DIYers: Part 2
Is it worth being a DIYer? You know, doing it yourself? Is the money saved worth the aggravation? Are there lessons to be learned from not hiring “professionals” to do the job?
In any event, to be a successful DIYer, one must have the following: the correct tools and lots of patience. A spouse willing and wanting to assist is also an asset, sometimes.
Painting
My husband Ken comes from a long line of DIYers. When we moved into our house in 1978, it needed a lot of redecorating. For example, the previous owner painted every room either orange or green. Ick. Hiring a painter was not an option for us. Ken liked to paint, and it was easy since most rooms were empty. We had no furniture to speak of. And, of course, he was much younger and spryer. For many years, he was our official house painter, inside and out.
Then again, there was the time, a week before Passover, when he decided the dining room needed to be repainted. What an inconvenient time! I had neither the strength nor the willingness to empty the china closet. Ken didn’t care. Instead, he painted around it! Oh well. No one would know, would they? Look at the money we saved by not hiring painters!
Living Room/ Dining Room Draperies and Shades
Our house has a combination living room/dining room, with lots of windows. The front living room windows take up one wall. A wide sliding door takes up the back wall. The dining room has two large, side-by-side windows. Therefore, we needed a lot of draperies. Thankfully, my grandmother said, “As a house gift, I want to pay for the draperies.”
Mom knew a guy on Broadway Street near Fells Point who sold drapes and shades. (I think his mother, in her 80s, sewed the drapes.) The cost of the drapes for both rooms came to around $800. For some reason, this amount sticks in my head. That was a lot of money in 1978. Thanks, Grandma!
Many years later, we decided the drapes had to go. We opted to replace them with Roman shades. The Broadway Street fella had retired. Apex Draperies was the place in Pikesville to buy custom drapes, curtains and shades. But according to Ken, we couldn’t afford their prices.
Surprisingly, JC Penney sold reasonably priced DIY shades. Of course, it was cheaper to measure and install them ourselves rather then use the store’s decorating service.
Well, the shades came, and Ken installed them. They looked great, except for one problem. They were almost four inches too short. Oops! We were stuck and are still stuck with them. When the shades are pulled up, you don’t notice they are too short. It’s only when they are all the way down you see the problem. No one has ever commented on this flaw. Maybe our friends are too polite. We’re not going to replace them, though. One day, the too-short shades will be someone else’s problem.
Bedroom, Bathroom and Kitchen Shades
The first thing to consider when measuring for shades is selecting an “inside mount” or “outside mount.” Outside mount allows for some leeway in the measurements. If, however, you don’t measure properly for an inside mount, you’ve got problems. Also, inside-mounted shades are harder to install.
Aluminum mini blinds were the rage in the 1980s. We measured and installed them ourselves in the kitchen (three windows) and two bathrooms (one window each bathroom). Now, they are showing their age. Some of the slats are bent. The plastic cords pulls are broken – stuff like that. Of course, no one told us that aluminum mini blinds are impossible to dust and keep clean, especially over a kitchen sink. Lesson learned.
Again, they will be the next owner’s problem, not mine.
Years ago, we DIY’d our bedroom shades (five windows). Over the years, some of the pull cords broke. As a result, those shades wouldn’t open. In 2022, we decided to replace them with new, room-darkening shades. However, installing them would be difficult, and reluctantly, we made the decision to go with a “pro.”
A “discount” shade company was recommended by a neighbor. The estimate, with a “special discount” for the five windows was somewhere around $1,500.
“We’re going to think about it and get back to you,” we told the salesman. The end.
But, in September 2024, it was time to reassess our previous decision. We got two estimates, including the first guy, who didn’t seem to remember us. Whew! The cheapest estimate came in at $1,100, including installation. In other words, each window shade would cost $220! And for what – some cheap fabric and an aluminum head rail? We all know they probably cost $15 each to make (in China, no doubt). Highway robbery for DIYers, but there was no way we were doing this as a DIY project.
Basement Bedroom Dresser and Shades
Let’s now move on to our DIY experience in our fourth bedroom, which is in the basement. The room was paneled in the 1950s with knotty pine – very popular back then. In November, Ken saw what he thought was mold growing in a corner. He removed a section of the paneling to get a better look at what was growing there. We called two basement waterproofing companies and a contractor. Two of three assured us the “stuff” was not mold or toxic.
Since Ken tore out a hole in the paneling, it made sense to update the room. We hired the contractor (Peak Kitchen & Bath) to remove two of the four paneled walls. I wanted three paneled walls removed but was outvoted. He would install drywall, upgrade the electric, rebuild a closet, paint the ceiling and new walls, etc. Ken, who hadn’t done any serious painting in years, decided to DIY paint the remaining paneled walls.
Painting old knotty pine paneling was not easy. It had to be cleaned, the knots sanded and primed twice. The two-inch grooves between the flat panels required detailed brush work. Then, Ken could use a roller on the walls. As usual, he did a good job, but personally, I think the walls need another coat. Unfortunately, we’re out of paint. In “the old days,” a gallon of brand-name paint cost $15. Today’s cost is closer to $100! A gallon is more paint than we need for a second coat; a quart isn’t enough. So…Ken says he’s done!
The Dresser
The room had a built-in dresser, with drawers that always stuck. The contractor removed it, leaving a cutout space for a new dresser. This DIYer didn’t want to spend a lot on a basement guest room dresser. Ikea, Overstock and Wayfair had affordable ones—all unassembled—and I opted for the least expensive.
The dresser came today (January 30). The delivery men left the 100+ pound box on our sidewalk. Would it have been so hard for them to at least put it on the porch? Grunting and straining, Ken pushed it up four stone porch stairs. Then, he grunted and strained some more, managing to push it into our foyer. There it lays, a 65 x 14 inch stumbling block (see photo).
I suspect this DIY job will require both of us, and result in many arguments.
The Shades
As for shades, the two windows in the bedroom had 60-year-old roller shades. Out into the dumpster they went, along with 40-year-old curtains. I priced DIY cellular shades online.
The websites are deceptive. Yes, I found something I liked and affordable—a simple cellular shade costing $25. However, that price was for a teeny, tiny window. After entering our windows’ dimensions, the price jumped up to $240 for both windows. While this was cheaper than hiring the blinds guy, we opted for a cheaper shade. After all, at this point in the remodeling, we were way over budget.
These shades also came today (January 30) in a much smaller and more manageable box. Ken has already installed one and did a great job. Thank you, Hubby!
The Dresser, cont.
The pieces are out of the box and most of them schlepped to the basement. The instructions are 100% visual, nothing written. I foresee a big challenge. On the bright side, my 7-year-old grandson put together, by himself, his unassembled desk from Target. It might save our marriage to fly him to Baltimore from Texas and let him assemble the dresser. A marriage can only handle so much!
Lessons Learned?
I don’t know…maybe DIY projects are not for the faint of heart. Maybe sometimes you have to hire a professional (or a kid). Maybe it’s time to loosen the purse strings a bit and enjoy our less complicated leisure time.
Please leave your comments below.
Read more by Eileen Creeger.