Do-It-Herself Home Improvement: Kitchen Remodel

Reports say that there are now more single women home owners than ever before. The big hardware stores are finally taking notice and offering do it herself workshops Calling out a contractor every time you need a repair can be quite costly, this is one reason women have started learning to do things themselves. Another reason is that many have found out that building things is just plain fun. One limitation women may face is that they just don't have the brute strength of a man. This can often be overcome with a little women's ingenuity.

At 48 years old I decided to see if I could install kitchen cabinets myself. I opted for wood cabinets as they are much lighter than particleboard. With the help of some cabinet jacks and some igloo coolers I was able to do the entire job by myself. This included removing the sink and countertop, replacing the sink drain pipes and changing my mind several times about what I was going to do. I plan to hire someone to install the new countertop and then I will tile the backsplash. I hired a plumber to repair my main shut off valve and replace 4 shut off valves in the house. One he had to cut off with a saber saw, no wonder I couldn't get that thing to turn! I also layed ceramic tile on the floor and am currently making some plantation blind type window shutters. The cost will be about $100.00 per window compared to $500.00 for real plantation blinds. Some of my cabinet pictures are up and you can see them by clicking here. I hope to have some photos of my shutters up next week and of course the finished kitchen photos will be coming soon. I keep thinking of more things I want to do to the house and am having a hard time getting back to the computer.

If I can stop working on the house long enough I plan to build a forum here for do-it-herselfers. A place where women can show off their projects, tell about their pitfalls and help other women tackle their own projects. Bookmark this page, get your photos and stories together and come back soon.

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