Yes, it was our final stop, but the very first time on our journey that we were tripped up by a project. Heather had a couple electrical questions, one of which involved a ceiling-box-shaped patch in her living room ceiling. She was hoping it could be used for a light.

Uncovering the box was simple enough. First I scored a line around the perimeter of the patch. Then I used the claw end of a hammer to gently break away the drywall.

Photo: Meryl Rose Phillips

Once the wires were exposed, I used a non-contact voltage tester, and it turned out the box was indeed being used—as a buried junction box feeding outlets in two rooms. This is illegal, not to mention unsafe, so we were at least glad there hadn’t been any accidents.

Unfortunately, in the limited amount of time we had, we couldn’t determine the source of one wire in particular (apparently an abandoned switch leg).

Photo: Meryl Rose Phillips

Rather than have us spend our visit following every wire through the house, Heather asked that we cut a box in her wall for an eventual light switch. She’d been disappointed in the past by contractors whose work had later required patching, but as she knew from our blog, we’ve done this several times in old plaster walls and gotten good results.

The first step is finding where you want to locate the switch or outlet box. Use a stud finder, finish nail, or knuckle and good ear to find nearby studs.

Photo: Meryl Rose Phillips

You want to make sure that you position retrofit boxes 1″ or more away from any studs. If you have drywall, then a keyhole saw is all you need to cut the hole. Exercise caution and keep the saw shallow as you cut. You wouldn’t want to cut the wrong thing inside the wall (electrical wire, for example).

Photo: Meryl Rose Phillips

If you have lath and plaster walls (like Heather), the process is more delicate. Trace around the perimeter of the electrical box to be used and then, with a cold chisel and hammer, gently break away the plaster within the traced area. Accomplishing this requires some precision—normally I work along pencil line with the chisel before making an “X” inside that allows the plaster to pop out.

The lath (wooden slats behind the plaster) will be exposed now. Use an oscillating tool or jigsaw to remove the lath by cutting along the outline formed by the missing plaster. If done correctly, the hole will be large enough to hold the retrofit box but small enough for the wings keeping the box in place to do their job. In other words, the hole will be the appropriate size.

Next, go into the attic and find the top plate (usually a 2×4) of the wall in which you want to place the switch or outlet. Drill an 1/8″ pilot hole through the top plate. You should feel resistance for the first 1 1/2″ to 3″, depending upon whether or not the top plate is doubled up or not. It’s a good idea to use a pilot hole and have someone downstairs looking for the bit. If something happens and the bit goes off course, an 1/8″ pilot hole is much easier to patch than the larger hole made by an auger bit.

Follow the pilot hole with an 18″-long, 1/2″ or 3/4″-diameter auger bit. Keep it as straight as possible to avoid damaging the wall or ceiling. With that done you’ll able to feed the wire or fishing line through the wall and into the box.

Photo: Meryl Rose Phillips

While we were disappointed there was no time for us to complete the project, Heather was pleased we were able to lead her future electrician in the right direction. On top of that, we left a nice little spot for the light switch—and it won’t need to be patched at all.

Read every dispatch from the Renovation Road Trip right here.

For more on electrical wiring, consider:

Electrical Rough-In
Simple Electrical Wiring
How To: Snake Wire (VIDEO)

Renovation Road Trip: Framing a Switch Box in Oregon Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com

Photo: Meryl Rose Philips

On the penultimate stop of our Renovation Road Trip we met up with Sara and Shaun, the fun and funny couple behind Russet Street Reno. They have such a great house, especially the kitchen, where they had one upgrade in mind, which they feared could result in disaster. So they enlisted our help to install a pair of oak shelves beside their refrigerator.

The challenge was to install the oak brackets so that each would be spaced evenly from the adjacent wall. At the same time, the shelves would need sufficient strength to be useful as storage. The added challenge? Going through drywall to install the top shelf, then through tile to put up the bottom.

First we located the studs in the wall. The one on the left was about 8″ from the wall, so we marked a plumb line here and another line the same distance from the opposite wall. There was no stud in this location.

Then we prepared the brackets to accept the fasteners. We used a Forstner bit to create a flat-bottom recess that would accept our fasteners.

Photo: Meryl Rose Philips

The top hole location was more difficult to access. To achieve a straighter hole, we needed to use a spade bit attached to an extension.

Photo: Meryl Rose Philips

With the holes for the fasteners drilled, we positioned the left brackets along the center of the plumb line and marked the tile and wallboard behind using a 1/8″ bit. We marked the brackets top and bottom corners, too, so we could return them to the same exact location after pre-drilling the walls.

To drill through the tile we used glass and tile bits large enough to allow our #14 screws to pass through unobstructed. We also pre-drilled the studs to accept our screws. Then we lined our brackets back up and drove in the 4″ screws with an impact driver. Since our brackets were 1-1/2″ thick, and we needed to get through tile and wallboard, we opted for 4″-long screws. (2″ or 3″ screws would have been fine for metal brackets or thinner wood brackets.)

Next, we centered the right-hand brackets along the plumb line, locating the fastener hole positions as we had done on the left side. But here, instead of pre-drilling small holes, we used 9/16″ tile and spade bits to make holes in the tile and wallboard large enough for our 3/16” toggle bolts.

Photo: Meryl Rose Philips

We installed the 4″ bolts into the bracket, then screwed the wings onto the bolts. It’s important to position the wings in such a way that they will open once inside the wall.

Photo: Meryl Rose Philips

We installed each bracket by inserting the toggle bolts (wings folded down) into the holes. And then, with the wings open inside the wall, we pulled lightly on the brackets and tightened the toggles, alternating top to bottom until the brackets were fully seated.

Photo: Meryl Rose Philips

We then used a 2′ level to check the alignment of the left and right brackets. The toggle bolts left us enough wiggle room to adjust the brackets and make them perfectly level.

We repeated the process for the second shelf above, though thankfully this time there was no tile to go through.

Photo: Meryl Rose Philips

Photo: Meryl Rose Philips

In the end our seemingly simple project came with the kind of challenges DIYers know well—layout constraints, having the proper tools, and choosing the proper products.

Read every dispatch from the Renovation Road Trip right here.

For more on home DIY kitchen storage, consider:

Kitchen Cabinets
5 Creative Alternatives to Kitchen Cabinetry
5 Upcycled Pot Racks and Cookware Storage Ideas

Renovation Road Trip: Installing Shelves with Russet St. Reno Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com

Two 1/2″ copper supply lines needed to be capped after removing the Jacuzzi tub from her bath.

Photo: Meryl Rose Philips

Photo: Meryl Rose Philips

Photo: Meryl Rose Philips

The existing gate valves were leaking a drop of water every few seconds. Sometimes this happens during the soldering process if the washer deforms. Other times the washer simply degrades with age. This wasn’t an emergency, but it wasn’t good either.

Photo: Meryl Rose Philips

The challenge did provide Kit with the perfect opportunity to buy some new tools. At the local hardware store, we helped pick out the best fittings and tools to have on hand during a soldering project, lessening the likelihood of an emergency return visit to the store.

It’s always a good idea to have on hand a torch with flux, solder, and prep tools (wire pipe/fitting cleaner, reaming tool, acid brush), plus a variety of fittings. Perhaps the most important fittings to carry at all times are caps, and for just this type of occasion.

When it comes to torches, I prefer the kind that ignite and lose power with a push button; they are the safest and easiest to work with. (I’m also partial to using MAAP gas instead of propane—it’s more expensive but burns hotter, so it works more quickly.)

The first step when sweating pipes is to clear water from the work area. We turned off the main water supply and drained water from the pipes to accomplish this. Working in the upstairs bathroom, it was easy to let out a little water by turning on the sink in the downstairs bath. We could actually see the water empty out of the supply lines as Meryl turned on the water downstairs.

Photo: Meryl Rose Philips

Next, we prepped the pipe and fittings for soldering. Kit used her brand new brush to prep inside of the caps and outside of the pipe. The goal here is to get fresh, clean-looking copper.

Photo: Meryl Rose Philips

Using an acid brush, coat both mating surfaces with a medium coat of flux. Place the cap over the end of the pipe.

Now you’re ready to solder! Focus the heat to the fitting (but you might also want to give a little attention to the pipe, especially if it’s a larger one). Since we were capping a little ½” line, the heat went all the way around the pipe and fitting pretty easily.

Photo: Meryl Rose Philips

With 1/2″ pipe and MAAP gas, the flux should start to smoke within 20 seconds, which indicates that it’s time to apply solder. How do you know if it’s hot enough? Remove the heat and touch the solder to the joint. If it melts easily, you’re all set to move forward.

Turn your torch away from the pipe and apply the solder to the side opposite the heat.

Photo: Meryl Rose Philips

The solder should melt and be drawn into the fitting. Move the solder around the pipe to ensure it penetrates into the fitting on all sides.

Then spray a little water and carefully use a thick rag to wipe the excess solder and flux away from the joint to make it look sparkling. As you get more practice, you’ll waste less solder and produce professional-level joints far more quickly.

Photo: Meryl Rose Philips

Kit is always someone who is eager to learn a new trick or trade, so we were happy to lend our plumbing know-how to her tool belt. Two stops down, two more to go. Time to hit the road!

Read every dispatch from the Renovation Road Trip right here.

For more on plumbing, consider:

How To Solder Copper Pipe Fittings
10 DIY Pipe Fitting Projects (No Plumbing Required)
Everything You Need to Know About Winterizing Pipes

Renovation Road Trip: Soldering Copper Pipe Fittings with DIYdiva Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com

Photo: Meryl Rose Philips

After clearing the area of all obstacles and removing the outlet covers, we gave the painted surface a quick sanding with 100-grit sandpaper.

Photo: Meryl Rose Philips

Then we got to work laying the subway tile out on the kitchen table to see how it would look. The top and bottom boundaries were just slightly larger than nine full tiles. That meant we had the option of doing nine tiles and a sliver, or we could float the tiles to leave slightly more space top and bottom. We chose the latter method, since cutting a 1/8” sliver is difficult and not particularly attractive.

We mixed up some thinset and and let it slake for 10 or 15 minutes. Since we were laying the tile on a vertical surface, we chose to mix the thinset a bit on the thicker side (more like peanut butter than pancake batter) to prevent the tile from sliding during installation.

Our layout allowed us to work left to right. (If we’d been using large, square tiles, we would have started with a tile on the center line.) For our 2×4″ tiles, a ¼”-square notch trowel was perfect.

We worked in sections that could be laid in ten minutes (so the thinset wouldn’t dry up on us), first troweling on a workable amount and then setting the tile (then repeating the process).

Photo: Meryl Rose Philips

Troweling on thinset can be a messy job. It’s always good to have a bucket of water and sponge on hand to clean up drops. When applying thinset to the wall, your first goal is to get enough on the surface. Some like to use a margin trowel for this purpose, while others use the flat side of a notched trowel.

Once the thinset is on the wall, you can then start building your notches by dragging the notched side of the trowel against the wall at a 45 degree angle. (I like to have all my notches running horizontally; there’s less chance of the tile sagging before it sets.)

Photo: Meryl Rose Philips

To set the tile, start from one edge of the sheet and lightly press the tile into the thinset, even as you are rolling the sheet onto the wall.

I like to use a grout float to press the tiles into place, because it produces a flatter finished surface. Adjustable ‘wedge’ spacers will help you achieve even grout lines.

TIP: Working around obstructions like electrical outlets? Remove tile(s) that will obstruct the outlet before setting the tile sheet in place. Once set, line the loose tile up and draw a notch where it overlaps the outlet. Cut using tile saw, grinder, or tile nippers and set in place.

Photo: Meryl Rose Philips

Make sure you don’t dump any excess thinset down the sink or toilet; throw it in the trash.

We could only be at the Turtle House for a day, which meant grouting wasn’t in the cards, but Katy will tackle that project in a day or two. The usual procedure is to mix the grout to the consistency of toothpaste, let it slake, and then apply it with a grout float at a 45 degree angle to the grout lines.

Our little project for Katy and Brandon only took about half a day, but it made a huge difference.

Photo: Meryl Rose Philips

Photo: Meryl Rose Philips

Read every dispatch from the Renovation Road Trip right here.

For more on kitchen backsplashes, consider:

5 Great Backsplash Ideas
How To: Tile a Backsplash
The Backsplash: A Kitchen’s Most Underutilized Real Estate

Renovation Road Trip: A New Backsplash at Turtle House Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com

As always in DIY, the plans changed a bit before we arrived, then changed a bit more as we got into the weeds. In the end Nikki and Marc decided to go with the original German siding that would match the rest of the home’s exterior.

Before

Paneling on Adjacent Wall

In order to ensure that the new siding matched the level of the old, we decided to start from the top. Typically starting from the bottom would be the way to go, but in this instance we were dealing with an unlevel interior floor.

Since the floor was going to get baseboard, matching the old and new at the top was the most important element, visually speaking. So we started at the top cutting our first piece of 1×4 to length, using a four-foot level to get the work perfectly level.

Marking the Wall for Alignment

We figured out the angle by holding a slightly longer piece than we needed against the wall and marking to where the 1×4 would intersect with the rafter on both the top and bottom. We cut this with a circular saw, but it could be done with a handsaw or jigsaw just as effectively.

Nailing the Initial 1x4

We saved this cutoff as a template for the same angle on the second 1×4.

Cut Piece as Template

In order to get the second piece in place, we needed to cut it in two pieces. We used a scarf joint instead of a butt joint to conceal where the two pieces meet. Caulk here is a good idea.

Scarf Joint

Once the first two 1x4s were in place, we installed the German siding. In one of those true DIY moments, finding enough space to rip down a 15′ piece of siding proved to be one of the more labor-intensive parts of the project. The task required moving a large table saw and rearranging parts of the basement shop to have the infeed and outfeed sides of the table saw clear enough to safely execute the rip.

Installation with Finish Nails

We installed the entire wall using finish nails. If this were done on the exterior, you would want to prime all six sides before installation, back-caulk the siding on any joints, and use stainless or galvanized siding nails. And of course you would have asphalt paper or another type of building wrap behind all the siding. In other words, we had it relatively easy with this project since we didn’t have to worry about any of that.

We continued installing the siding down the wall, working around the window opening (which will eventually house a piece of frosted privacy glass) and the door. Nikki and Marc didn’t have any extra trim on hand, so we were only able to install the trim to the right of the door.

Trimming Out the Doorway

Working down the wall we made sure that the pieces on both sides of the window were parallel to the floor and at the same height, so that the long pieces under the window would line up well.

Checking for Level to Floor

Installing the Siding

We wanted to leave a gap around the window opening for two reasons: one, the expansion of the siding and two, so Marc would have room to stain the oak window opening later. We used a piece of scrap 3/16″ plywood clamped to the window opening to set the siding against, ensuring an even gap all around.

Our last big challenge was cutting around the window opening and electrical outlets. First we cut a piece to length. Then we transferred the window opening location to the siding and made sure to add 3/8″ to the cutout to account for the siding sliding into the rabbet of the piece above.

After cutting the notch for the window opening, we cut the two openings for the outlets.

Outlet Openings

There are a couple ways of doing this. You can use an oscillating tool like a Fein Multimaster. Or you can drill two ½” holes in opposite corners and cut the four sides with a jigsaw.

Using the Jigsaw to Make Cutouts

We found the latter to be the quicker of the two.

Since we started at the top, the last piece needed to be scribed to fit the eventual baseboard. We temporarily tacked up the final piece and cut a piece of scrap block the same size of the baseboard. Then we ran this piece of scrap along the floor with a pencil to mark the cut line.

Installing Baseboard

We pried out this piece, cut the scribe line, and tacked the piece back up.

In the end, it was a fun one-day project and a joy to help Nikki and Marc. Despite the cramped working conditions—not to mention the distractions of kids, the appearance of a neighborhood cat that didn’t want to let us make our cuts, and even a snake in the basement—we got the siding installed.

Read the first installment in our Renovation Road Trip series.

For more on carpentry, consider:

5 Ways to Get Perfect, Clean Cuts in Plywood
How To: Choose the Right Saw for the Job
5 DIY Wood Wall Treatment Ideas

Renovation Road Trip: First Stop, 86′n It Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com

Meryl and Chris of Picardy Project

Over the three and a half years that we’ve been working on our house—and blogging about it at Picardy Project—we’ve been able to virtually meet and make friends with a bunch of other crazy people renovating their houses. Some think it’s weird to refer to people you’ve never actually met as “friends”, but there is a bond that other renovators and bloggers share.

There will always be drywall stacked against the wall waiting to be used in the living room, plumbing fixtures sitting in the hallway, Romex coiled up behind the bathroom cabinet and a bunch of other half-finished projects all over the house that might drive other people insane, but for us, the insanity is addicting, fun, and oh so rewarding.

One evening several months ago, Chris and I were sitting on the couch (most likely watching Renovation Realities), and we started talking about how cool… and fun… and crazy it would be to visit other renovators. We laughed about it and dismissed it at first, but then the talk got serious.

We drew out the route we would take, thought about other home-related destinations we could visit along the way, and figured out how long the trip would take. And then the lightbulb went off: we were working with Tinkernation on a set of posts for their website and decided to see if this would be a more unique approach. As luck would have it, they thought the idea was just as awesome as we did. And so the Renovation Road Trip was born!

Meryl and Chris of Picardy Project embark on Renovation Road Trip 2012.

I hopped on my computer and wrote to my blogging friends to see if they’d each be willing to host us for an evening. In exchange for the hospitality we would lend our hands and tools to any project they wanted help with for a day. And they all cheered with excitement!

86'n It

Our fellow Bob Vila Nation bloggers Nikki and Marc (of 86’N It, based in North Carolina) were in.

Turtle House

Katy and Brandon of Turtle House in Michigan were on board, too!

DIYdiva

Next, we sold Michicagen resident and BobVila.com contributor Kit Stansley—better known as DIYdiva—on the idea. (Ed: The site profiled Kit as part of its In the Workshop series.)

Russet St. Reno

… and Sara and Shaun of Russet St. Reno in Wisconsin…

Just a Girl with a Hammer

… and lastly Heather of Just a Girl with a Hammer in Oregon.

And as the trip started taking shape and becoming more of a reality, we discovered even more good news: BobVila.com wanted to chronicle our road trip, too! Seriously? Color us completely tickled pink!

Since Bob Vila is the “how-to king”, we’ll be sharing all the details of the projects we tackle at each location. Want to know how to install an awesome wood trim wall? We’ll be writing all about it. Interested in how to tile a backsplash? We’ll be tackling that project too. Discover some questionable wiring when you were trying to install a new light fixture? That’s also on our Renovation Road Trip to-do list! And we’ve got the tools to prove it.

The car is packed, and the Picardy Project duo is ready to go.

And now—after all the planning, the emails, and anticipation—the Renovation Road Trip starts today.

As we depart from our home base in Oakland, CA, Chris and I couldn’t be more excited about visiting the five homes on our cross-country route and becoming “real friends” with some of our favorite home bloggers. Now on to the craziest 14 days and 6,500 miles we’ll ever have!

Follow Meryl and Chris’s journey right here and at their blog, Picardy Project.

Renovation Road Trip: Here We Go! Home Improvement, Home Remodeling & Home Repair - BobVila.com