Bath Remodeling

Posted on August 28, 2005 by Tim Carter

Can you imagine what life was like just 100 years ago? There were still many houses that didn't have real indoor plumbing and most definitely multiple bathrooms. I know this for a fact because I purchased a 10 unit apartment building just 15 years ago that still had hallway toilets shared by two apartments!

If you do research about plumbing and plumbers, you will quickly find out that approximately 100 to 125 years ago plumbers were considered as knowledgeable and revered as medical doctors. Plumbers were responsible for maintaining public health by minimizing the spread of disease. They achieved this by implementing innovative changes in how people got clean drinking water and disposed of both grey and black waste water. Bathrooms were part of this radical change in how people lived. To say the very least, bathrooms are very much taken for granted in today's world. If you are fortunate and have a very elderly relative, ask them what it was like when they were a kid!

Tight Schedules

I have remodeled many a bathroom in my day. It is a stressful job for all involved. If the family doesn't have alternative bathroom facilities in the house, you often have to create temporary ones, even if that means a Portolet in the driveway! Creating a temporary shower in a garage or basement is easy. It is the toilet that causes problems.

I have turned a bathroom around in as little as five days This was a total gut job and it took every bit of skill and planning to make the job happen that fast. I am sure it can be done faster, but much of the work I did myself with one helper. Heck, I have seen entire homes built in a day, so I am sure a group of real pros can do a bathroom from start to finish in 12 hours or less!

Paying a Pro

If you are going to have your bathroom remodeled, you might want to pay attention to how the contractor gets paid. One of the biggest problems I see, based upon stories told to me by folks like you, is that people tend to pay the contractor in advance for work yet to be performed.

Read the following language I have extracted from one of my handy Checklist products. See if it doesn't make sense to you:

"Excessive advance or periodic payments before or during the work is completed often put a homeowner at risk. The homeowner basically becomes a lender. This is especially true if the job does not require any special or custom ordered materials at the beginning of the job. A fair payment schedule is one that allows the homeowner to pay only for labor and material that has been completed in a satisfactory manner. Periodic payments can occur every three to four days for small jobs or each week or month for large jobs. On large jobs, the amount of money paid out at any given time should not exceed the total sum of the items listed in the above cost breakdown plus a proportionate amount of contractors overhead and profit for completed in-place work. A homeowner should not have to pay full price for work that is unsatisfactory or incomplete. Do you agree with this philosophy? Yes _____ No ____ If "Yes", please complete the Payment Schedule below:"

I think you get the point. Protect yourself by making sure you always have enough money to finish the job in case the contractor disappears.

Permitted Payments

Some jobs do require some advance payments. Perhaps your bathroom job will have custom-ordered cabinets, tops, plumbing fixtures, tile, marble, granite, etc. It is unfair for the remodeler to advance his own money to pay for these materials or to pay for the required good faith payment the fabricators request. If you feel uncomfortable giving the money to the contractor, ask if you can make the check a two party check or even pay the fabricator directly. If you need to do this, it is a danger signal - meaning the bridge of trust between you and the contractor is not yet complete. Trust is important in every relationship, especially building and remodeling!

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Bathrooms – 25 Construction Tips

Posted on August 28, 2005 by Tim Carter

25 Must-Do Bathroom Construction Tips

1. Plans - If you are fortunate and are in the design phase of building or remodeling, consider making your bathroom a little bigger. You would be surprised what an extra foot in width and length will do for you.

2. Framing - Bathrooms need studs at weird places. And they also need studs to be out of the way of critical elements. Place double studs at the centerline of a shower door frame or track. Place the CENTER of a wall stud cavity at the centerline of the tub and shower faucet. Frame recessed medicine cabinets at the right height.

3. Blocking - Don't throw scrap framing material away. You can use it to create solid fastening locations for towel bars, toilet paper holders and grab bars in bath and shower areas.

4. Quiet Piping - If your bathroom is going to be on a second floor, consider using quiet cast iron drain pipes. Plastic drain lines are very noisy. Save the plastic for the vent lines.

5. Water Flow - Do you want a high volume of water to flow from all fixtures? Make sure that you extend 3/4 inch diameter hot and cold piping to the bathroom and branch off this size pipe with 1/2 inch lines to serve each feature.

6. Hot Water NOW! - Tired of waiting for hot water? Install a hot water recirculating loop. If this is a major remodel or a new house, it is simple. See my website for this past column and bulletin!

7. Ventilation - Bathroom fans need to be sized to the room. Make sure you buy a powerful fan and use solid metal exhaust piping, NOT flexible plastic pipe!

8. Skylights - If you can work one in do it. Make sure it has a ventilation flap you can open to minimize condensation or get hot moist air to flow outdoors. Buy the most expensive soft coat Low-E glass you can for this unit.

9. Electric - If this is a remodel job, by all means extend a new 20 amp circuit to the bathroom for a new GFCI receptacle. Hair dryers, electric curlers, etc. need power and lots of it.

10. Indirect Lighting - Think out of the box if you want dramatic lighting in your bathroom.

11. Cement Board - Forget about using water resistant drywall behind tile. If you want the tile to stay up forever, you must use cement board.

12. Vapor Barriers - Vapor barriers in the walls of a bathroom are a must. Be sure you install at least 4 mil plastic.

13. Steam - Now is the time to consider a steam generation unit. They must be installed right!

14. Sound - Some people get up before others. Insulate the walls of the bathroom with sound batts to minimize noise transmission to other parts of the house.

15. Access - Old houses often had access panels for tubs. Try to do the same so you can get to all of the tub plumbing.

16. Toilet Space - Create a space at least 36 inches wide for your toilet. Who wants to bump elbows into cabinets and walls?

17. Shower Shelves - If you are doing tile in your shower, you can get nice marble corner or end wall shelves for shampoo and other body care products.

18. Multiple Shower Heads - On more than one occasion, I have installed multiple faucets or shower heads in bathrooms. The big faucet companies have expensive faucets and body washing systems if you just won the lottery.

19. Heated Towel Bars - Need I say more?

20. Heated Tile Floors - You can buy electric mats that are installed under ceramic floors to keep them warm.

21. Tall People - Most vanities are short. Consider installing kitchen sized cabinets to prevent stooping.

22. Laundry Chute - Now is the time to do it, if you can make it work.

23. Heat Lamp - For those of you who want to be cozy after a shower.

24. Storage - Install a wall cabinet over the toilet!

25. Mirrors - They make small rooms seem big.

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Save Energy Costs – Radiant Barrier Foil Chips & Tips

Posted on August 28, 2005 by Tim Carter

Cash is king when it comes to saving money on your utility bills. Once you make an improvement that lowers your energy usage, compare it to making a deposit in your savings account. Over time, the amount of money can be significant if you choose to do the right improvements.

Fluctuations in Price

Real savings start to happen when energy costs begin to soar. Remember that energy costs are closely tied to supply and demand. Abnormal weather can cause demand to soar. A refinery explosion or fire can limit supply. All sorts of things can easily affect the price of energy.

Save Big with Big Changes

If you want to save big money, you need to do several big things around your home or lots of little things that add up to a big savings. Replacing a 35 year old furnace with a newer 90+ percent furnace is a big thing. If you live where you use lots of air conditioning, you can save big if you install a 14 or 16 SEER air conditioner in place of your 15 or 20 year old 6 or 8 SEER unit.

On the contrary, if you were to just install two compact fluorescent light bulbs, you probably will see no savings on your electric bill. But change out all of your bulbs and you will see a difference.

Attic insulation upgrades are always a money saver. Sealing large air leaks is also very helpful. If your heating/cooling ducts are in an attic space, inspect them to see if any pipes are disconnected, joints are leaking air, or the insulation around the pipes is minimal. You want this ductwork to be insulated and sealed so that your heating and cooling dollars end up inside your home instead of inside your attic space.

The Radiant Chips

Last year, an Arizona company installed small foil chips in my attic. I can tell you they work. We have had a mild winter but I can feel that the second floor of my home is warmer and the furnace does not seem to come on as frequently as it used to. I have not yet done a comparison of my utility bills. It is very complicated to do because you actually have to compare the number of heating degree days compared to last year. To do this, you need data from the National Weather Service Office in your area. It is free data, but it takes time to get it all together and study it. You just can't look at the fuel bills! If this winter is more mild than last year, AND the cost of natural gas is exactly the same, then you can see why without any changes the fuel bills should/would be lower. But fuel costs vary, temperatures vary, people might change the thermostat! All of these things need to be calculated to do a fair comparison.

The Radiant Chip Company

The company I worked with was Horizon Energy Systems, Inc. It is owned by a fellow named Brad Lindsay. You can go to his website and get all sorts of data on the radiant chips.

Radiant technology is not new. But, the chip concept is indeed revolutionary. Large sheet radiant products have been around for a long time. But, the manufacturers don't like you to know that once they become covered with dust, they lose lots of their effectiveness. Brad's radiant chips solve this problem. His machine broadcasts 6 or 7 layers of chips in the average attic. The upper layer of chips will get dust covered but the layers below still work. Talk to Brad about them.

Click here to watch a video on radiant barrier insulation.

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Garage Storage Solutions

Posted on August 28, 2005 by Tim Carter

Garage Storage Solutions
Shelf Building Tips

Just about every garage I go into is in some state of disarray, especially mine right now. My biggest problem is that I still have way too much construction leftovers in my garage from past jobs. I just can't seem to part with those leftover pieces of pipe, wood trim, and other goodies.... Whenever I get frustrated and throw things out, I usually develop a need for the discarded item within 168 hours....it never fails.

Wasted Space

Stop and think. The average garage is usually the largest room (aside from a basement) in any house. Builders neglect these rooms. Often they build the house and do nothing in the garage except maybe drywall it for firecode purposes. Rarely does a builder install a single shelf or 2x4 cleat to hang even a single rake or shovel. Homeowners move in and pile all of their "garage stuff" alongside the walls. The only storage space is the simple horizontal floor area alongside and in front of the cars.

Garage storage solutions begin by multiplying this "horizontal" space by a factor of 4 or more. This can be done in any number of ways. You can often purchase simple metal shelving units that you assemble. Or, you can choose to construct your own custom shelves from wood. If you decide to use a prefabricated metal unit, ALWAYS attach it near the top to the wall. This will prevent it from toppling over and hurting you, a loved one, or your automobiles.

Building New / Remodeling?

If you are fortunate to be building a new home with an attached garage or are remodeling an existing garage, you have a unique opportunity. All too often, standard garages are built too small. To obtain maximum storage space, a garage with a 16 foot wide door should have at least 5 feet available on either side of the garage door. This means the garage should have an interior side-to-side dimension of at least 26 feet. 28 feet would be even better if you can afford it. The front to back dimension is critical as well. If you have a long sport utility vehicle or a pick-up truck, you need a front-to-back interior dimension of at least 25 feet. Pickup trucks eat up 16 feet of space. If you leave just 1 foot between the garage door and the back bumper, you have 8 feet left to build your storage setup. This is plenty of space as you will end up with about 4 to 5 feet of space between the front bumper and the storage unit. Of course, if you have smaller vehicles, you get bonus space!

Want a really cool idea if you are building a new garage? Make sure the garage ceiling height is 13 feet or slightly greater. If you do this, you can actually build a loft over part of your cars! As long as you are 6 foot tall or less, you will be able to walk under and on top of the loft without hitting your head. You can actually pick up tremendous amounts of storage space with this idea. I guarantee you that my next garage will have a 14 foot high interior ceiling!

Don't Waste Space

Dead air space above stored objects is a waste. As you plan your storage shelves, try to segregate articles that are of similar height. For example, if you store paint cans, car motor oil, garden chemicals, etc. determine the height of the tallest bottle/can. Then allow just 1.5 inches above the tallest object for dead air space. Be sure to account for the thickness of the next shelf or you will end up with only an inch or less of dead space.

Moving Bins - Casters

A very handy idea for storage below waist level is to construct bins or boxes with no fronts that can readily move. You can do this by attaching simple casters to the bottom of these open boxes. When you need an article you can roll out the box rather then get on your hands and knees to retrieve the object. Be sure that the front or the back casters swivel so you can easily direct the bin back to its place.

Remember Erector Sets?

I have a certain amount of my existing shelves built using angle iron that have holes punched at regular intervals. This angle iron measures about 1 and 1/4 inches per leg. The holes are large enough for 3/8 inch bolts. You can use these angle irons to construct your own custom metal shelving. Plywood serves as an excellent shelving material between the standards. The angle irons remind me of the erector set toys I played with as a child. This angle iron can usually be found at electrical supply houses. It is very heavy duty and can only be cut with a hacksaw or a metal abrasive blade. However, for those who want rigid metal systems, I would give it a serious look.

Kitchen Cabinets

Some of the best storage compartments may be available for free! Do you know someone who is discarding older kitchen cabinets? If so, grab them up. The base cabinets can be modified to use as an excellent base for a workbench. Drawer base cabinets are ideal to store gloves, instruction manuals, rope, or other miscellaneous small items.

Wall cabinets, with their 12 inch standard depth, are ideal for storage along the side walls of a garage. You can often place these on a wall and have adequate room to walk along side a car without hitting your head on the cabinet.

Cabinets with doors make a great place to store balls or other sports equipment. Simply place a 4 inch high board across the front of each shelf to keep the balls from rolling onto the ground. A fresh coat of paint will make the exterior of the cabinets look new. Plus, you can store objects on top of the cabinets as well. Secure them to the walls with 3 inch screws.

Wall Shelf Illustration

The illustration to the left depicts just one way to create a shelf where head room and walking room beneath the shelf is critical. This is the case in most garages. You need to be able to walk freely under the shelf. Shelf brackets or outer support legs can't be allowed to get in the way. In this example you can see the ceiling joists (marked with X's) on the top side of the finished garage ceiling. A 2x4 block crosses over the joists to accept the 1/4 inch threaded rod. Nuts and washers are provided at each end to hold the shelf in place. They also allow you to easily level the shelf. The shelf itself consists of a 16 inch (or whatever you choose) wide piece of 1/2 or 5/8 inch plywood. A 2x2 cleat is fastened with screws against the wall at each wall stud location. A 2x3 on edge is used at the front edge of the shelf. This keeps the shelf from bowing under loads. The threaded rod simply passes through the middle of the 2x3 at approximately 4 or 6 foot centers.

Typical Garage Storage Layout Plan

Here is the most basic plan for a typical two car garage. The depth of the storage/workbench setup on the back wall should be a minimum of 24 inches. This allows you to extract 16 lineal feet of countertop or shelving from a standard 4 x 8 foot piece of plywood. The open shelves area to the left of the workbench can be for tall items such as fishing rods or other long objects. Shovels, rakes, brooms and other long handled yard tools can be stored attached to the side walls of the garage under the tall shelves. Ladders can be hung from the ceiling using those very cool bicycle hooks. Install the hooks directly into a ceiling joist or roof truss. Hang the ladders parallel to the storage unit/workbench just in front of the cars. Install extra lighting in the ceiling area very close to the front of the workbench and shelves. If you use fluorescent lights and live in a colder climate, you must get a special fixture so the bulbs are bright.

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Garage Storage – Plans & Metal Storage Project Connectors

Posted on August 28, 2005 by Tim Carter

Garage Storage Fabrication Parts / Plans

Do you struggle to build wood shelving units? The job can be made very simple if you have nice metal connectors for the corners and intermediate connections points. They are readily available. Not only that, excellent plans and step-by-step construction help is also available.

The Simpson Strong-Tie Company, Inc. makes a full line of pre-bent galvanized metal connectors that allow you to construct workbenches, shelving units, simple shelves, etc. with no hassles whatsoever. This is the same company that makes a full line of joist hangers and other structural framing connectors that we carpenters/builders use on a daily basis.

They have a wonderfully illustrated catalog showing these specialized garage storage metal accessories. It is called the Do-It-Yourself Construction Connectors Catalog. They also have some great project plans available for free download in PDF format. Check out their Dealer Locator to find the dealer nearest you.

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Carpenter Workbench with Tool Storage

Posted on August 28, 2005 by Tim Carter

Who among us hasn't been frustrated with traditional saw horses? Flimsy ones that collapse are virtually useless. In fact, they are actually dangerous should they give way while you are cutting a piece of plywood or a large 2x12. Sturdy saw horses are cumbersome. They are tough to store and often not stackable unless you custom build them.

What's more, the narrow top surface of a traditional saw horse provides little space to set something. Common sense tells you that an alternative might be better.

Chuck's Idea

The idea and concept for the carpenter's bench I use came from a past friend of mine, Chuck Sallee. He was a carpenter I met about 23 years ago. Chuck and I were actually business partners for a short time with some other fellows.

One day, we needed some sawhorses for a job and none were available. One of the helpers suggested using the customer's garbage cans. I nixed the idea having ruined one 6 months earlier (I cut right through the edge of one of those plastic cans...).

Chuck saw some scrap lumber nearby and went to work. Using some 3/4 inch plywood scraps and cut off sections of 2x12, he produced a strong and efficient bench (saw horse) in about 30 minutes.

Revisions

As time went on, we started to make alterations to the original plan. The shelf at the bottom of the bench was the first revision. It proved to be a great place for us to store nails, shims, hand tools, and just about anything.

We also lengthened the bench to make it a more stable platform for our power miter box saws. Soon it was evident that the bench was a multipurpose tool.

The Cut List

OK, for you to make your own bench you need some plywood or OSB board, some 2x12's and about 30 or 40 2.5 inch long galvanized screws.

If you buy an 8 foot long 2x12 and a single 4x8 sheet of 3/4 inch plywood, you will have enough material to make 2 benches.

Here is the cut list to make a single bench:

1 pc. 3/4 plywood 14 3/4" x 32" (for the Top)
4 pcs. 3/4 plywood 3" x 30" (the four side Braces)
1 pc. 3/4" plywood 11 1/4" x 27" (the bottom Shelf)
2 pcs. 2 x 12 11 1/4" wide x 23 1/4" long (the Legs)

A friend of mine wondered why I just didn't make the top 15 inches by 32 inches. Well, you can. I just used the 14 3/4 inch dimension so that the top would have a consistent 1 inch overhang on all sides. If you decide to cut it 15 inches wide, no problem. Simply center the top on the bench frame and you will be just fine.

tbench-line

Outdoor Use

If you want your bench to withstand all sorts of weather, you can do this quite easily. All you need to do is cut out all of the material and then coat all sides and edges of each piece with two coats of clear urethane or the paint of your choice BEFORE you assemble it. If you take this extra step, the bench can survive for years with little or no rotting. I can assure you that if you urethane it, the bench will be most handsome!

If you decide to do this, be sure you take the time to sand the top edges or use a router with a decorative ogee bit to dress the outer edge and the inside edge of the handhold. The routed edge really gives the bench a finished look.

WARNINGS!

There are two warnings I must tell you:

1. If you use the bench as a step stool, it can tip on you if you move about too quickly or you get up on it too fast. I do NOT recommend that you use the bench for a step stool. I must tell you that I have fallen from it as it tipped over.

2. If you let a friend, neighbor, or in-law see your bench(s), you will probably be "enlisted" to help make some for them!

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Work & Storage Bench Assembly – 3D Illustrations

Posted on August 28, 2005 by Tim Carter

Assembly Illustrations

Once the pieces are cut for your bench, you should be able to easily assemble the entire bench in less than 15 minutes. I actually filmed the construction of one from start to finish for a TV segment. From the time I started measuring to cut the pieces out, to the time I turned off the router, only 23 minutes had passed!

	Here are the different parts needed to build the bench.
	Assemble two of the side braces. Remember to keep these up at least 4 inches or so from the bottom of the legs.
	All side braces are installed.
	Install the top and fasten it.
	The bottom shelf fits into place.
	The completed bench with the convenient hand hold cutout. I'll bet you build more than one bench too!
3D Renderings by Marty Hovey

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Two Simple Closet Plans – Design and Build

Posted on August 27, 2005 by Tim Carter

Closet Plans

Closet building is a great project for a beginner. It takes minimal carpentry, drywall and painting skills to accomplish this project. What's more, if you use quick setting joint compound, you can actually complete a simple closet project in just two days. I have personally completed jobs like this in a short amount of time, but everything went just right. With proper planning, you can do it too!

Think Before You Act

The plan for your closet can be drawn on a napkin or the back of a paper bag. It doesn't have to be sophisticated. What you are looking for is accuracy in your dimensions.

Use your existing closets as a guide. Are they deep enough or possibly too deep? Are there tough to reach corners because the door is too small? Is there wasted space inside the closet because it is too narrow and too tall inside? In other words, determine what would be the perfect interior dimensions for your perfect closet! Using a tape measure, you can accomplish this planning task in about 15 minutes.

Full Height Walls

If you have decided to go with floor to ceiling walls you need to know something. You can't build these walls on the ground/floor and then tilt them up into place. The walls will get pinched when you get them close to the ceiling. The only time you can do this is when the ceiling plaster or drywall is not in place. You can then tilt the walls up and tuck the top of the wall between two ceiling joists. Once the wall is straight up and down you can then slide it into position under the floor joists.

Most of you will not have this option. You need to build the walls in place, one piece at a time. Be sure that you check each wall stud for a crown. A crown is a hump in the stud that you see when you look down the 1.5 wide edge of a stud. If the crowns do not all point or face the same direction, your wall(s) will be wiggly once drywalled.

Blocking

If you want to avoid the use of strong language when you are in the last stages of this project - installing the shelves and clothes hanging poles - you better think about installing blocking in the walls before you hang drywall.

Years ago carpenters routinely installed solid scraps of 2x4 material within walls. These blocks allow the screws for just about any fixture to find solid material instead of hollow drywall cavities. All you need to do is calculate where shelves, poles and any other bracket might be placed. Then use 2x4 material placed on its side in between wall studs to create your blocks. Turning them on their side gives you a 3.5 inch wide target area. If you have larger scraps such as 2x6's or 2x8's then you will end up with a larger target.

The Door Wall

If this is your first wall and door hanging project, you need to take a few precautions to avoid additional cursing. The rough opening you create for the door must be plumb, square AND in the same plane. It is the "same plane" aspect that most people forget. If the rough opening for the door is twisted (NOT in the same plane) then you will have a nightmare trying to get your door installed.

Here is how to get the door in the same plane. The bottom plate of the door wall MUST be continuous. In other words install the entire bottom plate as you start building the walls. Be sure to use perfectly straight top and bottom plates, and make sure that they are directly over one another. Use a plumb bob for this alignment task.

Door rough openings usually have a king stud that runs continuous between the top and bottom plate on each side of the opening. You then add the flat stud to create the rough head of the door. Then you pack or add cut cripple studs that go next to the king stud beneath the rough horizontal header. It is vitally important that the king studs on each side (MOST definitely the hinge side of the door!) of the rough opening are crown and bow free studs. This means that they are select grade - perfectly straight. If you do all of these things and install the king studs plumb, your finish door installation will be a breeze. Oh, yes, after the drywall is installed, use a hand saw or reciprocating saw to cut out the exposed portion of the bottom plate that you still see!

Closet Lighting

Thinking about installing lights in your closet? Most rookies wire up for an exposed pull chain bulb fixture. Want to know how much of a mistake this is? Just go to your local firehouse and talk with the fire fighters. They will tell you that people leave these lights on, some clothes fall against them and POOF, smoke/fire! Follow the most recent National Electric Code requirements and install lights according to code.

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Two Closet Plans & Materials

Posted on August 27, 2005 by Tim Carter

Closet Plan #1 - The Basics

Here is the simplest of plans. A closet you can add in the corner of an existing room.

In this example, an existing room corner is shown. Those walls are not filled in. The closet walls have been shaded. The interior of the finished closet is two feet. The overall length of the outside of the closet is seven feet.

The portion of the wall taken up by the bi-fold doors is not shaded but you know that there is a bulkhead wall above the doors that fills in between the top of the doors and the existing ceiling, right? If you are stumped by this, you better call in a remodeler!

Closet Plan #1 Material List

13 - 2x4 x8'
2 lbs. 16d sinker nails
6 - 4x8x1/2 drywall
1 - 8' length of corner bead
2 - gallons of drywall joint compound
2 lbs. 1 1/4" drywall nails
1 - set 4'0" Bi-fold Doors with jamb
6 - 7' pieces of door casing
16 lineal feet of baseboard
1 qt. primer/sealer paint
1 qt. finish wall paint
8 lineal feet of pole and plank or wire shelving

Closet Plan #2 - Let's Get Serious

Option number two that I offer to you is no more than a larger walk in closet with a standard door. Depending upon where you place it, you may only need to build two walls or possibly three if the closet is centered on a wall. If you center the closet on a longer wall, remember that you can create nice alcoves on either side or perhaps a window type seat with storage below the seat.

The width and depth of this closet is variable - keep in mind though that the inside walls on either side of the door must be wide enough for clothes hangers. You can get away with 22 inches from the wall to the edge of the door frame if you are tight on space. The three foot walkway is plenty of room to maneuver. Beware of exposed light bulbs in closets. The National Electric Code is very restrictive about these. They have caused many a fire!

Closet Plan #2 Material List

25 - 2x4 x8'
3 lbs. 16d sinker nails
8 - 4x8x1/2" drywall
2 - 8' length of corner bead
3 - gallons of drywall joint compound
2 lbs. 1 1/4" drywall nails
1 - 3'0" x 6' 8" Door with jamb
1 - Door knob
5 - 7' pieces of door casing
30 lineal feet of baseboard
1 qt. primer/sealer paint
1 qt. finish wall paint
10 lineal feet of pole and plank or wire shelving

Material List Notes for Closet Plans 1 & 2

The materials required to build an extra closet are minimal. Some of them may already be stashed in your garage or basement. The most expensive item is usually the door(s) and/or wire shelving kits. Just about all the materials are user friendly. The toughest material item to work will be the door(s). If you haven't been trained in how to hang a door, be prepared for some frustration. Be sure to paint the top and bottom edge of the door(s) to prevent warping and twisting of the door(s).

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Build Tim’s Simple, Safe & Sturdy Workbench

Posted on August 27, 2005 by Tim Carter

Clamps, tools, paint cans, nails, etc. all seem to gravitate towards my workbench. Possibly yours is the same - or soon will be! An inferior workbench or one that wobbles is useless and can be dangerous. A fully loaded workbench with supplies, its own components, tools, etc. can easily weigh in at over 500 lbs. You don't want something like that collapsing on you or your kids! If you follow the plans I have developed, your workbench will not collapse - that I can assure you!

A Simple Job

Building this workbench is really quite simple. The cut sheet of materials is very straightforward. The biggest challenge is cutting the plywood straight. You can achieve straight cuts if you use the factory edge of a new piece of plywood as a guide. Simply calculate where the edge of the saw base stops in relation to the actual saw blade cut. Draw this line, clamp the edge of the new piece of plywood to the pencil line and cut away. The result is a perfect cut each time. You should actually keep a six inch wide piece of plywood around for this purpose. It will come in handy on other projects.

The cut list that follows tells you exactly how long to make each piece of wood for the work bench. The 3-D drawings show you the order of assembly. The only place you can make a mistake is when you pre-assemble the frames. Be sure that the 54" pieces overlap the 20" pieces. This way each completed frame will be 54 inches long and 23 inches wide. Everything else from that point is very cut and dried.

The Bottom Shelf

The bottom shelf goes in much easier if you cut it out and make a notch for the legs before you install the second frame. You must make both frames identical. Once all four legs are attached to the first frame, you can then cut out of the bottom shelf and lay it in between the legs and on top of the first frame. You then slide the bottom frame down the legs 11 and 1/4 inches. Bolt the frame to the legs and flip the workbench base over. The shelf will drop down to the top of the bottom frame and be in position! If you try to install the shelf after both frames are in place, you may get into a bind!

The Hardwood Top

The hardwood top of my workbench sets it apart from all others I have seen. Oak is a super durable wood. It can take all you can dish out. Once completed and urethaned, it makes for an attractive and easy to care for surface. Oil, dirt and paint wipe right off if you attend to spills immediately.

You start the top by laying the hardwood pieces carefully to the edges. It is important that they are flush with the edge of the plywood so that the final hardwood edge band fits well. If you do anything, be a sixteenth of an inch short from the edge! You can always fill the tiny crack with wood filler and sand it before you urethane.

When you sand the hardwood after it is installed, just use a simple belt sander. The top doesn't have to be as smooth as a hardwood floor. Take the sander along the corner of the hardwood edge band and slightly "ease" it or bevel it. The sharp 90 degree corner can damage you or items as you work on them.

L Brackets

Do NOT screw the plywood top through the top into the top frame and the legs. If you do this, it will be nearly impossible to remove the top from the frame at a later date. I actually got this idea from a workbench that I received as a gift. An old neighbor was moving and offered his basement workbench. I knew it wouldn't fit up the steps. He said, "Yes it will. I built it so it can be taken apart!" Sure enough, we had the top off the workbench outside in about 10 minutes! A future granddaughter/grandson will appreciate it when you take the time to install the L brackets in your workbench. Be sure you square up the top to the frame with consistent overhangs before you attach the L brackets.

Fancy Plans

Workbench Magazine had a great plan for a workbench in the October 1997 issue of their magazine. It is similar to my workbench but offers the option of some drawers. Their plan is not for a beginner! The designer wants you to use mortise and tenon joints at the legs to make the base rock solid. My design achieves the same goal.

If you want a super attractive workbench you might want to blend their plan with mine. I am thinking of doing it myself one day. Check out this and other workbench plans offered by the magazine.

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Closet Plans

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