What’s With the Name? Each of us has a home. Whether we rent, own, or live with other family members, we get up and go to bed in the same place (most of the time). Most of us are working to make our home and community better, either through remodeling, community involvement, or simply painting a room in the house a more cheerful color.
Each of us envisions the perfect home and community for our family and our neighbors. And we work to get there - one project or cause at a time. Anyone who’s owned a home for more than a few years knows that the list of house and community projects never ends. But that doesn’t stop us from tackling them, because every project moves us One Project Closer to the perfect home, or community, or life. So that’s what the site is about: tips, advice, experiences, products, reviews, giveaways, finances, how-tos, tools, and more that help us build better homes, communities, and lives. Whether we get to the perfect end, well, that’s not really that important, is it?
So Who’s Writing Here? In short: Fred, Kim, Ethan, and Jocie. We’re four best friends living in the same community in the suburbs of Baltimore County, Maryland. We’re married (Fred to Kim, Ethan to Jocie), and have three homes between us. Fred & Kim live in a four bedroom traditional colonial in the back of a cul-de-sac. Ethan & Jocie live in an end unit townhome that backs to the woods on another court. Fred and Kim own another townhome in a nearby community that they rent out. Our community has about 450 homes on 130 acres, and is governed by an active (but not too intrusive) Homeowners’ Association. We’ve a nearby community pool, and are blessed to have a number of other friends living close by.
(2 votes)
Recent posts
I’m excited to let you know that today’s Pro-Follow is the work of a new contractor named Chuck Thompson. Chuck is the owner of County Comfort LLC and an experienced HVAC specialist. Look for his information to appear on our Meet the Pros page soon and more Pro-Follows to come. Chuck received a service call that a homeowner’s air conditioning wasn’t working, and he let me shadow him on the job. The Symptoms A homeowner’s A/C can quit for several different reasons. In this case, the homeowners realized that there wasn’t any cold air circulating, and on further inspection, they found the indoor air coil wasn’t even cold. This is the information Chuck had when he arrived. Diagnosing the Problem Chuck performed a few diagnostics to determine what the problem was...
read more at One Project Closer Posted 1 day 10 hours ago.
“5 Minutes or Less” is an on-going series dedicated to quick and fun crafts and DIY projects that you can do in five minutes or less. This segment came to being because in our busy life it was difficult making the time for the involved and time-consuming projects that I love. We would love to feature your ideas too, so don’t forget to take lots of pictures of your next “5 Minutes or Less” DIY and send ‘em our way! “5 Minutes or Less” is a little misleading on this one. What I should have said was 5 Minutes or Less…and then wait 2 -3 months! This project almost killed my patience. The first couple weeks, I checked it daily, obsessed with it miraculously being done...
read more at One Project Closer Posted 2 days 14 hours ago.
Continuing my foray into the world of woodworking, last week I made a wooden planter box, and I’m really pleased with how it turned out. The box is functional, looks good and all the joints are nice and tight. Much like the wooden beer tote I made, if you change the dimensions, this planter box can be used for many other purposes (like a casserole dish). It was a fun woodworking project, and here’s how I put it together. Materials: 1 x 10″ x 6′ Oak 1/4″ plywood Wood filler Wood stain Polyurethane Handles Plants 10×14″ baking tray Rocks Tools Table saw (see review in Related Content section) Compound miter saw Pin nailer Wood Glue Sandpaper Drill / driver Step 1: Rip the 1x to Size I started this project by ripping the 1 x 10″ Oak board in half on my table saw...
read more at One Project Closer Posted 3 days 14 hours ago.
If you’re a relatively new reader, you might not realize that we give away a lot of free stuff. For instance, right now in our Rewards Center we have 10 items up for grabs (with several more queued up for the near future). Plus, the stuff we giveaway is really nice! Here’s a quick overview of what we have to offer right now. How it Works Project Rewards (click here for full details) is a reader appreciation program, and for a shot at all these freebies, you need to: Register: All you have to do is pick a username and provide an email address, and you’re all set to start earning Project Points. There is no cost, and we never distribute your info for any reason...
read more at One Project Closer Posted 4 days 14 hours ago.
Welcome back to our latest Pro-Follow update. Last time we left off, Steve Wartman and his crew had finished installing the bathroom fan, and the previous day they had hung concrete board in the shower and Fir plywood over the subfloor. At this point, the bathroom is ready for tile, and Steve called in Rick Smith and his crew to tile the shower and bathroom floor. Rick brings over 30 years of experience, and coincidentally Rick is the contractor that tiled my master bathroom several years ago. If you enjoy our Pro-Follows and learning how professional contractors complete home improvement jobs, subscribe to our email or RSS feeds and never miss an update. Every Pro-Follow comes to you from a real job site, chock full of real pro tips...
read more at One Project Closer Posted 5 days 14 hours ago.
We’re back with another Pro-Follow update for the bathroom remodel with Steve Wartman and his crew. If you’re just joining us, you can read up on the progress so far at these links: Day 1: Demolition Day 2: Plumbing, Electric and Concrete Board In the introduction to this project, I mentioned that moving the bathroom fan was part of the plan. The original fan was situated on the opposite side of the shower and vented into the attic space. Steve wanted to relocate the fan so that it more effectively pulls moisture from the room, and he wanted to vent it out through a nearby soffit. Electric When the electrician came through on Day 2, he was able to reroute the electric from the original fan to the new location without pulling any new wires...
read more at One Project Closer Posted 1 week 1 day ago.
Steve Wartman and his crew have almost finished the basement remodel, and I’ll be writing a comprehensive post to unveil the transformation soon. Installing flooring is one of the last phases in the process, and the homeowners have opted for a floating laminate floor in the laundry room. Floating floors are a great DIY project because the work goes fast, and since a floating floor isn’t nailed down, they don’t require as many tools as a traditional wood floor install (see our How to Install Hardwood Flooring article for more details). Plus, floating floors can be laid over virtually any material—concrete, plywood, sheet vinyl, and more...
read more at One Project Closer Posted 1 week 3 days ago.
Welcome back to our Pro-Follow with professional contractor Steve Wartman as he and his crew remodel a master bathroom. Last time we left off, the guys had just finished gutting the bathroom, removing the old vanity, toilet, tile and tub. If you missed it, here’s coverage from Day 1: Day 1: Bathroom Demolition We’re always working to bring you more Pro-Follows, and other high-quality tutorials. If you enjoy home improvement and learning from professional contractors, take a moment and become an email or RSS subscriber. As I catch up with Steve and his crew, the plumber and electrician have been through and completed their rough-in work...
read more at One Project Closer Posted 1 week 4 days ago.
As I followed Steve Wartman and his crew through the process of building a deck, many of you sharp-eyed readers noticed that the overhead power lines were very close to the new deck. When I asked Steve about it, he said the power lines were to be buried at a later date. Well that time arrived last week, and here’s how they did it. Burying power lines is not a very complicated task. However, it can be quite laborious without the right machinery, and a big part of today’s Pro-Follow involves the Ditch Witch...
read more at One Project Closer Posted 1 week 5 days ago.
Last week I had the opportunity to help a friend build the foundation for a new shed that will be delivered in a couple of weeks. His back yard has a bit of a slope, and it would take too much concrete to pour a slab (read how to pour a concrete shed foundation here). For that reason, we decided that building a post and beam foundation would be the best way to go. This article is a step-by-step guide for how we built it, and if you’ve read our article for building a deck, you’ll see some similarities. Editors update: The shed has been delivered, and I’ve updated this post with some additional pictures...
read more at One Project Closer Posted 2 weeks 3 days ago.