ZEN AND THE ART OF DIY

How I've learned the hard way every time.

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  • DIY Project – Installing Engineered Hardwood Flooring – The Family Room – a look back

    December 2, 2025

    ZENANDTHEARTOFDIY

    DIY, do-it-yourself, engineered-wood-flooring
    facebook-post, frank-sinatra, knee-pads, my-way

    I had written a Facebook post before starting my blog. Efiwym, my wife came across it as a 2017 Facebook® memory. Not sure it was the launching pad to write my DIYer blog, but it was certainly a precursor to my self-deprecating, tongue in cheek method to my blog writing. It was posted after I…

  • DIY Project – Installing Stone Countertops – My DIY Projects – Installing a Backsplash – Preparation – Part 2

    November 24, 2025

    ZENANDTHEARTOFDIY

    DIY, do-it-yourself, kitchen, shelf, tiling
    tile-edging

    The manufacturer recommends that you just slide the edging under the tile as you install it. I prefer to have it already installed and used as a starting point to place your first tiles.  So, I would just use silicone to tack it in place and added a couple of nails to hold it until…

  • DIY Project – Installing Stone Countertops – My DIY Projects – Installing a Backsplash – Preparation – Part 1

    November 17, 2025

    ZENANDTHEARTOFDIY

    DIY, do-it-yourself, tile-saw, tiling
    preparation, tile-edging

    Every successful DIY project requires good preparation.  I wanted, like all my DIY projects, to be successful. The definition of a successful project from a just-okay DIYer might not be the same for someone that knows what they are doing.  This was my first, and maybe my last, tiling job.  I really wanted to have…

  • DIY Project – Installing Stone Countertops – My DIY Projects – Installing a Backsplash – Buying Supplies

    November 12, 2025

    ZENANDTHEARTOFDIY

    countertops, DIY, do-it-yourself, kitchen, MOSAIC, tile-saw, tiling
    caulk, grout, grout-sponge, thinset

    Efiwym, my wife and I have already picked out the backsplash we wanted for the new countertops.  We still needed to purchase it, but we have been buying supplies and tools while waiting for the countertops to be installed.  I even developed an extensive list of tools and supplies for the backsplash project.  This will…

  • DIY Project – Installing Stone Countertops – My DIY Projects – Painting the Kitchen

    November 3, 2025

    ZENANDTHEARTOFDIY

    countertops, deck, DIY, electrical, kitchen, painting
    paint-edger, taping

    I initially was not going to write about this DIY project, because reading about painting, is like…watching it dry.  But somehow, I can make even painting adventurous. Efiwym, my wife and I picked out the exact paint color we wanted for the kitchen and dinette area.  I decided that I should paint the foyer the…

  • DIY Project – Installing Stone Countertops – My DIY Projects – Reconnecting the Sink Plumbing

    October 27, 2025

    ZENANDTHEARTOFDIY

    countertops, DIY, do-it-yourself, electrical, garbage-disposal, kitchen, kitchen sink, plumbing, Uncategorized
    danco-flange, insinkerator

    The countertops were installed, so I could reconnect the plumbing for the new kitchen sink.  However, the installer asked me to wait 24 hours before reconnecting the sink.  Great, no sink for another day. Nonetheless, I could still install the faucet, air gap and soap dispenser.  At least we would have running water.   I retrieved…

  • DIY Project – Installing Stone Countertops – My DIY Projects – Disconnecting the Sink Plumbing

    October 20, 2025

    ZENANDTHEARTOFDIY

    DIY, do-it-yourself, garbage-disposal, kitchen sink, plumbing
    insinkerator

    I finally got the phone call.  In fact, it was early.  A spot opened up so we could get our new countertops installed this week.  I was excited but had a feeling of trepidation.  We now had to get things ready for the installation.  While Efiwym, my wife, cleaned out the cabinets, I was assigned…

  • DIY Project – Installing Stone Countertops – My DIY Projects – Doing the Electrical – Finishing Up

    October 14, 2025

    ZENANDTHEARTOFDIY

    DIY, do-it-yourself, electrical, pendant-light

    I decided I would eat supper before I finished up with the hanging of the pendant lights.  As Efiwym, my wife, was preparing supper, I finished installing the second pendant light.  I put on the new shade of the first pendant light and officially, we had pendant lights over the peninsula.  Except, they would always…

  • DIY Project – Installing Stone Countertops – My DIY Projects – Doing the Electrical –The Pendant Light Dilemma

    October 14, 2025

    ZENANDTHEARTOFDIY

    DIY, do-it-yourself, kitchen, pendant-light
    overhead-light

    When we went to the home improvement store, we found the replacement shade, but Efiwym, my wife started having doubts about the color of the shade.  She did not like the tan-colored shade.  So, we looked at the different options.  After much consideration, we decided to use the white glass shades we got with the…

  • DIY Project – Installing Stone Countertops – My DIY Projects – Doing the Electrical – Part 4

    October 6, 2025

    ZENANDTHEARTOFDIY

    countertops, DIY, do-it-yourself, electrical, pendant-light
    milwaukee-tool, oscillating-tool, plumb-bob, retro-fit-electrical-box

    I just finished a project that surprisingly went quite well.  So, I had time to work on the pendant lights for the kitchen.  Working on two projects in one day was never heard of in my DIY history. The most important part of this project was laying out the pendant lights over the counter.  And…

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