Basic Joinery & Home Improvement
Been a long off season, innit? How is everyone getting by? What y’all doing to make it go faster? It’s not like we’re getting a 1B guy who can slug under our baseball Christmas Tree, now is it? So, we gotta do something to pass the time.
Me? I’m renovating a hall bathroom. Now, I’m writing this knowing our resident carpenter and building contractor, Kevin, will likely read it. I hope he doesn’t smack his forehead and exclaim, “No! Not like that!!!” too many times.
So far the bathroom’s got a new toilet, vanity, medicine cabinet, towel bars, shower rail, toilet roll holder, and will be getting a new mirror today. Also, a whole mess of new caulk. Let’s not talk caulk, shall we? That bit’s been done to death.
Installing toilets is easier than most people realize. They’re heavy. Especially the one piece toilets. But, get a rubber flange and set it on there properly and you’re done, basically. The plumbing is very straight forward and you’ll be flushed with success in no time.
The vanity is an Amazon product. Solid wood with dovetail boxes for drawers and a gorgeous carrera marble top. Undermount sink included. I used THIXSO 2:1 epoxy resin to hold the sink to the marble and then the marble to the wood and I suspect it’s all on there FOREVER.
The medicine cabinet outside is made of red oak which I spar varnished and it has an aromatic cedar lining. I liked the cedar so much in there I used it to make the back wall of the vanity. Shouldn’t rot, keeps wildlife at bay, and smells amazing. All of the metalwork is in brushed nickel and looks tres chic.
The huge builder’s grade mirror that had occupied one wall is currently lying on our dining room table. I’ve got me an Amazon Basic Glass Cutting Kit and I intend to cut that huge thing down to a reasonable size and frame it in red oak to match the medicine cabinet surround. Now, if Kevin could just do a YouTube video on making dovetail joints to create a mirror frame using a trim router and some blunt chisels, I’d be much obliged.
By the way, if you want to see some of Kevin’s work you should check out his YouTube channel. Dude knows his business.