Handy-women unite!

[AtYourCervices]

I love my husband dearly, but he has no idea how to fix anything. I find it empowering when I figure out how to fix things on my own. Last week I fixed the van (thank you, google). Now I'm working on refinishing an old china cabinet. Eventually I would like to build a table for the kids.  

Thing is, I don't know how to do these things already. I was never taught or encouraged to fix things. I've done it out of necessity. Now I'm doing it for fun.

Are there any handy-women (or handy-woman hopefuls) out there? Handymen, too, as I know mothering isn't just for mamas. If so what projects are you working on or hoping to start? What tools and supplies are you using? Any pics?

[nd_deadhead]

Don't get me started!

I've replaced every light fixture in our home. I've replaced the faucets in 6 sinks. I've replaced 3 toilets (I needed help with those, because they're heavy!)  I built shelves along a hallway, for CD and DVD storage. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v404/tchogry/Shelves/Picture006.jpg 

I have installed wire shelving all over the house - bedroom closets, laundry room, and this heavy-duty shelving over the garage door:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v404/tchogry/garage2.jpg 

This summer we had new windows installed in our house. The walls are 6" thick, and the windows are only 2", so we needed jamb extensions. The window installers would have charged about $1600 to build and install jamb extensions, and install casings around the windows. For $130 in materials, DH and I did it ourselves (though I did most of the work). The boards had to be cut to exact measurements (I borrowed a laser chop saw from a neighbor), assembled (see photo), stained, varnished, and installed in each window. Then the casings had to be cut, stained, varnished, and installed. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v404/tchogry/IMG_0182.jpg 

That's the short list - I am definitely Mrs. Fit-it in our house. My three favorite words are "some assembly required"!

[just_lily]

I don't know if you could call me a handy-woman, but I am definitely the handiest person in our house.  My DH calls himself an unhandyman.  And it is true!

He is a computer tech, so is a whiz with technology, but couldn't cut a straight line to save his life.  His big issue tends to be that he gets frustrated and then tries to force things... so they end up more broken. 

Google is my friend.  I have replaced several toilet parts, fixed a faucet and replaced our dishwasher, all by using online instructions.  Seriously, what did people do before the internet??

My next big task is painting, which isn't really "handy" but requires a lot of work.  And in the spring we are going to be building a dog run in our back yard to contain my giant poop-machines from the rest of the yard.  I will be googling about that too.

[Ellien C]

oo -oo. I'm a hopeful. My father could fix absolutely anything. I wasn't exactly encouraged, but not discouraged either. At any rate, I grew up to see things being fixed. DH can't fix ANYTHING. His dad was more of a business-man and didn't fix much around the house either. I went up to the roof (flat roof, 1-story) and put a tar patch on. It actually didn't fix the problem because I patched where DH told me to. For some reason he thought the vent was leaking. Now that I've been on the roof AND seen where the leak is on the inside, I think I know better where to patch. There's a threadbare seam there. I think I posted to facebook that I felt like superwoman when I was doing it. Too bad it didn't work.

I'm much braver about attempting the repair than DH. He won't admit he's not handy though.

Have you all seen this blog?

http://thereifixedit.failblog.org/

[AtYourCervices]

I posted this in another thread, but I figured I'd add it here... it's the china cabinet I just fixed up:

Before

After

In the playroom

[_ktg_]

Oooh yay! I'm definately the handier one vs. DH often I am the one fixing an item (toilets, vents, showerheads, and doors etc.)   I am intrigued/drooling over Ana White's blog and I can't wait to get some more tools (I have a hand saw, a power drill and a small sander) to start on some larger projects once I can afford some more larger tools!

Right now I have to finish the following:

Reusing some old wooden "flower boxes" the previous owners left in the garage attic and turning them into some shabby chic shadowboxes/shelves for the walls.  They need a nice sanding and maybe something light for a coating (tung oil or even a simple wax? any ideas out there?)

Stripping, refinishing, new hardware and shortening the legs of a old bureau. Its coated in a nasty/slapped together whitewash, so it could take some time to clean up!

[Ruthiegirl]

Oh goodness, yes!  My husband is a love and a dear and tremendously smart man and the worst fix-it guy I know.  I do all of the household repairs.  Just this summer, I overhauled the lawnmower, rebuilt the pantry, and painted the garage.  Next summer, I am planning on scraping, painting and replacing all of the screens on the porch.  

I love doing the repair work.  Last year, I got a beautiful new Dewalt drill for Christmas and I have put it to good work.   This year I have been eyeing a new pocket drill set.  I LOVE new tools!  

[HeatherAtHome]

I've been doing my fair share of work on our fixer upper house. DH is VERY handy but he works full time where I'm a stay at home person. (not parents yet!) We each have our own projects and many are two man jobs but I do everything that has to do with finishing work/putting a room together. 

I have done all the plastering/sanding/drywall finishing and painting in this house. I find all the furniture and refinish it. I put up shelves, I created this walk in closet using items we had around the house. I have pulled up and put down new flooring multiple times now. The thing I'm most proud of was putting up the 6 foot tall fence around the garden using cedar posts... all by myself! That was pushing it but omg I felt so good looking at it afterwards! (Looking at pics, I miss my garden!!! Stupid snow.) We're finishing up our family room and will do the last push to put up the ceiling and refinish the exposed log wall together between Christmas and New Years while DH is off. For some reason, previous people cut out an extra wide section of the log wall (main house is made of logs) when making a doorway to the addition so I'm going to build some built in shelves in that space. 

So yeah, we're both handy, just that I have more time around here to fill and tend to be more creative.