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So tomorrow is New Year’s Eve and I can confidently say that I accomplished every one of my New Year’s resolutions. I don’t want to go into detail about each resolution, but I do want to share about the dedication and drive that it took to accomplish these goals.

Before I move forward, I feel like I need to give some context here. I was raised on a farm and I know what it means to work hard. Those formative years set a high standard for myself that has never wavered; I have always worked hard at home, school, or at work. For me, working hard and with passion brings elevated meaning to even the most ordinary tasks. Anyone who knows me will be quick to tell you that I work with purpose and fervor. This will never change.

But what set 2009 apart from each previous year of hard work was that I was more deliberate with managing the twelve months of the year and the five days in a workweek. In short, I always began with the end in mind. I was focused on short- and long-term goals through each day of the past 364 days of this year. It was my most masterfully executed calendar year since graduating college. This allowed me to accomplish each of my New Year’s resolutions plus my massive professional workload.

So was all that work worth it? I guess that’s the big question that deep down I want to find an answer for and why I’m writing about the subject. If all I wanted to do was to publish my accomplishments this year, it would be simple enough to copy and paste all of my completed to-do lists from the year. But at the moment I am heavy with exhaustion that’s entirely unpleasant. I’m burned out. It is hard to know if it was worth it.

Here are my thoughts:

1. I doubt that everyone on my team at work appreciates what I’ve given to our organization over the past twelve months. That’s okay, because everyone was busy with their own work and they didn’t have the time to stop and appreciate my effort. As with most things in life, I will just have to be patient to see the impact of my labor. The reward won’t come with a bonus (we don’t have bonuses) or a promotion (we don’t have promotions), but with seeing our ministry grow and excel.
2. Part of the reason I worked so hard this year was because I wanted to see if I could do it. I know that the professional athletes that I most admire succeed because of their legendary effort, and I wanted to see if I could apply the same drive to my own life. I can say without a doubt that I gave legendary effort in 2009. Unlike professional athletes—however–I have no post-season where my team enters the playoffs and primed to dominate other teams. There is no deciding game where the victors hold the championship trophy high above their heads. Nobody gets the MVP trophy in my world. This kinda sucks.
3. Working so hard can make you self-absorbed. I started to think that the only thing that mattered on this planet is the stuff that I had to get done. It was hard to spontaneously make time to help friends when my schedule was packed so tightly. Plus when you’re consumed with ambition for twelve straight months, you don’t have much to talk about other than the stuff you’re doing. I wonder if I was a bore to listen to for a whole year.
4. It’s hard to live in the moment. One example that comes to mind was when Candyce drove me to the airport. I had just finished my midterm at school the night before and was soon going out of town for a long weekend. I knew that as soon as I returned, I would be preparing for class assignments for another five days straight. So that 20-minute drive to the airport should’ve been spent just enjoying the company of my kind and beautiful wife. But instead I was completely consumed with the next seven days. I got on the airplane feeling lonely and unfulfilled.
5. Let there be no confusion here: getting a master’s degree while still working full time is difficult for anyone, but especially for a married man with a family. I know that many people have done it before me, so I try not to get too intimidated by the insane amount of work I have to do each day. But I’ve learned that an overbooked lifestyle starts to make you feel like someone else is running your life. It’s ironic, isn’t it? I started this whole thing so that I could get my control over my future.

So there you have it—a blog update from an exhausted man after a long year of hard work. I would like to come up with a clever way to pull this whole thing together, but I’m out of energy. The end.

Earlier this month I posted photos of my refinished tile floors. Here are some photos of the last room to be refinished: the dining room. Click on the thumbnails below and then look for a detailed description below.

When I bought my home three years ago, the most defining features of the great room was cheap carpet and tacky tile. One year later, my brother and father came out to Arizona to help me remodel the first floor of my home, and the first items to go was that ugly carpet and tile…

Dad removes the tacky tile that will soon be replaced by travertine.

Once the floors were stripped down to the concrete foundation, I laid most of the the tile in a 16-hour marathon that began at 6pm and ended at 10am the following day.  The tile needed to get done ASAP so my brother could install the baseboards in the great room.

The good news is that my hard work paid off–my brother began the baseboards the next morning and the remodel continued on. The bad news is that the grout between the tiles “sunk” as it dried which made the tiles look uneven. I don’t know if the grout sunk because it was too thin and seeped beneath the tile, or maybe the dry Arizona air pulled the moisture out of the grout and caused it to lose volume. Regardless, the end result was a floor that looked good, but it didn’t look great. It wasn’t a priority at the time to apply more grout and make it perfect, so I left it as it was.

Now that the remodeling finished–18 months later–I’ve made my rounds and regrouted and sealed/polished the tile. Here are photos of what I did over the last couple of weekends…click on the small image and look for a detailed description on the bottom…

Now it’s time to clean the other side of the great room. It’s going to be a busy Saturday afternoon.

(I am beginning to see that the inside of my house and my website use the same color palette. That means I’m either consistent or boring.)

I’m writing this blog because a lot of my friends have begun work on their newly purchased “bottom of the market” homes and are intimidated by the work ahead yet eager to get started. As I write this, my brother-in-law is preparing to make a once-flooded foreclosed house into a livable home for his wife and young son. He’s texted me a couple times this week asking about tools he can borrow from my arsenal and what tools he should buy on his own. This brings up a big question: What tools does a new homeowner need to buy?

I couldn't have made this paneling without the right tools.

My short answer is buy whatever tools you need.  I don’t like the idea that you need a complete and expansive arsenal of tools before you can get started. Every project demands a different set of tools, so prescribing a “must have” list of tools for an unknown project is misguided. Plus let’s not forget: tools can be expensive. Most of us can only afford one tool at a time.

Having said that, the tools listed below have come from my own needs as a homeowner. These are essentially wood working tools for finish carpentry, wainscoting, and furniture making. Although I did extensive drywall work and tiling throughout my remodel, the tools for those jobs are specialized, single-purpose tools that I won’t cover here.

So friends, here is a quick introduction to 20 versatile tools that will help you do a job that’s both professional and quick.

Power Tools

	01. Electric Drill This one is pretty obvious. Drilling out holes with a hand tool will make your muscles rock-hard, but you’ll waste your day getting the job done. Screwdrivers? You will certainly use a screwdriver with almost every project, but I’ve never met a man who has enough patience to use a screwdriver for an entire project. Save your sanity: buy an electric hand drill. I own a corded drill and a cordless battery powered drill.
	02. Compound Miter Saw This the ultimate power tool for doing finish carpentry. You can make accurate angled cuts for all moulding: baseboards, chair rails, and crown. This saw also makes light work of quickly cutting two-by-fours for framing. Unfortunately, a compound miter saw is expensive, even if you get a cheaper model. So if you aren’t planning on doing a lot of carpentry around the house, a basic miter saw will do a good job.
	03. Circular Saw A circular saw is a must-have tool for anyone working with wood. It’s small and easy to bring with you to different job sites. Although a table saw can make more consistent cuts, you don’t always have space or time to set it up. An added bonus is that a circular saw is one of the more affordable tools.
	04. Table Saw This is essentially a circular saw turned upside inside useful table. The advantage of a table saw is that you are able to make longer cuts–especially on sheets of plywood–straighter and more consistent, thanks to the table surface and the table fence.
	05. Reciprocating Saw This is not a precision cutting instrument, but a furious deconstruction tool. I’ve seen guys use a circular saw to take down a wall because that’s all they’ve had, but reciprocating saw gives better leverage and is more comfortable in your hands. This makes the job quicker and more safe (as long as you don’t cut through pipes and live electrical wires.) In short, if you need to tear it down, use a reciprocating saw. It’s fun.
	06. Shop Vacuum A shop vac is an important tool for a DIYer because it keeps your work space clean. A broom and a dust pan work fine if all you’re doing is cleaning the sawdust off the floor of your garage, but if you do work inside your home where cleanliness is a higher priority, then know that a shop vac is your best friend. An added bonus is that a shop vac can be fastened to some wood working tools to prevent dust from ever touching the ground. In my opinion, the best feature is that many shop vacs work both wet and dry. It’s works as well sucking up drywall dust as it does sucking up dirty puddles of water.
	07. Router A router is a powerful tool that allows the wood worker to make fancy edges, like a curved perimeter of a table top. This is my favorite power tool to use because when I pull it off the shelf in my garage, it means that I am putting the finishing touches on a project that will give it the “wow factor”. If you are planning on doing a lot of trim work on your home (baseboards, crown, chair rail), you can save a lot of money by purchasing ordinary boards and then giving them a fancy routed edge. I used my router to build up layers of wood to make the crown moulding that wraps the top of my kitchen pantry. Keep in mind that the router isn’t just for show. I’ve found that my router was very helpful when I was trying to make clean and consistent recesses in my wood doors for the hinges.
	08. Finish Nailer + Air compressor A hammer is a useful instrument that shouldn’t be forgotten, but it’s not the best tool for putting in every nail. A finish nailer is a low-impact tool for fastening wood pieces to one another. If you plan on doing framing or a larger construction job, be sure to get the more powerful framing nailer. I know there are some battery-powered nailers out there, but I haven’t had a chance to use them yet. I like my air compressor because it is a low-maintenance power source for many of my tools. A convenient tool for removing finishing nails is pair of end nipper pliers.
	09. Random Orbit Sander Let’s get real here–nobody wants to spend an afternoon sanding their wood project. It’s boring and monotonous and you will eventually lose patience and be tempted to skip to rolling on your finish. So if you are expecting to do a lot of remodeling on your home, it’s wise to purchase an electric sander. Bypass the small and limited hobby sanders and sheet sanders and go right for the electric random orbit sander for clean, consistent, and quick results.  It’s worth knowing that you have to purchase specialized sandpaper made specifically for your sander. Although it’s pricier than ordinary sand paper, you can save money by ordering online ahead of time. If you are doing a lot of sanding, it’s wise to pair this sander with your shop vac.
	10. Jig Saw Jig saw is the “tug boat” of my power tools. It may not be big and brutish, but it can make quick curvy cuts that no other power tool can accomplish. If you have children who want to join you on a carpentry project, the jig saw is one of the least dangerous power tools. (Of course, train your child well and keep a close eye on them as they work.)

Hand Tools

	11. Hammer + Prybar The hammer is an obvious tool for a new homeowner. However, a prybar is a handy addition to a hammer because it helps pull stubborn nails from wood. Also, a prybar is a terrific tool for helping lift heavy objects. I’ve used my prybar to lift a heavy pre-hung patio door off the ground while my brother slid in shims to make the door plumb.
	12. Level A level isn’t just for perfectionists! A good level is a convenient straight edge when you want to mark cut lines on a sheet of wood. Plus, a level can help you save time measuring. Let’s say you want to hang three framed photos on the wall 55 inches off the ground. You can measure once and mark your point. Then hold a level to the point horizontally and trace a line from left to right. That’s a lot more efficient than measuring and marking 55 inches three different times.
	13. Tape measure Because who wants to carry a rigid 10-foot ruler around the job site? Note: buy a bright colored tape measure or you will lose it again and again.
	14. Plane This is a small but powerful tool to have at your disposal for when sandpaper seems too weak to remove excess wood. It can be used to smooth out rough wood or to reduced the thickness of a piece of wood. This is an ideal tool for thinning out a wood door that gets stuck in the door frame.
	15. Clamps Want a third hand? That’s what a clamp is for! There are many different types of clamps out there, but the most effective clamp for the work that I’ve done is the pistol grip clamp (or “bar clamp”) because it only requires one hand to properly set the clamp. Buying a clamp is not as exciting as buying a cool new power tool, but I’ve never met a guy who regretted purchasing clamps. They will without a doubt make your job easier.
	16. Sanding Block It’s tempting to start rubbing a flat surface with sandpaper alone, but you will not get consistent results because your hand is a pliable surface. But an inexpensive rubber sanding block can be quickly  wrapped with sandpaper and will return admirable results. However, if your want to sand a curved surface, say excess dried wood filler from the face of crown moulding, try purchasing inexpensive abrasive sponges. They will adjust to the contours of your moulding more consistently than your hand alone. If you have a variety of surfaces to sand, try adhering sand paper to a variety of wood shapes with spray adhesive.
	17. Nail Set Don’t expect to do professional carpentry work if you do not have a nail set. It’s a pretty straight-forward tool. You fix the tip of the nail set on the head of a nail that has already been hammered into the surface. Strike the nail set with a hammer to drive the nail head beneath the surface of the wood. Next, fill the hole with wood putty, let it dry, and then sand the surface smoothly. A good woodworker makes it nearly impossible to detect where he used nails. Note: get a bright colored nail set so you don’t lose it.
	18. Chalk Line/Chalk Box with a String Level A chalk line a smart tool for marking long and straight lines. It’s most obvious use is for snapping lines on sheets of wood or drywall or for marking roofs for shingles, but it’s also good for finding the center of rooms for laying tile. While you are buying a chalk line, look out for a simple metal level that hooks onto your string. Together the tools will help you snap perfect lines.
	19. Miter Box and Saw It’s not necessary to set up the electric miter saw every time you need to cut a 45 degree angle. A classic handsaw and a miter box gets the job done just fine. What I also like about a miter box and saw is that they’re inexpensive–less than $20–and it’s easy to use. New carpenters build their confidence in making angled cuts. (Your whole family can use this set for school and craft projects.) Purists may not like the bright yellow plastic miter box, but these ubiquitous miter boxes come with handy pegs that brace the wood while you cut. Just be sure to screw the miter box into your worktable to keep it from rocking around as you saw.
	20. Chisels Chisels are capable of removing excess wood in narrow or awkward spaces. With proper care, chisels can last for a life time. For what it’s worth, there’s a timeless satisfaction that comes from sharpening your chisels in between woodworking projects. Chisels have been used by generations of woodworkers.

Summary

If you are interested purchasing any of the tools above, consult the the senior staff members in the tool department at your local home store. They can help you find the right tool for your job that works with your budget. Also, spend some time researching online to find out what companies make the most precise and reliable tools. You want to feel confident that the purchase you are going to make is a wise investment for the long haul.

Introduction: There are few home styles more inviting and charming as a Southern California beach house. But finding out what “makes a beach house a beach house” can be hard to quantify. So I dug through my photo archive of my favorite beach houses in North County San Diego to share with all of you DIYers out there who want to add beachy touches to their own homes. To be clear, there is no strict formula for what defines a Southern California beach house, but there are distinct architectural and design details that creative homeowners can apply to their homes. Let’s get started…

Pour yourself a cup of coffee and listen to Jack Johnson.

Big Design Inspiration in Humble Buildings

A life guard tower in Carlsbad, CA

Before we get into the houses, let’s first stop to appreciate the icon of the beach: the lifeguard tower.  The three details to notice here are the color, and railing, and roof:

1. Color. Over the decades, the Southern California lifeguard towers have always been aqua in colored: power blue, teal blue, teal green, mint green, etc.
2. Railing. Here the railings are modest bent piping, probably stainless steel. Although pipe railings might have reached peak popularity in the 1980s (think art-deco Miami Beach around the time of Miami Vice), they’re still a stylish and low-maintenance option that let you maximize ocean views.
3. Cantilevered Roof. Notice that the roof extends out far beyond the walls of the tower without any structural support. These cantilevered roofs shade the lifeguard from the sun, but they also point the way to the ocean view, a detail you will see in many beach houses. Although you won’t see it in this tower, early lifeguard towers had simple, low-pitched roofs that accentuated the forward-looking overhand.

Now lets take a look at some beachy details on some modest buildings at my favorite campground overlooking the Pacific Ocean. These buildings and structures are important to a DIYer because they are low-cost and simple to build, yet they still glow with beachy details.  Click on the photos below to get large images with detailed descriptions.

What details did we see?

1. Layers of painted woodwork: white and aqua in color
2. Cantilevered roofs / deep overhangs
3. Exposed rafters / no soffit or fascia boards
4. No elaborate wood cuts
5. Slender support posts
6. Staircase posts (or balusters) that attach the the exterior of the staircase and dip below the structure.

Let’s see some of these details from both the lifeguard tower plus beach side buildings and structures can be applied to a home.

Elements of Beach House Design

I snapped this photo below in Leucadia, a beach side community in North County San Diego. Notice the aqua colors and the low-pitched cantilevered roof, both details taken from traditional lifeguard towers. What is interesting here is that this room above the garage doesn’t even have an view of the ocean. The windows facing left open up to the side of their neighbor’s home; the real ocean view on the far side of the home. But the simple details give this low-cost structure an undeniable beachy feel.

A simple home with big charm.

Although the builder used fascia boards to hide the ends of the rafters, he opted not to use soffit boards so the rafters would be exposed. (Look under the overhang by the white door into the home.)

Below is another small but attractive beach house within walking distance to the beach. The details to appreciate here are the low-pitched roof, exposed rafters, white painted trim work, and clerestory windows on the left structure and above doors to the deck. These windows maximize natural sunlight without sacrificing privacy.

Notice too that the deck railing is constructed of both painted and natural wood.

The two photos below are of one of North County’s more remarkable ocean side homes. Clearly, the homeowner had a larger budget than the homes above. But it’s interesting that they did not deviate from the mystique of the lifeguard tower.

The stunning interpretation of a lifeguard tower gives a commanding view of the ocean in the distance.

Notice the multitude of exposed rafter tails.

The front entry is filled with good design.

The photo above reveals a multitude of architectural details.

• Exposed rafters are exposed beyond the roof, capped with galvanized steel to prevent them from rotting.
• Slender support posts that hang below the cement block stair structure.
• Hand rail the uses taught lines of cable, not unlike the cable found on yachts.

Let’s take a look at another well-thought-out home in quiet neighborhood close to Encinitas’s Moonlight Beach. The details to notice cantilevered roof supported by simple four-by-four post. The railing that wraps the deck is similar to the staircases that lead people from the bluff down to the beach.

A small beach house with contemporary leanings.

Again, a cantilevered roof suggests a beautiful view in the distance. But in the case of the home above, the only view is of street-side parking (notice rear window of the black SUV). The home was built on a peculiar plot of land that dipped a good 15 feet beneath the surface of the street. But clever design with well-placed beachy details allowed a charming home to rise out of made a scrappy lot.

Architectural Details

Now let’s take a look at a dozen beach homes and see how they repeat design details.

Ranch House >> Beach House

So how do you apply these architectural details to a home that wasn’t “built for the beach”? Let’s take a look at a straight-forward ranch style home that was redesigned to look like it belonged by the ocean…

My Favorite Home: Modern & Beachy

I want to close with a gallery of one of my favorite homes in San Diego. The architect successfully combined traditional beachy elements like white-painted trim, exposed rafters, steal cable railings, and sunshine-colored siding. But you’ll also find boxy contemporary details including concrete fencing, tall contemporary windows, and the boxy stuccoed structures that wraps the garage and continues along the side of the home. Although this homes leans towards contemporary, it is without a doubt a beach home.