A LOT of Irons in the Fire!

This was that first gloriously warm and sunny spring weekend here in my part of the Midwest so I got two good days of work in on the Can. Probably should break it into a post for each area that we worked on...yes WE!!! Seems the honeymoon bug has bit a few members of our family, yay! Shutterfly and Mr. Creature Comforts put in some serious elbow grease this weekend. Mr. CC even gets a shout out for making sure I am in a picture or two.

So fire #1- The Entrance Door

When we last saw the door it had just undergone reparative surgery. This weekend it was sufficiently recovered to get plastic surgery.  Before she could head off for the headline makeover I took a sanding block to the handle and lock mechanism to shine off the minimal rust and tarnishing because this one works just fine so it will stay.

I got the one with several angles and edges to be prepared for any tight spots and it worked like a charm! It is my hope that this will be enough to keep a new handle/lock mechanism from eating into my budget.

The old dry and crumbling weather stripping was pulled, scraped, and Goo-goned. Plan to mount the new stuff soon and will hopefully have a whole DIY post up. I am turning out not to be quite as thorough on the photo documentation needed for a step by step DIY post. Pretty sure it has a LOT to do with me being the main photographer as well as impulsive. DIY documentation fail #2 about to be confessed.....

Ta dah!!! Because the repaired wood joins a laminate with a very papery wood grain finish, a papery finish that we now knows ripples when wet, painting became a less than ideal solution. While on a trip to Home Depot to get other supplies I came across this faux tin tile. [http://www.homedepot.com/p/Fasade-24-in-x-18-in-Traditional-1-PVC-Decorative-Backsplash-Panel-in-Brushed-Aluminum-B50-08/202025353 ] Door was 22 X 20 so I did have to get two pieces and match up the pattern but they have very thorough and clear directions on the back of the pieces. I followed those and ended up with a result I love! The only sticky wicket here was the way my particular door assembles. In order to make sure one measures correctly, you have to identify where the flange of the top piece overhangs the aluminum trim on the bottom portion.

The upper door portion rests on the lower door with there in an aluminum flange that slips down over the top of the lower. It is best seen at the upper left arrow. The other arrow shows the aluminum frame of the lower door piece where you need to butt the edge of the faux tin panel. I found it very easy to cut with scissors but some may prefer to use a metal straightedge and cutting knife. I used the double sided adhesive tape suggested because it is not unlikely that this panel may someday be switched out for some newer trendy treatment.

So, my before and after:

In typing all of this I have decided that the rest of the irons in the fire need to have their own posts. Be sure to read along!!