When I got home from the store, I removed the plywood from the car. I decided to cut the 4-foot by 8-foot piece of plywood in half, instead of lugging down the whole piece to the basement. I was still fuming about the lost tool bag. There was nothing I could do at this point to get it back. So, let’s get the landing done.
I decided to not just cut the plywood in half, but to cut both pieces I needed to size. Using three old 4-inch by 4-inch posts, I laid the plywood on top of them so I could cut it on the garage floor. I could use my table saw to cut the pieces to size, but a circular saw should work. And it keeps the sawdust outside. Regrettably, it was 90 degrees and 90 percent humidity outside. Sweat would drip off my nose as I pulled the saw through the wood. I was sweaty and would need a shower when I was done.
Using my 4-foot plastic level as a guide, I clamped it down and had the saw run along the level to get me a straight cut. I cut the pieces and somehow, they were not the same size. Or I should say, I was not surprised they were not the same size. Close enough for a just-okay DIYer.
I installed my first layer of plywood on the landing framing. It fit nicely. The walls were out of square, but not by much. I used my pneumatic nailer to secure the plywood. The nails were only 1-5/8 inches long. It would only be temporary, as I would screw down the plywood later. I secured the second piece to the landing. I needed to shorten the riser about ½ inch. Only the ½ inch subfloor of the old landing was under the riser. I first nailed the broken piece to the riser and then tacked on the riser to the stair. I cleaned up my mess and put my tools away. I was done for today.
I debated on how I would finish the landing. Because I would screw down the plywood, the screws would show, it I just stained and sealed it. We had leftover roll vinyl flooring from the bathrooms, regrettably, the pieces were too small, even if I used two sections. I did some shopping online and again the place where you “save big money,” had 12-inch by 12-inch peel and stick vinyl tiles for 50 cents each. I needed about 16 tiles. I could handle 8 bucks for this once-called free project. I would go to the store, ask about my tool bag, walk the yard and buy floor tile.
Even though customer service perused their security tapes, they did not see the tool bag. I did not hold out any hope, but I gave her my name and phone number, just in case it showed up. She said the employees do check the yard before they leave and would bring any lost items to the front of the store. The bag must have fallen out in the street. No name on the bag and some nice tools inside, what would you do? Maybe I should call the police department.
I bought the tiles I needed and pondered if I needed step nosing to protect the edge of the tiles. I could not see adding another $10 to this once-free project. I would wait and look for a deal.
12″ X 12″ Self-Adhesive Tile
When I got home, I did not immediately start tiling. Instead, I found my driver/drill set online for the same price I paid for it over 15 years ago. I have a $25 gift card from this store, so I would wait, but eventually buy the set plus a 72-piece Milwaukee® driver bit set. They changed the drill to a keyless chuck. My old one had the hex chuck. I needed to buy drills with hex shanks or use the keyless chuck that had a hex shaft. I had a plan to replace my lost tools. I also wanted to cut and fertilize the lawn next. And I did.
The peel and stick tile made this project go fast. Using the front edge of the landing as a guide, I laid out the full pieces of tiles. One by one, I installed the tiles. A pair of scissors worked well to cut the tiles. In retrospect, I did not need 16 tiles. I used about a third of the tile for each trimmed piece. I could return 3 tiles, but I will save them for likely repairs.
Another project off my list. With the plywood, vinyl tiles and the lost tools, this project was far from being free. As Efiwym, would say to her husband, the just-okay DIYer, “Of course, LOL.”
My New Drill /Driver Set