Keep the raccoons away

OK, so it’s bad enough trying to keep up with the honey-do list but add to it going head-to-head with the animal kingdom, and I’m at my limit. The raccoon, feisty and persistent nighttime renegade has to be outsmarted with some good old common sense. We have raccoons in our area that continually look for food and shelter by way of our roof and any food left out.

We’ve had our roof fixed twice in the last three years because of these raccoons who have torn away shingles and dug into the wood, and we are starting to outsmart them.

Here are some preventative measures.

1. Keep trees such as evergreens and bushes that are right next to the house trimmed below the roof line. Yes they can crawl up the wall but it’s not as easy as climbing the tree and it’s an easy fix. (Well, as easy as can be expected with a two-story house.)

 2. Place a light in the location they are trying to use as a pathway or trying to inhabit. (I'm not sure this helps all that much, but something is better than nothing.)

3. Place mothballs in the attic. (In my research online, some people have said the mothballs are too strong a smell and they had to retrieve them one by one in the attic to get rid of the smell.) We put them in a couple large cloth bags with a rope tied to the bag so we could easily retrieve them if the smell was too strong.

4. Check the roof for damage. I couldn’t see the one side of our roof without getting on a ladder and I didn’t have a long enough ladder and, I really don’t like heights. So I attached a small video camera to a tripod and then attached that to an extension poll. (See video below.)

By all means call a professional if they keep coming back or if they are getting into the house. Keep in mind they can be dangerous, so don't go out and confront them. Good luck and I will keep you posted on our progress with the critters.

Basement Playroom

The sofa is gone. The coffee table is, too. The basement is coming along well, and we were able to keep most of our books on our bookshelf. The solution: an Ikea bookshelf that matches the one we have on the other wall in the basement. Everything now has a place, and each bin is marked accordingly -- blocks, art supplies, dress-up, trucks...

Even in our tight basement, we were able to make the most of limited space and create a play area that is perfect for our two sons.

S&W Hardware closes up shop after 60 years

At the end of August, Fred and Warren Smith will dim the lights and turn the key one last time. S&W Pro Hardware in Plymouth, Mich., will close after 60 years of service. It’s time for a well-deserved retirement for the keepers of this shop.

I was lucky enough to have worked at two family-owned hardware stores when I was in my early 20s. S&W was one of the stores.

A typical day involved stocking shelves, cutting glass, threading pipe and, most importantly, helping the customer.

At times you would stop the customer from buying a $50 faucet and sell them a 50-cent washer. You might spend a half-hour with a customer removing a broken bolt in order to sell them a replacement for 35 cents.

You would shoot the breeze with former employees who would regularly visit the store. It was not uncommon for them to help out a customer or two while visiting.

You would learn from co-workers and from the customers and you would pass it along.

The commitment to service at this store was remarkable.

Thanks to the crew at S&W Hardware for all the years of service. Be sure to stop by the store before they close. The store is located at 875 Ann Arbor Road in Plymouth, in western Wayne County.

Shop at your local hardware store!

Take a look at the workshop, stock room and some of the equipment used for many years at the store.

Thanks to Gary Slater for sharing his photos taken a couple weeks ago at S&W Hardware. Gary was the true master of the fastener aisle.

Kitchen Project: Take Nine -- And We're DONE!

After more than a month of living among dust and destruction, ripped-out cabinets and uncertainty over what to do with the floor, we've finally finished the kitchen project.

The cabinets are in. The floor is finished. The moldings are completed. The backsplash is filled in. We even got a new spice rack. 

Here's how it turned out. 

Kitchen Project -- Take Eight: a.k.a. Making Progress

Things are coming along slowly but surely for our kitchen.

The cabinets have been installed. The molding is almost finished. The countertops are in. The electrical is done. The sink is hooked up and the dishwasher is, too. We even have a working microwave again.

Still to do: finish the backsplash, add bottom molding, find window treatments...

We've come a long way from the demolition days that started about a month ago. We lived with boxes of kitchen utensils in the dining room. We ate off paper plates and made far too many drive-thru stops. We washed baby bottles in the bath tub.

It wasn't easy, but it was kind of fun. Here's a peek at the progress:

Why do it yourself?

Success and failure in the area of home improvement.

 "You can fix that, right? It's not that hard." My wife's often saying things like that, but I'm always thinking it, too. So I'm also to blame for many of the projects/ideas we get ourselves into around the house.

I think:

"I could save lots of money and then amass an arsenal of tools while making countless trips to the home goods store."

"I could make that bookshelf. Why should I pay an arm and a leg for a train table made of particleboard that most likely will fall apart faster than the time it takes my crackers and milk to go soggy?"

"Busting up that floor? No problem."

It's also just what you do, right? Try to fix things, even when they're not really broken. My 3-year-old son caught that bug -- the one that gets you thinking you need to redo, fix or modify something, anything or just take it apart. All valid ways to spend time.

The good thing is that with the exception of personal safely while using power tools, sharp knives and working with electrical and some plumbing, there's no harm done. It's a house or a table, it’s OK if it’s not perfect. Tearing up a bathroom can be a bit scary but the worst thing to happen is you have to call in a contractor. Even I know my limits -- I don't do structural changes to the house without help.

So, then, why do it yourself? The answer for me is because I enjoy doing the work, working with the tools and materials. And when the project is done I get that sense of accomplishment. I also couldn't afford to get some of the work done and we own an old house that need lots of care and upkeep. We also really enjoy the design aspect of upgrading the house, imagining and planning are a big part of the fun. And now that we have it the way we like it, we'll never move. (Fingers crossed!)

What I have learned is that if the only goal was to save money by doing the work myself, it might not be worth it in some cases. Professionals offer speed and quality gained from experience. I always have to know my limits and skill level. Some projects take a lot of time -- time away from family. It works best when I want to do it for the experience and what I can learn and sometimes, yes, save money.

Kitchen Project -- Take Seven: We're Making Progress!

The cabinets are in, although the finishing work and countertops will take at least another week. And we decided on a floor. We went with a simple hardwood that matches the hardwood in the rest of our house.

We're making progress. I stayed up until 3:30 a.m. installing as much as I could -- at a certain point, I put away the power tools and opted for a handsaw and hammer so I wouldn't disturb the neighbors. There's still some work to be done, and I still need to finish the backsplash this week before the counters are installed, but I'm happy with the way the kitchen is coming together.

Here's the latest look:

A professional-grade staple gun gets it done.