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Showing posts with label Larger Projects. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Larger Projects. Show all posts

Monday, November 18, 2013

Grab This

 Safety bars.
Solid steel reassurance in a slippery environment.
Have you ever wanted to add one to your tub or shower,
but you didn't know how to do it yourself,
and the estimate from the local handydude was 5 times the price of the bar?
 I've got your backs, Besties.
Allow The Redhead to show you how.
 First, determine where you want your bar.
Make sure there is a stud behind each end.
 Granted, since I helped build the bathroom, I had a distinct advantage here.
 Use a level to make sure you have the bar...er...level, okay?
 Use a pencil to mark the hole placement.
 Tool Time, Besties.
These hot little gadgets are tile bits, specially designed to
go through your ceramic without shattering it.
 You're only going to drill until the bit is through the tile though.
Don't get crazy on me here.
 Do you know this fun little trick for loosening and tightening bits in a drill?
Reverse the direction and hold the chock, then start the drill.
 Out comes your bit!
 Insert the new bit, reverse direction again, and repeat to tighten it.
Pretty slick, huh?
You'll save some serious time too.
 These are wood screws.
 Position your screw and tighten it.
You knew that already, huh?
And no, pilot holes are not necessary.
These will go in all by themselves. 
 Go ahead, do the other ones.
 Voila!
Mom will now be safe in the shower.
Unless discarded pet alligators come up out of the sewer.
Yeah, like you don't have an irrational fear.
We'll show you a couple more goodies on the punch list, and then seriously...
wanna see the whole house?

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

A Little Update

 I know, we did it again.
 And I'm sure you were looking for us.
 We really haven't had that much to show you.
 I mean, this ramp was designed by an engineer and 
is on a blueprint with different elevations and quite frankly,
I have no idea what Mark's doing half the time.
 There are post anchors set in concrete with expansion bolts.
 A lot of them in fact.
 Posts attached to things with metal plates.
 Everything triple checked to be level.
 Framing inspections passed.
 Slopes determined.
More concrete poured.
And then things started flying.

 The planks when on, with surgical cuts in places.
 Do you like that little bevel cut?
Pretty slick, don't you think?
 Mark didn't miss a trick, even making sure Mom could get to her spigot.
 That was his own touch.
 We have the reveal on this project tomorrow..
Today, we'll be doing a test run with Mom's electric wheelchair.
And do you see those broken, old, and missing pavers?
There's a little surprise coming in the morning that my mother has no idea about.
So don't miss it!

Monday, November 4, 2013

Product Alert!

The Redhead went shopping for painting supplies, and have I got some
cool new products for you guys!
 First up is this fabulous stuff, available at Lowes.
It actually seals and repairs damaged wood and concrete.
 I'm using it to paint the undersides of Mom's handicap ramp
to make it more weatherproof and durable.
 It rolls on thick.
I only needed one coat of this bad boy!
 Best of all, it seals cracks up to 1/4 inch.
How's that for the duct tape of the paint department?
With over 100 colors to choose from, you should be able to match your motif spiffily.
 To roll the stuff on, I used my Seal Pro paint tray,
a mere $10 at Lowes.
Why do I love it?
 The deep plastic tray comes with a 4" roller and cage that also attach to my extension stick.
Handy, huh?
But there's more!
 You want to take lunch, but don't want to clean up?
The roller fits in a rest inside, and the lid snaps on like a Tupperware container!
Airtight, Peeps!
You know I like to test my toys thoroughly, so just to play around a bit,
I left the paint over night.
Check out how well it held up!
I just went back to painting like I'd had a bathroom break.
And clean up?
The paint blasted off of the surface like it was Teflon coated.
So if you've been bagging your brushes and ruining them anyway,
go spend the $10 and save yourself a headache.
Now, I still have painting to do!


Friday, September 27, 2013

I'm Coming Out of the Closet

Ha, made you look!
Today on Life in Rehab: A Blog Under Siege,
 we're going to give the closets what all closets secretly long for:
GUTS.
I'm sorry, I'll stop screwing with the fonts now.
We decided to use these kits for the master bedroom
and the Florida room, which you weird people in Northern 
climates like to call a den.
Why?
The usual reason:
they were stupid cheap.
Yes, the photo is upside down.
Yes, the box was upside down.
Yes, I'm that flippin' lazy.
The first thing my intrepid partner in crime, Mark, did 
was unpack and lay everything out.


He then measured off the closet...
...and drew level lines.
If he'd pose for a photo or two for blogging purposes,
it wouldn't look so much like he's peeing in a corner.
The shelving was then taken outside...
...and cut to the lengths we'd decided on.
Here's where it gets fun.
This is where it gets fun, Besties.
No fear.
Holes were drilled for supports either into the drywall
or into studs.
We know where the studs are because, you know, we put them there.
If there was no stud, an anchor was used, then the supports were screwed in.
 The shelves were snapped into them.
 Front supports were added to stabilize and give the configuration strength.
And we now have a closet with tons of storage.
Which is good, because my Mother's wardrobe tops the Kardashians.
No lie.
You know how Vannah White has never worn the same outfit twice?
Meet her doppelganger.
There are three closets in this house.
I'm praying that's enough