Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Genstone Faux Stone Installation on Front of House #Review #DIY



I have a lot to be thankful for, my health and strength, food and shelter. Recently, I had the opportunity to complete a home improvement project on the front of the house in one day. The sun shines directly on the lower half of the house, which caused some chipped paint to start so I began researching solutions. I came across Genstone, a company that specializes in faux stone panels, faux stone siding, and brick veneer siding. Its stone comes with a twenty-five-year limited warranty. They already had several reviews from satisfied customers. I was going to do the traditional stone with concrete, but I wanted an option that was simpler and quicker to install. After measuring the area of the house, I found the style of faux stone I liked at Home Depot and ordered there. However, I strongly recommend that you order directly from Genstone because, with the COVID-19 conditions, it took two months to arrive. If I had ordered directly from Genstone, I would have received a better idea of delivery times. They were getting production back into full swing when I called them directly so it was definitely worth the wait. The tools used for this project are listed below and also mentioned in the YouTube video below. You will see that a hand saw will cut through the faux stone perfectly and PL Premium Construction Adhesive is great for additional support before applying your deck screws. I did put down 10-minute craft paper as an additional barrier of protection from rainwater. However, that is up to you and how the weather affects your work area. The DIY project was completed in one day and I was able to add some fall decor to the front of the house, which looked amazing, complimenting the faux stone. I am very pleased with the results and would recommend this product and company to you. 

If you have any questions about this project, leave them in the comments below. Enjoy the video!

Tools and Genstone Product I Used for This Installation







My Genstone Faux Stone Video Installation

Friday, November 20, 2020

How to Remove a Broken Sprinkler Riser #FixitYourself



I hope you are safe and well. This past week, while I was cutting the front lawn, I happened to bump too hard into one of the sprinkler heads. It broke off leaving some of the riser in the PVC pipe. I thought that I would have to dig up the sod around it, but luckily I did some research and digging, no pun intended and found an inexpensive tool, Orbit Plastic Riser Extractor, to remove the broken sprinkler riser. It worked really well for me and I show you how it works in this video.

Orbit Plastic Riser Extractor


You can purchase it on Amazon or you might can find it at your local hardware store. Thanks for watching and stay safe and well!




Sunday, November 8, 2020

Removing a Tree Stump with Reciprocating Saw #HomeImprovement



The days are shorter and the nights are getting cooler, but I had to finish removing the last tree stump from the backyard before the rainy season. Southern California's weather has been unpredictable this year, hot then cool and back to warm again. I was able to use the chainsaw to cut the trees down to stump level, but as the blade got closer to the dirt, it dulled, something I had to learn during these DIY projects. During this COVID-19 experience, I have been doing a number of home improvement projects. I have realized that this has become a fun outlet for me, learning how to do things by myself without hiring a contractor for everything. Also, Home Depot, Tractor Supply and Amazon have all been my go-to places when I have needed tools, parts, and supplies. 


In the following video below, I show you how I removed the final tree stump from the backyard of the house with the Porter Cable Reciprocating SawIt made the job much easier and I thoroughly enjoyed 
using the Diablo 12 inch Carbide Pruning Blade. The reciprocating saw came with a smaller blade, but I wanted to use a blade that gave me lots of success on the other stumps. It cuts through wood like slicing through a stick of butter. The two together, as you will see, worked well and I show you how to attach the pruning blade to the saw as well. The Porter Cable saw had more power than I expected. I will definitely use it for more wood cutting projects and yard work in the future with other blade attachments. 


Are you working on a home improvement project? If so, share your favorite tool(s) and project in the comments below for others to learn about.