Last night, at 2am, we were awakened by the “beep….beep….beep” of our fire alarm. I, being the paranoid one, shot straight up in bed and tried to wake Teague, who declared “The fire alarm just needs batteries. It’ll go off on it’s own.” Now…. A) It wasn’t the “low battery beep, and no it won’t […]

We knew we needed to tackle some roof repair about a month after moving into our house; we had some minor leaking in the bedroom after a major rainstorm. Since the initial discovery, that spot has been patched twice, but continues to find new ways to let in the rain and snow. Teague’s been up-close […]

Aside from Teague, who of course is “in the business“, we have spent the last year and a half on the DIY straight and narrow. No outsiders – just Teague and I (and the occassional family member) pushing through all sorts of crazy projects. Now, as we’re nearing our floor-sanding days, we’re finding all sorts […]

Tired of ruining every piece of clothing you have? Sick of washing dirty, grimey work pants with your delicate whites? Embarrassed because every time you go to work, someone finds paint specks on your dress shirt? This guy has the right idea…..

Just when you think you’re far enough away from home to start acting like a normal person (instead of a home repair addict), something pulls you right back in. Behold my father-in-law, Don, pointing out an obvious case of the “notch trick“. Teague noticed it on our way out of a Butterfly Conservatory in Durham, […]

There is one major flaw to having the non-construction-oriented member of Fixer-Upper (me) write our blog entries. That problem is, I often have only a faint glimmer of understanding as to what the plans actually are. So when I get around to explaining these complex ideas, I break them down into something so simplistic and […]

In case you’re wondering just how much it’d cost to rent a 40-foot boom lift, we just got some numbers: First, if you’re in business like Teague, you must have at least a million dollars in coverage. You must also add the company that you rent from to your policy. If you’re a homeowner, I […]

Our loyal readers have probably noticed a little change in the sidebar. It’s true – we’ve sold our soul to advertisers. Actually, we haven’t sold our souls at all, because the two ads we’ve accepted happen to be for companies we have much love for. Rejuvenation sells period-authentic lighting and hardware that is so beautiful, […]

After our salvage shop trip on Saturday, we came home and ripped into the floors. Having the energy to start a new project after a long day of driving can only mean one thing – our motivation is back. Let the games begin. Out went the rotted bits under the radiator, and about 10 cupped […]

Every few months, we pack up the dogs and head out on a roadtrip to Rochester, NY. It’s not a bad drive – about 2 hours – and it’s home to one of our favorite salvage shops, Historic Houseparts. This past weekend, in our search for old oak flooring, we inevitably decided to check what […]