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Cheap kitchen backsplash ideas

Dave Farquhar DIY August 22, 2017October 10, 2017caulk, home improvement, kitchens 0 Comment

If you need cheap kitchen backsplash ideas, I have one idea that’s cheaper than any of the others I’ve seen: Fiber-Reinforced Plastic, or FRP. With FRP, you can knock out a backsplash with less than $50 worth of materials.

It’s not the best looking material but it’s cheap, easy to work with, and readily available. It will do a good job for you until you can get something better. It’s both cheaper and more durable than many cheap kitchen backsplash ideas I see elsewhere. And since I said ideas, I’ll share one more idea I like a little less, but it’s clever.

Vinyl plank flooring on walls

Dave Farquhar DIY July 25, 2017March 6, 2018caulk, kitchens 0 Comment

Someone asked me about using vinyl plank flooring on walls recently. It’s an interesting idea, except for one problem the person brought up: vinyl planks falling off.

The adhesive on vinyl planks works better with gravity helping out. On walls, the gravity is working against it. Here are some tips that will help give you better results with vinyl plank flooring on walls.

Water seepage in basement: Five fixes

Dave Farquhar DIY, Landlording May 16, 2017November 19, 2018caulk, leaks

It’s not uncommon for water seepage to happen at random places in basements, sometimes even in the middle of the floor. And the first thought that comes into most people’s heads is a sump pump, which is an expensive proposition. Here are five fixes for water seepage in basement or basement water seepage to try first.

It’s possible that the problem does call for a sump pump. But before going to that expense, there are a number of things you can do that cost little or nothing. You should do those things anyway because the sump pump will work better when you do.

Cheap baseboard alternatives

Dave Farquhar DIY May 1, 2017August 1, 2017baseboard, baseboards, caulk, Stain

Over the course of renovating rental property, there have been several times I had to explore cheap baseboard alternatives. I needed something that would be functional and look decent while staying within the confines of a sometimes-strained budget.

My solution won’t win awards but costs a few cents per foot.

Fix gaps in vinyl tile or planks

Dave Farquhar DIY January 9, 2017September 1, 2017caulk

Sometimes, no matter how careful you are in cutting, measuring, and placing peel and stick vinyl tile, you end up with a gap somewhere. Fortunately, there is a pretty easy way to fix gaps in vinyl tile or planks.

This trick also works to disguise the edges if your floor turned out not to be perfectly flat and a little bit of a tile’s edge shows.

How to use Liquid Nails construction adhesive

Dave Farquhar DIY November 17, 2016January 28, 2018caulk

If you’re wondering how to use Liquid Nails or another construction adhesive, read on. There’s no shame in that. I was 30 years old before anyone told me.

Hole in wall repair made easy

Dave Farquhar DIY, Landlording January 15, 2016November 28, 2018caulk

When fixing up a house or changing things around, it’s inevitable that you’ll have to patch some holes in the wall. Small nail holes are easy to fill with a bit of spackle applied with your fingertip, but bigger holes can be tougher, unless you know a couple of tricks that make hole in wall repair easy.

How to cut corners on baseboards by not cutting corners

Dave Farquhar Landlording November 18, 2015December 6, 2015baseboard, baseboards, caulk, Stain

Cutting baseboards can be tricky. Rooms are rarely perfectly square, so just cutting baseboards at 45-degree angles on the ends doesn’t usually yield a perfect corner. So instead you usually have to fit the pieces into the corner, trace the outline of one onto the other, then trace the angle onto the top and bottom, then cut the outline with a coping saw–at the correct angle.

But what if I told you that you didn’t have to?

Don’t buy a house if you can’t afford it

Dave Farquhar Saving money November 5, 2014July 3, 2018caulk, hardware store, mortgage, utility bills

I see the advice all the time not to buy a house if you can’t afford it, but rarely do I see a good explanation of what that means.

It’s really easy. Let me explain it, as someone who paid off a 30-year mortgage in five years and now co-manages rental property and has to determine if someone can afford to rent from us or will be over their head. And no, just because I’m a landlord doesn’t mean I think everyone should rent. There are definitely times when buying makes sense. Read more

Dvorak: The future of retail is search

Dave Farquhar Uncategorized November 29, 2012November 29, 2012best buy, caulk, cyanogenmod, home improvement, john c dvorak, lionel, lionel train, matchbox, Nook Color, pc magazine, Plumbing

This week in PC Magazine, John C Dvorak said the future of retail is search. He’s right.

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