The Silver Maple Project

The Glorious DIY Backyard Patio Project.

2009-07-27T00:01:00.005-04:00

Before and After
Originally uploaded by Vincent Ma.

So the last while I've been toiling on my backyard patio project.

After the successes of our front yard project last year, the boss ordered a repeat! We went through countless revisions of the layout and finally arrived at a designed that we can both live with.

In place of shoddy lawn, we now have a new interlock patio that is about 300 sq-ft in size!

As usual, the entire project was photo-blogged on Flickr. Enjoy.

Manual aeration of the lawn

2009-03-28T23:09:00.003-04:00

Manual aeration of the lawn
Originally uploaded by Vincent Ma.

We've had the lawn for, what, almost 4 years now. It is due for an aeration.

Aerating the lawn involves removing plugs of soil (4" deep or so, size bigger than a dime) from various places of the lawn to promote air and water to go to the roots of the remaining grassroots.

Usually lawn-care companies drive by / call / spam about services. They can probably aerate your lawn in no time, but they charge tens, if not hundreds of dollars and use a power aerator.

Instead, Mr. Self-Torture decides to use a manual coring aerator to do the job. Every foot or so, I push the tool into the soil and every push I remove 2 plugs. Repeat ad nauseum, until entire lawn is covered.

Took me an hour to cover all 4 pieces of my lawn in the front, and another half-hour to pick up all the plugs. (normally the plugs would dissolve after heavy rainfall, but they interfere with my reel mower, so I remove them.)

DIY Recessed Light Installation

2008-12-31T20:58:00.002-05:00

The IC-rated pot light installed inside vapour barrier tub
Originally uploaded by Vincent Ma.

The dear wife nagged me about wanting pot lights for our living room, which our builder never installed a ceiling fixture.

We asked around, and the cheapest is $80-110 a pop, but they require that we install at least 6 lights.

That's too expensive for us. So, I did it myself.

The process was documented on flickr, as usual!

Baby Fence Mod

2008-10-27T12:01:00.001-04:00

Baby Fence Mod
Originally uploaded by Vincent Ma.

So now that Horten's crawling and standing, we need to fence out the stairs so he does do the Humpty Dumpty.

Tyatt found these clear baby fence from Zellers and I'm happy to attach them.. However, our fence posts presents a number of problems.. one, the height of the pressure pads on the opposite side of the hinge matches with the middle round part of the post, so it doesn't pressure mount properly.. and the safety catch thingy cannot be properly attached.. and two, the wife insists that I do not drill into the post.

So, with a few pieces of leftover dimensional lumber, I quickly constructed a piece that wraps around the post and a sacrificial piece for the screws of the safety catch to mount on. The side flaps are there to prevent the main 2x4 from moving towards the stairs (sliding), and the cable ties prevents the piece from falling off the post. Since the gate should be closed most of the time the 2 cable ties should be sufficient.

This jig preserves the post, I think. I think I'll attache foam around the edges of the lumber to prevent Horten from a royal bump in the head.

One of the millions of crane flies in our garden..

2008-09-21T14:57:00.001-04:00

One of the millions of crane flies in our garden..
Originally uploaded by Vincent Ma.

A picture of *my* crane flies!

Tiling the outside of our shower

2008-09-14T13:29:00.002-04:00

Tiling the outside of our shower
Originally uploaded by Vincent Ma.

Finally getting around to find the tile to tile the outside of our shower. What you see here is inexpensive mosaic ceramic tiles from Lowes.. like $5 per sq foot.. awesome.

More...

Crane flies have invaded!

2008-09-12T15:01:00.001-04:00

Lately, we noticed large mosquito-like flying insects showing up in large numbers in our lawn and garden. Whenever I walk in the front lawn a large number of them will take flight. The wife is scared to open the windows..

Yesterday we had a nice lade from York Region come over to evaluate our garden for water-efficiency (i.e. plants and lawn that require less water, and best-practices to reduce water use) and I took the opportunity to ask her about the pests.

Anyways we think they are crane flies.

Picture from sustainableliving.blogs.com

Interestingly, the adults don't really feed.. they hatch, and mate, and they die. However, the larvae (called leatherjackets because of their tough skin) are said to be susceptible to nematodes.. so I think we'll give it a try.

Some more links:
http://www.rhs.org.uk/Advice/profiles0206/leatherjackets.asp
http://www.mushroomfactory.ca/2008/04/leatherjackets-cranefly.html
http://www.pfc.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/diseases/nursery/pests/european_e.html
http://www.plcao.on.ca/customerTips_insects.html
http://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.co.uk/leatherj.htm
http://www.pestcontrolcanada.com/Questions/Pest%20Photos%20101%20to%20200.htm (see #180)

Light bulbs for my light fixture in the den

2008-08-11T12:14:00.000-04:00

Mostly to remind myself, the bulb I need to get for the light fixture in my den is E14. Something unusual for North America, I guess since the fixture came from Hong Kong.

DIY front entry landscaping project.

2008-07-02T16:25:00.002-04:00

The finished look
Originally uploaded by Vincent Ma.

It is finally done.. took us 2 weeks, but it is all worth it.

See the photos of the job here on flickr!

Replacing the steps to my porch

2008-06-27T15:20:00.002-04:00

Getting the wall units to be perfectly level
Originally uploaded by Vincent Ma.

The builder gave us ugly-ass precast concrete steps to our front door. Now that the weather is nice again, we decided to redo the front steps, and also add some pavers to create a small walkway leading up to said new steps.

I don't have all the pictures uploaded yet, will do that soon after the project is done!

DIY Cedar Mailbox

2008-06-07T06:06:00.009-04:00

Cover attached!
Originally uploaded by Vincent Ma.

The mailbox is done! Took long enough though.
The build is documented on flickr!

Plan for my new mailbox

2008-05-29T16:48:00.003-04:00

Plan for my new mailbox
Originally uploaded by Vincent Ma.

With all the wood left from the flowerbox project, I can build a mailbox as shown!

DIY cedar flower boxes.

2008-05-08T01:01:00.002-04:00

Then there were two
Originally uploaded by Vincent Ma.

We wanted more flower box space on the railing of the porch. But cedar flower boxes are expensive. Our old 22" one was $24.

I decided I can do better to build our own using cedar planks.

My DIY build is documented here on flickr.

Mulched flower bed

2008-04-20T22:51:00.003-04:00

Mulched flower bed
Originally uploaded by t y a t t.

Another year, another spring.

To my pleasant surprise, (well really why should I be surprised) most of my perennials came back. Each of them started with reddish shoots that peer through the soil and then open to review fresh green leaves. Awesome.

This weekend Canadian Tire advertised on their flyer a new product -- coconut husk mulch. It comes in a block that is dried and compressed. The package is a little bit bigger than a phone book. When hydrated, it covers about 12 sq ft. We got 4 packages in total and it covered our flower bed, barely. :-D

What to do after a hard day of shoveling

2008-03-09T20:35:00.000-04:00

What to do after a hard day of shoveling
Originally uploaded by Vincent Ma.

Man there was a ton of snow. So, after two days of shoveling my driveway, this is one thing you can do.

(and given the amount of snow, I won't be able to forgive myself for not at least digging one hole big enough for me.)

Thanks to Marco for the photoshoot, and helping to clear up my driveway!

Our new flower bed

2007-07-10T14:55:00.001-04:00

Coreopsis verticillata 'Moonbeam'
Originally uploaded by Vincent Ma.

Finally I found the time to build a new flower bed to grace our otherwise barren front yard.

Also we took Pat's recommendation and bought a bunch of nice perennials from Humber Nurseries.

Photos are on Flickr

Harlequin Maple

2007-06-25T12:11:00.000-04:00

We started to look at what to do for the yards (front and back) but personally I wanted a harlequin maple just like the one in my parents front yard.

Other trees?
Japanese maple (but there are thousands of species.. must find a nice looking one)
Korean lilac (supposed to smell good.. here's a picture)

Periwinkle Flower

2007-05-26T09:48:00.002-04:00

Periwinkle Flower
Originally uploaded by Vincent Ma.

The first flower of our house appeared! This is from the periwinkle that Pat, my friend at work, gave me last year. It had established itself, survived the winter, and grew bigger throughout this spring. :-D

Ground cover for the garden

2007-05-26T09:38:00.003-04:00

Forget-me-not

Light purple Phlox
Originally uploaded by Vincent Ma.

Tyatt's mom gave us some of her ground cover plants like Forget-me-not and Phlox. We also bought some herbs and flowering plants as well!

That just means we'll have to opening up some flower beds soon.

DIY drapes for the house

2007-02-19T20:07:00.000-05:00

Sewing machine action shot!
Originally uploaded by Vincent Ma.

We needed drapes badly -- the Redi-shade is beginning to look old. Ready-made drapes are either too ugly or too expensive, or .. both. Custom-made ones from drapery stores are too expensive. So, we did it ourselves!

See it on Flickr

Closet Remodeling

2007-02-01T22:34:00.000-05:00

I am being crushed by the PAX
Originally uploaded by Vincent Ma.

Our so called walk-in closet is very small, and the original shelves did not make full use of the space. We bit the bullet and bought the PAX closet shelves from IKEA.

Installing them was a challenge -- we pretty much had to assemble the shelves inside the closet because the door opening is much shorter than the full height of the closet. Also, the inside width of the closet is exactly the width of the shelves.. we had to plan the order of the assembly to assure we can actually move everything into place!

The assembly is documented on Flickr

Tiling the kitchen back splash

2007-01-12T23:18:00.001-05:00

Cleaning the second row of tiles
Originally uploaded by Vincent Ma.

Our first project of 2007 is to tile the back splash in the kitchen. We used glass mosaic tiles and toiled for 4 nights to get it done. We are both excited about the result!

Opinions have varied.. many say the kitchen and tiles are stunning and the kitchen now has a certain funk. Other says the tiles made the kitchen darker.

You decide: The photos of the job are on Flickr

Installed my new dishwasher

2006-12-31T02:13:00.000-05:00

The fancy dishwasher LIVES
Originally uploaded by Vincent Ma.

We bought a new fancy dishwasher and I needed to save money. What better way to save money than to install this machine myself?

This project was complicated by a few things:
1) my dishwasher slot is not beside or near the sink / drains at all. I need to be able to route the supply and drain hoses and the electrical cable under the cabinets.

2) the builder did not provide adequate electrical rough-in for my plug-in dishwasher

So, I spent 1.5 days planning and deciding on the course of action, and 1 day actually doing the installation.

I partially documented the job on Flickr.

Painted Garage Floor

2006-10-12T11:03:00.000-04:00

Painted Garage Floor
Originally uploaded by Vincent Ma.

The real project of the Thanksgiving weekend is to paint the garage floor. I didn't take any pictures during the paint job because it was quite messy - the primer is actually a very tacky glue-like substance. This is the result though.. ain't it nice looking?

Tires Organized, Me Tired

2006-10-09T12:24:00.000-04:00

Tires Organized, Me Tired
Originally uploaded by Vincent Ma.

We wanted to (i.e. the wife insisted) that we (i.e. I) paint the garage floor.

To keep stuff off the floor for good I built another shelf, this time for holding the winter tires and other stuff.

New switches

2006-09-14T09:43:00.000-04:00

Timer Switch
Originally uploaded by Vincent Ma.

I've installed a new timer switch for the ventilation fan in the guest washroom upstairs and a motion detector switch for the light in the laundry / mud room.. Now when I go into the laundry room with a load of dirty clothes I don't have to reach for the light again!

The pictures for both switches are on Flickr

Photos for Logic board replacement

2006-08-24T08:32:00.000-04:00

The business end of the logic board replacement.
Originally uploaded by Vincent Ma.

Sorry for the delay in posting pictures for the logic board for the garage door opener! They are mildly interesting, but I am overjoyed that the opener works properly again.

Logic board for garage opener arrived.

2006-08-14T10:38:00.000-04:00

Last Friday I finally received the replacement logic board from Chamberlain. I installed it on Saturday and it works like a charm. I took some pictures and will put them up later..

"Stone" style glass tile

2006-08-06T11:46:00.000-04:00

Stone style glass tile
Originally uploaded by Vincent Ma.

Applied another sample called "Stone". This time with white grout. Looks good.. I think we want to use this one for the kitchen.

Recursive Houses

2006-08-06T11:29:00.000-04:00

Recursive Houses
Originally uploaded by Vincent Ma.

I've decided to start a series of pictures documenting the suburbia life through the eyes of a caffeine drunkard.. me.

The first image is this one. It is scary how I cannot see the end of houses through the gap between my neighbours' houses. It is even more scary how there is such uniformity of positioning the houses and lot so that there is an unbroken row of gaps between houses. I live in a cookie-cut subdivision in a suburb. I'm a suburbanite, through and through.

This series will be sporadically updated.. when I feel depressed. You'd hope there isn't many pictures here in a Flickr set!

Surge protector for Garage Openers

2006-08-01T22:00:00.000-04:00

Surge protector in use
Originally uploaded by Vincent Ma.

Home Depot indeed has the surge protectors in stock. I splurged and bought two of them.

My garage opener is busted

2006-07-30T15:44:00.000-04:00

I have two Chamberlain Whisper Drive garage door openers. They were installed one week after I moved in. They seem to work fine until recently. One day we came home to find the door opened. That was scary. Everything in the garage seems to be in order at least. We also found that my garage opener opens both doors, and the wife's ? not working at all. That's weird. After we closed it, the wonky side also opened by its own.

So today I called Chamberlain and asked for help, after discovering that the unit refuses to reset after I hold the "learn button" down as instructed by the manual's troubleshooting guide. After a few tests the customer rep says that the logic board is fried and they will send me a new one in 7-10 business days. So nice. I will see what happens after I replace the logic board. Meanwhile I guess we'll just unplug the unit when the wife is home.

Update: Simon has found that Chamberlain makes a surge protector for its Liftmaster line of garage openers. I'll see whether I can find them at Home Depot.

Glass mosaic tile install practise session

2006-07-29T17:04:00.000-04:00

All the mosaic are installed!
Originally uploaded by Vincent Ma.

We finally decided on using glass tile mosaic to tile our kitchen back splash. I've never tiled before, let alone these specialized glass tiles. So I decided to do a simulated install on a spare piece of dry wall.

I took left over dry wall pieces from the washroom vanity light project and attached it onto the garage wall. I then proceeded to install three sample sheets of glass mosaic on it.

I think it turned out reasonably well. The tiles are resonably lined up and nothing fell out. :-) Now I wait for 24 hours before i can practise grouting.

As usual, I was my own photo-journalist and the pictures are up on Flickr.

Update: I've done the grouting practise and the photos are now part of the same set on Flickr. Use link above to see the complete set of pictures for the entire practise!

Hanging curtain

2006-07-23T01:05:00.000-04:00

Bracket with rod.
Originally uploaded by Vincent Ma.

We are SICK of RediShade. We also need to access the backyard through the patio doors now that we have a lawn. So we went and bought the necessary curtain things and went at it. The challenge in this project was provided by our boneheaded builder who decided to put in a bulkhead so close to the trim of the patio door.

As usual, I was my own photo-journalist and the pictures are up on Flickr.

Update on my shelves in the garage

2006-07-22T23:59:00.000-04:00

Epilogue...
Originally uploaded by Vincent Ma.

Finally able to take a picture of the "new" 3 layer shelving I installed in the garage after I last blogged about this project. Three levels of storage space for more crap! I don't need a proper toolbox.. my bottom shelf is now the tool storage.. Easy access to my growing tool collection!

Dehumidifier update

2006-07-22T00:27:00.000-04:00

Hose adapter
Originally uploaded by Vincent Ma.

My basement has become quite humid after April. I've been using the dehumidifier constantly, but empting the tank every other night is becoming tiresome. So finally I bought the short garden hose and attached it to the dehumidifier.

Thanks again to my friends that bought me the dehumidifier!

Photos on Flickr.

Computer in the hallway

2006-07-20T11:18:00.000-04:00

Computer in the hallway
Originally uploaded by Vincent Ma.

Why are there two computers that aren't plugged in and stacked on top of each other in front of the staircase? Yes, these are old computers that I don't use and I am REALLY using them as paperweights. Kinda. After the contractor glued the edge of the laminate floor to the subfloor near the nosing he asked me to put something heavy on top. So I did.

The Glue? PL400. Look it up yourself!

Photos on Flickr

DIY Vanity Light Installation

2006-06-02T15:48:00.000-04:00

The wife hated the strip light the builders installed in our washrooms. So I decided to rip them out and replace with better looking vanity lights.

Before:

After:

As usual, I was my own photo-journalist and the pictures are up on Flickr.

DIY Heavy Duty Shelves

2006-05-03T15:19:00.000-04:00

So our second major project is to install our own shelves in the garage.

We know we have a lot of ~~shit~~ stuff that needs to be put into the garage. So we looked around for shelving. Stuff from IKEA (search for GORM) or HomeDepot (such as ProRack) doesn't look too good, so in the end I decided to build our own.

As usual, I was my own photo-journalist and the pictures are up on Flickr.

DIY adding handles to my new cabinets doors

2006-01-19T18:19:00.000-05:00

When we talked to the builder and picked the inside choices like cabinet style and colour, we also told them to not put in the handle knobs for the doors for the kitchen cabinets. We like what we saw at Lee Valley better (look under Handles and Pulls > Specialty Handles > Stainless-Steel Handles > Bow Handles). We also told them to not drill any holes either. Anyways Frendel Kitchen the contractor did a very nice job and now it's time for me to do my stuff!

Illustrated steps can be found at Flickr.

Sewer is done!

2004-08-20T11:24:00.000-04:00

Our house will be on the right. See how nice the road is going to be!

Last night we dropped by the construction site, and it seems like they've finished the sewer work! The road is paved and everything seems ready to go! I think they are in the process of obtaining the building permit. Hopefully it'll be done soon! Still crossing fingers that the site will be on-time (I know I'm dreaming...)

Glacier 1st Floor: Kitchen with Breakfast Bar Extension.

2004-05-20T12:03:00.000-04:00

Kitchen with a 6-feet breakfast-bar extension.

There should be about 5 doors of cabinet space added. The countertop can be either same height or raised for the bar area. There is about 3 feet of space at the 'entrance' of the kitchen.

Glacier 2nd Floor: Bigger Closet

2004-05-20T11:59:00.000-04:00

Bigger Walk-In-Closet (about 2 feet longer)

How does a 5-feet breakfast bar look like?

2004-05-20T11:06:00.000-04:00

Click on the image to read the article in an old issue of Hawaii Home + Remodeling

A small breakfast bar

2004-05-20T00:18:00.000-04:00

This looks like an idea for a breakfast bar. Although small, can still sit 2 people.

Another link with lots of photo of breakfast
here

Interesting kitchen movable island

2004-05-18T13:08:00.000-04:00

http://www.comforthouse.com/comfort/whitcutboar.html

Tyatt says:

i'm still thinking of how to remodel our kitchen....because I just realize I'm cutting the breakfast area spaces...but then again...many modern kitchen don't care about the breakfast area (as in...remodel the kitchen in such a way that it has breakfast bar extending to breakfast area and don't need extra tables). If it's done well...that's no prob at all....i don't know how much u like to have an empty breakfast area to put table in or just an integrated area. I'm looking more into that now. There's this ~~hawaii remodel kitchen~~
Hawaii Home + Remodeling magazine on web...and has lots of cool kitchen pictures for ideas. :)

Lots of backissue too. :)

The picture of the breakfast table Tyatt refers to is this one...

Our new blog!

2004-05-18T12:45:00.000-04:00

Well, I've started a new blog to document new ideas, info, web pages, and other stuff related to our new house! This is so that we have a way to remember all the stuff we thought about.