Author: Garrett LaFrance

Just a handy guy, sharing my quest to fix, renovate, and improve that wonderful place we all call home.
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Hot Tub Pergola

  • Retaining wall to hold back the hill
  • A little deck built to support the hot tub
  • Hot tub resting on the deck
  • Support posts for the pergola roof
  • Pergola roof and pvc railing
  • Detail of the pergola roof
  • Detail of the painted pergola roof with exterior fan and led carnival lights
  • Detail of the polycarbonate roof
  • Finish shot of the hot tub pergola
  • A view from the hot tub pergola
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Winding Staircase

  • Steep "grandfathered" staircase not up to building code
  • Removing the wall and ceiling to make room for the new staircase
  • Removing the old staircase
  • Framing for the new staircase
  • New wall back framed to support the staircase.
  • A tape showing the footprint of the staircase
  • The first steps leading into a kite step turn
  • Kite steps are used for curved staircases
  • The backing to the stair wall is knotty pine
  • You can see the twists and turns forming in the staircase
  • Finished cladding the support wall in tongue and groove knotty pine
  • Detail of the pine kite step
  • Each step is built off the one before
  • The knotty pine wall just after it was installed
  • The knotty pine wall first coat of paint
  • The knotty pine wall 2nd coat of paint
  • The stairs were sanded before they were stained
  • Showing the difference between a natural step and a stained one
  • All the steps stained with a white kickboard
  • Railings on the first set of steps
  • Using a string line to find the angle to cut the spindles
  • Wider spindles were used at each step rise for strength
  • Narrow spindles were used to fill in the gaps
  • This wider spindles were notched and cut into each step riser
  • The spindle up the rest of the staircase
  • Here is the dark handrail installed
  • Another shot of the finished railing
  • The top floor detail where it meets the stair wall
  • Top floor railing
  • The inner handrail on the winder had to twist around the central support
  • Inner handrail needed on winding steps
  • Cladding the rest of the stairs in knotty pine
  • Final enclosure of staircase.
  • Finished staircase
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How to level an old sagging floor

  • These 2x4s ribs are 12 inches on center cut to fit the curve of the floor are level on top
  • New 1x12 inch heart-of-pine tongue and groove barnboards
  • Showing the barn boards being installed over the ribs
  • You can see the 3 inch sag from one side of the room to the other
  • Used 2 inch cut nails used to hold down the flooring
  • Finished with a custom stain to make the floor looked weathered
  • Sealed with 2 top coats of polyurathane