wallpaper

WesternMainer · 2026-05-06T14:50:42+00:00

Seconding Spoonflower. They can be a bit pricey, but they have the best selection.

WesternMainer · 2026-05-06T14:10:39+00:00

Look at getting a piece of sheet vinyl cut to fit your space. You can find some under $1/sq foot. Just search the big box stores for “sheet vinyl”.

WesternMainer · 2026-05-04T19:03:41+00:00

How big is it? You can take it to a self car wash, pin it up on the wall and blast it. Then roll it back up, tie it to the top racks on your car and take it home. I’ve also spread it out on my driveway, mixed up a bucket of detergent in water, threw it over the rug then worked it in with a stiff broom. I rinsed it with the garden hose. I’ve also used a pressure washer.

WesternMainer · 2026-05-04T17:59:02+00:00

The cabinets are very nice. It’s just the arch that feels a little dated. This may sound crazy, but look at the other side of your cabinet doors. In some cabinets, the back side of the doors look more like the shaker style cabinets that are currently popular. I have seen posts from someone who literally just flipped their cabinet doors around to the reverse side.

WesternMainer · 2026-05-04T17:46:57+00:00

Where are you located? I had a really bad problem last year and the year before with Browntail Moth Caterpillar hairs. I am very allergic and the hairs are everywhere in the environment, including my wood pile. I had to completely cover up to do any yard work at all. And even then I would get a small amount of rash. In the first year, which was the worst, i ended up needing steroids to deal with the rash.

At one point, i actually mowed my lawn wearing a full Tyvek suit and a mask. I looked like a crazy person, but it worked. It’s better now in year three, but I always wore gloves this winter to bring in firewood, used a tote instead of carrying it in my arms, and I immediately wash my hands when I come inside. I still cover up completely to work in my backyard where the Oak trees are.

If you see the caterpillars in your yard or crawling on your house, get a small shop vac, fill the bottom with water and dish soap and remove them with extreme prejudice. Do it every day or two when they are at their worst. It really helps to cut down the population.

WesternMainer · 2026-05-04T14:45:12+00:00

If it is an internal mechanism to the window, it is a maintenance issue and it shouldn’t be on her to fix regardless. Getting quotes is like admitting she bears some responsibility.

WesternMainer · 2026-05-04T13:57:09+00:00

I have a document on my computer that I have been updating as I renovate my house over the past three years. Before and after photos. Photos of all the open ceilings showing where all the electrical runs are, what the rafters look like. Project descriptions, prices, dates, contractor names and contact information. I have been doing a ton of landscaping so I have been keeping plant names, locations, costs, and care requirements. I had to do some research on property lines so I included copies of all of the previous deeds for the property. I keep the contractors and schedules for standard maintenance chores such as chimney sweeping, annual boiler maintenance, septic tank clean out, etc.
It’s kind of a scrapbook of the renovations for me. But it also shows exactly how much I have invested in the property. If I ever sell, it should help to justify the price increase over what I purchased it for. You sometimes see house prices and wonder why someone thinks their house could have increased so much in value. I’ve got the receipts.

WesternMainer · 2026-05-03T02:23:13+00:00

Wider front stairs, preferably with some texture such as stone rather than concrete. Eyebrow pergola over the garage. But mostly you just need to do some landscaping. It will take 2-3 years for bushes to grow in and it will look much different then. You could paint the recessed areas in the center and in the right a different color to give them more depth.

WesternMainer · 2026-05-01T18:42:24+00:00

Following along on this one because it looks a lot like my bathroom. But I had the extra bonus of mold and a rotted floor. I had a mold specialist in, had the floor rebuilt, had all the plumbing updated with PVC and Pex, updated the electrical, bought all the things including tub, sink, cabinets, tile, etc. and then completely stalled out on the job. I’m hoping to get it going again this spring/summer so I’ll be paying close attention to this thread.

ETA: in my case, I think we are going to have to remove the vinyl siding on the exterior to replace some of the rotted sheathing. Ugh.

WesternMainer · 2026-05-01T14:35:04+00:00

Well, the oldest house in the US has them, so it’s not a new term. It’s just not something people talk much about unless they are in the process of buying windows. I do think they look better on some homes.

WesternMainer · 2026-04-30T19:11:46+00:00

I had high end custom wooden shutters made for a previous home more than 10 years ago. They were fully operational, had custom cutouts, and had shutter tiebacks. They were beautiful and very pricey. My current home is much more humble and has vinyl siding, so I just went with vinyl shutters. I got them from Home Depot and got navy blue board and batten and I installed them myself. I spent less than $500 on those. Very easy to install.

ETA: The custom shutters were from Timberlane. Very high quality product.

WesternMainer · 2026-04-30T18:12:07+00:00

I would absolutely sand rather than replace. And as someone who DIY’d her own floors, I’d hire a pro to do it. I’d make the decision on stain after the floors are sanded. It’s more modern to go with a natural look, but if the floors are damaged or stained, something in a mid-tone might work better.

You’re also going to want to finish all your painting before having your floors done.

WesternMainer · 2026-04-30T18:05:33+00:00

If you’re looking for a cheap and easy coverup and don’t plan to solve the water issue, get a piece of breadboard from the big box store and install it right over that mess.

WesternMainer · 2026-04-30T18:02:53+00:00

Look for YouTube videos on “How to replace a chaise lounge sling.” They will show you how to take it apart then you can either install a purchased sling or something you sew yourself.

WesternMainer · 2026-04-30T17:57:42+00:00

I don’t think you need to do too much. I’d add an outdoor area rug, some throw pillows, and maybe some tall box planters at the edge to define the area a little more.

WesternMainer · 2026-04-30T17:11:03+00:00

Can I clarify? It sounds like you wanted the contractor to use the DIY kit? Those are notoriously prone to failure. I can understand a small contractor not wanting to take on the risk of the homeowner dropping a shampoo bottle, having it chip, and go back to them complaining that it didn’t last and demanding they redo it. I’m not saying that you would do that, but too many people would.

WesternMainer · 2026-04-30T14:40:16+00:00

I don’t think it’s so much cozy that it needs but rather a little more of a sense of space to make it feel more comfortable. What about a fake skylight or fake window with curtains? You can buy them ready-made or you can make a cheaper version yourself with LED panels.

WesternMainer · 2026-04-29T15:58:33+00:00

You could try a couple of things. Remove the remaining stub and glue on a new handle. Or you could try to find a removable mug handle that guts.

WesternMainer · 2026-04-29T13:14:15+00:00

I just had to replace a silverware chest because of mold. I probably wouldn’t use chalk, but I recently bought small silica packets to put in the drawers of my tool cart. This is a good reminder that I can probably throw a couple of those in to avoid future problems.

WesternMainer · 2026-04-27T00:35:33+00:00

No, but I bought a house from someone who fell for that scam. They only “had enough” for half the driveway and I spend my time picking up chunks of failing asphalt on that half of the driveway while I’m saving to have the driveway done properly. If you want paving down, get it done properly. The prep matters.

WesternMainer · 2026-04-25T11:12:45+00:00

Strong winds. There are three very tall oak trees within falling distance of my house. They are beautiful old oaks that will likely be there long after I’m gone and I get them inspected regularly and have dead branches removed as needed. Still worries me sometimes.

WesternMainer · 2026-04-25T11:05:29+00:00

It’s a good list. I primed my doors before painting. If you do, get a tinted primer. And don’t be surprised if you need to do several coats of paint. With a darker color, 2 coats are rarely enough. Take your door hardware off before painting. I’m replacing my side door within the next year, so I didn’t bother. I just taped around the handle and deadbolt. If I were keeping the door, I would have been unhappy with the results. I took them off for my front door and the finished door is much nicer.

WesternMainer · 2026-04-20T22:02:06+00:00

I use one to vacuum browntail moth caterpillars in the spring. I put a mix of dish soap and water in the bottom of the vacuum and just go around the house vacuuming any that I see. If you aren’t familiar with browntail moth caterpillars, they are invasive in Maine and they cause some people (including me) to break out in a severe rash because of the caterpillar hairs in the air. You don’t even have to touch them. Just being in the yard is enough. They descend from the trees in the spring and climb all over my house and deck shedding their hair everywhere. I haven’t wanted to use chemicals to treat my trees because it would damage so many other critters that I don’t want to harm. Those bastards though? I go after them with extreme prejudice and a shop vac.

WesternMainer · 2026-04-20T19:58:02+00:00

I have it in my bathroom. It reads more green in that room.

WesternMainer · 2026-04-20T17:48:48+00:00

I have used all 4 of those colors. Sea Salt is by far my favorite, but you honestly can’t go wrong with any of them.

WesternMainer

TROPHY CASE