Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Hard Core Remodeling but Were Afraid to Ask Part 2!

So in yesterday's little adventure, we learned how to slice through

lumber like it's a stick of warm butter.

 Great!

But what are we going to do with all that perfectly cut lumber?

Welcome to

 Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Hard Core Remodeling but Were Afraid to Ask!

 And today's project is...

drum roll, please...

The Storage Loft of DEATH!!!

We had already removed the ladder of 

Taking Your Life Into Your Own Hands,

and from there we discovered some interesting things...

...like, for example, the two cedar beams were screwed into either side of the support column.

Screwed.

Not resting upon the column so the weight of the loft was supported.

 Screwed.

Like we should have been just climbing up there.

Eight screws had been between my family and an insurance claim.

So the first thing we did was construct a temporary frame wall to hold this up

so no one ended up looking a Road Runner cartoon during the process.

 And today's fun tool is this: a magnetic notched hammer!

Does the thought of your thumb ending up flatter than your hair make you nervous?

This will take care of that!

Just set the nail on the hammer with the head in that notch,

let the magnetic do its thing, aim, and 

swiiiiiiiiiiiiing!

 BOOM!

It's in the board!

 Now just drive that bad boy in with your digits and manicure unsullied.

 Making a temporary frame is easy.

Measure from the ceiling to the floor.

We took a few measurements, since the floor is uneven from chipping up tile.

Your remodeling mantra is simple:

Measure twice, cut once.

Be cautious, and the likelihood of goofing is reduced.

We used a 2x4 across the top and across the bottom horizontally.

(Ready for the math?)

Since we know a 2x4 is really a 1.5x3.5, we're going to subtract 3" from the height measurement.

Basically, if you measured the height from floor to ceiling to be 93", you'll

cut the vertical boards 90".

Simple enough?

Sorry, but we're going to add 1/8" back in to lift the loft a little.

If you look closely, you'll see that the middle supports are actually two boards sandwiched

together for added strength.

This will help avoid the blinding headache that an entire floor falling on your noggin can cause.

Nail the frame together on the floor, erect it, and work it into place using a mallet and 

swear words that will really cheese off your mother-in-law.

 There ya go.

Tomorrow, we'll tackle that thing called gravity and how to keep the loft aloft.

Because an unaloft loft is loose and a loser's loss.

We may have a screw or two loose, but we aren't losers.

See you guys then!

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Hard Core Remodeling but Were Afraid to Ask

It's the day we've all been waiting for...

 Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Hard Core Remodeling but Were Afraid to Ask!

 We're going to start the whole house redo on a 1970's condo and revamp it into 

not only a Coastal Carolina style cottage, BUT it also needs to accomodate

a woman who is newly disabled in a wheelchair.

Get ready for a total transformation, plus we're going to show you how to

do all of this yourselves, step by step.

If you've never tackled a tool, this is your tutorial.

 And this is our first piece of equipment, the Porter Cable Circular Saw.

This little baby makes quick, accurate cuts on lumber, like the 2x4's we'll be using today.

(First hint from your middle aged Tool Time Heidi: a 2x4 is NOT 2" x 4"; it's actually

1.5" thick and 3.5" wide. Plan accordingly!)

The blades of a saw turn counter clockwise and should always be installed 

with the pretty letters facing out.

UNPLUG THE SAW WHEN REPLACING THE BLADE.

The number of teeth on a blade determines how fine a cut it will make.

The more teeth, the smoother the cut.

This is a framing blade, and it has 24 teeth, which makes a rougher cut.

Got all that?

 Do not use an extension cord you'd plug the hair dryer into.

1 amp of power can kill you.

A power saw has 15 amps.

That equals Crispy Critter.

Use a heavy duty cord at all times.

 That little red line you see is a laser.

Not only uber cool, it will help you follow a straight line.

 And this...is a CALCULATOR!

 A darned near unbreakable calculator, I might add.

As you all know, "unbreakable" is a valuable asset around the Rehab crew.

This will help you figure things like measurements, sure, but it also does angles,

lines, and even the pitch of a roof!

Bonus? No batteries needed.

 With that thick lip, it makes your marks  for your 90 degree cut lines perfect.

Now then, to cut a board to size, measure the length.

Do it TWICE.

If you measure twice, you'll cut only once.

Mark the length with a carpenter's pencil, which is basically a flat sided 

version. Why?

Um...so it won't roll away, duh.

 Set the blade so it just juts out far enough to go through the wood.

 All set?

 Get that carpenter's calculator out.

 Use your calculator to draw an accurate, straight line.

Now, grab your safety glasses or goggles.

 The short end is what we're cutting off, so here's a little secret

that's even less talked about than Grumpy Cat's happy place:

set your blade on the side of the line that you're cutting off.

You'll lose 1/8" with the blade, and you don't want that off of the board you'll be using.

Set the laser on the line, start the saw a few inches AWAY from the edge of the board,

and follow the pretty red line.

BOOM!

Easy stuff.

Take a couple of practice cuts before getting to a real project

to get the feel of it, and don't be intimidated.

It's kind of like getting the Minions to clean the house:

The tools do the work, you just guide them.

Oh, and hang onto those practice pieces.

We have a project coming up later you'll need them for.

What's Blooming?

Happy Sunday.