When it comes to transforming a back yard, an outdoor fire pit rates high on everyone’s DIY to do list. When my wife, Jacque and I purchased our new home a few years ago, we were moving from a townhouse. One thing that always bugged me about living there was that we were restricted on what we could modify outside of the footprint of the house, as the yard itself was considered common property. So when we made the decision to move, one of the first things I thought of was how great it would feel to be able to decide for ourselves what our new backyard should look like. The first thing on my list was a custom fire pit.

We’re lucky to have an incredibly talented friend, Jesse Hoffman, who is a professional landscape designer. We coaxed him into stopping by and sharing his thoughts on what we had in mind. I had envisioned a circular stacked stone fire pit, but Jesse introduced an idea that involved a more unique shaped fire pit and landscaping around it. I think Jacque saw an opportunity to coach him into adding the landscaping as part of the project just to add more to the “Never Ending Honey-Do-List” (Of course she’d never admit to that). Jesse’s idea was to have a fire pit in the shape of an eye, have an area for seating in front of it and a mounded landscape bed surrounding the backside.

Here’s what we started off with…Basically just a blank canvas!

We had to bring in more fill dirt to level out the areas next to the retaining wall.

Next we laid out the design onto the ground with spray paint to give us a feel for where everything would be, plus it made it easier to know where and what to dig!

Then we brought more dirt in to build up the landscape beds. Altogether we hauled in an additional twelve cubic yards of fill dirt.

The next step in the installation was to dig out the actual shape of the fire pit. As you can see in the picture below, I created a drain channel within the patio area of the fire pit. I added this because our yard has a natural slope towards this corner and wanted any run off to be routed elsewhere. For the actual fire pit shape, I chose to dig down about eight inches which allowed me enough room to lay a base layer of gravel to allow any water to drain below the surface of the fire pit itself.

With the gravel in place we then began to stack the stones to around the perimeter of the fire pit. Truth be told, there wasn’t much skill involved in the stacking process, I just basically used stones that stacked nicely side by side and on top of each other. I could have used mortar to secure the stones in place, but with the height being so minimal and the higher stacked backside being built up against a mounded landscape bed, I felt that there was already plenty of stability.

Now that our custom fire pit was practically complete, we brought in the shrubs to finish off the custom look. We were careful to choose a variety of plants that wouldn’t leave the yard feeling bare in the fall or the winter.

We placed flagstone pavers to make up the area where we plan to having seating and we placed metal bed edging to help border and define that space.

Lastly we added pea gravel as filler in between the flagstones and we added a few low voltage landscape lights to accent the area at night.

Every time we build a fire out back, I’m reminded how nice it is to have the freedom to choose how I want my yard to look. Having a custom fire pit really added a nice decorative touch to a previously sparse yard! If you’re looking for more outdoor project inspirations, we’d love for you to check out our DIY Paver Path!

Our Contractors

One Project Closer's Pro-Follows are made possible by working with local contractors, and if you have a home improvement project coming up, consider these professionals for the job.

If you live in central Maryland, Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE) is probably your energy provider. The state of Maryland requires BGE (and other providers) to develop energy efficiency programs with the goal to reduce electric consumption by 15% by the year 2015. Examine your monthly bill next time and look for the EmPower Md. Charge. That fee funds the programs and enables BGE customers to take advantage of services like the Home Performance Energy Audit at a fraction of the cost. According to the BGE website, the Home Performance Energy Audit costs $100, and it’s a $400 value. Furthermore, a number of home improvements quality for rebates through the BGE Smart Energy Savers Program.

My friend’s home energy audit began with simple information gathering. James toured the house, examining the interior and exterior and noting the various appliances and utilities. He mapped out the house and measured the volume of each room. My friend also provided 12 months of utility bills.

Home Energy Audit: The Attic

The attic and basement are where home energy auditors find the majority of problems, and James started in the attic. He quickly identified a section of fiberglass insulation that was all black. Homeowners commonly think the insulation has mold growing on it. However, that was not the case. The insulation was discolored from dirt as air continuously passed through it (much like a furnace filter). This was a great indicator of where air was infiltrating the house from the attic.

Pro-Tip: Attic fans are an active way to cycle air through an attic. James likes to recommend passive approaches like ensuring soffits and the ridge vent are clear because passive methods create fewer points of failure.

My friend’s attic had the right amount of insulation. Unfortunately, in a few places it wasn’t against the structure and therefore not actually insulating anything. James also suggested using weather-stripping and 6″ of rigid foam board to insulate the attic access panel.

Pro-Tip: If you’re planning on making the attic a living space or have a significant number of utilities running through the attic, consider a hot roof to incorporate the attic into the conditioned space.

Home Energy Audit: The Basement

Next, James went to the basement, and he insulated the hot and cold water pipes.

Pro-Tip: The 2012 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) section R403.3 requires a minimum of R-3 on piping carrying fluids above 105°F (41°C) or below 55°F (13°C). See the Related Content section for a link to the free, online IECC.

My friend had previously insulated a portion of his band boards, and James recommended finishing the job. James suggested cutting rigid foam board to fit against the band board and sealing the edges with Great Stuff.

James checked the gas lines for any leaks, and he analyzed the ambient CO levels around the HVAC unit and gas range in the kitchen.

James also ran a Worst-Case Depressurization test to verify combustion safety. Basically, James was measuring the amount of negative pressure with all the exhaust fans (kitchen hood, bathroom vent fans, dryer, etc.) running to see if it was enough to create a backdraft.

James also analyzed the amount of carbon monoxide exhausted by the furnace. High levels of CO indicate poor combustion and low efficiency and vice versa.

Pro-Tip: James recommends a CO detector on every level of the house.

Home Energy Audit: Blower Door Test

Lastly, James performed a blower door test, and these are very helpful to determine air leakage.

James setup all the equipment in the main entry door and used the fan to create a negative pressure.

Next, we walked the house finding air leaks. The most common culprits included around switch and outlet boxes, ductwork junctions, attic access and doors. It was amazing how easy it was to feel the air coming through.

Pro-Tip: Rather than address air infiltration around electrical boxes, James suggests stopping it at the source by sealing the top plate of the wall framing.

We could feel air moving at the junction between the ductwork and the floor (not through the ductwork), drawing unconditioned air from the space below.

Much like the insulation in the attic, some carpets build up dirt adjacent to the wall from “filtering” the air as it moves though. I was surprised to find how leaky the wall was around the bottom plate.

Another surprise was the amount of air moving through this door latch. Air must be traveling through the top plate, wall framing and out through the strike plate.

James paid special attention to the door leading to the garage because that’s often a source of VOC’s and other potentially harmful gases.

James performed some other miscellaneous tasks like installing CFL bulbs and faucet aerators. Normally James would examine the insulation with a thermal imager. Unfortunately, here in Maryland the outdoor and indoor temperature are about the same right now so he omitted that step. Altogether it was a very educational audit. It let my friend know exactly where air was entering the house and the best way to address the problems.

Our Contractors

One Project Closer's Pro-Follows are made possible by working with local contractors, and if you have a home improvement project coming up, consider these professionals for the job.

When Jocie and I purchased our home, the deck was already a bit neglected. It was bad enough that you’d easily get splinters, and subsequently we never spent too much time on the deck. If you know anything about decks, they require periodic cleaning and sealing to combat mother nature. Fred and Kim went through the process with their pine deck and used Behr Premium Deck Sealer. After witnessing their experience, I was convinced composite decking was the way to go. However, the cost for materials to re-board the deck was high enough for me to abandon the idea. Needless to say, I was excited about a low-cost alternative that would enable us to enjoy our deck again.

Rust-Oleum kindly provided enough Deck Restore to cover the horizontal surfaces of our deck and stairs. Deck Restore isn’t intended for vertical surfaces (like balusters) so they also provided a matching solid acrylic stain. Rust-Oleum offers a broad range of color choices, and we selected Saddle. I estimate all the materials cost approximately $450 (Deck Restore, stain, rollers, roller grids).

Preparing the Deck

To get the deck ready, we cleared it off and removed any embedded dirt. Around here the Oak flowers can be a real hassle, and we had to sweep the deck periodically.

The deck needs to be dry before applying Deck Restore so we waited till the next day to resume.

We taped off were the deck meets the house. We also covered the shed underneath the stairs and the HVAC unit underneath the deck.

I went around with a hammer to pound in any nail-pops. I also removed various hardware like the gate latch and some plant hangers.

I put in a bunch of screws to further secure the railing and any boards that had a tendency to bounce.

Applying Rust-Oleum Deck Restore

Deck Restore is very thick, and we used a lot more product than I expected. Rust-Oleum states that a four gallon pail covers about 100 square feet with two coats. It’s applied with the Restore rollers which are a polyester honeycomb roller designed to help texture the surface of the deck boards.

I rolled it on in the direction of the deck boards, and I was pleased to see it fill in so many cracks. I also rigged up a painters tool for edging the boards. More on that later though.

While the first coat dried, I went to work on the stairs.

Four hours later I was back applying the second coat, making sure to fill in missed areas like the one pictured below.

I found that letting the Deck Restore dry enough to walk on and using a garden hoe to cut the gap between boards worked really well. It resulted in nice, clean lines.

The Finished Product

We found that the deck needed a little more than 48 hours to completely dry. It’s only been a few days since the work was completed, but already I’m extremely pleased with results. The deck looks like a hybrid between composite and wood. All the cracks are filled in creating a nice, even surface. Plus, I’m not worried about splinters anymore.

Our Contractors

One Project Closer's Pro-Follows are made possible by working with local contractors, and if you have a home improvement project coming up, consider these professionals for the job.

Just this morning I restocked the Rewards Center, and there are lots of good items especially with Father’s Day rapidly approaching. If you’re new to OPC or The Better Half, we reward readers with points for visiting the site and leaving quality comments. Here’s a brief overview.

Project Rewards (click here for full details) is a reader appreciation program, and for a change to win something, you need to:

• Register: All you have to do is pick a username and provide an email address, and you’re all set to start earning Project Points. There is no cost, and we never distribute your info for any reason. Register here. If you bump into any problems, just shoot me an email, and I’ll help you out.
• Visit and Comment: You earn Project Points (pp) for various actions on our site, like logging in (worth 2pp once/day), or by leaving a valid comment on an article (worth 5pp /valid comment). If your comments aren’t very good (i.e. “Nice work”), I’ll probably email you and deduct a significant number of points so make sure you’re adding something worthwhile.
• Spend Points: You spend Project Points in our Rewards Center, which includes auctions for home improvement gift cards, tools, services, crafts and more.

The Prizes

Here are just a few of the prizes available right now. For the full list, head over to our Rewards Center.

Keen Boots

OPC is giving away a pair of KEEN Portland PR Slip-On Utility boots. These boots are built in the USA, waterproof, and feature an aluminum-toe. The midsole plate is puncture resistant, and the easy on and off saves time going from the job site to the office.

Ryobi Nation

The Ryobi Drill and Impact Driver combo kit is back again to promote Ryobi Nation. Ryobi Nation is the ultimate destination to fuel your inner tool enthusiast. Members can register their tools, find special deals, and submit their own projects – or vote on others — in the Project Gallery, where monthly winners receive $500 in RYOBI tools. Check it out at that link.

Weller Soldering Iron

This new high performance consumer soldering iron deliver the ultimate soldering experience. The three on-board LEDs mean no more fumbling with a flashlight while doing work in a basement or poorly lit area. The iron also has a round, soft grip, non-slip handle that provides greater comfort. It’s ideal for a variety of tasks, from crafts as diverse as jewelry making to electronics and PC modification. Weller irons are available in four different watt models with prices ranging from $14.99 to $27.99 and available for purchase from major retailers, including: Home Depot, Lowes, True Value and Sears.

Ridgid Combo Kit

Not sure what to get dad for Father’s Day next month? Give dad the Ridgid 18volt X4 Hyper Lithium-Ion Cordless Drill and Impact Driver Combo Kit (3-Tool) with Radio. The compact drill and impact driver feature best-in-class torque for the most demanding applications. Both the compact drill and impact driver feature exclusive Grip Light technology which engages the LED light by simply holding the tool and innovative Hex Grip micro-texture for maximum comfort to make every job easier. The Compact Radio offers 3 different modes for AM, FM and Auxiliary Input. All three tools are powered by HYPER Lithium-Ion Technology built for high performance.

Our Contractors

One Project Closer's Pro-Follows are made possible by working with local contractors, and if you have a home improvement project coming up, consider these professionals for the job.

Ridgid provided the R4331 Thickness planer for review, and I’ve already put it to good use for some small projects. So far I really like this planer, and I wish I had it when I was building my Pottery Barn knock-off dining table. If you’re looking for a planer, this is a great choice. You can find the R4331 at Home Depot for $399.00 and a pack of extra blades costs about $30.

Features

The Ridgid R4331 features a three-blade cutter head with high-speed steel (HSS) blades. The blades are self-indexing for easy alignment, and they are reversible which means replacing the blade less frequently. There’s some debate over HSS blades versus carbide blades. From my research online, carbide blades are more expensive because they are stiffer, making them a good choice for very hard woods like Teak or Ipe. For other species (walnut, cherry, maple), the HSS blades result in a better finish.

The R4331 is equipped with a 15 amp, 9,000 RPM motor, and this is right in-line with competitors products. This planer cuts 96 cuts per inch (CPI) and a moves material through at 23.5 feet per minute (FPM).

Ridgid positioned a 2-1/2″ dust port above the out-feed table. There’s no need for an adapter for connecting to a shop vac like some competitors’ models, and the chip impeller helps keep the cutter head clear for better cut quality.

The depth adjustment handle is on top of the planer and 1/4 turn results in 1/64″ height change so you can dial it in to the exact height required.

The R4331 Ridgid thickness planer features the Sure-Cut carriage lock to securely lock the cutter head in place. This is an expected feature on bench top planers to eliminate movement and thereby snipe (more on snipe below).

The Repeat-A-Cut feature is an 8-position preset to set the plane to an exact height. It’s really helpful for planing multiple workpieces down to the same height, and it ranges from 1/8″ to 1-3/4″.

Using the Planer

I’ve had this planer for about a month, and I’ve used it for a few small projects. I was pleasantly surprised with the easy setup, and the quality of the finish. After running boards through the planner, they only require minimal sanding.

The Ind-I-Cut is a gauge that reveals how much material will be removed from a workpiece before sending it through. It’s helpful when you know the difference between two boards, and it prevents me from trying to plane off too much in one pass.

Ind-I-Cut works when a small ball bearing comes in contact with the board. Unfortunately, that only occurs in the middle of the planer. I would have preferred a full-width gauge that would have allowed me to position my workpiece anywhere across the planer.

Eliminating Snipe

Snipe is a term commonly used when discussing planers and jointers, and it refers to a slightly deeper cut usually found at the beginning or end of a workpiece. Snipe usually occurs when a board isn’t fully supported and the weight puts additional pressure against the cutter head. You can see a very faint line on the board pictured below, and that is snipe.

To eliminate snipe with the R4331, Ridgid makes it easy to adjust the in-feed and out-feed table supports. After a few tries, I was able to run boards through without any noticeable snipe. The tables measure 13-1/4″ wide x 12″ deep, and I may build a mobile workstation with bigger supports in the future.

If you’re experiencing problems with snipe, check for dull cutter blades and try to butt workpieces end-to-end as they are fed into the planer. Alternatively, you can cut boards longer than necessary and trim the snipe after planing.

Blade Changes

Ridgid provides convenient, on-board storage for the magnetic blade wrench.

To change or rotate blades, all you have to do is remove the dust hood (2 screws), make sure the cutter head is locked and remove the screws securing the blade. It’s very simple and only takes about 5 minutes.

Overall

Overall, I’m really excited about this planer. It has a powerful motor and can handle large stock. Ridgid included a great feature-set, and the planer works intuitively.  I haven’t had any problems with the planer. It does come lubed up with lots of shipping grease so it needed a good cleaning. Whenever I get around to making that workstation, I’ll update this review.

Specifications

• Motor: 120 V, AC only, 15 Amps
• No Load Speed: 9,000 r/min. (RPM) 27,000 CPM
• Cuts per Inch: 96 CPI
• Feed Rate: 23.5 FPM
• Capacity (W x H): 13 in. and 6-1/8 in.
• Maximum Depth of Cut: 1/8 in.
• Weight: 73 lbs.
• Assembled Dimensions: 21″h x 24″w x 18″d

Our Contractors

One Project Closer's Pro-Follows are made possible by working with local contractors, and if you have a home improvement project coming up, consider these professionals for the job.

All of our Pro-Follow articles are the result of shadowing expert, professional contractors on actual job sites. There’s no better way to learn about home improvement than straight from the guys working in the field with decades of experience under their tool belt. For this Pro-Follow, I’ve partnered with Danny Riter, owner of Signature Hardwood Floors, Inc. In this article Danny shares the tips and tricks to successfully refinish a hardwood floor. The process includes removing the old stain and finish, proper sanding progression, sanding edges and corners, applying stain, and sealing the floor to protect its beauty for years to come.

If you’re considering new hardwood floors or refinishing an existing floor and you live in the greater Baltimore area, give Danny a call. He and his crew will work with you to provide a beautiful, long-lasting flooring solution. This article is a great example of the knowledge and attention to detail Danny brings to every job. Check out his website for more details.

Tools & Materials

These are the tools and materials that Danny and his crew used for this project. If you’re taking this project on yourself, you can rent the bigger tools at your local DIY center. Links to the manufacturer product pages can be found at the end of this article in the Related Content section.

• Drum Sander
• Floor Edger
• Buffer
• Hand Scraper
• Nail Set
• Vacuum
• Floor Coater and Trim Pads
• Terry Cloth Towels
• Wood Filler
• Stain
• Shellac
• Polyurethane

Step 1: Drum Sand Floor

To remove the majority of the existing finish and stain, Danny’s crew used an 8″ drum sander. They started off with a 36 grit sanding belt.

Pro-Tip: Some floors may only have a thin layer of hardwood material, and these floors cannot be refinished.

The sander is a pretty simple machine. The handle enable the operator to maneuver the sander, and the lever engages the sanding belt against the floor. The bag can swivel to either side, and it captured a fair amount of dust.

Pro-Tip: Always sand in the direction of the boards.

Pro-Tip: Always put the sander in motion before engaging the belt against the floor to prevent uneven sanding.

For the most part, two or three overlapping passes was enough to completely remove the old polyurethane and stain. Occasionally the guys found a low spot and had to hit it again. Danny’s crew would sand 3/4 of a room facing one direction, then sand the rest of the room facing the opposite direction.

Pro-Tip: Each sanding belt covered approximately 250 sq ft. before the guys swapped it out.

The belt sander can only get so close to walls, corners and other tight spaces. The guys were very careful not to bump the sander and thereby damage the floor. They also avoided going over the floor vent openings with the drum sander.

The result was about a 5″ perimeter around most rooms and the hallway. The drum sander was too large for a few of the closets so the guys couldn’t use it there either.

Step 2: Sand with Floor Edger

Next, Danny’s crew used a pair of floor edgers which enabled them to get right up against the walls and into areas with limited space.

Like with the drum sander, they used 36 grit sanding discs.

Pro-Tip: The guys double-stacked the sanding discs so that when the first one wore out, they could just rip it off and get right back to work.

Step 3: Set Nails

Danny’s crew checked the floor for nails and used a nail set to sink them below the surface of the wood.

Step 4: Putty holes and Cracks

After sanding, the guys used Woodwise wood filler to fill nail holes and any noticeable cracks.

Step 5: Vacuum and Repeat

While the wood filler dried, the guys gave the floor a quick vacuum.

Next, they repeated the process (drum sander and floor edger) with 80 grit sanding belts and discs.

Step 6: Hand Scrape

The floor edgers move in a circular motion, and although it’s difficult to see before staining, they leave swirl marks in the floor. To remove those and get in even tighter into corners, the guys used scrapers to remove a thin layer of wood.

Pro-Tip: Use a file to hone the scraper edge periodically for best results.

The scrapers were also great on stair-nosing and transition strips.

Step 7: Lightly Sand

After scraping, Danny’s crew did some light sanding with 180 grit sandpaper to ensure a nice, smooth surface. They followed this up with more vacuuming.

Step 8: Buff Floors

Next, the guys broke out a floor buffer and a 120 grit buffer pad. They quickly went over all the floors, getting as close to walls and corners as possible.

Step 9: Vacuum Clean

As you can imagine, all this sanding can create a significant amount of dust. Fortunately, most of their sanders have a vacuum hookup or a dust bag. Even so, the guys carefully vacuumed and dusted all the surfaces (not just the floor) to eliminate as much dust as possible. Otherwise, the dust can settle in the stain or poly and flaw the finish.

Step 10: Apply Stain

The guys applied DuraSeal Quick Coat, and the stain is called Provincial. It’s a medium brown. Some of the pictures make it look a little yellow, but that’s not the case.

Pro-Tip: Thoroughly shake the container to mix up the stain.

Danny’s crew used Terry cloth towels to apply the stain.

The stain only needs about 5 minutes to penetrate. After that, the guys wiped up the excess stain, wiping in the direction of the wood grain.

The guys worked in long, thin strips and quickly stained the wood floor.

At this point, any imperfections from sanding would be much more visible, and this would be the time to fix them. Danny and his crew didn’t find any problems.

The stain was dry in about 2-3 hours.

Step 11: Apply Shellac

The guys applied a coating of shellac using floor coaters for the big open areas and trim pads for around the perimeter.

The shellac provides a seal coat that will dry hard and bond with the polyurethane.

Again, the guys worked in thin, long section, taking care to apply the shellac evenly.

The shellac is dry after about 45 minutes.

Step 12: Apply Polyurethane

Next, Danny’s crew applied Bona Mega polyurethane with a satin finish.

The polyurethane goes on much like the shellac, using the floor coater and trim pads. The guys applied two coats of Bona Mega, with about 3 hours of dry time in-between. This picture shows how they worked to maintain a wet edge and “snowplowed” the poly across the floor.

Step 13: Install Shoe Molding

After the poly was dry, the guys installed shoe molding to replace the molding that had been removed at the beginning of this job. The molding was stained and sealed just like the floor before it was installed.

Step 14: Apply Polyurethane Again

Before this last coat of poly, the guys used a screening disc and the floor buffer to abrade the floor for the smoothest results.

Pro-Talk: Screening discs are mesh screens with abrasive particles bonded to it, and they act much like sandpaper.

Danny’s crew applied one more coat of polyurethane, and this time they used Bona Traffic with an anti-slip component. Like the name implies, Bona Traffic is designed for high-traffic areas to provide an even more durable finish. It’s a two-part product, and once the hardener is added there’s a four hour work window. Bona Traffic is applied just like Bona Mega.

Finished

With the last coat of polyurethane applied, the floor is finished. It’ll take 7 days to reach full cure, and until that time the floor is susceptible to scuffing. Even so, the floor is ready for light foot traffic after about 24 hours.

Pro-Tip: Area rugs can slow the curing process and should not be replaced until after 7 days.

This is where the old and new floor meet, and even up close it’s very difficult to notice any transition.

Pro-Tip: Homeowners should change their furnace filter after refinishing is completed.

Interested in laying your own hardwood floor? Check out our Project Guide for Installing Hardwood Flooring to learn how.

If you’ve enjoyed this guide on how to refinish hardwood floors, give it a +1 and share it on Facebook! Thanks.

Our Contractors

One Project Closer's Pro-Follows are made possible by working with local contractors, and if you have a home improvement project coming up, consider these professionals for the job.

• Refinishing a Hardwood Floor, Part 1

What’s even more exciting than the new floor is seeing Danny and his crew refinish the existing hardwood floor to make it look like new again. Today’s Pro-Follow will focus on how the guys removed the existing finish and sanded the floor. There’s a lot of work that goes into creating that “blank canvas”. Look for a complete Project Guide for refinishing a hardwood floor, including staining and finishing early next week.

Last time we left off the guys had laid the new hardwood floor in the kitchen, pantry and a short hallway.

Step 1: Drum Sand Floor

To remove the majority of the existing finish and stain, Danny’s crew used an 8″ drum sander. They started off with a 36 grit sanding belt.

The sander is a pretty simple machine. The handle enable the operator to maneuver the sander, and the lever engages the sanding belt against the floor. The bag can swivel to either side, and it captured a fair amount of dust.

Pro-Tip: Always sand in the direction of the boards.

Pro-Tip: Always put the sander in motion before engaging the belt against the floor to prevent uneven sanding.

For the most part, two or three overlapping passes was enough to completely remove the old polyurethane and stain. Occasionally the guys found a low spot and had to hit it again. Danny’s crew would sand 3/4 of a room facing one direction, then sand the rest of the room facing the opposite direction.

Pro-Tip: Each sanding belt covered approximately 250 sq ft. before the guys swapped it out.

The belt sander can only get so close to walls, corners and other tight spaces. The guys were very careful not to bump the sander and thereby damage the floor. They also avoided going over the floor vent openings with the drum sander.

The result was about a 5″ perimeter around most rooms and the hallway. The drum sander was too large for a few of the closets so the guys couldn’t use it there either.

Step 2: Sand with Floor Edger

Next, Danny’s crew used a pair of floor edgers which enabled them to get right up against the walls and into areas with limited space.

Like with the drum sander, they used 36 grit sanding discs.

Pro-Tip: The guys double-stacked the sanding discs so that when the first one wore out, they could just rip it off and get right back to work.

Step 3: Set Nails

Danny’s crew checked the floor for nails and used a nail set to sink them below the surface of the wood.

Step 4: Putty holes and Cracks

After sanding, the guys used Woodwise wood filler to fill nail holes and any noticeable cracks.

Step 5: Vacuum and Repeat

While the wood filler dried, the guys gave the floor a quick vacuum.

Next, they repeated the process (drum sander and floor edger) with 80 grit sanding belts and discs.

Step 6: Hand Scrape

The floor edgers move in a circular motion, and although it’s difficult to see before staining, they leave swirl marks in the floor. To remove those and get in even tighter into corners, the guys used scrapers to remove a thin layer of wood.

Pro-Tip: Use a file to hone the scraper edge periodically for best results.

The scrapers were also great on stair-nosing and transition strips.

Step 7: Lightly Sand

After scraping, Danny’s crew did some light sanding with 180 grit sandpaper to ensure a nice, smooth surface.

Step 8: Buff Floors

Lastly, the guys broke out a floor buffer and a 120 grit buffer pad. They quickly went over all the floors, getting as close to walls and corners as possible.

Step 9: Vacuum Clean

As you can imagine, all this sanding can create a significant amount of dust. Fortunately, most of their sanders have a vacuum hookup or a dust bag. Even so, the guys carefully vacuumed and dusted all the surfaces (not just the floor) to eliminate as much dust as possible. Otherwise, the dust can settle in stain or poly and flaw the finish.

Stick around! The next Pro-Follow will cover how the guys applied stain and finished the wood for a beautiful, long-lasting floor.

Our Contractors

One Project Closer's Pro-Follows are made possible by working with local contractors, and if you have a home improvement project coming up, consider these professionals for the job.

If your interested in learning more about installing hardwood flooring, follow that link to see our Project Guide for full details.

Danny’s crew will be refinishing a sizable area including three rooms, a hallway, laundry room and several closets. The old floor is a 3/4″ x 2-1/4″ oak, and it’s in fairly good shape. The guys will sand the existing floor down and finish everything (old and new) together for one, consistent look.

If you look closely, you’ll notice the shoe molding has already been removed in these pictures.

Danny’s crew is taking up the kitchen tile and the two layers of plywood underlayment before laying the new boards, and I’m excited to see how they blend the old and new floors.

Step 1: Setup Plastic Barriers

Refinishing floors can create a significant amount of dust so before any work began, Danny’s crew covered just about everything in plastic.

Pro-Tip: Change your furnace filter after refinishing your floors.

These guys were thorough, covering doors, light fixtures, shelves, cabinets, the fireplace, and more.

Step 2: Demo

After the plastic was setup, the guys got started on removing the old tile floor.

When possible, they removed large sheets with the tile still fixed in place.

Some of the plywood extended underneath the cabinets. Rather than pull up the cabinets, Danny’s crew used a handy flush-cutting circular saw to cut through the plywood.

It was slow going but eventually the tile floor was completely removed. As the guys cleaned away debris, they were careful to remove or pound in any protruding nails.

Step 3: Remove Some Floorboards

To seamlessly transition between the old floor and the new floor, the guys need to remove specific floorboards to be able to thread in new ones. Otherwise, the guys would have to incorporate an ugly transition strip.

There’s a couple of different ways to remove a single floorboard. For instance, you can set a circular saw to the appropriate depth and make a series of cuts until there’s enough room to pull the board free. In the picture below, one of Danny’s crew is using a hammer and chisel to slide a board out, and as you can imagine it takes a lot of pounding.

You can see how Danny’s crew is removing floorboards enough to stagger the joints.

In a few instances, the guys used an oscillating multitool (OMT) to carefully cut a board and create a new joint.

Step 4: Begin Laying New Boards

Next, Danny’s crew measured and snapped a chalk-line to provide a reference point. The guys setup the first new board and measured the distance to the chalk line to ensure it was straight.

Pro-Tip: Be sure to let the new board fully acclimate before installing.

After they lined everything up, the guys toe-nailed the first board with a finish nail gun and 16ga, 2″ nails.

Step 5: Unroll Underlayment

Underlayment reduces squeaks and creates a vapor and moisture retarder. The guys used Aquabar type B underlayment.

Step 6: Continue Laying Boards

Danny’s crew continued laying boards in the field, threading them between the existing floor boards. After three rows, the guys were able to break out a Bostitch flooring stapler to anchor the boards.

Where a new board was directly against an old floorboard (and therefore only able to place a few staples on the open end), the guy used a dab of construction adhesive to help lock it in place.

In this way, the guys began laying new floor boards and “weaving” them in with the old flooring.

On the next Pro-Follow I’ll be covering how Danny’s crew sanded the existing floor to make it look like new so stick around!

Our Contractors

One Project Closer's Pro-Follows are made possible by working with local contractors, and if you have a home improvement project coming up, consider these professionals for the job.

The tour started with an overview of their company history, and in 1963 Horicon Works started building riding lawn equipment. Pictured below is a 1963 mower, and it was #60 off the assembly line. This year John Deere is celebrating half a century of quality lawn equipment.

On the factory floor, we got a look at the tool room where they service and maintain the factory equipment.

These are coils of rolled steel waiting to go through the huge die-presses to be stamped into various parts.

John Deere is proud to be able to stamp parts like the mower deck because it’s more durable than a fabricated deck (like many of their competitors’ products).

They also have the capability to laser cut parts with all the waste being recycled.

After the parts are made, they go to the painting department.

Parts are grouped on a hanger with a metal “bar code” to identify them, and the hangers travel through about 7 miles of conveyor.

Each piece is first treated with a corrosion inhibitor so that if the paint is chipped or scratched, the metal is still protected. Next, the parts go through the e-coat process. The paint is electrostatically charged and the part is grounded to attract the powder primer. The primer is baked on and the process is repeated for the final coat of paint. Powder paint has the advantage that whatever is unused can be checked for contaminates and resprayed.

After paint, the parts are assembled. As the lawn equipment is assembled, it’s transported on automatic vehicles, and the height is automatically adjusted for the next station.

There’s a common misconception that stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s carry different (inferior) versions of the same model as dealers. John Deere assured me that is not true, and all the mowers are assembled the same way regardless of distributor. In fact, they’ve tried to combat the rumor by labeling where in the USA the mower was made.

Watching and speaking with factory workers, I was struck with the sense of pride they take in each and every product that comes off the line. These workers believe in John Deere, and it’s what they use at their own home. Furthermore, each worker is empowered to pull a unit from production if they find any imperfection.

After the factory we headed out to a testing facility where we drove John Deere equipment and their competitors’ products. It was great to be able to try out the different mowers in rapid succession because it made the differences so much more apparent. One thing that impressed me on all the models (except zero-turn mowers) was how much easier it was to steer and control the JD mowers even without power-assist. I spoke with several product managers, and they explained the importance of weight-distribution not only for control but also to prevent the wheels from tearing the grass.

One feature I really liked was the four-wheel turning which enabled even big riding mowers to make tight corners. Below you can see the “slalom” course setup to demonstrate.

We also went through the bump course where all the riding lawn equipment is vigorously tested for durability. In this video you can see Timothy from Charles & Hudson taking an X700 through the course.

It wasn’t really a part of the schedule but they let me drive one of the four-passenger Gator utility vehicles. It was a blast!

I want to say a big thanks to John Deere for having me out. It was great to see the factory and production process, and I hope I’ve captured some of that in today’s article.

Our Contractors

One Project Closer's Pro-Follows are made possible by working with local contractors, and if you have a home improvement project coming up, consider these professionals for the job.

Some of you may remember the pipe shelf I built in the OPC workshop several months back. In the original article, I mentioned replacing the pine shelf with a piece of reclaimed wood. Well I inherited a few items from my grandfather, and I decided it was time to upgrade the shelf and show them off. I’m really pleased with the look and functionality of the pipe shelf so I wanted to share the update with all of you. Plus, these new pictures are much better.

Because I’m sure somebody will point it out, I’m aware that the flag is not folded properly. I wanted some stars and stripes in the picture so don’t think I’m un-American.

Pipe shelves are great because they are completely customizable to fit whatever shape and storage space you need. You can set up one or more shelves in any orientation. Plus, DIY centers will cut and thread pipe for you so you don’t even need any specialty tools. If you’re following along, here are the materials I purchased:

• 1/2″ x 5′ black iron pipe
• (4) 1/2″ elbows
• (2) 1/2″ couplers
• (2) 1/2″ floor flanges
• Various length pipe nipples
• 2 x 8 board

Jocie discovered a nonprofit in downtown Baltimore called Second Chance. It’s like a Habitat for Humanity ReStore with a lot more selection, and I love checking out all the reclaimed products. I purchased a “new” 2 x 8 from Second Chance to use for the shelf.

Pipe shelves are easy to make, and anyone can do it. I anchored my shelf to the wall with the floor flanges and dry-wall anchors. The actual shelf is sandwiched between a coupler and an elbow, locking it in place.

After I mapped out the location of the shelf, I drilled holes through the board with a 1″ spade bit.

Next, I put all the fittings together and finagled the shelf into place.

Here’s the shelf with a Westinghouse radio. In the background you can see a brace, square and a brick hammer.

I’m really pleased with how everything turned out. The shelf is strong, and the reclaimed wood provides some great character.

Our Contractors

One Project Closer's Pro-Follows are made possible by working with local contractors, and if you have a home improvement project coming up, consider these professionals for the job.