DIY chicken coop

Using 2×2 boards and chicken wire, my dad and I built a chicken run on my side yard! We wanted to make it large since they are moving from free range into a permanent run. 

Firstly, we started by painting all of the wood with white outdoor paint. This seals the wood from the elements and makes it look prettier;) 

Then, we started constructing large squares with the 2x2 boards with one support board down the center (shown in the picture below). We constructed many of these using screws to connect the boards and stapled on chicken wire for more support. After the squares were constructed, we simply assembled them together to make the roof of the run.

 

Using the existing wooden planter bed, we screwed on 2x2's vertically in order to create the walls of the coop. We wanted the roof to slope slightly downward, that way leaves and other debris will slide off. This slope is important, especially in the winter when the roof will be covered by a tarp, because it will prevent water from puddling. 

So we measured, cut, and attached the support boards to the existing wood in order to avoid using stakes in the ground - this made it really easy!

This is after the first 2 squares are attached!!

Note: we did not attach the roof squares to the wall of the house, they are simply resting at an angle and the downward pressure from gravity holds them in place. We added only a few support boards along that wall that are simply resting there. 

After researching quite a bit, I decided to do a thick bed of mulch and straw on the chicken run floor in order to reduce smell and flies. Doing a thick floor creates basically a compost pile within the coop and, as the chickens scratch, the floor is constantly being turned. 

Around the fireplace was actually the trickiest part because we had to make more measurments. Then, We constructed the same as we had been...

After the roof was finished, we simply used the rest of the chicken wire to staple and nail onto the side of the coop! 

The final step was to move in the coop and attach the front and the door!!

We used hinges to attach the door to the frame and added a few hooks to lock the door! 

Note: make sure there's a way to open the locks from the inside, or else you might lock yourself in!!!!

The bathroom is <almost> finished

Sooo it's been a while since I last posted because we have had a ton of projects going on at the same time and haven't really finished any of them completely. At this moment, the only thing left to do in the bathroom is the cabinet door, the shower, and the toe kick on the front of the vanity. These are all small things, but in the midst of everything else going on, they are low on our priority list!

Last week, I added in a few shelves to the bathroom in order to add some character.

I was particularly inspired by these bathrooms I found on Pinterest:

In our bathroom, I really wanted that clean, organized feeling too!

I got these floating shelves from Target for only $20 each!!! I figured, they match the stain on the vanity perfectly and I would probably spend that, plus some, to build them myself anyway!! I am so happy with the result!

This is our bathroom now!! :) 

UPDATE: Progress on the Downstairs Bathroom

Today, Mike the granite guy came and installed the granite in our bathroom! The raised bowl sink is not installed yet, so it is just sitting on top, but you can still see what it will look like when we are done!

As you can see, I started painting too, but I didn't finish before I had to leave for work. Tomorrow I will finish the painting, we will install the light, and we can put all the hardware up like towel racks and handles!!

Tahhhh-dahh!!!

Wish us luck on the installation of everything else, no more broken toilets, BRAD.. ;)

More updates soon! 

Adding texture to the walls

After spitting the walls (as we have shown in previous blog posts) we allowed the mounds of drywall mud to dry until they no longer had any shine (about 10 minutes). Then, we gently troweled over them, holding the trowel at a low angle, almost flat against the wall, to flatten the mounds. This creates the organized chaos of wall texture! 

We did a pretty heavy spit to match the rest of our house. You can see some areas where the mounds were too concentrated and, as a result, the texture is more flat. This will be fine once the walls are painted, but it is a good example for why you need to cover the whole wall evenly with the spitter. 

We got a little messy from the process...

After we were all done with the texture, the boys put the toilet in!

Then, the granite guy, Mike, was arranged to come to install the granite in the bathroom and finish the window in the kitchen!! 

We are almost done, the end is in sight!!

In the meantime, I checked out a store that Brad's mom told me to visit in Folsom called Kirkland's! I had some free time to kill before my classes started at Folsom Lake College, so I shopped!!!

I really want to get two lamps for the living room, something like this one. I didn't buy any because I wanted Brad's approval, but I think I'm in love with this style. 

I also really loved this rustic mirror! It would be so cute sitting on top of our shelving unit, leaning against the wall. We already have a ton of mirrors in the house though...

I could easily make this wreath though!! 

Burlap = ♡

After wandering around the store for an hour, I finally left with 2 pillows!! 

I think they really add a home-y feeling to our living room. Plus, they tie in well with the color scheme and the rustic vibe :) Thanks Jeri for recommending the store of my dreams!!!

More to come on the bathroom soon!

Installing Tile in 8 EASY Steps!

STEP 1: PICK THE TILE. We picked the warm tile color on the left, BUT we decided to go with longer, rectangle porcelain tiles rather than square! By doing so, we hope to make the room look longer and with less of a distinct pattern. 

STEP 2: REMOVE OLD FLOORING, CLEAN & PRIME. After gutting the entire bathroom, the first thing we had to do was prep the floors. We mopped, vaccumed and cleared out all debris from the demolition, then created a barricade around the toilet hole opening and the doorways using plumber's puddy. Then, we primed the floor with the Henry primer using a 1:1 ratio with water and following the directions on the bottle.

STEP 3: LEVEL THE FLOOR. We mixed and poured the Henry LevelPro self-leveling concrete (AKA underlayment) to create a level surface over the entire bathroom floor. This is an important step because if the tile is not level, it is susceptible to pressure cracks when you walk over it.

 

When pouring the underlayment, you have to be sure to pour FIRST into the corners, to avoid having any places the liquid does not diffuse into. We realized this after pouring, so Adam carefully spread the liquid into the empty spaces before it dried too much! You can also see, in the bottom picture, the barricade we created to prevent the spread of the concrete through the doorway! Always a good idea because it will spread EVERYWHERE. 

** the mix should be on the thin, liquidy side in order to create a level surface.

On the bag, the directions called for 2-3 hours of drying time. In reality, this was more like 3-4 for it to be completely solid. 

STEP 4: CREATE A PATTERN BY DRY FITTING THE TILES INTO PLACE. Once the underlayment was ready, the boys started to create a "dry fit" template in order to better decide a pattern and to create the cuts BEFORE they are glued permanently into place. In order to design the layout, we set a straight line of tiles down the center of the bathroom. We did this rather than aligning the grout lines with the walls, because walls usually are not perfectly square OR parallel. They used a chalk line to create the blueprint and to keep the line perfectly straight.

Also, we used tiny "X" spacers between the tiles to space them 1/8 inch apart. This is where the grout will be filled in :)

All of the cuts were made using a wet saw (skill saw) out in the backyard. The boys had a great system going: one would make cuts while the other would measure and trace the next cut. 

***When cutting the porcelain, eye protection is a must!!

There's Adam laying the LAST TILE for the dry fit!

STEP 5: MOVE TILES OUT. We moved all of the tiles (in an orderly fashion) off the floor so we could lay thin set. You can either keep them in the same layout as they were in, OR label them with numbers. I think it was much easier to just move them carefully in the dry fit pattern. 

STEP 6: APPLY THIN SET. We used a high grade, white thin set to stick the tiles to the floor. We followed the directions on the bag, mixing the concrete with water using a concrete mixer. The first time we did this, it was too dry, and not sticky enough, like pizza dough. For this reason, we mixed in more water (about an additional liter on top of the other 6 we had put in previously) until it was the consistency of soft serve ice cream. 

Perfecto! 

**if you don't add enough water, the thin set will harden & dry out too quickly. 

This took 24 hours to set completely. Don't walk on the floor while this is drying.

STEP 7: PREP FOR THE GROUT. We carefully removed all the spacers that were inside the grout lines between the tiles and vaccumed any debris that was left behind. This is important because the grout will fill the cracks! 

 

STEP 8: APPLY THE GROUT & WIPE OFF THE EXCESS. Since our tiles are a cream/beige, we went with the cream grout - this will make the lines blend well. 

While I applied the grout (using a hard, rubber trowel) and worked it into the cracks from every direction, Brad went behind me with the sponge, gently wiping up the excess product.

**The trick for grouting is when sponging up the excess product, do not use ANY water; the sponge must be completely drained of water. If water IS left on the grout lines, it will weaken the bond and discolor the grout. 

 

And there it is, the finished product!

Now, for the sink, light, and counters to get installed! 

More to come:)