Before installation, with gloves and scrubbies everywhere...

Like many people I have a kitchen that is much smaller than I would like, and there is very little available counter space. I have always tried to increase the feeling of space by not storing too many things on the counter, with some success. But one major contributor to countertop mess that I have not been able to vanquish was the need to store dishwashing tools and sponges on the counters.

These are tools that need to be kept in an accessible position: rubber gloves (if you use them), regular scrubbers and pot scrubbers. The sad part is that unless they’re brand new they’re unsightly, and when you’re not using them they take up space, or even get in the way of cooking and cleanup activities. My partner, Justin, who prefers to wash with his manly bare hands, found that my rubber gloves were frequently in the way. After having shopped around for visually appealing scrubbers and holders for over 10 years, I must concede that I’ve been unable to find anything that I feel looks good when left in sight.

The solution? Keep everything hidden from sight but still close at hand. Lee Valley Tools offers a kit to convert decorative panelling in front of sinks into small tip-out trays. The kit (made by Kentucky company Rev-a-Shelf) comes with a set of hinges, two plastic trays, mounting brackets, and screws. Additional handles are not included, and of course we replaced the Phillips screws in the kit with Robertsons. (For some reason our neighbours in the U.S. have not yet embraced the wisdom of Robertson screws. Not only are Robertson screws less likely to have their heads turn to mush, but they are less likely to slip out when you are using them in a tight area.) If you have a dividing bar between the panels in front of the sink, you will need to purchase an extra set of hinges, as we did.

Installation

Hinges and Tray Assembly

This took an afternoon, and required a bit of patience. Installation involves removing the front panelling, installing the hinges and plastic trays, and then installing the handles to the front of the panel. The instructions in the kit are reasonably thorough, the diagrams clear and understandable. There are two options for hinge installation spelled out.

The operation of installing the hinges can be awkward due to the tight space between the panel and sink. Stubby screwdrivers are an asset for this job. If you have a garbage bin secured to the inside of one of the doors, it will make the installation process difficult. The hinges are single piece assemblies which attach to both the front panel and cabinet wall. Unlike two-piece hinges, this means that one of the fastening steps must be done from behind the installed panel.

Mounting the tray to the inside of the panels was simple enough. Two screws secure each tray through slotted holes. This provides for a nice feature: the trays themselves are removable, which makes them easier to clean.

Positioning Handles with Two Posts on a Drawer Panel

This is a dark art that bears expounding upon, because if you get it wrong there are no do-overs:

1. Before deciding where to position the handles, the first step is to look at the surrounding drawers and cupboards themselves. Are they level with each other? Ours were not (just for the record, they came with the house!), so we decided to position the handles slightly higher or lower on each drawer, so that the handles were all level each other, creating a nice flat line. We rested a long level on top of the neighbouring handles, and then figured out our height adjustment factor for each post.
2. On the handle itself, measure the distance between the centre of each post. Record this number.
3. Measure the width of the panel. Subtract the distance between the posts, and divide by two. This is how far to measure in from either edge of the panel to get the horizontal coordinate for your drilling point.
4. Measure the height of your panel. Divide by two, and that is the vertical drill position (if you need to, factor in your height adjustment from step 1).

5. 

   One of the tip-out trays installed, and shown in action.

   When drilling, drill with a tiny bit first. It will be easier to keep the drill bit level (so your handles don’t end up at an angle) and you run less risk of creating visible cracks or lifts in the panel surface (especially if it is laminate, like ours). Most importantly, a smaller bit has much less tendency to skitter or skate on the work surface, and the small hole can serve as a guide to keep your large bit on course. Starting your hole with a punch is also a good idea to ensure that your bit does not drift. Once you have a nice straight hole, repeat the process with the bit size that is correct for the handle attachment screws.

Hints and Notes

• Before going ahead with this project, ensure there is enough room between the sink and the cabinet panel for the tray – you should have at least 2 ½ inches of clearance.
• The kit cost is about $25.00, and the extra set of hinges (also from Lee Valley) about $11.00 (plus tax).
• I was initially worried that handles mounted right under the sink would make it harder to get into the sink (I am on the short side). This proved to be unfounded – there was no difference in sink accessibility in the end.

Overall, I would say this project was a complete success: precious counter space has been reclaimed, and the whole effect is visually more pleasing. It has not bothered me at all to have an extra step (retrieving the gloves and scrubbers) added to the dishwashing workflow.

...and after installation of tip-out trays, with cleaning tools stored out of sight. Much better, no?

by Jennifer priest

Increased Strength and Stamina

While it would be ridiculous to claim that renovations work is kind to the body, it does bestow some benefits. Hours spent sanding plaster, driving screws or pulling nails will make you physically stronger and give you the kind of stamina that an hour-long treadmill session can never provide. Renovation work burns calories too! The trick is to avoid rewarding yourself with fatty treats after a work session.

In an age where so many spend their free time on the couch, there’s a lot to be said for getting up and just plain moving about, even if you’re not running a marathon. The most important thing is to not push yourself to the point of injury: take your time, use correct body positioning, and if you’re too tired to maintain good form, quit for the day.

Increased Research Skills and Knowledge

I’ve always believed that education – of any kind – is never wasted. Expanding your horizons in a new direction will help provide new perspectives on things you thought you already knew. Every piece of learning helps you to learn other new things more easily.

I tend to bite off more than I can chew, but at least I’m sensible enough to know when I’m out of my depth. That’s the time to sit down and do some research – go online, read books, and talk to others with more experience than I have. Going through this so many times has made me better at learning new things.

Increased Planning Skills

All renovation work involves project management, which is a skill that everyone needs. Having to sit down, visualize the end result, and then break that down into parts will allow you to create a logical task order. Exercising this kind of thinking will help you no matter what your line of work is.

Increased Patience, Perseverance, and Emotional Control

One of the greatest benefits I’ve found in learning to do renovation work is an increased capacity for patience with myself. We aren’t born with construction or design skills; they must be learned, practiced and perfected. This takes time, persistent effort, and patience.

Like many DIYers, I have run into situations where I’ve had to face the fact that I’ve messed up. That sinking “oh no” feeling you get when you realize that you have to undo all of your hard work and fix it is very difficult to face. Familiarity with the occasional slip up is humbling in a very healthy way. You learn to cool your frustration and develop the ability to admit your mistakes. After all, the more quickly you do that the sooner you can get on with making it the way it should be.

Frustration can also make you want to throw up your hands and give up, perhaps spending a lot of money to hire someone who can do it properly. Going through the process of figuring out where you went wrong, pulling everything apart, and redoing it forces you to let go and forgive yourself. Sticking with the project through the tough times builds a depth of character that may be unfashionable, but I think is essential.

These mistakes also help keep your ego in check when things go flawlessly. When the work goes off without a hitch, it prevents you from bragging to anyone who will listen. While honest pride in a job well done is a boon to your confidence, I’ve seen some people who turn into utter snobs, dismissing anyone who isn’t at their level of expertise. As one of my math teachers once said to a group of his A-students, “let it go to your heart, not to your head”.

Appreciation for the Skills of Others and for Quality Craftsmanship

As you go through the baby steps of learning new skills, you develop an understanding of just how good experienced renovators and professionals are at what they do. When you spend an hour trying to plaster a drywall seam, you gain a new appreciation for those out there who can do it better than you do in a fraction of the time. My recent experiences in plastering were punctuated with a humbling look at a couple of videos by one of my Obi Wan Kenobis of plastering, mudslingpro, in which he makes it look so easy. The only way to gain this level of skill is practise.

Because I now know first-hand the struggle of trying to work bubbles and ridges out of the mud, I can honestly say I will never look at a wall or ceiling the same way again!

Spiritual Growth

A long renovation project can be like a mythic journey through the underworld. When a renovation is long and taxing, and you feel you can’t even look at your work area any more, that’s when you really learn what you’re made of. You face your limits and somehow push them back just a little bit every time, gradually becoming more than you were.

Even a single work day can be an emotional death and rebirth. After a long work session, when you’re exhausted and covered in dirt, you are like an incarnation of utter wretchedness. Everything is sore, you’re thirsty and miserable, but somehow you keep going. Somehow, you even enjoy it, and even laugh at what a pathetic creature you are.

And then, redemption: you can shower at last! No simple hygiene exercise; it is as though the heavens open to let the water fall. You emerge clean, reborn, and looking at the world through new eyes.

You can’t pay for an experience like that; it must be earned. But once you have it, no one can ever take it away from you.

by Jennifer Priest

Gardeners are lucky: through our increased interactions with the soil, and our attempts to get a healthy, beautiful display of plant life, we encounter this gateway to deeper levels of inquiry and understanding. As the passion for gardening develops and more challenging goals arise, the desire to geek out on the juicy details comes with it!

Everyone knows that plants need sunlight and water, and most gardeners know that getting healthy plant growth requires the specific amounts of these that the plant has evolved to require. Experienced gardeners, however, know that truly fabulous garden displays require a fuller understanding of soil ecology. A great place to start is by learning about soil pH, and how to work with it for healthier plant growth. What follows is a high-level explanation of how soil pH works, to serve as a springboard for further research, as this particular rabbit hole goes very deep indeed.

Soil pH is important primarily because it affects how efficiently a plant can absorb the nutrients it needs from the soil around it. The soil could be full of mineral goodness, but if the soil is too acidic or alkaline for the plant, the plant won’t be able to absorb enough of what it needs through its roots. In extreme cases, nutritional deficiency and death of the plant can follow.

Plant Nutrition Basics

People understand that they need vitamins and nutrients to stay healthy. Plants work in a similar way –they need specific nutrients to use as building blocks and to help them with their chemical processes. Unlike with people however, the ability to acquire nutrients can change with the soil surrounding the plant – that’s where the pH comes in.

Plants need 17 principal macronutrients and micronutrients, but hundreds can be found within plant tissue (see the Resources section below for sources of more information on this). These are the nutrients that plants need from the soil the most:

• Nitrogen (N) is a component in amino acids (the building blocks of proteins), DNA (which allows cells to grow), and chlorophyll, which is the pigment that plants use to make their food from sunlight in the process of photosynthesis. Curiously, even though the atmosphere is full of nitrogen, it is in a form (N2) that plants cannot use. In order for plants to be able to absorb Nitrogen, it has to be converted into other forms like ammonium (NH4+) or nitrate (NO3-) by bacteria. You can learn more about the Nitrogen cycle on Wikipedia. Sources of nitrogen include animal manure and urea.
• Phosphorous (P): is needed as a major part of cell membranes and also in ATP (adenosine triphosphate, a necessary component of metabolism), and is essential for cell division and growth. Phosphorous can be difficult for plants to acquire: phosphorous tends to become immobilized by other soil minerals. Phosphorus may also bond with clay and organic matter. Common sources include rock phosphate, bone meal, or guano.
• Potassium (K):  plays many roles in plant cell biology: in synthesis of proteins, activation of enzymes, and in the opening and closing of the stomata (pores used for gas exchange by leaves).  The most common source of potassium in agriculture is potash.
• Calcium (CA): Calcium plays a role in maintaining firm cell walls and cell membranes, and in enabling nitrogen uptake. Calcium itself is alkaline. Lime (calcium carbonate) is a common source of calcium.
• Magnesium (Mg): is the central molecule in chlorophyll, and is also needed for synthesis of amino acids, proteins, and sugars. Sources include dolomitic limestone and magnesium sulfate.
• Sulfur (S): is an essential part of many amino acids (and therefore proteins), and is essential for chlorophyll synthesis and production of enzymes, amongst other things. Potential sources of sulfur include manure, Epsom salts, and gypsum (including recycled drywall, which is used on some crops, like corn).

What is pH?

PH is a measure of the acidity of a substance. The specific items being measured are hydronium ions (hydrogen atoms with a positive charge, bound to a water molecule) – specifically, the proportion of positively charged hydronium ions to negatively charged hydroxide ions. As you increase the concentration of hydronium ions, the substance becomes more acidic. “PH“ stands for the power of hydrogen. The opposite of acidity is alkalinity – as a substance gains hydroxide ions, it becomes more alkaline.

The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14 with low numbers (0 to 6.5) being acidic, high numbers (7.4 to 14) alkaline, and the neutral zone ranging from 6.6 to 7.3. The pH scale is logarithmic – this means that something with a pH of 6 is ten times more acidic than something with a pH of 7. Why are the low numbers acidic when we’re measuring how many hydronium ions there are? It’s a result of the equation used in calculating pH.

Distilled water is an example of a neutral substance, vinegar is acidic, and bleach is alkaline. At the positive and negative extremes of the scale, you find substances that can be corrosive or otherwise dangerous.

Most plants tend to be happier in the middle of the scale, around neutral. But many plants prefer soils that are either slightly alkaline or slightly acidic. The good news is that it isn’t hard to learn the pH of your soil and amend it so that your plants can get what they need.

How Plants Absorb Nutrients from the Soil

Cation and Anion Exchange in Cells of Root Hairs

Plants absorb nutrients from the soil through their roots using processes called cation and anion exchange. A cation is a positively charged ion (as opposed to an anion, which is negatively charged).

An element becomes a cation or anion when it is in solution (dissolved) in water. The water takes the form of tiny micro droplets that either adhere to the surface of soil particles (which attracts cations) or are between soil particles (which attracts anions).

Cation Exchange

All very small particles carry either a positive or negative charge. Soil particles have a negative charge, which is what attracts and holds the cations in the solution, until they are “grabbed” by the plant root. The fine hairs of the roots are negatively charged, and attract the cations (opposites charges attract and like charges repel each other). The plant releases a Hydrogen ion (H+) to maintain the overall balance. In cation exchange, plant roots are trying to take in cations like potassium (K+), magnesium (Mg++), calcium (Ca++), and ammonium (NH4+) in exchange for the Hydrogen (H+).

Anion Exchange

In anion exchange, the plant absorbs molecules like phosphate (HPO4-) and ammonium (NO3-) and return things like bicarbonates (HCO3-) and hydroxyls (OH-). Other key anions include phosphates (PO4), sulfates (SO4-) and chlorides (Cl-).

Because anions are negatively charged, they tend not to get fixed to soil particles, and therefore are more easily washed out of the soil.

Respiration and Photosynthesis

There are other ways that plants absorb other elements. For example, plants obtain carbon (in the form of carbon dioxide) through the stomata in their leaves during respiration. The plan then builds the carbon into sugars and starches during photosynthesis.

How Soil pH Affects Nutrient Absorption

As time passes, if the complex interplay of soil processes does not remain in balance, excessive cation exchange will acidify soils, and anion exchange will make soil more alkaline. In cation exchange, it is the H+ ion accumulation that gradually acidifies soils. An example of this is in the absorption of ammonium and the return of bicarbonates. As pH changes, the chemical reactions that can take place also change. This will affect how available the different nutrients are to plants.

Soil pH and Nutrient Availability

In acidic soils, the abundance of H+ ions displace other cations adhering to soil particles, making the nutrients unavailable for absorption by plant roots. Acidic soils also slow or stop the actions of bacteria which change nitrogen into usable forms, and can also make other elements less (and sometimes more in some cases) available to plants. The elements plants need are still in the soil (at least until they get washed away by the rain), but when pH changes they may not be usable by plants.

In acidic soils, for example, phosphous can become bonded to other elements like aluminum and iron. In alkaline soils, phosphorous can become inaccessibly bonded to calcium.

The chart above will give you a quick look at what elements become available in proportion the soil pH. It’s important to remember that not all nutrients are affected in the same way.

Learning the pH of Your Soil

Your local garden centre should have soil pH test kits, which generally take the form of small test tubes and a supply of chemicals, or a meter. The idea is that you take a soil sample, mix it with distilled water (because it is neutral, whereas tap water potentially is not), and bring it into contact with the chemicals or the meter. You may want to confirm the efficacy of your kit, however, as I’ve seen a couple of sources complaining that some kits do not give correct results. Meters are more reusable and generally recommended for anyone who will be doing a lot of gardening over time.

The important thing to remember is that the pH level can vary widely, even in small areas. The amount of water received and retained in the area, the kinds of plants living there, and how long the same species have been in the same spot will affect the pH. For example, most conifers will acidify the soil around them over time by dropping needles. To counteract this potential for variation, do several tests that will tell you what is happening all over the garden. Some people like to mix soil samples from all over their properties and do one test, but I don’t think that will give you a real picture of what is going on in different spots.

Amending Your Soil

The ideal strategy is to learn the pH of your soil, and then plan your garden so that you are using plants that like those conditions. This way, you won’t be constantly fighting the natural state of the soil. When this isn’t possible, you can mix in additives, ensuring that everything is well mixed in. When plants are already established, you will need to add treatments to the surface of the soil and wait for the rain and earthworms to distribute them.

If your soil sample tests just slightly out of range of what you’re trying to achieve, try using compost. Compost is generally known to be a great overall neutralizer of soils. You need to be careful with compost, however, and make sure it is made of a variety of sources. For example, coffee grounds and tea leaves can be acidic (depending on how long they have been rotting), so if your compost contains a lot of this, with nothing to balance it out, it can have an undesired effect. You may want to test your compost and see what level it’s at.

To further acidify the soil, you could try mixing in peat moss, or even aluminum sulphate.

To alkalize the soil, try wood ash (as long as the wood burnt wasn’t treated with chemicals or paint). It is also common practice to add agricultural lime.

Resources For Further Reading

1. Check out this post on the Cheap Vegetable Gardener to learn more about macronutrients, micronutrients, and diagnosing plant nutrient deficiencies.
2. This is a great introduction to soil ecology in general
3. More on plant nutrition processes on Wikipedia

by Jennifer Priest

Over time I have developed a need for a certain amount of negative space in my interiors. As a girl I covered every conceivable inch of wall space in my room with images, every surface with loved objects and things I had made. Into my twenties the packrat tendencies solidified. Books, tools, records, clothes, artwork, curios, and design accessories abounded until my apartment became as full of treasure as Aladdin’s cave. I was never at the point where I was paying to store things, but I was headed there.

In my very late 20’s something happened: I started getting a feeling as though I couldn’t breathe. I determined that this sensation wasn’t physical, it was emotional – I was so surrounded by stuff that I felt crowded all the time. Any attempt at cleaning involved shifting around so much stuff that I felt like I was sucked into a game of furniture Tetris every time I wanted to push the vacuum. I was drowning in my own possessions.

That’s when the long road to less began for me. That’s the secret – as with any kind of recovery, you have to want to change, and be committed to going through the painful stages it demands.

Make no mistake – it was painful. Getting rid of artwork you’ve created and heirlooms are especially difficult. We keep objects because they remind us of loved ones or ideas, or just because they are beautiful or fun. The key is to remember that your grandfather’s favourite reading chair is not your grandfather, or your love for him. As René Magritte conveyed in his famous painting Treachery of Images, “this is not a pipe”. It is a picture of a pipe. The symbol is not what it represents.

Once you have made that connection, working on the problem becomes possible. What follows are strategies for reducing clutter in your home. Remember, this does not need to be one great traumatic upheaval; it can be a process that takes years. Persistence is what wins in the end.

Putting Your Treasure Trove on a Diet

How do you decide what stays and what goes? By its usefulness. I’m a fan of (if not a strict adherent to) to the “1 year rule”: if something hasn’t been used in a year, you’re unlikely to use it again at all. Hard core pack rats have difficulty with this one – their argument can be summed up as “it might come in handy someday”. While I acknowledge the special thrill of being able to fix something with a long-hoarded jewel, I am not convinced it justifies entire rooms full of odds and ends, the collapse of civilization notwithstanding. Where I personally draw the line is if the item is in good repair or not. I don’t tend to keep pieces of things, but entire things that work well. I also consider the amount of room an item occupies.

At a certain point, you will need to face the fact that you are not going snowboarding/making wine/racing ostriches any more. For me, three years is the limit: if I haven’t used something in three years it needs to go (but I make exceptions – the time limit for me is 1 year for clothes, and 5 for books). The point is not where exactly that cut off point is for you, but that there is a cut off point. The exact time you will allow unused things to take up space can become stricter over time, or be stricter or weaker for different types of things.

Once you’ve decided that an item is low-hanging fruit, there are great ways to give it a new home. It’s up to you whether you give, sell or donate, but I always try to give away items I can, and match them with people who will really enjoy them.

1. For objects of sentimental value, give them to someone who will love them. Family members often enjoy receiving heirlooms.
2. For decorative items, find someone who has a collection of similar items. An Egyptian lantern that sat in my basement for years has new life and purpose in my sister’s lantern collection on her deck.
3. Make a bit of money by selling nicer objects. Online sales listings can be great if you don’t mind shipping preparations or strangers at your door. Antique dealers and consignment stores are also a great alternative. Garage sales are also an option if getting rid of things is more important than getting a better price.
4. When all else fails, donate things to charity.

Collections can be easier to deal with: you don’t have to get rid of everything, you can just weed the garden, so to speak. Decide how the collection will be displayed or stored, and use that to determine how many items have to go in order for the collection to fit. Start by choosing the obvious favourites as keepers, and proceed until you know which ones have to go through the process of elimination. This can be easier than actively trying to pick ones you don’t like, if the problem is that you like them all. Music or photograph collections are easy to downsize if you are prepared to do the work of digitization.

For items I found particularly hard to part with, I took photographs of them. Having a smaller, easier way to store memories can help you let go. To my surprise, I’ve found that over the years I have never looked at them.

Controlling the Purchase of New Things

Impulse purchases are a huge source of clutter. Compulsively buying new things all the time may be good for the economy in the abstract sense, but it’s bad for your personal finances and for the environment. Almost everything ends up in a landfill one day, and pollution from manufacture and transportation is heartbreakingly destructive.

1. Stop buying new things unless they have a very specific purpose or place in your home. Train yourself to appreciate things, and even want them, without having to buy them.
2. Adopt my rule: for anything you buy, something else has got to go to make room. This makes buying a lot harder as time passes, because you have to think of what has to go.
3. Before you buy, know where the object will be stored when not in use.
4. Refuse to buy before you find the perfect fit. Don’t buy the cheap coffee table to make do until you find the perfect one. Save the money and put it towards one you really like. Use a stack of books or a box – anything – until you find what works.
5. Have a plan before you buy decorative objects. Tastes can change over time, and planning the décor of your space can help you decide if an object is worth buying in the long term.
6. For holiday giving, make sure loved ones know what you would enjoy receiving. When I started distributing my wish list years ago I got laughter from my family, but now I am asked for it if Halloween rolls by and I haven’t created it. The important point is to avoid giving stuff to people that they don’t want but will feel guilty about not keeping.

The Promised Land

Why go through all of this? The psychological rewards are subtle but profound: you will simply feel better when you have more space. Have you ever walked into a large building and just felt yourself emotionally expand? It’s like that. I would also combine it with the feeling you get when you’ve spend a day cleaning, and wake up the next morning to a beautiful place that looks new again.

What we see and how we react to it influences our moods and our overall sense of wellbeing. I don’t know why, but we get pleasure and happiness from beauty, and this can open up new possibilities in our lives. When we feel good, we’re more likely to do what’s right for ourselves. Since I began my mission to reduce my clutter, there are exactly two items that I have gotten rid of that I now regret (both are articles of clothing). I don’t feel upset about this, however, as the benefits outweigh the minor regret by an astronomical amount. It has been more than worth it.

Getting rid of items can also be part of your décor education – whittling down your possessions over time can make you feel like Michaelangelo carving away stone to find David. I will leave you with a final thought, a quote I came upon not too long ago and has been of immense help to me in moments of weakness:

“There is no design without discipline. There is no discipline without intelligence.”

-Massimo Vignelli

by Jennifer Priest

This design makes effective use of a space next to an angled wall: you don't need full ceiling height to get into and enjoy a bathtub. The added skylight is a great example of turning a disadvantage into an advantage!

When most people design of their project, one of the most fundamental steps is often overlooked: the Needs Analysis. This is one of the most important steps in planning, and yet most people haven’t even heard of it.

A needs analysis is a process of discovery through questions and answers that seeks to fully ascertain the purpose of the room, and the different kind of people the room needs to work for.

In “Bathrooms – Just Add Water”, Terence Conran says, “People plan new bathrooms for all sorts of reasons: to upgrade old fittings and fixtures, to improve decoration and renew tired surfaces and finishes, to ease strain on a bottlenecked main bathroom or to install features, such as showers or bidets, that were previously absent. A good starting point, therefore, is to identify all the functions that the new area must provide.”

A needs analysis can help save you from functionality disasters, like some of the ones I have seen (created by professionals!):

1. 

   I like the way this designer has added plenty of storage space in a visually clean way.

   A friend’s bathroom has a light switch that was located behind the bathroom door (which opened inwards). This meant that you had to go into the dark bathroom and close the door before turning on the light!

2. I once rented an apartment that had the tiniest bathroom ever – it was so small that the sink hung over the toilet facing it. At 5’4”, I had trouble folding myself into the space – I couldn’t imagine someone taller making it work.
3. I have a shower stall for which you could not adjust the temperature unless you were actually standing in the shower (unless you want to get water everywhere when you opened the door) – that’s more cold water than I can handle! Luckily this problem was solvable with a new flexible gooseneck shower head.

Here is a sample needs analysis list with some sample answers for a bathroom renovation. Following Francis D.K. Ching and Corky Binggelli in Interior Design Illustrated (Second Edition), I’m expanding on the classic “Who, What, When, Where, Why, How” model. In this case, however, I’m leaving out the “How” level of detail and also the “Why” – most bathroom activities are pretty essential in nature!

1. What activities need to take place?
   1. Showering
   1. Disrobing
   1. Where do clothes go when removed?
   1. Laundry hamper in the bathroom?
   2. Hook or rail in the bathroom?
   3. Is the bathroom is in a private space, so disrobing can take place in another room?
   2. Adjusting temperature
   1. Is there room to stand outside the
   2. How is water prevented from spraying outside the shower when the water is being adjusted?
   1. Getting into the shower
   1. Again, how is this done without getting water everywhere?
   2. How is this done safely? Is there something solid someone can grab in case of a slip?
   2. Washing & Conditioning Hair
   1. Where do hair product bottles go when not in use?
   2. Is there a way to get out of the spray when doing leave-in treatments? (For example, rainfall shower heads don’t let you do this)
   3. Shaving legs
   1. Most women need to raise their leg onto something in order to shave. What will this surface be, and how is safety maintained?
   4. Drying off: where can towels be located so that they are within arm’s reach of the shower?
   5. Exiting the shower:
   1. Safety – avoiding slips
   2. Water containment
   3. Bathmat location/storage when not in use
   1. Bathing
   1. Getting in and out of the bathtub safely: how is this accomplished?
   2. Where is the bathmat kept?
   3. Again, where are towels stored, so that that they can be easily accessed from the tub?
   2. Shaving (Face, Neck, back of neck)
   1. Mirror
   2. Lighting
   3. If electric shaver: electrical supply is needed
   4. If soap and water: a sink is needed
   5. Cleanup of bristles: an easily cleaned surface beneath the shaving area is required
   3. Brushing Teeth
   1. Water
   2. Toothbrush, toothpaste and floss storage when not in use
   3. Flossing
   4. Toilet
   1. Is there room to move around the toilet (especially for cleaning)?
   2. Is there enough room to sit down on the toilet? For a man to stand in front?
   3. Toilet paper
   1. Where is the roll located? Is it within the reach of children?
   2. Where are spare rolls kept?
   5. Applying Makeup
   1. Lighting will play a big role here – you don’t want to end up using too much makeup because you’re trying to compensate for the fact that the lighting makes you look like you’re in a 40’s monster movie.
   2. If this activity is taking place in the bathroom, it may limit your paint colour choices. I once painted a bathroom a lovely green – but the colour was reflected into my face in the mirror – again with the monster movie scenario!
   6. Styling Hair
   1. In my experience this is one aspect of personal care that demands a lot of space for tools and products – whether in use or in storage. Counter space of some sort is a must.
   7. Washing Face
   1. Most people like to lean over the sink and splash water onto the face with the hands. This requires clearance over the sink, and room for the elbows to splay out.
   8. Disposing of garbage
2. When is each activity taking place?
   1. Morning scramble to work/school
   2. Evening before bed
   3. Occasions
3. Who is performing the activities?
   1. Adults
   2. Children
   1. How will they reach the lights?
   2. How will they reach the sink? If this is to be a stool, what happens to it when it is not in use?
   3. Seniors
   1. Are there supports available for seniors who have trouble maintaining stability?
   2. Do heights or methods of access of anything need to be adjusted for people who may no longer be able to lift their knees over the rim of a bathtub, or sit down easily?
   3. How is safety maintained in the shower/bath?
   4. People with Physical Disabilities
   1. People who need mobility aids may require special modifications – and somewhere for the mobility aid to be placed when not in use.
   2. A major consideration: someone using a wheelchair is going to need room to turn around once they’re inside the room.

This is a great idea for a small bathroom: the undermounted sink retains maximum counter space, and the glass visually opens the space.

As you can see, a needs analysis can help you make decisions that make sense for you, before you get carried away by luscious designer imagery. A list like this can help you try to see beyond your own current routine, which is essential if you’re ever planning to sell your house, have a family, or grow old.

In last week’s post, I mentioned that a list like this can be used hand in hand with the Statement of Purpose and Goals – and potentially change the design. For example, Terence Conran mentions a solution in which sinks were installed in the children’s bedrooms of a family home to ease pressure on the bathroom, especially as the children grow into teenagers. In my case, the Needs Analysis hasn’t changed my problem statements too much, but I’m going to keep it handy as I refine the design to make sure the design stays functional and safe.

by Jennifer Priest

For example, you may say in your Statement of Purpose:

“Fix the layout of the bathroom so that it is easier for multiple people to get ready in the morning.”

And, through brainstorming in your Statement of Goals:

“What I really want is to be able to take a soothing bath by myself”

You may arrive at a more creative solution: possibly an additional bathroom instead of redesigning the first one.

As Francis D.K. Ching and Corky Binggeli put it in Interior Design Illustrated (Second Edition): “The design problem is first defined. The ability to define and understand the nature of the design problem adequately is an essential part of the solution. This definition should specify how the design solution will perform and what goals and objectives will be met.”

In creating a Statement of Purpose and Goals, an additional challenge is to fully identify all of the things that you really need, rather than just the wants. I could look at any number of books for inspiration, and find thousands of gorgeous images of great approaches, but you can’t simply transplant someone else’s success and expect it to work. Why not? Because that beautiful design is in someone else’s house, and that house is different – maybe it has taller ceilings, or more natural light, or a better view out the window. There are different people who live there as well, and their lives and routines and even their bodies are different (they’re probably taller, for one thing). There may be more of them using the space for different things.

In the end, design is not a luxury for the wealthy; it is a necessary part of everyone’s daily life. Design is not just about visual appeal, at its core it’s about how things work and how we interact with them.

In Part 1, I said that I would be using a common renovation project as a case study to concretize some of these ideas. Here’s the big reveal: we’ll be using my upcoming bathroom renovations as a planning case study.

At 7'4" x 4'11", this bathroom is pretty much as small as they come.

A Statement of Purpose and Goals doesn’t just record the reasons for the renovation, it’s the first step in helping you engage in a deeper thinking process. To start with, your reasons can be broken down into functional and aesthetic problems you want to solve.

My preliminary statement of purpose is: I want a bathroom that is easier to clean and is easier to do grooming tasks in. I also want to update the look.

When I sit down and think, here are the specific problems I want to solve:

Functional

1. There is nowhere to store my grooming supplies when not in use. There’s a vanity, but it’s not set up for small bottles or tools.
2. There is not enough counter space for me to work with grooming supplies.
3. The light is very bad throughout the bathroom:
   1. It’s hard to see in the shower when shaving.
   2. It’s hard to see at the sink station when applying makeup or doing hair.
   3. I can’t see the back of my head while I’m working on it.
   4. The toilet uses a lot of water, and I’d like to get a dual-flush model.
   5. The outside of the toilet has a lot of contours that are difficult to keep clean.
   6. I’d like to replace the shower curtain with some sort of solution that is easier to clean.
   7. The sink area is very difficult to clean up after shaving.
   8. The chrome finish on the sink drain is noticeably wearing away.

Aesthetic

1. The bathroom overall is very small – I would like to give it a more open or airy feel if possible.
2. The visible seam on the folding area of the counter looks odd and is not easy to clean.
3. There is no natural light.
4. The decor does not match my preferred choices. I like to surround myself with natural materials, for a relaxing mood, but punctuate with some high-tech elements.
5. Whoever installed the light over the mirror made it very lopsided!

When I consider the above, my preliminary Statement of Goals is: a bathroom that is both easier to use and looks beautiful.

Next week, we’ll be doing a detailed Needs Analysis, and see if that changes anything on the list.

by Jennifer Priest

Successful renovation planning combines designing with planning skills.

Before any renovation can move into the construction phase, there has to be a plan in place – even if it’s all in your head. A plan needs two basic parts: a design for what you’re going to do, and a schedule of events that links the order of tasks in a way that makes sense. The schedule is dependent on the design. Planning a renovation or construction project, therefore, combines the skill sets of interior designers and project managers.

This is nothing new to most renovators and builders; it seems so obvious. Why, then, do so few DIYers actually create plans for their work? A good plan will save time, money, and headaches. A well laid out plan also can be taken to an interior designer or a contractor for review: this would cost a lot less than having them come up with the work, and some professionals are up for it.

But before we go any further, I want to clarify something: “winging it” is not a plan, it is an approach. It is an approach that can work if you’re an expert with vast experience to draw on and unlimited time and monetary budgets. If you’re not an expert, then planning is a good idea. Ideally, plans are drawn out in software or on paper, but parts or even the entirety of the plan can be all in your mind if you’re one of those lucky people with exceptional memory and visualization skills. Most experts, including professionals, create plans that other people can look at before anything starts. Whether you put all of the steps below on paper or not, all of them should be considered.

But how do you make your design? How do you know your task list includes everything? This is the first of several posts that will look at project planning in depth. In order to make things a little less abstract, I’ll be focusing on a common project type as an example.

Planning and the Creative Process

Planning a renovation project can be a lengthy process for a DIYer. This is in many ways a good thing: taking the time you need to think things through increases the likelihood of a successful outcome – and it also gives you more time to save up for the quality of fixtures you want!

In Interior Design Illustrated (Second Edition) writers Francis D.K. Ching and Corky Binggeli offer the following: “… the design process is more often a cyclical, iterative one in which a sequence of careful analysis, synthesis and evaluation of available information, insights, and possible solutions is repeated until a successful fit between what exists and what is desired is achieved.”

After reading this and other excellent interior design and project management books, and from my own experience, here is what I feel the optimal steps in a renovation plan should consist of:

1. Statement of Purpose and Goals

A statement of purpose outlines the reason(s) you’re doing the renovation project, naming  the specific problems you want to fix. A Statement of Goals may be the same as the purpose, or it might be slightly different. It is a statement about the desired outcomes of the project.

The purpose and goals are two ways of thinking about similar things so that you fully identify any unknowns.

Read More About Ctreating a Statement of Purpose and Goals

2. Needs Analysis

A detailed breakdown of all the activities that will be done in the space, and by whom. The goal of this exercise is to try to identify practical problems in your design and fix them – before you start building!

Read More About Creating a Needs Analysis

3. Evaluation of Current Space (this won’t apply to new construction)

1. Design: what is working, and what isn’t working towards your purpose and goals
2. Structural – what can be changed and what cannot for the following:
1. Load-bearing capacity of floor
2. Load-bearing capacity of walls (if you plan to attach anything to them, like a television or a wall-mounted sink)
3. Wall framing (load bearing, non-load bearing) – what walls need to stay, which ones can be removed to change spaces.
4. Windows
5. Doors
6. Electrical Circuits
1. Lighting
2. Outlets
7. Plumbing
1. Hot Water
2. Cold Water
3. Waste Water/Soil Stack
8. Air Circulation
1. Heating/Cooling
2. Ventilation

4. Building Code/Other Legal Requirements Familiarization

It is very important to familiarize yourself with any building and electrical code regulations in your area. I recommend this step even if you are hiring a contractor to take care of this – if you know what is allowed and what isn’t, you can plan more effectively before you start paying someone to do the work.

5. Preliminary Budget Amount/Range Determined

Some people are more comfortable with a firm cost ceiling, others will be happier with a loose range.

In Home: From Concept to Reality, celebrated interior designer Kelly Hoppen advises: “Take it from me, the first thing to remember is that you will always need more money than you think you will. Do your sums and then add at least another 20 percent contingency fund.”

If you are building as part of an investment in your home for resale, be sure that you’re not over-renovating for your area.

6. Scope Definition

Defining what will be included in the project, and what is not. The latter is very important – this is what will prevent your project from becoming a perpetual snowball of never-ending work!

7. Inspiration Research

Notice that this step is supposed to come after you’ve defined your project parameters, not before! (I’m lecturing myself at this point, not you, gentle reader). This is the really fun part, in which you look in books, magazines, stores, and online sources for ideas. To keep this from turning into futile daydreaming about a lifestyle you can’t afford, keep your specific problems and goals in mind.

8. Preliminary Freehand Sketches

This is another fun part! If you like to draw, this can help you develop ideas. Even if you don’t draw much, it can help you start to visualize what you want. (If you have a lot of trouble visualizing end results in advance, you may want to hire an interior designer to assist you with this part.)

9. Layout Plan

This is a top-down view of your completed space, done to scale. This will help you figure out if you have enough room for everything.

10. Elevation Plan

This a perspective view of your new space, shown from eye height.

11. Task List

This can be a simple list of tasks in chronological order. If your project is more complex, you may want to create a Gantt chart, which is a diagram of tasks that identifies which tasks have to be completed in order for others to begin. The beauty of a Gantt chart is that it can include several branches of task lists.

12. Education

Identify tasks that you have no experience with, and decide whether you are going to learn how to do them or hire someone to take care of them for you. This can take the form of reading, courses, and/or practice work before you tackle the real thing.

12. Communication Plan

This is a list of who needs to be contacted about what, and when. If you need permits, then you will need to contact inspectors. If you are hiring anyone to do part of the work for you, then there will be things they need to know. You will need to know things like delivery times.

13. Plan Substitution Logistics

Where will things normally done in this space be done while construction is taking place? Where will any furniture or fixtures be stored?

14. Plan Project Timeframe

How long do you have the patience to live in a construction area? If your fuse for this is short, you may want to either scale back the scope of the project, divide the project into mini-projects with breaks in between, or hire a contractor to help you out.

Don’t forget that most renovations involve surprises once walls are opened and additional items to correct arise. Bathroom renovations, for example, are famous for involving the discovery of a mold problem behind old tiling.

15. List of Tools and Materials

This is an important step before creating your final, detailed budget. If you don’t know how many square feet of tiles or wood you need and the tools you must have to place them, you are guessing at the project costs.

16. Detailed Budgeting

This is the part where you learn that you can’t afford your dream-everything, and you have to decide where to compromise. There are lots of great looking affordable solutions – the trick is to find what works for your overall design. Here is where time can be the DIYer’s friend: if you are doing the work yourself, you can take care of fundamental tasks while you save up for other aspects of the project.

17. Plan refinement and re-evaluation as needed.

As the design for your project changes, the other aspects of the plan will need to be updated as well.

18. Construction – the Real Work – Begins!

Some of the steps above may seem a bit like overkill. In my experience however, I’ve learned that part of the challenge of doing renovations is to really understand everything that is involved in a project. Changing one small thing can cascade into a massive cost overrun, or mean another year’s work, or cause your morale to plummet. However, if you plan correctly, you’ll be able to move forward secure in the knowledge that you know exactly what you’re getting into.

by Jennifer Priest

Clematis tangutica flower in the sun.

Many Ottawa gardeners know the clematis as a fragile, fussy beauty who rewards only the most dedicated of caretakers with its lovely blooms. There is, however, a variety that may not have flowers of such showy extravagance, but is much tougher. “Tangutica”, like all clematis varieties, is a perennial woody vine of the buttercup family, but, unlike its more fastidious in-laws, is one which can survive Ottawa’s winters without protection. This is a plant that comes in to its own in the fall, when most other plants are waning. The blooms, starting in August and September as tiny golden bells, age to become silvery tufts of down in October. As fall becomes winter, the puffballs become more cottony until winter winds blow them away.

Essential Facts

The lantern-like shape of the tangutica flower.

Pros

• A tough plant that can survive to Canadian zone 3 (USDA zone 4) – but I have seen a posting in a gardening forum about successful cultivation in Canadian zone 2b.
• An eager climber that can be trained over trellises and arbours.
• Grows rapidly – takes only a year or two to reach its 12 – 16 foot length.
• Vivid lemon yellow flowers add colour to the garden, and provide food for bees. They also have a pretty, downward facing lantern shape that adds a fairyland atmosphere to the garden.
• Unique fall interest from the fluffy seed heads.
• Can thrive in soil that is less than ideal.
• Pollution-tolerant.
• Not prone to disease, and is suitable for pesticide-free gardens.
• Does not need a lot of water. I give mine a quick drink if there is a lack of rain for two weeks during the heat of the summer.

Cons

• Not a tidy plant; needs frequent pruning to keep it under control. Delicate tendrils curl around supports (and each other) and form a massive tangle. I use hedge trimmers throughout the summer to shape the overall plant, and then stop in late August to allow flowering to begin.
• Highly invasive in milder climates like those found in British Columbia, it is also considered a pest in the prairies. A prolific seeder that spreads rapidly every time the wind blows; I pull out seedlings from the rest of the garden a couple of times a year. Not recommended for gardens adjacent to public green space.
• Seems to need strong sunlight – mine gets a full day’s worth of southern exposure, and it is very healthy. It has been described as tolerant of partial shade by some sources.
• While flowers are numerous, they are small: mine average about an inch in length, and an inch in width once open.
• No fragrance.

Uses

• Climber (is dense enough to use as privacy screening)
• Ground cover

This plant has many nicknames, like Golden Clematis, Old Man’s Beard, and Virgin’s Bower. There are many cultivars of this plant as well, such as “Helios”, “Radar Love” and “Victoria”. Tangutica is native to mountainous areas of India and China.

Location, Location, Location

Clematis tangutica flowers.

As with all plants, the secret to healthy growth is to learn what conditions it likes, and provide them. While other varieties of clematis tend to like partial shade, Tangutica likes as much sun as it can get from my experience. It also prefers slightly alkaline or neutral soil, so you may need to amend it with a few handfuls of lime if it is too acidic.

When planting, choose a location where its leaves will get full sun, but its roots will be shaded by mulch, wood chips, or other plants. As it can be leggy at the base, companion plants will also serve to provide some coverage for aesthetic reasons as well as shade. It’s important that the planting location also has good drainage – it does not like to soak in standing water.

Growth and Pruning

Newly emerged clematis tangutica seedhead - later in the season they become like cotton balls.

As a seedling, Tangutica sprouts several tender green stems which thicken and become woody as they age, and the rest of the growth follows the same pattern. As it grows, thin tendrils grab and curl around whatever they can. The leaves are a bright medium green, and roughly trident shaped.

Tangutica is a type 3 (aka type C) clematis, which means that it flowers on new growth. To maximize the flower crop, always prune in the spring, and then leave it alone. My vine tends to become unruly, however, so I use hedge clippers to shape it through early and midsummer, before flowering begins in earnest.

After a few years, it can become a shaggy old goat of a plant, with vines and dead leaves tangled together in thick mat. To renew the growth, many gardeners cut it back to a pair of strong buds at about 6 – 8 inches above the ground, again in the spring.

Water and Fertilizer

I fertilize my Tangutica with composted manure once a year in the spring – it shouldn’t require specially-balanced chemical fertilizers. Whenever I water, I make sure to water in the morning so that water doesn’t stay on the leaves too long. If it’s planted in the sun, it should be healthy enough to be reasonably disease resistant, but it is prone to powdery mildew, rust, and fungal spots.

by Jennifer Priest

As with all renovation projects, the key to success lies in good research and thorough planning. The following should help get you started.

Planning

Planning your deck will help keep materials costs low.

Why plan? In a nutshell, it will save you time and money. Of course it will help you figure out if the layout you want is aesthetically pleasing, but also once you start figuring out how much wood you will need, etc., it will help you figure out the cost – you can then decide if it is within budget. A good plan will also help you figure out your construction process – the last thing you want is to be halfway through a project and thinking “I wish I had done it differently”.

You want to go into as much detail in your plan as possible, so that you can find those “gotchas” before they happen. A plan will allow you to estimate your material needs for your shopping list, and also put together a cut list for your wood. Don’t forget that real-world lumber dimensions are different from nominal dimensions: for example, a 2 X 10 beam is actually 9 ½ inches wide.

Be sure to factor in the time costs as well. Most decks could be finished in a summer, but if your dream deck has multiple levels, railings, a roof, stairs, and has to support a hot tub, then building may take a lot longer than you think, especially if you haven’t done any projects like this before.

Overhead View

An overhead plan on graph paper or suitable software is the way to start (make sure you use one scale consistently between plans). The scale will depend on the size of your deck, and what features it has. You may want to create several overhead plans: one for structural things like the footings and joists, and another for the finishing layer.

A deck will have a minimum of 2 concrete footings if it is attached to the house. Depending on the size of the deck and the desired stability, it may need many more. For his deck, Chris has two rows consisting of 3 footings each (spaced about 8 feet apart) plus the deck attaches to the house for additional support. This ensures a lot of stability and support in the middle areas of the deck, where people will be gathering.

Your finishing layer plan can be used to plan the configuration of the deck boards. Decking is sold in several standard lengths: 8 feet, 10 feet, 12 feet, 20 feet, and 22 feet. If the width of your deck exceeds these, or if you want to use shorter lengths, you need to plan the pattern your planking usage will take so that each row is offset.  One consistent seam up the middle of your deck will look terrible, and create an area of weakness. Random lengths will also look terrible. To solve this, you could try alternating rows. For example, if your deck is going to be 16 feet wide in total, you may choose to have 2 alternating rows: row 1 could have a 4-foot length, an 8-foot, and another 4-foot and row 2 could have two 8-foot lengths.

With screw holes, it’s another story: you want nice consistent rows of screws (again, random screws look bad). But that means you will need joists that are spaced correctly for your plan. You want to be able to centre the piece of decking over the joist, so that your screw hole can go in the middle of the plank.

Face-On View

The Face on view on your plan will be sighted at ground level, looking towards the deck and house. This will allow you to plan for things like differences in ground elevation (you may need a separate side view if there is a serious slope away from the house). It will also allow you to decide if you want to cover the front and sides of the deck to hide the structural elements (or at least any cut ends of beams) with some kind of skirting. Depending on how polished you want the look to be, you may cover the outside of the deck with some sort of lattice, or the same kind of decking as the horizontal surface of the deck. Gardeners may want to plan any landscaping that abuts the deck.

A critical part of a deck plan is accessing it from the house, and how far the drop is from the house to the deck itself. The minimum step that you want to have is 6 inches from the door to the surface of the deck. You don’t want to make it tighter than that, because you want to allow room for snow build-up (check the building code regulations for your area). Depending on the grade of the ground outside the house, you might want to handle this with stairs.

In planning the basic structure of the deck, you want to work backwards from where the final height of the deck should be, factoring the heights of the decking and support beams, down to how tall the height of the concrete footings will need to be.

Permits

In Ottawa, if your deck is going to be attached to the house (literally bolted on), then you need a building permit and must go through an inspection process. There’s an advantage to doing this for DIY rookies: an inspector will catch any serious errors that could cause your deck to be unsound. For people working with a contractor they do not know, it is a way of making sure that the work has been done correctly. The disadvantage of going through this process is that you may end up being charged more for property taxes, depending on what kind of deck you have and whether it ends up being classified as “living space”. If the deck is not attached in any way to the house, you don’t need a permit.

It is critical to find out if you have any water, sewer, gas, electrical, phone or cable lines running through the ground near where you plan to build. In Ontario, the “Call Before You Dig” program can help with this.

Dealing With Ground Topography

An important key to planning your deck will be dealing with the level of the ground, or “grade”. During the planning stage, one of the most important steps is to establish what the high and low areas of ground are around your house, so that you can figure out how your deck is going to end up being level.

To start, you can get a general idea of the grade visually. Once the time comes to do more precise planning, you can use string lines and a long level (or a straight 2 X 4 and a long level) to figure out where the overall slope of the ground is directed.

The ground should slope away from the house, so that any water (especially meltwater in the spring) is directed away from the house. When Chris did his planning, he learned that this was not the case with his house. Because this could result in serious foundation repair bills in the future, he opted to get this fixed before he started on deck construction. You want to aim for a grade of ¼ inch per foot, sloping away from the house.

You also want to have your deck sloped very slightly as well – again, this will help direct water away from the foundation of the house. The grade for Chris’ deck is approximately a 1 % slope (as the deck gets further away from the house), which is about ½ inch over 4 feet: enough to carry the water away, but not enough to be noticeable. You can get away with less – this is a Mike Holmes-esque overbuild that allows for a considerable safety margin. The slope of the deck should not exceed 2%, or it may be noticeable.

Deck Construction Outline

String Lines

During construction, keeping your string lines set up is a great way to check that everything will come up to the correct final level. Chris set his up so that they extended 4 feet outside his work area, to keep the string supports out of the way of the work. As you build, check everything with a level at every step so you know if you need to make any adjustments to allow for minor imperfections that crop up.

Checking for Square

A construction project is said to be “square” when its corners all measure 90 degrees. There is a good ratio tool that can check this for you called the “3-4-5” measurement:

• Choose a line, starting from the house, and measure along 3 feet.
• From the same starting point, angle out 90 degrees, and then measure out 4 feet.
• The distance between the ends of these two lines should equal 5 feet.

The next set will be 5-12-13, and you can keep getting bigger. These number sets are called Pythagorean triples, and Wikipedia has a list of them. Or, you could measure the diagonals, and ensure they are equal.

You will need to do this when setting up your string lines, and you should also check this periodically throughout the project to verify that everything is still square.

Concrete Footings

Concrete footings, wrapped in plastic

Concrete footings are the foundation of your deck. In any climate where the ground freezes in winter and thaws in spring, the ground will develop small hills and valleys over time, and can cause your deck to tilt (“frost heaves”). In Ottawa, a deck footing should go at least 6 feet below the surface, but it depends on where the frost line is in the area.

Creating the concrete footing might be a part of the project that some may wish to hire a contractor to do. There are options available like helical piers (or “techno posts”), that don’t make a lot of mess. A helical pier is basically a large coated metal screw that stays in the ground. This can be a really cost-effective way of dealing with the footings, especially if you don’t have much experience (or if you don’t have much time).

Digging holes for footings can be done in several ways, and may depend on if it is possible to get outdoor access to the back yard, or if the equipment will have to go through the house. Chris rented a one-person auger from Home Depot, which requires outdoors access to the back yard. An auger is basically a giant gas-powered corkscrew that drills a hole into the earth. A smaller two-person auger can be carried through a house, but it requires some muscle power to manage it while in operation, and may not be a tool that can be used by everyone. The timid may find augers difficult as well – they can be jerky if they catch something in the ground while digging.

To create concrete posts, a large cylindrical cardboard form called a sonotube is placed in the hole, the concrete is poured in, and the support beam structure is placed on top. In most areas, a drainage layer below the footing should not be necessary.

Once it hardens, the sonotube is cut from the concrete pillar above the ground line. This is done with a utility knife – the sonotube is designed to peel away. Below the ground line, Chris recommends wrapping the sonotube with a layer of 6 mm poly plastic before inserting it into the ground., so that the ground cannot bond with the pillar. The freezing ground with slide harmlessly against the footing, instead of grabbing it and potentially moving it. The concrete should show at least 6 inches above grade, in order to protect your deck from the damp earth. In most projects, the footing will be hidden by the skirting for your deck.

Support Beams

Starting the support frame for the deck

Support beams can be made of 4 X 4s set into the concrete, or paired 2 X 10s set into a saddle which is embedded in the concrete. The floor joists will then sit on top of these beams.

Support beams and joists are generally fastened together with carriage bolts (aka “through bolts”), or lag bolts that screw in. An impact driver can be a handy tool during this stage of assembly.

When attaching a deck to a house, lag bolts are generally used, as carriage bolts require access on both sides. If the situation permits, you can bolt to the wooden frame of the house, or to the concrete using special fasteners.

For the wood of the beams, you should always use pressure-treated lumber, and treat any cut ends with an end coating preservative, which will prevent water penetration and rot.

Once your support beams are in place and have been verified level and square, you will need to measure out and mark where your joists will go. A speed square is a great tool to have handy when making your marks – you’ll want to draw a line down the side of the beam as well as on top to make sure it’s positioned correctly. Play it safe and mark the correct side of the line with an “x”.

Joist Spacing

Remember that a deck not only has to support itself, but the number of people who could potentially be standing on it. If you like to entertain, you could have a barbecue, possibly a bar, and (for example) 15 or 20 guests all standing on the deck at the same time.

It doesn’t hurt to overdesign when it comes to the structural support side of things. Having lots of support means there is a comfortable safety margin, but also it will make your deck last longer and look better. If you skimp on the support, your deck could develop areas where it dips over time.

For a deck that is 15 or 20 feet square, you could possibly get away with 16 inch centres (16 inches between the centre of one joist and the centre of each neighbouring joist). Chris used 12 inch centres for added stability: there is less flex when people are stepping on it. The only downside to this level of thoroughness is rows of screws every foot, which may not appeal to everyone, visually speaking.

The joists themselves should be made of 2 x 8’ planks at a minimum – Chris recommends 2 X 10s (or even 2 X 12s for larger decks or if there are to be fewer joists).

Another factor that can influence the size and spacing is whether you will be supporting each joists with 4 X 4 beams underneath, or if the joists will be sitting in joist hangers.

Once the joists are in place (and again, are level and square) you will need to measure where all the deck screws will go. Recheck these measurements are correct: a line of screws that wanders is extremely noticeable.

Decking and Finishing

For the deck planks, Chris used natural cedar, which has a nice feel to bare feet. There are many options available, including pressure-treated wood. Deck planks are 6 inches wide nominally, but are 5 ½ inches wide in reality – this should be factored into your plan.

Gaps between decking boards should be no more than 1/8 of an inch wide (if your wood is thoroughly dry), or else anyone on high heels is going to catch them and fall. If your wood had not been allowed to dry, fit the planks tightly, so that any gaps that appear as they dry stay small.

Enjoying the final product.

As you place each board, check the cut end, and make sure that the grain lines curve downwards. If you don’t do this, the board edges will follow their natural tendency to “cup” as they dry out. Placing them downwards like this will keep the boards nice and flat for the long haul.

When shopping for wood, most planks won’t be perfect, but try and buy ones that are reasonably straight. When they’re not perfectly straight, you can fasten one end and, using a pry bar, pull the board straight, fastening as you go.

Chris sanded and sealed his deck with a water-based product. You should wait for about 6 weeks before doing this, to allow the wood time to dry out and acclimatize to the outdoor conditions (most wood is sawn when wet). Chris used an orbital sander and a medium 80 – 100 grit sandpaper), and sanded only just before he was ready to seal.

Your local building code will govern whether you need to have stairs or not – usually at about 18 inches or 2 feet, you will need to have stairs (we’re going to cover stair building in a future post).

Conclusion

This post isn’t meant to replace your own research – make sure you get a good deck building guide to help you. Chris recommends “Better Homes and Gardens Step by Step Deck Project”.

by Jennifer Priest

At the Mondeau booth.

From September 30th to October 2nd, Ottawa’s Landsdowne Park hosted the Ottawa Home and Design Show. I’ve lived in Ottawa for a long time, and had often seen Bank Street turned into a virtual parking lot by the traffic headed for one of these large trade shows. But I hadn’t really made the effort to attend. After all, these things were for people with serious amounts of cash and square footage numbers that resemble the GDP of small countries, not DIYers with quantum-scale houselets like me.

My favourite piece at the show: Dado quartz pedestal sink at the Caml-Tomlin booth. The soft texture was amazing!

I’m happy to report that I spent a fun couple of hours wandering from booth to booth, and catching snippets of various presentations from the speakers onstage. Accompanied by my mother, my sister, and partner Justin, it made for an enjoyable afternoon’s outing. Bear in mind that I’m one of those people who tends to get squirrely in large crowds – the extroverted will feel even more at home than I did.

Major highlights include several of the kitchen and bathroom exhibitors. I felt a kind of childlike awe at the Caml-Tomlin booth, while enjoying the engineering of one of their shower door suspension systems (and encountered the only chandelier I’ve ever seen that I didn’t hate with a white-hot passion). The stylish Mondeau booth featured a touch-activated sink that the salesman demonstrated for us. Justin and I wondered aloud if this meant that our water-obsessed cat would be running the thing by himself all day while we were at work, but not to fear – it had an off-switch. A hilarious low-flush toilet proof of concept demonstration featuring candy-hued silicone poops sliding safely down the pipe into a reservoir also leavened the mood.

"Nature is so awesome!"

Flooring and countertop exhibits also made for some excellently-staged booths. Maybe it’s my weakness for geology coming out, but there’s something powerful about seeing a long row of massive slabs of highly-polished granite. There’s a Tolkeinian quality to seeing the bones of the earth crafted into artistic pieces for the home, every one unique. I think my sister put it best when she said, “Nature is so awesome!”

The on-stage speakers were a good mix of celebrities, local consultants, and visiting experts. The presentations didn’t last long, but there were some food for thought moments, especially from Californian architectural colour specialist Nan Cornfeld.

A few etiquette notes should be made if you’re not seriously shopping: make sure the exhibitors know at the start of the conversation, so they can decide if you’re wasting their time (they’re trying to earn a living, after all). Most of them enjoy talking shop with enthusiastic people, so they’ll generally keep chatting with you anyway. Give them good energy and good conversation, and they’re happy to share their knowledge. I always make it my mission to brighten the day of salespeople in general (thank you, Jess) because it makes my day better too. Best of all, I acquired a good collection of design porn brochures and business cards that should make any future shopping expeditions easier.

Exhibit of chair design variations by the Algonquin College Interior Decoration program students.

There are a few improvements that could be made to the overall show, however. I will say that I was expecting a bit more of an “en fête” atmosphere – things could definitely use a bit more livening up. Here’s what I would like to see next time:

• Good music: hire a DJ who spins ambient electronica and acid jazz – don’t play it so loud that the exhibitors can’t be heard, but have it there.
• Wine: servers with trays covered with glasses of red (a well layered, dragon’s blood-esque cabernet sauvignon, perhaps) would be a very forgivable addition to the crowd.
• Food: nothing makes you feel more at home than being offered delightfully artistic canapés.
• Venue: move it to the new Congress Centre – the better architecture would set off the modern fixtures to much better effect.

In a nutshell, make it a swanky cocktail party with fabulous design and furnishings, and charge a slightly higher ticket price if needed (or introduce a 2-tier ticketing system with wristbands). There would be more buzz and more media coverage that way – and more fun!

Should you go to one of these events? I would say definitely say “yes” if you’re in the planning stages of a project, and looking for ideas. I’m not wealthy enough to afford almost everything I saw, but I did get an epiphany at one point looking at a pedestal sink, and now I know what I’m doing for that part of my eventual bathroom renovation.

Under no circumstances should you go if you have trouble with big-ticket impulse purchases.

by Jennifer Priest