it can be tedious. A lot of this stems from the fact that in order to do something...er...in order to do something well you need to often jump down a rabbit hole of additional steps. This takes a lot of patience since you end up getting pretty far from your original project before you can start heading back. I realize that may not make a lot of sense to you right now, but trust me, once you start building anything it will.

So here's just a few photos showing progress:

At this stage my neighbors were still giving me quizzical glances (I'm used to it by now). However, by the time I got the primer on I think it had become fairly clear what the game plan was:

Now it's finally starting to really look like a fence:

I've actually gotten a bit more done than is shown. I've finished the first coat of super-dark brown (horsetail will be planted in front to keep it from being too much), chopped off the post tops, and started to reinstall the house numbers on the corner of the new fence (it's trickier than I thought...but I'll save that for another post).

Work Continues

2009-05-13T09:36:00.000-07:00

Well, I can now cross "rent Home Depot flatbed truck" off my bucket list. Earlier this week I was able to pickup the bulk of the lumber needed for the fence. It was actually pretty painless, 5 minutes of showing insurance / driver's license and $20 to rent for 75 minutes.

I know this isn't exactly the right tool for the job, but I really wanted a chance to play with my pocket hole jig to see how it works. Also, in my fence design the horizontal stringers between the posts won't carry much downward weight; they are mainly there to keep the 23/32nds plywood from warping. I'm also trying to avoid big, ugly, metal bracketing if at all possible. Anyhow, I'm pretty happy with how they turned out and while 4 screws per side might be a little overboard, they can hold my weight.

I'm finding it's kind of nice to put in on an hour or so on the fence each night after I've (mostly) finished up with work for the day. I know a lot of people are a bit daunted by doing a fence from scratch and not doing the typical post / rail / dog-ear design. To those people: don't settle for mediocrity. Even if this project ends up a failure (though I think we've already passed over that hump), it will have only cost me some wood. I've been learning a lot. Here's what it looks like right now; it's starting to take shape.

No Turning Back Now

2009-05-10T09:47:00.000-07:00

I think I've passed the point of no return. On Thursday I had 7 holes in the ground but now I've got posts set in concrete. BTW, would you believe my Subaru will hold 4x4x8 posts?

For the rest of the wood I think I'm just going to rent the Home Depot flatbed truck. It's only $20 for the first 75 minutes. My house is only 5 minutes from the store so I won't use much gas either (the real "trick" on that rental is that the truck only get 8MPG and you pay $6.50/gallon if you don't refuel it).

I have a friend who is a carpenter in New Hampshire. He told me to really take it slow on the placement, leveling, and adjustments. I'm glad I did. My holes weren't perfectly aligned (it's near impossible with the mechanized auger) but by really adjusting I was able to get it so overall ever post was less than 1.5" out from the theoretical center and line and there was no more than 1" difference between any adjacent posts. I know those specs aren't great but I think they're pretty good for my first complete fence and given the board-batten look and dark color planned, I don't think it will be visually noticeable.

Fencing

2009-05-08T00:08:00.000-07:00

I've had some plans for a new left fence for a while now. The design choice has been solidified for over a month (without me changing my mind), I've done the engineering work and laid out stakes and strings to visualize. But, up until now, I haven't done any of the hard labor. I've come up with so many excuses: It's too rainy -- Is this really what I want? -- The block wall hasn't gotten done.

In the meantime, the existing fence has gotten worse. I'm lucky in that I'm moving the fence. This means I can construct the new fence while leaving the old one up -- this minimizes that awkward time (especially when you live in a 50% glass house without window coverings) of leaving things insecure and exposed.

Today I got my buddy HeyChris (not his real name) to help me out. I had no idea the wonderful world of tool rental. You fork over a nominal sum, they give you something which greatly reduces manual labor. I have no idea why anyone would dig post holes by hand. For $50 including tax I got a 5.5HP auger and was able to complete 7 24" holes through clay soil in about an hour. How can you beat that?

This Saturday I'm hoping to get the posts in the ground, aligned, and in concrete. On Sunday I'm hoping to start building the actual fence panels. Next weekend I'd like to finish up loose ends, start work on the door, and painting.

Odds and Ends

2009-05-06T11:26:00.000-07:00

So I was recently able to get a bunch of things done. Mainly a lot of small projects that make big messes. I'm by no means a perfect neatnik, but the thought of getting dust everywhere just to fill in a couple of holes on the sealing is a bit frustrating. I also finally took down a terrible fluorescent light over the sink that I never used. I found this:

Two coats of primer + 3 coats of white paint and you can still see the faintest outline of it. BTW, I know how horrible the cabinet doors are; I look at them every morning during breakfast.

New Fence

I also started the first work on the new fence. And, I even got to use a fun new tool, the plum-bob:

I'm finding more and more often it's important to set things up on the ground. Tools like Google SketchUp are great for exploring ideas but the tweaking is still best done with real-world representations. I'm finding many times I'm on the write track, but things need to be adjust a few inches here and there to make them just right.

I was also on the roof and decided to take some cool photos:

Plans for the next 6 months...

2009-04-27T01:24:00.000-07:00

I updated the renderings for the front landscaping since I know have two of the projects completed (front doors and paver walkway). Please forgive my amateur Sketchup skills. I'm just trying to get an idea of what it will look like when it's complete.

Drip Irrigation

2009-04-26T00:12:00.000-07:00

I've basically come to the conclusion that I'm not capable of watering plants.

My first clue happened back in '05 when I was given a small plant as a housewarming gift...within 2 months it was a crunchy carcass. Sometime back in '07 my sprinkler timer stopped working. Being um...frugal...I didn't see the value in spending $70 to replace a device that just switched valves on an off from time to time....my lawn has struggled every summer since. And then finally, way back yesterday morning, I realized some containers I had planted with horsetail and other grassy things were looking awfully ragged and wilted. It turns out that several days of 90 degree+ weather early last week hadn't been too kind and I was too busy to water.

Last weekend I finally replaced the failed timer unit with a new one ($35 for an outdoor one) and replaced 2 faulty valves. This Saturday morning I made two big decisions: 1. No new plantings will go in without an irrigation plan to water them and 2. I would try installing some drip irrigation for the containers.For some reason I remembered drip irrigation as being one of those bizarre contradictions where despite being smaller and having far fewer parts than traditional irrigation, it ended up costing twice as much to install. I was pleasantly surprised that it is now commoditized and less expensive than water-waste irrigation. They even had several pre-made kits that included a bunch of drippers, tubing, stakes, and Ts at affordable prices. I got the one made by DiG Irrigation @ HomeDepot. I did the patio kit for less than $12 and added a fitting that let me hook it up to one of my exist sprinkling risers for $1.37. Plus, it has all of the "fun" of normal irrigation without the annoying part: digging trenches. So for less than $15 I will not have to worry about watering the containers ever again.

Cliff May Photo Contest #2: Before and After

2009-04-25T09:28:00.000-07:00

I've decided to do another photo contest. As before, the winner will receive his or her choice of a Lowes or Home Depot $25 gift card. Just submit your favorite "before and after" photos of a project on a Cliff May home. Just click below for the rules and entry form.

(Sledge) Hammer Time

2009-04-20T00:02:00.000-07:00

When everyone thinks of busting out concrete they think of the back-breaking labor involved in swinging a sledgehammer. That's the fun part. The real back-breaking labor is getting the broken concrete from where it was to where it needs to go.

BEGINNING
NOT QUITE THE ENDFortunately, whoever poured the concrete was stupid enough to pour it in contact with the house slab but stupid enough not to use concrete-concrete adherent so broke away as a completely separate piece.

One thing I'm finding by ripping out a lot of the concrete and landscape is that it's much easier to design something and envision it when the area is blank versus an existing landscaping. As some of you may remember, the fence to the left of the house in the photo above is being torn away and moved forward (towards the camera) about 2.5 feet. It seems so much easier to play with the dimensions in real life than on paper.

ALSO: Does anyone know where / how to recycle old concrete in Orange County, CA?

Finished...finally

2009-04-11T23:21:00.000-07:00

It's taken me an extra month to finish the details, but I'm finally done. Today I was able to:

Level the pavers and finalize the positions
Add in dirt around the edged to clean things up

Now I just need to wait for the grass to grow back to the edges. I'm really happy with how it turned out. This was actually my first "real" landscaping project where I actually made something and didn't just clear weeds or remove stumps.

Paver Party Part Two

2009-03-08T19:32:00.000-07:00

It's no secret...this is a lot of work. Someone once told me that all home improvement projects take at least twice as long as you expect and cost at least twice as much. I don't have a lot of experience digging holes and I think that's the reason why it looks like it will cost 1.5 times as much but 3 times as long as I expected. I'm just plugging away (and will be at least one day next weekend) and I thought today that I would document the hole digging process:

Step 1: Establish the perimeterStep 2: Dig out the center
Step 3: Do basic leveling and clean up the sides and tamp
Step 4: Add layer of paver base and tamp
Step 5: Place paver in hole and repeat 19 more times

Also, I thought I'd take a shot of how things are right now:
I still need to finish digging (3 more to go!) After that, I will go back and precisely position and level the pavers with paving sand. Then I'll just need to add some soil around the edges and wait for the grass to grow back in a bit.

Walkway...finally!

2009-03-01T23:30:00.000-08:00

It's amazing what you can get used to. I had a terribly walkway to my front door. In fact, it wasn't even a walkway so much as a misguided strip of concrete nonsensically meandered around the property's edge before bee-lining for the front door. So one day I christened my first sledgehammer believing that the best motivation for a new front walkway would be destroying the old one.
And that was over a year ago. I regularly have clients over to my house and with the rains this year, that has meant forcing them to slosh through ground with the consistency of a thick milkshake. So finally got my act together (I broke down and purchased commercial task/project management software) and set up some actual timelines for completing items. Right now, I've chosen to focus on the outside of my house.

Sidebar
This is probably obvious, but I think it's worth repeating becuase it's so important. While working outside in my front yard this weekend I had no fewer than 5 people from my neighborhood come by and chat for a bit. Everyone seemed interesting in what I was doing and had words of encouragement. I think that's pretty impressive, considering my neighborhood only has about 34 houses in it. I also had someone stop by looking for a Cliff May house who wanted to come inside and see mine. If you want to get to know your neighbors and improve your neighborhood, work outside and make it easy for people to stop by.

Before
During (just lining up the pavers)

Halfway Done (pavers positioned, half installed)

This is my buddy Charlie, who offered to help for free beer and Panda Express. If you look in the background, you can see both our Subarus.

Perspective
I thought it might be fun to bring out some old pictures just to show how much things have changed. Below is a picture from shortly after I moved in (in hindsight, my friends and family thinking I was nuts buying this house was a perfectly rational reaction).
Now...

Au Revoir, Frenchies!

2009-01-18T10:51:00.000-08:00

Those of you familiar with my house have seen the bain of my existence on multiple occasions. I thought these would be the first thing I'd change in my house. Alas, 3.5 years later and they were still here.

A front door says a lot about a house. I think that's one of the reasons why many folks are willing to part with thousands of dollars for a door they may only walk through several times per year.

Well, the practical side of me is unwilling to spend thousands of dollars on a door I only walk through a handful of times per year. Not when there are concrete block walls, patios, and bathrooms to spend that money on. As my basic carpentry skills have improved, I've been more and more willing to try making customized things. And here's the result:

Before
AfterIs it perfect? No, I think it's a little overscaled (but that will change with the addition of other landscape elements). I can also now say the doors are no longer the worst things in my front yard. Anyhow, here's a breakdown of the costs:

$6, In-N-Out for my friend Dan, who lent his truck and helped with sawing
$20, two 4x8 sheets of 0.250" Luan plywood
$5, 1x2-8 select pine for gap trim piece
$11, custom-mixed quart of Behr exterior flat paint in red
$2, tube of construction adhesive
$7, Blu-Mol 2.125" hole saw drill bit
$52, new Schlage deadbolt and "Orbit" knob in Satin Chrome
TOTAL: $103 to not be completely embarrassed by my front door

Photo Contest

2008-12-01T11:23:00.000-08:00

I've had an idea for a while to hold a photo contest. I think one of the best inspirations is to see what others have accomplished. It's also a great way to get beyond that initial reluctance that often accompanies big projects. Also, I want to think Creede over at Grass Roots Modern for doing his kitchen contest; it really gave me the kick-in-the-butt to get my photo contest going.

Uncovered

2008-11-24T20:32:00.000-08:00

One of the things that really keeps you going when working on any older home is the notion of unexpected discovery. Anyone who goes out and buys a tract home knows exactly what they are getting. There's no sense of intrigue or surprise, no possibility of the unexpected. It's not all bad...in return you get a new home guaranteed (for at least the first year, usually) not to have any problems, no "gifts" from the previous owners.

I've always felt a bit slighted in that my home is just new enough that my chances of finding money in the walls or letters from Abraham Lincoln are fairly slim. Conversely, it's just old enough such that the insulation is dubious at best and very few things are "standard." But this weekend I got a taste of what it's like to find something old, original, and somewhat amazing -- something hidden worth restoring instead of just replacing.

My Office

My office is great. Everyone loves the color and it's a great place to work. BUT, I've never been a fan of the cheapo beige carpeting. It was neutral, but really ill-suited to the space. For one, it's an office. But, and perhaps more importantly, my office backs to the pool and in the summer months I frequently leave the french doors open and casually make my way from work to pool to work to pool and back again. Not really a great environment for carpet.

Simple, cheap, inoffensive, beige carpet. I knew it had to go. I had heard that many Cliff May homes like mine came from tile in every room when they were built. I figured I either had that or bare concrete. So I pulled up the carpet:
I got the tile. I was expecting black...the ubiquitous color what I have learned is called vinyl composition tile. At this point (and anyone who has owned an older knows this juncture) you need to either go for it or put the carpet back. I had a bunch of concerns but capriciously swept them aside with the gusto that only curiosity can muster.

I'm not a complete neophyte. I knew this type of flooring required a little "extra" maintenance. I had often heard the term "waxing the floor" but never knew exactly what it meant. I thought you got some good, rubbed it on the floor, and had a shiny floor. Haha........no. You know you're in trouble when the products used to maintain such floors are referred to as a system. That a codeword for: crapload of steps. I'll outline them:

Use special cleaner on the floor
Wet mop rinse
Use special stripper on the floor
Wet mop rinse (before it dries and hazes!)
Wet mop rinse again
Apply first coat of sealer (and wait for it to dry)
Apply second coat of sealer (and wait for it to dry)
Apply first coat of finish (and wait for it to dry)
Apply second coat of finish (and wait for it to dry)
Apply third coat of finish (and wait for it to dry)
Apply fourth coat of finish (and wait for it to dry)

Oh yeah, and that doesn't even include the optional low-speed buffing if you want the mirror-like shine. But, with all my griping and complaining, I really like it. Here's a photo with with the second coat of sealer just-applied and drying:

Long time, no update

2008-10-20T00:48:00.000-07:00

I have been busy but haven't stopped working on little projects. Here are just a few of the things I've been working on...

Painting the Last of the "Blue" Windows:

Dining Room Remodel:

before

So I decided to do something I've been thinking about for a while. Some of you may remember a fair amount of my home had ceilings covered in the very unoriginal popcorn. I had removed it from the living room but it remained in the dining room and one hallway. When I tell people I scraped the ceiling and repainted my dining room, they think it's pretty minimal. But it's actually quite involved. Here are the steps:

Lay out plastic (you will still make a huge mess)
Spray water onto the ceiling (and make a huge mess)
Scrape off "popcorn" (make an even bigger mess)
Scrape out edges where drywall meets wood beams
Use spackling to fix any holes / gross imperfections in the ceiling
Sand edges where drywall meets wood beams
Sponge off edges to caulk will adhere
Use elastomeric caulk to fill and reform edges
Sand spackling and elastomeric caulk after they have dried
Sand beams and rough up any areas adjoining the walls
Sponge off everything to remove dust
Prime ceiling
Paint two coats of color to ceiling
Sand drywall to remove imperfections from previous owners
Spackle any voids
Sand spackle
Sponge down walls for better paint adhesion
Paint main wall areas
Cut-in the numerous inside corners where drywall meets beams
Go back to 18 for coat #2

See, it's not so easy. But it looks great:

Being Up Front

2008-09-14T01:36:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that I have a certain disdain for the grotesque McMansion front entries that have become so popular out here in California. Most people (myself included) enter their homes through the back door. Suffice it to say, most front entries attempts at curb appeal wind up as exercises in impressing friends and neighbors.

Well, it turns out there are some valid reasons for building good curb appeal:

It helps with resale value
A front landscape overhaul can inspire your neighbors to do the same
It does feel good when people tell you how awesome your house looks (I admit it)

Some of you will remember that a few months ago I played around in Google SkethUp with some ideas. I was never 100% happy (not even 50%, really) with it. Well, I went back again and I'm MUCH happier. Let me know what you think of the new design:

Update...finally...

2008-08-24T12:10:00.000-07:00

"Where have you been?!?!?!?" was the subject line of an email I got about a month ago. RIGHT HERE!!! Well, that's true in the physical sense, at least; it's not been so true in the mental sense. As many of you know, I own a real estate company here in Southern California. The past 24 months have been -- well, they've been an excellent opportunity to learn and grow as a business owner. Especially in the last 6 months, things have been very busy, but not quite as productive as we would have liked. Instead of retract, I made the decision to expand. Adding new employees (and training them right!) takes a lot of time, effort, and mental energy. It also has a bit of a delayed impact.

Fortunately, we're now starting to see some of the benefits of that hard work payoff. That has quite a few implications. Most importantly, I'll have a little more time and and money for work on the house (yay!). But, what it's also done is highlighted a desire to do a bit more, to think a bit bigger. I'm not sure exactly what that means, but I'm sure I'll let you all know when the time comes.

In the meantime, it looks like we will be doing some basic landscape projects coming up: new block wall with neighbors and an actual front entry.

Front Facade

2008-03-01T10:58:00.000-08:00

I remember a few years ago the first time I stumbled into the Fairhaven Eichler neighborhood in Orange, CA. As I drove though I could tell that something was different about this neighborhood (other than the houses, of course). Then it hit me (and this was on a Saturday morning): it seemed like people were outside doing painting, gardening, paver-installing, chatting, etc at about 1/3rd of the houses.

I think a lot of times we start renovation projects with things we think we can handle and the things we think will affect our lives the most. In my case that meant starting with simple things on the inside. I've gotten to a point where I think most rooms are in decent shape inside and I've been getting a bit more adventurous with construction projects and ideas.

I've never been terribly happy with the front of my house. If you've been reading, one of the first things I ever did was start a gigantic cleanup effort and simply repaint in better colors. I also removed a larger-than-life ficus tree. As they say, even the longest steps begins with just one step. Here's mine:

Three pieces of advice:

Sledgehammering is fun, enjoy it
Moving away the debris is not fun and will take you 4x as many trips as you thought
Don't plan on doing anything the next day; you will be too sore to move

Anyhow, with that done I started to play around with Google SketchUp. It's free and while the learning curve is a little steep (though much less so than other programs) it's got some really great features. I decided to delve into the "photo match" feature which allows you to draw "on top" of a photo with correct perspective. This is great at showing potential additions to something that's already there. Please be kind on the critique of my SketchUp skills -- I'm still a n00b.

I've long thought that the front of my house is missing some needed depth. Unlike the other homes on my street, my garage is around the back. As of right now, the left fence, right fence, and house are all in the same plane....which is pretty boring. I've been thinking about doing two things to alleviate that: move the left fence out towards the street by 5 feet and build some sort of extension on the front of the house towards the front door. I'm open to feedback:
And another angle:

Meet the New Fence....Same as the Old Fence

2008-02-11T00:03:00.000-08:00

With the completion of my office I thought it was time to turn my attention to the outside. One thing I've begun to think about lately is that I've been intentionally avoiding doing much work outside, particularly on front.

I'm sure there are a multitude of reasons (I can think of several off the top of my head) but the fact is I've been neglecting the outside since an initial rash of cleanup projects. Fortunately, the winter winds came along and made the decision to tackle a bigger project a necessity. The wood fencing around my house is weak at best. To friends I've often referred to my fence as more of termites doing Hands Across America than a fence. It finally went, right along the front, and no amount of bracing could make up for two 100% rotted-out posts. I don't really have any before pics, but I do have some "during" photos:

This was actually a big deal for me because this is the first time I've ever attempted any "real" construction projects. This was also my first time using concrete -- USE GLOVES unless you want your hands to feel like concrete for a week. I didn't have a book or any help on this one so I mostly did it by common sense and reasoning.

Of course, what always happens with these things is project expansion. I've noticed that projects will expand to take an entire weekend. I got derailed with some rain but finished up this weekend. It was Sunday morning and I was fitting the last plank of fencing when I noticed that the planting bed was in pretty sorry shape from digging the posts out and general neglect. I had removed the rose bushes (I hate roses) over a year ago and since then the lawn has attempted to encroach. Anyhow, I decided to till the entire 33' planting bed.
That's a lot more work than I thought. I'm trying to figure out what to do with it. I hate weeding. At this point, I'm thinking of tamping down the dirt, laying down weed cloth, and then doing some kind of rock or gravel. Another idea is maybe just lay down some cedar mulch. It retards the weeds and smells great.

I made the galvanized steel pots were evenly-spaced and level. I did get some weird looks from passersby but the extra care really makes a difference. Here's a final shot:

It's finished! (almost)

2008-01-07T19:58:00.002-08:00

Okay, not the house. But the office...almost.

Loving architecture and maintaining a home office is a bit of the perfect storm. First off, if you love architecture it usually means you're one of those people who is affected by space. And if you maintain a home office, the quality of your space is directly related to productivity and earnings.

Now, you might remember that one of the first bigger things I tackled when bought my house (over two years ago) was remodeling the office. I picked a paint color and went to town. Coming back to this room I've realized how much better I've gotten and how much higher the quality of the work is.

Well, I just get with the pictures:

2008-01-07T19:58:00.001-08:00

Neccesity's Offspring

2008-01-02T00:07:00.000-08:00

We've all heard the old adage: Necessity is the father of invention. That's certainly true. But what everybody knows, but is reluctant to talk about is Necessity's bastard son: Getting Crap Done.

I received a wonderful call last Friday....a new prospective client. He wanted to come meet me at my home office. Some of you may remember from way back when that I had previously remodeled my office...kinda:

Unfortunately, after the 4th coat of paint nearly two years ago(yes, I used a tinted primer) I discovered I didn't really like the brown that much and I neglected the trimwork. So, to cut a long story short, I realized that I needed to do something before the new client swung by.

IMPORTANT TANGENT: Paint companies are funny. They always mention how their paint requires fewer coats, lasts longer, smells nice, cures global warming, etc. And I always believed that stuff was a bit of a crock of crap. The Behr paint at Home Depot seems to work just fine and I've always been happy with the results. It also happens to be considerably less expensive than places like Dunn Edwards. I was right! Kinda. I was right that quality paint is quality paint and $40 gallon paint doesn't possess magic qualities that somehow allow painting dark colors with one coat.

However, I was also wrong. Oh so very wrong about other things. I'm just going to come right out and say it: Behr colors suck. I've gotten maybe one color ever that I've really liked. I always thought it was something wrong with me....that I was just crappy at picking paint colors. But then I stumbled across a color guide for Dunn Edwards. They picked their favorite 18 blues and put them in their color guide. I cheated and had Home Depot "color match" Dunn Edwards "Snow Lodge." I'm shocked. It's like sky blue or robin's egg but better. I'm definitely impressed.

Anyhow, back to our scheduled programming.... I've actually learned a lot about painting (most of it wrong, I'm sure). Given the age of my house, prepping can make all the difference between a so-so paintjob and a pretty good one. I've taken up the practice of sanding the walls before painting. While this isn't the same as new drywall and texture coating, it goes a long way to improve the appearance and it's only 1/100th the work and expense.
You can see the evidence of the previous owners' crummy patch jobs. Here's the new color -- bear in mind the camera flash completely skews the hue:
I'll be sure to post more pics when I'm done. I'm thinking of attempting a custom desk of some sort. Any ideas?

Crash! Broken Windows

2007-12-31T18:50:00.000-08:00

It's your worst nightmare....you come home after a trip out of town only to find a broken window. Something that happens out here in Southern California with regular frequency are the Santa Ana winds. These are warm winds that can blow quote fiercely. This year, they visited us on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The winds were so strong that some my Christmas lights were actually blown out of their socket. These are the screw-in types. I came home to also find this:
Because of the winds and New Year's, the glass people were all booked. However, I found one that could cut me glass, on-the-spot, if I was willing to install it myself. So that's what I did:
Once I cleaned out the old glass and the 3/8" trim stock that holds in the pane, it was remarkably easy -- sorta. The glass I put in was actually the second piece of replacement glass.

It turns out in infinite wisdom I made the assumption (a very dangerous word around a 50+ year old house) that the opening was square when I measured. I got the first piece of glass home within an hour of returning to SoCal. However, when I got the old trim and glass out I discovered my glass was about 1/16" too big in one corner. "No problem" I muttered as I went to get a file and my trusty Dremel tool. For 2 hours I worked....filing, grinding, sanding, and test-fitting. I was sooooooo close and then, without any warning at all, "crack." I'm so used to disappointment when working on the house that it's rare for me to have any kind of outburst but this time I was pissed. Enough for me to yell -- scream -- a 5 minute expletive-laced tirade finally concluding with "Holy shit! Hallelujah! Where's the Tylenol!" I got a new piece of glass 1/8" smaller the next day and it went in without a hitch.

Fire! Fire! Fire!

2007-12-19T22:47:00.001-08:00

...in the new firepit of course!

One of the nice things about Southern California is that even when it gets cold at night, it never really gets cold. Subsequently we have many evenings where it's a little chilly, but could be enjoyable with a little help.

Those of you who have been to my house know that I have a generous courtyard right off the living room. I have always envisioned this space as a bit of a second living room -- a second lounge place to be used for relaxing. Fortunately, I was able to find following online for around $100 -- and it's a 35"er:

Even more fortunately, Santa dropped it by the house a little early. My brother had a few friends over for his brithday and we thought it would be a great occasion to christen the new pit. I didn't have a chance to do it properly with a tripod and all, but here's the pit in action:

Furniture Building

2007-10-28T22:59:00.000-07:00

Crab fishing in Alaska, robbing a bank, and building furniture; these are all things that guys dream of one day doing. I haven't joined the cast of the Deadliest Catch and my bank account shows no sign of any large deposits, but I have built some furniture.

One of the things about owning any unique home is that you suddenly find that off-the-shelf furniture doesn't seem to cut it. This revelation isn't really that shocking. Frank Lloyd Wright, Richard Neutra, Rudolph Schindler, and Cliff May all designed not only built-ins for their homes, but also freestanding furniture as well.

I've had a lot of ideas for custom furniture in my place. From special shelving units to tv peninsulas to an idea I have for a bed incorporating a built-in dresser underneath. Unfortunately, these have all stayed ideas. But when my brother (who lives with me) told me he was going to buy a platform bed frame from Ikea ( The Malm ). I took one look and realized I could make something far cooler for less than the $179 required for the Ikea item.

Cantilevered spans have always been interesting to me from a technological point of view. None of the bedrooms in my house are particularly large and neither are the closets. So I thought the bed should be a place for storage and be "interesting" to look at. I'm a fan of simplicity so I designed a platform bed that appears to "float" in mid-air. Of course, there's also vast room underneath for the many boxes and bins that seem to be a prerequisite of life in the 21st century. Below is an "engineering" drawing where I calculate the cantilevering system to keep the support posts invisible:

Drawings are boring, though. So here's a "test fit" where I see how it fits in the space. I plan on painting the bed the same super-dark-brown-almost-black as the beams. Though, part of me is thinking it might look good stained.

It's kind of eery. It looks a lot like a photochop or some kind of optical illusion. I actually have 1x2 edging to cover the exposed plywood edges. One problem is that it looks too "thin" to be supporting the weight of the bed. I think the 1x2 edging will help a lot. For those of you who simply must know the secret to the magician's tricks, here's a photo of the support system underneath:

If anyone wants construction details, I'm more than happy to provide them. I'll be painting everything underneath, but I just wanted to see how it would all fit together and make sure it wasn't wobbly. I'm sure it's way overbuilt, but on something like a bed I think it's better to me safe than sorry.

Two Scoops!

2007-09-16T23:25:00.000-07:00

Two big things....

Update on Bedroom Rehab
My brother is going to Europe for two weeks so I've held off on finishing his room until then. But, this weekend I couldn't stand it and I at least painted the horizontal barge beam:

You can't really tell, but the walls are unfinished and a very light green color; it's called "celery ice." I've also still got to paint the ridge beam. I also installed some uplighting in the soffit. I promise actually setup pics when it's done.

Interactive Cliff May Map
Many of you know that I have a website, http://www.cliffmayregistry.com. Over the weekend I decided to learn how to use the Google Maps API and create an interactive map that shows all of the registered houses on it along with the information we have on file.

Room by Room

2007-09-10T17:37:00.000-07:00

It's not just the name of an awful HGTV show....

So in one of life's little ironies, my brother, who everyone thinks is exactly opposite of me, has decided to move in. Two Meade brothers living under the same roof; that hasn't happened since 2001. Oh boy.

One positive ramification is the necessity to finally remodel the extra bedroom in my house. A benefit of owning a Cliff May house (and for that matter, just about any architectural home) is that almost every room has its own identity and feel. This is in contrast to just about every tract home, where the secondary bedrooms tend to feel like just another box with a window. Here are a couple of before shots:I give the previous owners an "A" for originality on the color -- and it is a cool color. Unfortunately, it's very hard to relax in a room painted like that. It's not just green, it's GREEN!!!!!! so it's getting changed. To something a little more subtle and peaceful, but still green. Also, the quality of the painting left a lot to be desired.

What Once Was Lost...

2007-08-25T16:29:00.000-07:00

...now is found.

Okay, so I didn't lost my password or anything, I just got a bit lazy. I try and keep the shameless plugs to a minimum but I figured it was time to plug something business-related where we're giving away something for free.

My company, MeadeFirst, is sponsoring a pro bono project. So definitely check it out. As you can tell, I've been very involved in work lately. However, I was able to upgrade a bit of the lighting situation in the living room. What once before felt like a dimly lit cave, now looks more like this:

and...

For those of you who are curious, I purchased the Juno Trac-12 from a commercial lighting supplier with great service and prices: Lightology. Anyhow, I'm really pleased with the light quality. It's a low-voltage system and that's with two 50 watt fixtures. It's kind of fun being able to try out different bulbs, fixture locations, and aiming. I'm not done yet.

One thing I'm trying to figure out is what to put on the wall (and how to pay for it, see business plug above). Right now, I'm thinking Rothko:

I want something bold, colorful, without having so much detail as to distract interest. I mean, I love Munch's "The Scream" but I don't know how I'd feel watching Grey's Anatomy with the screamer looming over me. Plus, I think Rothko's works have the unique, almost impossible, quality of being both brightly colored, and deep and brooding at the same time.

Killer Drywall...

2007-05-28T20:43:00.000-07:00

Renovating a house is a con game...confidence, that is. Projects that once seemed daunting and dangerous -- like attacking my windows and doors with a sander -- now appear simple and boring. Of course, then comes along another project that really tests your confidence and pushes out the comfort frontier farther.

Some of you may remember my plans to install a low-voltage track lighting system. I even went out and bought a remote transformer so I wouldn't have any ugly boxes on the ceiling. Heretofore I have done nothing on that front...largely because I was afraid of the little problem of getting electricity to the spot in the ceiling where I wanted the track. Mind you....I'm not afraid of the wiring (which is really simple) but of getting the wire to the light -- and the drywall work required. I finally bought the drywall saw and just went at it. Here's a little photo history:

I'm not done. I actually want to leave the last section out until I get the track installed so I can properly test it. Also, I took the above photos when I was just testing it. Update: Before sealing up the final panel in the ceiling the splice was put into a proper junction box. I'm still getting the hang of the drywall patching thing. I bought some 1x boards to screw into the holes so I'd have something to attach the drywall pieces to when I reinstalled them. As you can see...I'm not afraid of spackle. Luckily, this is in a spot in the ceiling where you really can't see screw-ups. I just need to sand, prime, and paint.

Doors
I also decided to refinish the interior of the doorset in the living room. One coat of primer, two coats of decorator white:
Beams
I know I'm always harping on the little things making the difference. Well this time I've got proof. If you're an avid reader, you'll remember me talking about completely rebuilding the edge between the ceiling and the ridge beam. I finally got around to repainting the ridge beam.

Vote for Me!

2007-05-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

I've entered my blog in the RemodelingMySpace.com blog contest. This is actually a pretty cool site (that includes some unique things like a cost estimator) for those into remodeling, rehabbing, and restovating. Anyhow, I'd appreciate all the votes I can get:

Big Weekend

2007-05-09T08:40:00.000-07:00

Gems of wisdom sometime come from the strangest of places. I think over the last few months I've struggled a bit with focus, completing little projects here and there but not really making progress. Out of the blue, a friend of mine (who has never owned a home) casually mentions, "Why don't you just do one room at a time?"

So simple! So this weekend I spent the entire time working on living room projects. I spend a lot of time in there; it's seen frequently by guests; I've already put in a lot of hard work. So here's a summary of projects completed:

FRONT DOOR FROSTING
No, not like a cake. Since the tv purchase usurped my frontdoor budget, I've realized I might need to spend a little more time with "the Frenchies" than I had hoped or originally planned. It's always bugged me that my living room feels like a fish bowl with the clear glass. So I decided to frost the glass myself:

OF COURSE, THEN YOU NOTICE...
...then you notice the horrible plastic trim around the door. I've learned that 90% of the time, trim is contractor code for "covered up screw up." This fell under the 90%:

Now that I had broken the plastic I had to fix it properly, or at least as properly as I know how. And in the middle of just about every project there comes a moment where you think, sometimes out loud, "what have I done?" Here's mine (no, it's not cake frosting):But it all worked out well:There's just one coat of primer. Here you can also see the splotchy nature of the window frosting. I'm not 100% happy with it, so I may just buy another can of spray-frost and go over it again.

BEAM PAINTING, WALL PAINTING
Obviously I needed to paint some of the beams and posts around the door. Most of the beams and posts in my house were done in glossy off-white. I never liked it but I didn't realize how bad it looked until I repainted a section in the same crisp flat white enamel as the ceilings, which, btw, are now also complete in the living room. Here are some final living rooms pics:
And the other end:

I'm A Lucky Duck!

2007-05-02T19:33:00.000-07:00

Admit it, sometimes it's a bit infuriating to see someone blindly get lucky...just being in the right place at the right time. That pretty much describes my entire sentiment while watching the movie, Forrest Gump. Digression aside, for once I was the Lucky Duck. By a seemingly chance encounter I ran into Tom Lundin. He has a great blog outlining his very unique and awesome Google SketchUp skills: http://modelingmidcenturymodern.blogspot.com/

I was lucky enough to have him draw up my house:

The Longest Time....

2007-04-29T18:35:00.000-07:00

Isn't it funny how songs that were popular on radio when you were a kid stick with you? It's been decades since Billy Joel's acapella hit off the "An Innocent Man" album was on the charts -- and yet it was the first thing that came to mind when I thought about how long it's been since my last posting.

Has my enthusiasm waned? Have I lost interest? Am I losing my mind?

I'm sure those and other questions have gone through your minds. But, actually, this has just been a very jam-packed Spring. Many of you have sent me private messages urging me to write for formal publications. Well I took your advice....sort of. I am the Senior Editor for The Monkey's Trunk. To those who think I've gone off the deep end...it's just a hobby. So far, after two issues, I've been paid....drumroll please....with one 1:43rd scale model car.

Something else super exciting!

Have you ever seen a television catch on fire before? It's really quite exciting. I'm just sitting there minding my own business when the picture -- after looking great for 18 years -- suddenly deteriorated. It shifted. It shafted. And finally, it sizzled. Ultimately the picture collapsed into a bright white spot at the center of the screen and smoke along with the stench of burnt electronics spewed forth into the room. Even my smoke detector protested. So I got a new TV:

I must say, my expectations for a $600 37" LCD HDTV were not very high but I'm shocked. I find this unit every bit as nice as the Samsung costing over twice as much. The only thing is that it doesn't have the name cachet.

What does this have to do with my house? Well, I was all set to bring in a contractor to get a new frontdoor; I was literally right in the middle of the email to the carpenter when my TV burned up, along with the money I planned to use on the door.

Cliff May Lecture

2007-03-27T11:50:00.000-07:00

This is out of order but I just got around to posting it. I'm very pleased to learn that Daniel Gregory, an editor for Sunset Magazine, has completed the rough draft for his book on Cliff May. Perhaps what made me even more pleased was the turnout for a lecture, given by Mr. Gregory, this past Friday. I arrived in Pasadena on Friday evening (not an easy feat if you know anything about Southern California traffic) and was shocked to see the lecture hall nearly full with Cliff May fans. Even more fun was meeting other Cliff May owners...some of whom I knew through online chatting and others who knew me as "the Cliff May blog guy." Here's a group photo taken by one of the LottaLiving message board members:

Let's Get Ready to Rumble!

2007-03-24T09:05:00.000-07:00

Whoa Nelly!

2007-03-19T20:10:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time...
Excuses, excuses, excuses...but mine are good! I've been busy with work, family functions, etc. Okay, but I'm ready for this upcoming weekend...a whole weekend devoted to working on the house. But I don't know what to work on. So I've got a few ideas and I need your help. Send in your comments!

Living Room Lighting
Some of you know I've been talk a lot about track lighting in my living room to eliminate the "cave effect" I get at night. Here's the tentative plan:

I've decided on using a low-voltage track system. I think it's important to keep the track and the lighting heads as small as possible. To further the sleek lines, I've decided to use a remote transformer in the ceiling, eliminating the unsightly transformer box at the end of the track. I don't have the track or the heads, but I do have the remote transformer and could really use the drywall experience.

Building Cabinetry
For a while now I've wanted to try building some basic cabinetry. I want to put built-ins into the closet area above and build a custom platform bed with storage underneath....eventually. But right now I think I might be able to start with a simple project like these:
The green area is a small shelf over the fireplace and the pink will be a new TV "peninsula." I want to integrate sliding doors into the design, too. I'm thinking of making everything out of birch plywood. I like the stuff that has the mix of the light and dark grain.

Finish Ceiling Scraping
I've only done half the living room. It's a bear of a job. The scraping is actually the fun part. It's sponging off the residue, priming, and painting (2-3 coats for decorator white)...that part's not so fun. I also put in the detail work on the edges to clean them up with sanding, mudding, and more sanding.

So let me know...what should I spend the weekend on?

Is It Worth It?

2007-02-18T20:50:00.000-08:00

IT IS! I won't beat around the bush, this was not a fun job. People often talk about "scraping the ceilings" as being the tough job; the one that nobody wants. Actually, the scraping is the fun part. To those who have never scraped, that might make it sound as if it's not that bad. To those who have scraped, it's just a sad realization that the scraping is as good as it gets and it only descends from there. Before I get to some pics, let me just outline "the procedure."

The Procedure:

Scrape the ceilings
Sand the edges where the drywall meets walls and beams
Reform the seem with patch putty between the ceiling and walls n' beams
Find and fix blatant imperfections (gouges, nail holes, etc)
Sand the patch putty for a smooth seam
Rinse the residue from the ceiling with a sponge (takes forever)
Prime the entire ceiling
Paint the entire ceiling (twice)
Look at the imperfections you missed and need to go back in fix

But with all that said, it's worth it. Here's how it looks now:

I stripped and repainted the vent, too. I just haven't put it back in yet. Here's another shot where you can see the popcorn, scraped, and scraped and painted portions:

The Nightmare Begins

2007-02-10T20:57:00.000-08:00

No further descrption needed.

Why the details are important (a rationalization of my anal retentiveness)

2007-02-09T00:31:00.000-08:00

If you've ever walked through a really nice house....and when I say "really nice" here I'm not just talking about the neigbhors who put in Bellawood compared to your Ikea laminate, I'm talking about those houses you see redone on This Old House or the ones that elicit the "wow" at first sight. If you've ever walked through a realy nice house you begin to notice the little things. The paint lines are crisp, every window is caulked uniformly, and the wall textures show no visible abberations. Taken individually, none of these items mean very much but taken collectively, it can mean the difference between a nice house and a nice house.

So with that, this weekend I decided to paint the living room. I've been a fan of subltety as of light so the color is a slight gray that is just enough to contrast with the white trim and keep the walls from looking "clinical" and plain. Of course, I could have done what the previous 2-3 owners did and slap up some paint on the walls, calling it a day. Instead, I chose a (seemingly) simple process that involed: 1. fixing previous poor patching jobs and 2. removing other surface imperfections mostly caused by cottage cheese ceiling treatment applied haphazardly.

DURING
In this picture you'll see a lot of brown marks on the drywall. Those are all spots that were sanded down -- cottage cheese droppings, minor cracks, paint runs, etc. The walls were all like that. Also, all inside corners were sanded with a Ryobi detail sander. The result is very crisp lines wherever a beam meets drywall.

COMPLETEYes, I know the cottage cheese NEEDS to go.

What Goes Around Comes Around

2007-01-30T14:12:00.000-08:00

I remember as a kid driving through the California desert on my way to visit my grandparents in Arizona. My brother and I used to look up from our Game Boys to point and snicker at the poor unfortunate souls with cars broken down by the side of the road in the 100 degree heat.

No, this posting isn't about being broken down by the side of the road...it's about stripping paint. Long have I roamed the online message boards reading the horrific accounts of others who had to strip paint from beams, bricks, and even a diving board. I sat smugly thinking to myself, "Self, isn't it nice you don't have to strip paint?" Yup, no scrubbing, scraping, or screaming for me. But alas, what goes around comes around.

So this weekend I decided to just remove a little paint from my fireplace. You guessed it: I scrubbed; I scraped; I even screamed.

BEFORE
DURINGAFTERI have a new-found respect for those who brave the Citristrip and a BBQ brush. But I really like the results. It turns out the fireplace was painted several times. So I'm left with this cool layering of red, olive green, black, and tan.

Something Cool...

2007-01-15T09:46:00.000-08:00

Some of you may know that I've had some ideas for doing something bigger than just my house alone. I thought it would be great to try and build something just for people who own Cliff May houses. So here it is:

www.CliffMayRegistry.com

Screenshot

Long time...no see?

2007-01-15T09:17:00.000-08:00

It's been a while, and that isn't to say I haven't been working. In fact, I've been working a lot. I don't want to dilute what's going on so I'll keep for the next, separate, post. Anyhow, here's something I've learned for future projects. Whenever you are building bookshelves, cabinets, or any other type of built-in, BE SURE TO MAKE THE SHELVES REMOVABLE!!! Otherwise, it takes forever to paint by hand, especially when you need two coats for proper coverage. Okay, I'm done. Here's what went on:

Wide Angle
Showing the HallwayAs you can see, there's still a lot of work to be done. Despite my obsessive compulsive tendencies, I'm not really a fan of white walls -- too sterile. So I'm slowly working my way through the living room, dining room, and kitchen. Also, do note: wood floors always look better in photos than in reality. I've had several people comment on how good they look -- it's just an optical illusion.

Words of Wisdom (and lots of gore!)

2006-12-16T22:54:00.000-08:00

Sometimes words of wisdom come from the most unlikely of sources. A typical weekend pastimes for me, especially when working on the ranch, is to watch some DIY shows while I eat lunch for inpisration. There's a new show I like a lot (I'm not sure when it's on -- I just record it) called Over Your Head. Basically, they find people with some horrendous half-finished project that's been left for months in disarray and bring in a contractor helper and finish the project in 24-48hrs. I think I like the show a lot because I can relate... anyhow as they're working the host turns to the camera for a little monologue and espouses some true words of wisdom:

"Real craftmanship is when you do a good job even in the places where nobody will ever look."

By that definition, the people who owned my house before me were not even close to craftspeople. I must worn you, look on only at your own risk. These pictures are pretty gory:

BEHIND THE STOVE:

It's not like the stove was ever bolted in. Would it have been that hard to ever paint behind it?

BEHIND THE FRIDGE:
I can't believe that for the last 17 months I've been eating food stored mere inches from that mess. Also, note the dual copper spigots and drain pipe in back. this used to be the home of hte washing machine.

THE STOVE:
I cleaned most of it but just imagine the entire side of the stove covered in the grease runs. Yummy.

Do You Know This House?

2006-11-12T16:15:00.000-08:00

One of the neatest that can happen if you're a toiling-away restovator is if finding someone else like-minded. I really like the fence. Just a few months ago, this was a nicely-maintained but otherwise Home-Depoted house up for sale. Anyone recognize this house?

I finally have a place to go...

2006-11-12T13:39:00.000-08:00

I've been very busy with work lately but I have had some time to button up the big stuff on the bathroom and now it's just down to "punchlist" details. I was looking at the finished product and noticed something very interesting: I'm doing a much better job on this one than the guest bathroom. I don't know if that's just because it's my personal bathroom and not the guest one. However, I will say this, if you're a n00b DIYer, work on the rooms you care about the least or plan to re-remodel first as a lot of this stuff will be a learning experience and the second you're done you'll have thought of a myriad of ways you could have done it better.

Main Pic
I feel like there should be some shelves, pictures, or something above the toilet but quite frankly, I really like the cleanliness of there being nothing. The paint color is warm grey (Dolphin Fin); I'm using Behr paints' new(ish) flat enamel product. It's the same color I used in the other bathroom and I like it there but I really like it in here. And no, there's no dirt on the camera lens, one of my screw anchor hole patches didn't take entirely.

Cabinet Knobs
I believe these may be the original knobs. Anyhow, I'm surprised (shocked, actually) that the chrome plating is still in such good shape since it's been in a bathroom with lots of moisture. Of the three, only one had signifcant pitting and the other two (pictured) cleaned up quite nicely.

Door Jamb
One thing very unique about Cliff May houses are the door jambs. Most houses have big door jambs and casings that go on the outside of the wall. In most Cliff Mays the jambs are set into the wall. The effect is much sleeker, but a pain to paint since the paint line is very exposed and has to be pretty close to perfect.

The Battle of Midway

2006-11-07T14:58:00.000-08:00

Most people know Midway as the small atoll in the Pacific that represent one of the largest naval battles of WWII. However, there's also a Midway Island known to many DIYers. It's the place in the middle of project where everything is torn up and it's a huge battle to get it finished.

I think I'm suffering from multiple personality disorder, too. I'm both the anal-retentive customer from Hell and the annoyed contractor -- all in one. I even made myself a little "punch list" of the work items I wasn't satisfied with. :)

Anyhow, it is starting to take shape and I'm discovering the blue wasn't such a horrible color; it was just a bit much on all four walls and the ceiling. But I like the Behr "Dolphin Fin" a lot better. The white ceiling makes a big difference too.

I've also been cleaning up some of the hardware like the cabinet door pulls and the hinges. It should be fun. I'll be sure so some really nice photos when the bathroom painting is complete.

Back in the Swing...

2006-11-02T09:15:00.000-08:00

I admit it, I've been a lazy bum these last few months. You get to a point, and even the most dedicated of restovators reach it, where the thought of sanding, priming, and painting another Smurfey-blue window or door just makes me sick to my stomach.

Also, there's a point where you've captured most of the low-hanging fruit. The easy / fun (I hardly distinguish a difference anymore) projects are done and it's time to get serious. Or so I thought. About a month ago (around my birthday) I started to think more and more about the house. So after a summer of BBQs and beer I'm back at it.

I also had a really nice time visiting a couple in Pomona who also own a Cliff May. There's actually a neighborhood of about 60 houses out there and they're actually affordable (at least by SoCal standards).

Okay...ON TO THE CARNAGE! I decided to embark on a light redo of my master
bathroom. These previous owners were, shock, big fans of the color blue. I've been living in a periwinkle wonderland of self-sanitation I'm in the middle of demo and stuff. So enjoy the carnage:

Okay, so maybe there isn't a ton of carnage. But I found some really cool hinges being used to hold on the linen cabinet doors:

BUT WAIT....THERE'S MORE!

Okay, I put this at the bottom because it's not exactly something I want to advertise just yet. Cliff May built between 11,000 and 19,000 homes (depending on how you estimate) around the country. Wouldn't it be great if there was a registry of houses, neighborhoods, and owners? There will be...

Cliff May Registry

Labor(ious) Day

2006-09-04T21:21:00.000-07:00

Okay...so it wasn't really that bad. I did get to go hiking in the morning with a good friend of mine I hadn't seen in a couple of months (he's a dentist and "oh so busy" with those terribly taxing four day work weeks). Anyhow, I figured it would be a total travesty to go an entire three-day holiday weekend without getting work done on the house.

BLUE-RADICATION

That's right, despite what must be 10 entries talking about getting rid of ugly Smurfey-blue paint, there's more. I did a number of projects but the one below was the most involved. As of right now, I only have the following left to do:

- 2 small windows
- 2 big windows
- 3 door sets

Wow...when you write it out like that's it's kind of depressing how much I have left to do. Anyhow, at least I can count how much I have left to do, and that's an improvement. Below are my trademark before and after photos:

BEFORE

AFTER

The more I see places where I've painted the more certain that I am that this is the way things should be. This way, you look through the windows instead of at the windows.

More Paint

2006-08-14T14:27:00.000-07:00

I caught myself telling someone a few months ago, "it's just paint -- it's easy." Boy, am I paying for those words. Its sounds so simple, too. You see some paint peeling, you scrape, you repaint, good as new, right?

WRONG!!!!

Here's a note to everyone one of you out there so that you may spare the future owner of your home agonizing pain. It is far easier to just keep up with painting than to let it get to the point of "crocodiling" and peeling off. Trust me, at that point it's not very pleasant. Let's take a look at the side of my house that has only been painted 3 times in the last 52 years:

BEFORE

AFTER

This is after some power-washing (a cool tool, btw, #3 on my list of power tools behind a chainsaw and airless paint sprayer). They say sometimes things need to get worse before they can get better. God I hope so.

AFTER AFTER

It may look nice in the photo but it isn't I applied putty and did some other things to smooth out the places where paint was removed but ultimately the textures don't match and I'm not 100% satisfied. In fact, I'm maybe 59.43% satisfied. In the future, when it's this far gone I think I need a complete paint strip.

I also worked on the last remaining bit of white fence this past weekend.

BEFORE

Okay, I didn't really let it go that badly. This is a post-power-washing view. I'm actually surprised I didn't paint it sooner, though. This is the side of the fence that faces Red Hill Boulevard so everyone can see it.

AFTER

Quick Update

2006-07-29T19:24:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's fun to look at the things that previous owners did -- little modifications to suit the idiosynrasies of their lifestyles. Then there are things which prompt a quizzical stare, throwing one's arms in the air, and yelling to no one in particular, "Why? Why? Why?"

Actually, I'm being a bit melodramatic. But why they put the holders for the pool nets, vacuum, etc in plain view when just around the corner there's a perfectly secluded location for them? That, and they also had these awful painted-over towel bars.

BEFORE

AFTER

Functionally speaking, I didn't have a problem with the towel bars. Next to the pool (especially by the steps) is a great place to hang towels, robes, etc. But these things were actually painted over towel bars with an inch of dirt. I'm looking for some cool hooks to hold towels / robes. Something in satin steel or aluminum. Any ideas?

Mmmm...Toasty!

2006-07-27T00:51:00.000-07:00

Actually, I can't stand to eat at Quizno's. Ever since they played those commercials with the post-mortem, tone-deaf rats. However, it sure has been hot here, something that reduces one's will to be outside in the sun on a ladder all weekend. I've also been part of a sizable wedding and been doing a bunch of odds and ends. I think I should get to some more meaningful stuff this weekend.

Anyhow, I did finish painting the interior beams in the living. I'm really happy with how the space feels. I got it just done before the appraiser came. Anyhow, I took a couple of cool shots:

From the Courtyard:

From Inside:

The bigger versions are available here.

Yes, I know they're under exposed -- sue me.

Two Days, Two Posts

2006-07-10T01:01:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I just forget to add something...

Many of my friends know that I consider myself a solidly competent photographer. As a result, I take a lot of ribbing for the quality of the photos I take for this blog. Frankly, I'm usually just in a hurry to get things posted and I don't have the energy or time to do anything up to my usual standards. In fact, it's all direct from camera with no post-processing.

Tonight I got the itch to do something more artistic and since the house is finally starting to come together (I see the light at the end of my paint-brush tunnel) I thought it might be fun to do some stuff where I at least spend 5 minutes instead of the usual 5 seconds.

Image One

And yes, I know the anniversary-edition Eames Lounge Chair would look great in place of my elderly (the cushion was originally black) Ikea Poang. Full-size image.

Image Two

I just like how the light "spills" out of the house. Full-size image.

I might take some day-time ones next week.

I'm throwing a party!

2006-07-09T00:37:00.000-07:00

...a fascia board party! A milestone has been reached. All of the fascia boards on my house are now the same color -- and it's even a color I like! When I moved in my house had a near rainbow of colors: white, pwoder blue, medium blue, dark blue, and "peeley" (not really a color, but worthy of its own distinction). And now I have that nice satin-silver. Here's the final stretch:

BEFORE

AFTER

These things take a while if you want to to them right. First you have to scrape any loose paint (my ears are still bleeding). Next, you have to remove any hooks or other superfluous hardware and fill any holes (my house has a lot of them). Then you get to prime (thanks again, previous owners for the smurfey blue). Finally, you get to paint. Fun fun fun.

GARAGE DONE (ish)

I don't know what to do about the windows. Originally, the house came with the clerestory windows just like on the front. Some idiot garage door installer decided he (or she -- I'm a gender-equal h8ter) needed wood in the middle for some piece of the garage doors and they now have these terrible wood things with plexiglass. Estimate to return to original $2000 for front and back of garage.

COURTYARD PAINTING DONE, TOO

I've been delaying and hemming, and hawing but I finally finished painting that last window. One of the things I also learned is that clean glass is important in completing the glass-house effect. My neighbor's thought I was crazy when I told them the windows and doors would be the same color as the body of the house. Now, one has already defected and started to paint her house the same way. With the courtyard painting done it finally completes the look and the house seems so much sleeker and fits in better to its surroundings. I'm truly amazed at what a difference it makes visually.

I also discovered something very important: there are many different types of spackle and it's important to use the right one. About a week ago I discovered "light weight" spackle. This stuff is light and fluffy. It's 10x better than regular spackle for smoothing wood surfaces. It gets into small crevices and "stick" so much better. It's also sands away easier too. Highly recommended as a "go-to" spackle and only use the heavier stuff for heavier duty jobs.

Getting ready for my interview...

2006-07-03T00:06:00.000-07:00

At least that's what it feels like. I'm thinking of refinancing my house. It's odd, my company does this among other things so I know the drill on appraisals and yet I'm actually getting a bit emotional. It's like having a stranger (even though the appraiser is someone I know) come in and evaluate my worth. Oh well...big numbers, big numbers!

With the arrival of Sharon to tell me how much I, er -- the house, is worth, I've been going on an unfinished project bender. I don't usually hangout where my garage is (back corner of the property) but I was out there the other day and noticed that my garage doors have tons of unpainted wood trim (yikes!). Not only that, the fascia board (and some of the siding) was peeling. In short, pretty much anyone driving down Red Hill Avenue could see the eyesore.

BEFORE

DURING

I've still got to finish the doors themselves (body color tan so they'll blend in), paint the beam ends, and decide about the light.

I actually like the light. It's a mercury vapor lamp and I've actually always wanted one since seeing them on farm in Minnesota as a little kid. Unfortunately, stick it on the beam ends tends to ruin the look. Any ideas on where else I can mount it?

I know why people get vinyl windows...

2006-06-25T23:24:00.000-07:00

One of the greatest travesties, in my neighborhood at least, is the replacement of the original Cliff May-designed wood windows and doors. Due to our weather out here in Southern California, 50 year-old doors and windows are usually still in pretty good condition.

Prior to now I had always thought of a number of practical reasons why someone would trade the windows in for vinyl replacement windows: cost, ignorance, misguided or non-existent sense of style, alleged energy efficiency, noise redution, etc. But, with my current project rehabbing the courtyard doors and windows I've come to the conclusion that it's really an issue of physical exhaustion. Here's about where I am right now:

At the very least it's a four-step process to do it correctly:

Sanding (this is actually two-steps: 60 grit to "dig out" spots where the paint peeled and 150 grit to clean it all up)
Primer
1st Color Coat
2nd Color Coat

That's my workflow for "pretty nice." Rushing I can do it in about 5 hours per door or window including masking, dry times, and cleanup. After the courtyard I've got 3 more doors, 2 more full-height windows, and 4 half-windows. Yay! Here's a lcoser look at the sanding. As you can see, it's the bottoms that get the most wear and need the most prep.

Something interesting...is that little window on the bottom. Since moving in I've tried to get it to open without luck. Finally, I got a razor blade and cut the paint on the outside. I found something pretty interesting:

I think the last time it was opened was over 20 years ago.

Don't Breathe the Fumes

2006-06-19T11:08:00.000-07:00

That's what it said on the side can of Rust-Oleum "Aluminum" paint. I should have listened. By 5PM last Saturday I had a massive headache and a killer sunburn, but I got a lot done.

With spending more time in the pool I've begun to notice a lot more in the back pool area that bugs me. Take, for example, the multi-hued nature of fascia boards. Some were white, some are dark blue, and in the back by the pool they were a pastel blue color:

BEFORE

...and on the house:

I'm slowly but surely carrying out my plan of blue-radication. I want to make the fascia boards all around the house consistent so they got the same silvery-grey treatment as the front.

AFTER

I know it's not that big of a change. But just try and envision it with the dark beams and the doors and windows appropriately painted.

About those fumes...

I had two other side projects as well. One of the biggest eyesores in my pool area is the pool equipment. The location is dubious -- so much so that every week while cleaning I practically trip over it and exclaim, "Why the !*$*!#$* did they put the pool equipment here?" So I had several options: 1. Pay to have it moved ($$$$$$$$$), 2. Build a cover, 3. Somehow make it look cool. Here's what I did:

BEFORE

AFTER

We've gone from an ugly necessity of pool sanitation to what looks like a piece of post-modern art produced by a 1st year mechanical engineering student on a bender.

But wait, there's more!

My headache wasn't bad enough as a result of the pool equipment painting so I decided to tackle a rather ugly (and rusting) metal fence nearby. At first I was doing it purely for aesthetics but as a progressed I realized the rust was farther along than I thought and this paint includes built-in rust inhibitor. So, as my favorite perpetrator of securities fraud would say, "It's a good thing!"

BEFORE

AFTER

I really like the exterior aluminum / stainless steel / satin chrome acceents on the house. I'm also pleasantly surprised with the quality of the paint. The fence looks great at anything more than 1ft and the pool equipment looks pretty good. I think I may do a light sanding and 2nd coat on the pool equipment (at least the big areas) to get more even consistency. I did no surface prep at all this time.

Wedding Season

2006-06-12T16:49:00.000-07:00

So I've been a little busy with going to weddings. Does this sound like the beginning of an excuse? Well, it is. I probably could have gotten more done this weekend but with one day gone I felt like spending at least half of yesterday relaxing. And so I did.

WHAT I DID GET DONE

I've been a bit hesitant to write this up since I'm a bit disappointed in the results. Unless you were born into a family of builders like this guy (whose restovation I greatly admire Drummond House ) you'll find yourself having some moments of disappointment. And those of you who have even "dabbled" in home improvement have assuredly experienced this. For me, it's the thought that comes from spending 4 hours on something -- taking care to try and do it "right" -- only to find that the results reek of lazy corner-cutting.

I wish someone would make a comprehensive book with best practices for home restoration -- something that at least gives a good starting point for thing like removing flakey paint, treating the wood, and repainting. A comprehensive "restoration guide." Unfortunately, if it exists, I haven't found it yet.

BEFORE

This was on a side of the house not really visible from anywhere around the yard and as far as I can tell, had only been painted 3 times in the last 51 years. I whipped out the handy paint scraper (great exercise, btw) and even have some battle scars. Unfortunately, the scraper tore of the wood pretty good, which isn't surprising in hindsight given the state of neglect. I followed up with an orbital sander using 100 grit. Then I primed and painted:

AFTER

This photo doesn't really show it but that fascia board is more pock-marked than a sophomore band geek's face. You can't really see it unless you're A. in my neighbor's yard or B. on a ladder next to it in mine. But still...it bugs me. Should I have used a wire brush attachment on my drill instead? Anyhow, it's a lot better than it was, but I'm still a little disappointed.