From Family Projects to DIY Expertise

My love for building started at a young age, helping my father with various projects. At around 8 years old, I assisted my dad and uncle in building an addition to our family’s lake house. I learned the basics of using tools, nailing framing, and leveraging a hammer. I admired my father’s skill and strength, particularly his ability to drive a framing nail with one swing. My great uncle also taught me the importance of plumb and level framing, all without the use of power tools.

Early Projects and Growing Skills

By the age of 11, I was building bookshelves for my mother, learning drywalling along the way. My passion for DIY grew stronger after college when I married David, who was in the military. Military housing provided a self-serve building with supplies and guidance, where I learned to put up fences, fix garbage disposals, leaky faucets, and replace dryer belts.

First Home Adventures

In our first home, I mastered skills like refacing cabinets, replacing linoleum floors, installing faux columns, crown molding, and painting and wallpapering a nursery. Our second home, a new construction, presented new challenges. I replaced builder-grade moldings with wide moldings and crown molding around the 10-foot ceilings, completing the project just before the arrival of our fourth child.

Tackling Major Renovations

Our third home in DC, a fixer-upper in a great neighborhood, required extensive remodeling. The house, built in 1983, had outdated Miami-Vice style tile and shag carpeting. Every photo on our website showcases the renovations I’ve done personally, including:

• Converting a hall closet into a half-bath.

• Transforming a half-bath and laundry closet into a mud/laundry room.

• Replacing kitchen cabinetry.

• Reconfiguring and remodeling the master bath.

• Building a master closet.

• Installing bamboo flooring.

• Adding crown and faux wainscoting molding in the dining room.

• Repainting and wallpapering all rooms.

Overcoming Challenges with Contractors

After attempting to hire contractors for the master bathroom overhaul, I realized they didn’t meet my expectations. I decided to learn and do it myself, only hiring a plumber for sewage lines. My experience with drywallers and window installers was similar, leading me to finish their work and tackle new projects independently. These challenges motivated me to learn even more about construction and take on larger projects, like installing a front porch.

Inspiring Others Through Your DIY Teacher

Experiencing these difficulties in creating a home made me wonder if other homeowners faced similar issues. With a foundation of knowledge from childhood and a wealth of construction experience, I realized others could learn these skills too. DIY is economical, and no one cares about your home more than you do. This inspired the creation of Your DIY Teacher: to help others help themselves, learn, and feel capable in home care. We aim to empower you to make mistakes and know that you can repair them.

DIY isn’t easy, but it is rewarding. The work may never be perfect, but often, it’s better than what’s professionally done because you care, and I care too.