Stack & Tier

New electrical outlet install behind the TV, branching off of an outlet near the floor. ⚡

I still have yet to see a residential homebuilder install a recessed outlet in an area designed for a TV but this approach does help save space and avoid shorting the outlet (worst case scenario). 🔌

This outlet alright about the max of three circuiting currently ran into a 1- gang box and the 14ga wires are a bit brittle (1960’s build), the ground wires were cracking off when bending to nut together which took the majority of the time on this project.

“Old work” gang boxes don’t work with recessed outlets without modification due to the plastic channels inside that limit the outlet. These need to be partially removed, an oscillating/multi tool and needle nose pliers work perfectly to remove them flush.

We didn’t need a low voltage pass thru plate for wires at the bottom but routing the new 12/2 (overkill but it’s what I have) wire to the bottom left of the existing (new work) gang box would have been virtually impossible otherwise. 💡

When the structure isn't there you build a one.

One, if not the most feature rich mounts available is the MM815, and sometimes they run unbeatable specials. In the grand scheme of an investment in a home, a highly functional tv mount that moves without any effort and safely away from a fireplace while optimizing the experience of entertainment, objectively is a high RIO investment.

I ensured to double check my numbers before mounting since there wasn't too much additional clearance to fit one of the largest TVs available vertically between the mantel and ceiling, overall this is a fairly straightforward install other than a handful of additional measurements and assembly of the mount and components.

Note: these mounts currently aren't designed to stop mid travel, allow them to travel the full distance after initial configuration.

The recessed drywall in this living room is an ideal spot for a television and the owner ended up picking up a the a slim wall mount with virtually no clearance, and a soundbar mounted underneath.

The previous installer didn’t line up the tv with the wall recess, granted the studs didn’t line up with the location needed to fit the tv in the recessed drywall. We ended up drilling a new mounting interface hole in a reasonable safe location on the steel wall mount to ensure we could use the larger 1/4” x3” lag bolts we supplied to secure the mount to the wall. Also we used a few 1/4" toggle bolts for additional assurances.

One additional challenge was the tv interface components that secures the tv to the mount can and did get stuck on the wall mount interface when aligning the components, sometimes getting four components lined up, requiring the TV to be plumb when setting into the wall mount, especially in a recessed wall that creates less of a chance to see the alignment. Nevertheless after a good amount of sweat we (the homeowner) and I made it happen. 👌🙌

This home was built in ‘77, sold in ‘78 for $48K.

The bathroom sink faucets installed by the builder have served the homeowners for over four decades now, and the handles that open the valve have ceased to mostly ceased.

This is a great opportunity for replacement which we did with a few .

To the individuals that stole my 18 and 15 gauge finish cordless nailers, series battery power station and other items from my Van (with a security system) while I was working all night until 5am Saturday morning in West Seattle that I need for this project. I have a big gift for you, contact me for details.looks.like.shxt

TV mounting and cord concealment for newest homeowners.
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We have yet to find a developer install recessed electric outlets to create space between the TV and the wall, it's an ideal detail to prevent shorting or damage to the outlet and cord plug.
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A few inches might not seem like a lot however when you're working it tight restrictions it's a real game changer for at least the peace of mind.
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We ran, terminated, and tested ethernet cable to make sure we're running at optimal speeds that prevent consumption of wireless bandwidth and ethernet is simply more reliable.

After tiling, we repaired the drywall, sanded and cleaned it with some TSP (degreaser).
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Drywall texturing is a detail that takes some patience and practice for a consistent pattern. We tested a few applicators in this process, first the texture sprayer, as expected it had little power for at least the thickness of the texture batch we mixed (moderate to bold patterns).
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We tried the system but had a bit larger of an area than this system was designed for. A powerful 12.5 cfm air compressor paired with a standard hopper worked fine, but requires a bit of precision selecting and mixing mud.
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Pressurized hoppers (I.e. texpro), which are harder to source these days at a compitive price, likely would have performed best with less expertise mixing mud.
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We added a little personal touch to the room by using a relatively much thicker than usual 1x3 top local native wood species (CVG Fir) for the base with a customized profile created in-house, the routed profile matches a current common profile, and stained with a matte triple coat stain. A 45 miter approach isn't the best idea, even using CA glue, a better idea is to cope or be ready to use a bit of color matched caulk or filler.
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One way we stayed in a tighter budget with quality products is by leveraging time, we shopped for months. Many of the larger products were on-sale in-store & .com , with their max 15% margins we managed to get near true wholesale rates.
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The new texture is knockdown and on the medium course side, a bit more water to the mix, especially using a standard hooper, would have helped get closer to an orange peel but the med-course ended up being preferred. products have been hard to source lately, but a backordered pressure-boosted hopper gun should provide a bit more flexibly for any mix.
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The semi-gloss Fundamental White is a refreshing color, the knockdown texture is a bit course but it has a lot of character.

# paint

After repairing the subfloor, we mapped out the cuts on the construction grade 1/2” plywood substrate. Plywood isn’t cheap, but is cheap insurance for the greatest resiliency. We used a fastener schedule that exceeded the requirements for those days of extreme temperatures.
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Uncoupling membranes (UM) is a newer technology based on an ancient sand strata method, introduced by Schluter in '87. UM provides movement protection, waterproofing, v***r mgmt, and tile support and is much easier than a reinforced mortar bed method, and much better performance than a direct bond method.
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There are quite a few options for UM i.e. Strata Mat, Mapeguard, Flexbone, Dural Durabase. We went with due to availability, 10yr warranty UM/lifetime on system, and the availability of products for nearly everything i.e. thinset, bands/tape, profiles, etc.
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A detail that might be easy to overlook if a true waterproofing and longer lifetime warranty is desired, and proven with independent flood tests, is to use Schluter’s thin-set. We used the white All-set on this one that both secures the membrane and tile. keeps this type of thinset in stock.
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We used large format 12x24 porcelain tile to cut down on grout lines and make this small space feel bigger with a kind of forced perspective, like what is known for. Large format needs a leveling system in addition to spacers, we used the @ rubitools Delta Level System with nice and large Horseshoe tile spacers.
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A few tips on workflow. Embed all of Ditra & Kerdi in thinset then create a tile layout and cut measurements based on that, especially if running Kerdi Band along the corners. Wash off the thinset on the wall quickly. There is no need to apply the thinset on top of the band.
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The sign of a good tiler is getting the right amount of thinset, too much will create a lot more work to cleanup. Too little could compromise the bonding and create other issues.
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H/t to , , , BuilditFixit for the content on tiling