Installing Peel and Stick Vinyl Planks

Hey y'all! Welcome to part 2 of my bathroom floor fix - installing the new floor.
Now that I have a beautiful, level surface to work on, it's time to install the new floor!

Now I did chose the cheap route with this floor (ballin' on a budget). But I have to say, you really get out of these what you put into them. If you half ass it, your floor is certainly going to reflect that. So it's very important to take your time and pay attention to details on this! If you do, it's going to turn out spectacular, both aesthetically and in craftsmanship.

Supplies:

• Valspar Concrete Bonding Primer
• Peel & Stick Vinyl
• Utility Knife
• Pencil
• Vacuum and/or Broom
• Rolling Pin
• Paint Roller

STEP 1: Prep

This is the most important step. Make sure the concrete is spotless: dust and debris free. Sweep and vacuum, vacuum and sweep. We want the cleanest surface possible to get the best adhesion from the tiles.

 STEP 2: Layout

Begin by laying out the planks, with the backing still on. This will give you an idea of how the layout of the planks will look in the space. It will also help decide where you want to start. I started on the left hand side underneath the vanity, but the longest wall is an easy place to start as well.

TIP: For the best appearance, run the planks parallel to the longest wall.

Personally, I like the planks to be halved (centered in layout with each other) because I'm OCD and like everything to be perfectly centered. However, thirds is a popular option as well.

STEP 3: Prime

Apply a layer of Valspar Concrete Bonding Primer to the concrete floor. I poured some primer directly onto the concrete then used a roller to spread an even layer over the floor. Let the primer cure according to the package instructions. If you went with Valspar, let it dry for about 45 minutes, or until tacky.

STEP 4: Lay the Floor

SO IMPORTANT: Before we start, look under the planks. If they have directional arrows make sure they are all installed facing the same direction.

Peel the backing off of your first plank and lay it down at whichever point you decided to begin.

TIP: Once the plank is in the correct position, use a rolling pin and your body weight to secure the planks to the floor. They sell weighted rollers if you feel so inclined, but I prefer to save the money and make what I have work.

From there, lay your next plank beginning exactly at the halfway point of the first plank. When laying the next plank, you will want to place the second plank at a 45-degree angle and push very firmly against the first plank as you lay it down to the cement (you can use a 2x4 or long level to "jam" the planks closer once they're down if you want). There should be NO gaps. Then roll - always roll.

Now repeat the pattern, laying the planks in a step pattern as shown above. I laid all of my whole pieces first, then went back and filled in the spaces that needed planks to be cut.

Now when it comes to cutting, take a few tips from someone who had plenty of trial and error. These laminate planks simply need to be cut (or scorn) on the top, then snapped. No need to exhaust yourself trying to cut all the way through.

CUTTING TIPS: 

• Trace complex corners and door frames out using construction paper first for difficult cuts, then use the paper to mark and cut the laminate
• Make sure all cut sides are along the wall and not connecting 2 planks together, this will make sure all planks lay flush together with no gaps
• Use old piece of stick laminate (or a piece you've already needed to cut) to make a perfect cut - you can use a carpenters square to make the line then place the laminate along the line and you can use that as your cutting guide. It stays firmly in place with ease, and that is a savior.

STEP 5: Roll

Roll the entire floor one more time for good measure. This will ensure a good bond between the adhesive on the planks and the cement.

Excuse the toilet in my bathtub, but it deserved a deep cleaning and what better place to do it!

STEP 6: Install Base Shoe or Quarter Round

I used base shoe, one that is mold resistant and already white so I don't have to do any painting. After using the Brad Nailer to attach the shoe molding to the base boards I went back in and filled the holes with with caulk.

Whala! A beautiful new floor :)
I told you - put in the effort and the final product will be incredible.

As always, I'm here to answer any questions!

Until next time, I'm dabblin' DIY.

Leveling A Cracked Slab Foundation for Under $60

Hey y'all!

Long time, no post.

The good news: I've been really busy dabbling in some DIY around the house, which means more things to blog about!

In the time I've been away I've managed to level out the crack in our concrete slab foundation and lay down new floor (which will follow in the next post).

When we originally bought the house this massive crack didn't exist. As the concrete settled, it decided it needed a little separation (... don't we all). After having a contractor come in and tell us that the crack is only superficial and quoting a hefty $1,500 to repair, I quickly declined the repair and decided I'd take this one head on.

After doing quite a bit of research online, I realized there weren't very many tutorials for taking on this type of project and the ones that did exist were more exterior (driveway/patio) type things. I also found a lot of information on products that no longer existed, which provided me ZERO help. 

So here we go, Amanda to the rescue!

Supplies:

• Ryobi 4 1/2"Angle Grinder ($39.97)
• Diablo 4 1/2 Masonry Grinding Wheel ($2.97)
• Face mask (I did not use one and I sincerely regret it. Do yourself the favor and learn from my mistake)
• Plastic putty knife
• Shop Vac (In my case, I used my Dyson - any vacuum with an extendable hose and attachments will work)
• Sakrete Concrete Crack Filler ($9.96 - The entire crack, with 3 applications, took me less than one bottle)
• Pry bar
• Floor Scraper
• Mallet or Hammer
• Level

After purchasing the needed supplies, including the angle grinder, the cost was less than $60!

STEP 1: CLEAR THE AREA

Like, completely clear it. Don't leave anything.
Dust will be EVERYWHERE.

STEP 2: Remove Molding and/or Baseboards

Using the pry bar, remove all of the shoe molding (if applicable). If you have no shoe molding you will either want to add some after laying the new floor (you won't need to remove the baseboards) or remove the baseboards.
Personally, I removed the current shoe molding that was in place as well as the baseboards behind the toilet and the adjacent wall. Since they both lined up to the tub they had some mold, were soft in areas and needed to be replaced.

STEP 3: Remove Flooring

 Now remove the current flooring to expose the cracked concrete underneath. I used a handheld floor scraper to get up the vinyl that was currently in place, but depending on your current flooring there are many different options for removal. On the stubborn parts, I used a hammer to hit the butt of the scraper for an extra push.

Here's a little something to laugh at; Paisley is apparently afraid of my camera.

STEP 4: Vacuum 

Vacuum out the crack in the concrete to get all of the little pieces out. You don't want them flying everywhere when you start the grinding process.

Step 5: Start grinding

BEFORE you start this process, put on that face mask!
Using the angle grinder and a level to keep track of where you are, start the process.

This was about half way through. As you can see, you're not only sanding the crack itself but blending it out to keep everything level. Now, continue the process until you've leveled the entire crack.

Notice the vacuum in the background completely covered in cement dust?!
Don't say I didn't warn you.

STEP 6: Vacuum ... Again

I know, I know. Not again.

Don't worry about making sure all of the dust is out of the bathroom but make sure you get all of the dust out of the crack and around the area that you plan on filling. We want a clean surface for the filler to adhere to.

STEP 7: Fill

Get your Sakrete filler (or whatever you decided to go with) and plastic putty knife and let's get to filling.

As you can see, the first coat is certainly not going to look perfect, we are applying 3 after all. So don't worry.

I let my first application dry and cure for about 2 hours. You will notice significant shrinkage of the product and it will look like you haven't done anything yet. This is good! It means the product is dropping down to the bottom of the crack and adhering to the old concrete.

After the first application dried for 2 hours

Repeat this process as many times as your floor requires. Mine took 3 passes but you could use more or less.

Once it's complete it should look something like this

Time to go get some rest! Let it cure overnight (or if you went with a different product, refer to the package instructions). When you wake up you should have something similar to this:

The filler completely dry and cured

I sanded it down a little to make it extra flush and then went ahead and put down the primer for the floor I am going to apply. This shows how level the floor is. It's a little hard to picture something as being flush when it's a mixture of colors.

Congrats on your level floor! As always, if you have any questions I am always here to answer.

Be on the lookout for Part 2 of the bathroom fix, the new floor. Post will be up soon!

Until next time, I'm dabblin' DIY.

Aging like a 27 year old fine wine

BEHOLD

The birthday gift of all birthday gifts.
The most incredible thing a crafter could ever ask for:

Cricut Explore Air
...of course I had to have the gold one

I wish I could put into words how excited I am to be the proud, new owner of this machine, but there just aren't any that could do my feelings justice. This just made my design possibilities essentially limitless. The Air was a no brainer - HELLO, built in bluetooth.

Goodbye to my Cricut Expression 2. I bid you farewell, old friend.

I actually might keep it; I'm undecided.

I also decided to go ahead and invest in the 12x24 cutting mat, as it was on sale at JoAnn for 40% off! Let me tell you, I don't know why I've never owned one before. Do yourself a favor and pick one of these up ASAP.

I haven't started dabbling in the markers that work in the Cricut Explore yet, but I have watched a few YouTube videos on markers that are compatible, so I have an idea of what to buy. I think I'm leaning towards the Recollection markers but if you have a better suggestion feel free to chime in!

For my first project, I made a simple monogram for my laptop case using vinyl.

I must say, the versatility of Design Space is really impressive. I do however, wish it was an App for my MacBook instead of having to use the website. Guess I'll have to get an iPad Pro so I can use the app on the larger screen instead of just using my iPhone 6 Plus *wink wink*.

I also got to make a couple of crafts for one of my mom's coworkers 40th birthday. Using a birthday gift to make birthday gifts, oh the irony.

This is just a simple Dollar Tree poster board with "forty & fabulous" cut out using the Always in my Heart font, from dafont.com, on ombre (the hairstylist in me wasn't to use this word, but I'm pretty sure it's not right when referring to paper - oh well) card stock. I wanted to do more with it but time wasn't my friend.

NOTE: Did I mention how obsessed I now am with dafont.com?! You can find almost any font you want on there. Even fonts you didn't know you wanted. You can thank me later for that one :)

"Your work desk is so beautiful and organized" .. said no one that has ever visited my office.

Okay, this one is just to brag a little. Nothing was made on the Cricut, but it's still adorable. The tin bucket base and gourmet lollipops both came from the Dollar Tree - you can't beat that. I got the styrofoam cake pop ball to stick the lollipops in from JoAnn (with a 40% off coupon, of course). The "40 sucks" is my handwriting on some card stock I already had.

This is another Dollar Tree poster board craft. I've seen these made with chalkboards all over the internet but I thought this way would be a little easier. I wasn't that happy with the way this one came out. All because I picked the marker that shits out during the first line of writing.. right smack in the MIDDLE of the board. Other than that, it's acceptable.

A little cubical decorations and the surprise was all set. She LOVED it, but who wouldn't.
Happy 40th Birthday Audrey.

... Until the next time I'm dabblin' DIY.

Drab Table Turned Chic TV Stand

I have to admit, I'm pretty proud of this one. I recently decided to dabble in some furniture repurposing and I thought it was the perfect way to start the blog!

We've always had this crappy coffee table. I say crappy only because I've beat the shit out of it over years. But in it's defense, it's solid wood and held up exceptionally well considering. Here it is:

Yes, Paisley insists on being a part of everything. Literally.

This bad boy has been the bearer of everything from crafts to a 75 gallon fish tank. You name it, this table has withstood it. Now with that being said, this table was handed down from my Grandma, to my mom, and now I'm claiming it as my own. As you can see, she's in pretty rough shape. But no fear... not for long! I knew it would make me the perfect TV stand for that new 50 inch that I got for Christmas.

Let's get this party started!

Step One: Strip it down

Remove all of the hardware, the doors and those ugly shelves on the sides. Of course, I did this step without snapping a picture pre-sanding, but who knew I'd start documenting this a couple of weeks later.

Step Two: Sand 

Sand for hours. Your fingers will be numb and you'll never want to sand again, but it will be beautiful  and worth it! I used my orbital sander with 60 grit sandpaper to begin with. This easily got off all of the old stain and finish, although I went through at least 10 sanding disks. No worry though, I got a 50 pack at Home Depot for less than $20. I then went back over it with 220 grit to make sure the surface was nice and smooth and ready for wood filler and primer.

For the doors, I knew manual sanding was not an option for my laziness time frame. So instead, I used Citristrip stripping gel to get the finish off and make it ready for the paint.

I only used the stripper on the two doors that would be on the front of the stand and I left the back two doors out of the stripping process since they'd never be seen anyway (I knew they'd still look good, they just wouldn't be as perfect as the front). I then gave all 4 doors a light sanding with a 120 grit sanding block.

As you can see, I opted to not sand (or paint) inside the cabinets where the doors would be closed 99% of the time. Just seemed like a waste of time and I had already been sanding for what felt like forever. I knew I could make it work.

Step Three: Filler

Once I wiped the table down pretty well, I filled all of the holes in, from removing the side shelves, with Elmers wood filler. Once it was dry I sanded down those areas really well until it was a smooth surface.

TIP: After wood filling and sanding, run your fingers over the surface of the project with your eyes closed. If you can't tell where it starts, ends or where the hole was then you've succeeded. If need be just sand more or add a little more filler and repeat the process.

Step Four: PAINTING!

.... finally

For the doors of the now stand, I used Krylon Chalky Finish spray paint in Classic White. I got this at Michael's and was able to use a 50% off coupon to purchase it so it was less than $5 for the can! There were too many nooks and crannies on these doors, so this spray paint was the perfect option. Since I was using chalk paint on these, priming wasn't a necessary step.

3 light coats on the doors was all it took to get them covered and looking good.

Next, I applied the first coat of MinWax PolyShades (stain and polyurethane in 1 step) in Espresso with a Wooster Pro White China Bristle flat paint brush.  I then applied my first coat of primer, Valspar High Hiding Primer.

Since this was my first project that I would be weathering, I went ahead and applied a little MinWax stain to a small back test area of the table. However, this primer was far too porous. Instead of spreading out when it was wiped with the microfiber cloth, it sunk right into the paint and made a big grey spot. Not good! After seeing this I decided to apply an oil based primer, Zinsser Cover Stain Primer and Stain Blocker to be specific. This did the trick and lesson learned (don't make the same mistake - use the oil based primer to begin with).

Step Five: Weathering

 Between dark wax, antiquing glaze and stains I was so overwhelmed. After much debate and many YouTube videos I decided on what I was going to use to distress; MinWax Wood Finish Stain in Classic Gray (271).

As mentioned before, this was my first time weathering furniture, so for safe measure, I decided to begin with the doors. I used a cheap 1 inch foam brush from Michael's to apply the stain and immediately began wiping with a cloth, working in small sections, with the grain of the wood.

This is the first door that I completed and I was happy with the way it turned out so I then repeated the same steps for the last three doors and the table itself.

Here is a close up of the bottom shelf after being weathered.

And here it is with the weathering complete and the final coat of MinWax Polyshades on the top (still wet obviously). Excuse my mess but I'm in the middle of doing updates in my craft room and didn't think I'd be posting these pictures on a public blog.

I found some shelf liner in the craft room and new it would be the perfect solution to those inside cabinets that I decided to do nothing with.

Genius, I know :)

Step Six: Assemble

The easiest part! I put the doors back on and installed the new knobs. I went with clear acrylic knobs that I already had laying around that house from an old project.

That's it; assembly complete. Now to stand back and admire the "new" TV stand.

Per usual, Paisley with the mandatory photo appearance.

And there she is folks, in all of her glory.

Thank you for checking out the blog and spending a little time with me. I hope I was able to help you out and guide you on your furniture refinish or repurpose. Let me know if you have any questions.

... Until the next time I'm dabblin' DIY.