Things are coming along with my remodel!  But during the whole ordeal from remediation and now to the remodel phase, mold has been the big issue for me.  From the beginning I have been relegated to just a few rooms with a zipper door to the back of the house.  My son, who has helped me and I did everything we could DIY Style to rid my home of the mold with every precaution we could.  Read more on My DIY Mold Remediation Story.

I’m still living behind my zipper door and we still wear masks in the rest of the house.  But after this one being up over a year, it’s been taped and re-taped, so ‘stuff’ is going to find a way in!  Whoops.  Gotta tape that upper corner again!

I have used various air cleaners/scrubbers, but I wanted one that is both attractive and truly takes care of those nasty microorganisms that are inevitably let loose and ‘take wing’ and go flying as we disturb them while putting in the kitchen and floors, etc.!  When free, I’ve worried they can’t help but sneak beyond zipper door into the office and bedroom area.  

I decided to find the best portable purifier for these areas which I can later move into my new clean environment after things settle down!

MY USUAL HOMEWORK

So I got on the internet and on the phone.  I was excited to discover airocide, then thrilled to be given one to try.

It’s sleek, contemporary and gorgeous!   Right now it looks fun in my son’s  Studio Office….

Coming up, it will be beautiful in my new modern eclectic family room and kitchen setting!   I’ll post those pics when that happens – very soon!

But is it Both Beautiful AND Effective?

I have had this baby for a year now, and I can say from my own experience, YES IT DOES!

I definitely notice the difference when I have turned it off for a time.  It is a sound studio, and though the noise level is not bothersome at all to me (much less than others I’ve used), it is of course necessary to turn off at times to do sound work.  Wow.  My sniffer can tell the difference.  It has a wide range and would cover my other office and bedroom, but wanting the remodel dust to stay away,  even with the zipper door, I keep these doors closed, so sometimes I move the airocide around.  My cats are relegated to my bedroom with the cat box in my bathroom and WOW again.  Amazing in there!  The odor difference in the various rooms when the airocide isn’t present, is very apparent!  But it’s not just what my sniffer smells… It’s my sniffer not sniffling & sneezing! 

The company mentions dust and I will say there is still dust on the furniture – perhaps the build up is not as quick, but what it zaps and kills, is what I care about.  

I Was Worried

In my research I would see some brands that sound good, but digging deeper, found they actually emit ozones.  Not good for the lungs! No problem here!  It was also very important my air purifier removes VOC’s (very important to me with my new construction).  Yay!  Overall, I am so happy with my Airocide!

Airocide’s Info:  Filterless Air Purification Technology

• Eliminates mold, fungi, dust, viruses, bacteria and VOC’s – all major allergy triggers
• Remove common household odors
• Technology developed by NASA and FDA approved
• No filters to change or blades to wipe off, ever
• Zero ozone emissions
• Our unique design sets us apart from traditional air purifiers, not only in the way we look, but in the way we perform. With Airocide, there are never any dirty filters to change. Instead, simply replace the Reaction Chambers once a year. It’s easy.

Airocide Cleans the Air 24/7

Airocide – NASA Technology Air Purifier  ~ You can also find it on Amazon!

Stay Tuned!  My son is putting in the flooring… Getting closer!  Still have some final touches on the kitchen cabinets and need to get all the appliances in!  Woo hoo!  

I can’t wait to show you how beautiful MY AIROCIDE will be in my NEW DECOR!  STAY TUNED!  

Please join me and Subscribe. ( Right hand column at top or scroll down on phone.)

Thanks Everybuddies! ~ Deba Do ♥

The post Sneaky Mold ~ Breathing Easier with this Gorgeous Air Cleaner! appeared first on Deba Do Tell.

The kitchen is starting to come together!  Still putting finishing touches on cabinets and dreaming of new appliances!  But before that could happen, I needed my new floor in place.  My flooring, Luxury Vinyl Planks, had already arrived – Ready and anxiously waiting.  I had been told that for my particular flooring, underlayment wasn’t necessary, but was something I desired for multiple reasons.

*This post is sponsored by Healthier Choice.  I sought them out after much research! All opinions are my own.  On that note, because I write about the things I use, find valuable, and choose to pass on to you!

GOING GREEN

Searching for an  EARTH-HUMAN FRIENDLY Underlayment

I did a lot of looking and research.  # 1 for me, of course, was to find one with no toxic, mean ole VOCs!

Cork was recommended as a good solution to me several times, and I’m sure fine for some, but cork has a natural odor which I’m not crazy about.   Not only that,  although natural itself, resin is often used as a binder and I’d rather stay away from that where possible. (There are some companies that heat press instead, which would be better.)   Also, after my flood fiasco, a moisture barrier was important to me,   I was told that cork is good with water absorption.  But that didn’t make feel so secure, but then what?   as well at some level of  safe antimicrobial protection.Even though we had done extensive mold cleanup, I just felt I needed to keep looking.  

Also, as my new flooring is upstairs and going over some office area, I desired some sound barrier.   Plus a little cush underfoot wouldn’t hurt!    I was so happy when I found the one for me!  And let’s not forget Price, Price Price!  Quality & Reasonable Price is important to me in any product I pass along to my followers.

Well!  OMNICHOICE UNIVERSAL  from  HEALTHIERCHOICE was the perfect fit!  With all of my desires, this product added several layers of feel-good security & well being moving forward.

I was excited when it arrived!  Nice an neatly packed in two boxes.   I needed 800 sq ft, so at 100 sq ft a roll, it worked out nicely.     (I opened them all to breathe a bit, although not necessary.  Just me being me.)

I thought, Wow, it looks so thin.   Can that be really effective?   But may I say, it is dense, tough stuff!  The quality is obvious and the thing is, you might get one that is thicker which one would think would be cushier, but most, in reality, would just squish down more and more under your floor, especially in high traffic areas or furniture.  This stuff is simply uncrushable!  Guaranteed.

Eaaaaaasy Peasy!  Rooooooll it out and cut with a straight edge and utility knife.

To hold in place as we went, I used small strips of tape here and there.  In speaking with the company, I was told it’s isn’t necessary, but fine, so I chose to go for it which found made it simpler. Then when the floor planks go down it all smooshes together perfectly.

And it all went quite smooooothly.

With a little measuring, we made cuts around areas that called for it.  “Hey, you with the knife!  Over here!”  

RESULTS  ~  COMFY NEW FLOOR ~ WOO HOO!

So, my planks are now down and I finally have a floor in my kitchen!  Yay!  I won’t show you here, as that is for an upcoming post!  But I can tell you this.  My footsies are happy campers.  It feels wonderful!  I knew it would probably feel nicer than the way the planks felt lying on the bare floor, but wow, what a comfortable feeling this has added.  (And the comfort level isn’t even one of the plus factors the company promotes on this product.)  Also, the sound factor below is significant!  All in all, I just feel better knowing this great, safe stuff is underfoot.

FACTS: ACOUSTICAL UNDERLAYMENT FOR WOOD, LUXURY VINYL & TILE APPLICATIONS

OmniChoice is a high-density acoustic underlayment specially designed to attenuate airborne and impact noise associated with hard surface flooring. It is effective at reducing in-room noise levels and floor-through-ceiling sound transmission such as foot steps in multi-level structures.

Its heavy weight construction ensures it will remain resilient and functional as an acoustic membrane, outperforming lightweight acoustic underlayments, which crush and fail from the weight of flooring, furniture, and the dynamic forces of foot traffic.

The post My DIY Non-Toxic Floor Underlayment appeared first on Deba Do Tell.

YAY!   I can hardly believe it.  Four post-flood years later, my kitchen is beginning to look like a kitchen again!  We have a good start on my DIY cabinets and a few other things – but have a ways to go.  And now excited to share with you my DIY Kitchen earth-friendly non-toxic tile backsplash project!

DAYS GONE BY

In my pre-flood kitchen, I didn’t have a backsplash.  For thirty years,  just never got around to it.  I often wished for one, however.  The white kitchen walls sustained oily stains and general discoloration, especially around the range.

For the last four years, I’ve had NO kitchen at all. 

KITCHEN BLAST FROM THE PAST

Here she was, albeit a bit cluttered at that moment.  Always loved displaying photos and heirloom items I adore.  I just simply loved looking at them every day.  (Painting by my artist son, Gavin, has been relegated to my office.)  Note my Mural on the wall, soon to disappear.

The new kitchen will be a sleeker, more contemporary look.

What I used to paint my fantasy mural ‘Urn With Palm Fronds’ including faux marble tile & grout, I’ll share soon on my DIY page.  My new cabinets covered part of the mural so it had to go.  But, time for a whole new look anyway, right?

FINDING MY NEW BACKSPLASH TILE for my DIY Kitchen earth-friendly non-toxic tile backsplash project!

First thing I did was go online to look for something I was crazy about.
looked and looked and loooooooooooooooked, till my eyeballs went buggy!

FINALLY. I found a beautiful glass tile I loved. But EEEeeeeooooEEEEEeeeee! Pricey!

FANCY DESIGN HOUSES
I used to do Design work for clients, so I went to some of my old stomping grounds around town. Beautiful Tile & Marble Places.  I only ended up WORN OUT.   I found some similar styles, but even at Contractor and my Designer Prices…. Also Pricey!!!

FRUSTRATED!

I decided to do a Google search for other options. Hmmmmmmmmm………
FLOOR & DECOR . . . .  “Why not”, I said to my son, “Let’s give it a looksie.”

WELL! SO FAR SO GOOD… BUT JUST ANOTHER BIG BOX STORE?

*This post is sponsored by Floor & Decor. All opinions are my own.  On that note, I write about the things I use, experience, find valuable, then choose to pass on to you!

SEA OF TILE TRANQUILITY

What met my happy RELAXED EYES was what seemed to be endless beautiful tile.
But could they possibly have what I was looking for?

SHINING LIKE A BEACON – THIS ONE WAS CALLING TO ME!  

Then I saw it.    Beautiful   *  Simple  *  Elegant  *  Glass  *  White  *   Timeless

Calling to me……………………………..

Whaaaaaaa? Same as the one I fell for online…with a MUCH LOWER PRICE TAG!

DOUBLE YAY!

INSTALLATION…….. WHAT UP WITH THAT?

I’ve never laid tile before, sooooo what next?  I found out that FLOOR & DECOR does weekly classes!  Very cool.

OUR FLOOR & DECOR TILE CLASS

This was so great. They are there to answer all your questions!

Not only that, I had plenty of extra questions all along the way and I can’t say enough how awesome, friendly and helpful every person in that store has been.

NON-TOXIC GROUT OF MY DREAMS

MAPEI Flexcolor:  It’s GREEN!    FLOOR & DECOR carries this waaaaaaaaaaaaay cool grout.   I googled it and found it to be exactly what I was hoping for on my DIY Kitchen earth-friendly non-toxic tile backsplash  project!

GROUT:  MAPEI Flexcolor CQ is a professional-grade, ready-to-use specialty grout for precision commercial and residential installations with porcelain, ceramic and natural-stone tiles.

• Professional Grade Ready to use Grout with Color Quartz
• Chemical and stain resistance due to dropeffect technology
  
• Crack and shrinkage controlled formulation
• Ready to use not mixing required
• Mold and Mildew protection for indoor and outdoor ceramic, porcelain and natural stone tile

BUCKET ‘O’ LOVE

Comes in a bucket with handy dandy flip-lid to keep it moist.  Love that it’s Pre-mixed and Ready to Go!  Two buckets were exactly right for what we needed.

MORTAR ALSO GREEN!

Ultraflex 1 is a standard-grade, single-component, polymer-modified thin-set mortar for most interior and exterior installations of tile. This mortar has an above-average content of a unique dry polymer, resulting in good adhesion to the substrate and tile.  Mixes with water.

GIDDIYUP ‘N’ GO!

Now that I have my Dream Tile & Dream Grout, Tools & Know How –  Time to dig in!

MEASURE & CUT

Gavin cutting tile in back yard.  We were fortunate to borrow this electric wet glass cutter.   FLOOR & DECOR does sell a great variety of tile cutters from DYIers to the Pros!

MOVIN’ THE MORTAR ALONG

We put on a workable portion of the wall at a time with a putty knife.  Then used the trowel to add the groovy grooves.

DISAPPEARING ACT

Bye Bye, Mural!  Here I am spreading mortar with the putty knife over the last remains of my artwork.  I felt a few twinges but I was certainly ready to finally get this new Show On The Road!

COVERING  OTHER PRICELESS WALL ART 

Wall art that’s popped up when Gavin’s around must also be covered.  “It’s-a Me.”   Hee Hee  As you can see, we always find ways to have fun when life throws you curves.

IN THE GROOVE

Kay.  So we got a little sloppy with the mortar and some ended up in the grooves (Green arrows) and didn’t clean out immediately.     Mapei  mortar dries very quickly.   Use a tool or something like a Popsicle stick to clean out best you can as you go. 

If you didn’t get it all…… Before grouting, it’s important to take a little tool like a small chisel and chunk out any left over stuff.  And don’t forget the little SPACER thingies.  Go around and pop all those little guys out before you begin grouting.  I realized I’d missed a bunch, as hard to see with everything white.   I used my jewelry making tool.  Needle Nose Pliers or Tweezers would also work!

GETTIN’ GROUTIN’

Mapei Time! Wait 24 hours after setting the tile and away you go.  Awesome stuff! It comes in a variety of lovely versatile colors. I chose white!  No need to seal, as it’s non-porous.  Now, I sure do like that.

HAZE IN A DAZE

Must make haste when working to clean the haze.   As one person fills in the grout, it’s a good idea to have another on their heels to sponge off the film left by the grout.

There are cleaners made specifically for that.  I’m sure they work very efficiently.

As I don’t like using cleaners with toxic ingredients, I tried my good ole’ vinegar recipe.
DIY VINEGAR HAZE REMOVAL FORMULA:  Mix one part White Distilled Vinegar to 4 parts warm water.  I put it in a medium plastic storage container to dip sponge in.  Continually rinse sponge with clean water, so as not to dirty vinegar solution.

I don’t yet have running water in my kitchen and found the warm vinegar formula hard to maintain.  So I ended up using this cleaner.  Non-toxic and worked great!

I’m not going to say this whole thing was easy.  It was hard work and I was tuckered when we were through.  HOWEVER, it was SOOOOO WORTH IT!

RESULT!!!!!!!!!

Woo Hoo!  What a difference a day makes!  I walk in my kitchen now and can hardly believe the difference.   I absolutely LOVE it.  The glass is so beautiful and shiny with a translucent feel.   It’s pretty at different angles and the white grout even enhances it.

SNEAK PEAK – FINISHED KITCHEN COMING SOON!

I’m not showing you all the kitchen tile yet.  I’ll wait until I unveil the ‘Big Picture’  when I put everything together.     But I’ll be showing you things and products in snippets along the way!

I can’t say enough about my experience with FLOOR & DECOR.  I was so impressed, my local store is sponsoring me on this project. 

Floor & Decor!   My local store is located at 12101 S. State Street. in Utah.  801-981-1792                                                      It’s just across the Freeway  North a bit from IKEA.

FLOOR & DECOR has stores all over the country.    You can also buy online!  But if you have one near you, I highly suggest you go in to the store for the Fun Experience, the wealth of Helpful People, Backsplash Eye Candy  and miles of Fabulous Flooring!  Plus, the backsplash or floor you fall in love with is right under your nose & IN STOCK – NO WAITING!

FAB FEATURES

Here are just some of the advantages you’ll find at Floor & Decor!

Largest IN STOCK selection for hard surface flooring
Rock bottom low price’s
Sample check out
Free design services
F&D Credit options
12 months no interest on orders over $499.00
Delivery options available
14 Day Free Storage                                                                                                                  Professional installation options

No job too big- Residential or Commercial

DIY Installation Classes:   Every Saturday! (Check your local store for times.)

Draper Floor & Decor class times:

10AM Hardwood & Laminate
11AM Backsplash
2PM Tile

Design Service:  Erin Boekweg is the Design Manager in the Draper store and is delightful.  This service is invaluable to those who don’t have a clue where to begin, just can’t decide what they want or simply need some guidance or inspiration.   And it is totally FREE.

Pro Services:  Contractors, Designers & all Pros in the Industry are treated like Royalty!   You will enjoy all kinds of perks and services.  Give your local Floor & Decor a call!

Thank you for reading about my DIY Kitchen earth-friendly non-toxic tile backsplash project!  I hope you enjoyed this post and found it helpful!
Please Subscribe!  (A Continuing Adventure – Stay Tuned & watch for the progress of my remodel. 

I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments, below.  Tell me about YOUR remodel adventures!

Thanks so much for joining me, everybuddies.    ♥   ~ Deborah

For more info on the cult classic movie, “Troll 2″, and my career in film, visit my IMDb page.

My DIY Kitchen earth-friendly non-toxic tile backsplash project!  I’m having FUN! Yay!

The post My New DIY Eco Friendly Backsplash! appeared first on Deba Do Tell.

I had just lost my husband.   It had only been a month and I wasn’t thinking about the flood that had occurred just two weeks prior to my loss.  That day we had awakened to water raging through the house.  Randy was distraught.  He wanted to help!  But couldn’t.  My son, Gavin (who was here helping me with Randy at that late stage of cancer), and I waded through to figure out where it was coming from, then he quickly turned off the main water.

Something SO BIG out of something SO tiny!

Well, a tiny little spigot under the sink had come undone.  Oh my.  Gavin and I went downstairs to the garage to find the shop vac.  Water was flooding down on us like the Rain Forest, so heavy we could hardly see in front of us.  We started laughing it was crazy!  I had to leave to take Randy to a Doctor appointment, leaving Gav on cleanup duty.

Going To The Dark Side

After the flood, I had some naaaasty mold problems.
During demolition we found some dark forces lurking beneath.  But I’m jumping ahead.

Morphing

Losing Randy was all-encompassing, and as I first said, the flood or what it might be morphing into didn’t occur to us.

So one day, I asked my son to get me something out of the garage.  The look on his face when he returned was  a concerned face emoji.  “Mom . . . We’ve got a problem.”

This is what greeted him.  Whatever I had asked him for went right out of my head.

Good Neighbors

Within days, my incredibly kind neighbors came.  My garage, which was the worst hit, was full to the brim with memories.

Sadly, I had had a recent influx of new things to store after the loss of my dad.  With everything going on with Randy, I hadn’t brought some of the most important things in the house yet.  Hindsight!  (But I I never would have imagined that water scenario happening.)  These boxes held Dad’s photo albums and prolific memoirs.

Going to the Birds

The garage held a bunch of stuff I and other family members care about and priceless (to us) antiques.  We half way filled a large moving van with the items that went to a storage unit. (Still there till I get the garage put back together.  We  removed the drywall and insulation.)   The rest went to its new home at the City Dump.

BTW, in case you’ve never heard the old idiom, “Going to the birds”, according to Word Reference , it means, ” Withering away.   It’s a nice and humorous way to say that she is dying.”                                So…. It felt my stuff was Going to the birds in idiom, as well as literally!

Me going through some of my precious things.

Like my lovely hair attire?  Depending on the job, I wore shower caps!  A package of three is inexpensive from your local grocery store.  Actually had to wear a mask like this just walking through my house for these past years until we could get all the mold under control.  Had just a few ‘safe zone’ rooms that were clean as well as using air cleaners.

But when you’re needing extra protection for the major cleanup, this is a good way to go.

Sorrow & Gratitude
Hard to lose so much of my home and belongings, but doesn’t compare to losing priceless heirloom photos and letters. Heartbreaking.   I saved what I could and took photos of those I could not.   But I must say, when I think of those whose whole homes have been swept away, I feel so grateful to still have a home to fix and sorrow for those who don’t.

Moving On & Wrapping Up

First we had to move everything in the rooms elsewhere.  Some, we covered in plastic till I was able to relocate.  Friend, John (couldn’t convince him to wear a mask), and son, Remington, covering the Baby Grand, soon to go bye bye.

I found some plastic yardage at my local Dollar Store.  Works great for some things!

Bubble Wrap Time

Large items and furniture in my upstairs area (kitchen, dining room and family room), I cleaned and moved to other parts of the house.  Smaller to medium sized items I painstakingly cleaned off, bubble wrapped and put in tubs.  I didn’t want to have to pull them out later into my new clean environment with possible clinging mold.  I vacuumed, used white vinegar and anything I was especially concerned about, non toxic Concrobium.  I was told that what could flow down, could come back up, so spores from the garage could have invaded the upstairs.

Mold Segregation – DIY STYLE

Next it was important to sequester the areas in question off from the rest of the house the best you can with with Plastic.  This is what the professionals would do.  I spoke with quite a few remediation companies.  Expensive!

Big Bad Wolf
So the remediation was a big task.  All of the places where the Big Bad Wolf had been huffing and puffing spores into the atmosphere, had to be removed.
*Note: When removing toxic mold material, it must be double bagged in black plastic bags and disposed of carefully.

Hepa Vac time!

Next, you must use a reliable hepa shop vac.  I did a lot of searching till I found one that seemed would fit the bill.  Wow, the Vacmaster fit the moldy bill all right.  Love it!   *see below

Hide & Seek Mold

Next was plenty of elbow grease cleaning and wiping down all surfaces I could . . .  Again with the White Vinegar and Concrobium.

BUT WHAT ABOUT all that huffing and puffing of mold spores that went hiding in the nooks and crannies?   I could seek till the cows came home, but wouldn’t be able to reach in sneaky tight places!   As usual, I did a ton of research and decided FOGGING was my awesome solution! There are those that will come and do it for you. Pricey!   You can rent them (I think I found one to rent at Home Depot, but not to buy).

I decided to purchase the Silver Bullet for plenty of good reasons!  I’m so glad I did.  Easy Peasy and gives me peace of mind.

I used it with non toxic Concrobium Mold Cleaner.  Awesome stuff!

SILVER LININGS

The best of the journey is yet to come!  We are beginning to rebuild.  I will have a whole new kitchen, new floors and new decor.  As difficult as the experience has been and and much as I have loved what I had, it is a new beginning and I’m excited for all the wonderful products I’m finding and for a fresh new start. 

Learn more about all I lost in the flood!

***What I’ve talked about and recommended is from my own experience and what I’ve learned online and in speaking with various companies.  I urge you to also search things out and take my recommendations at your own discretion for your own safety.

Mold remediation is serious business.  It’s good if you can afford a professional, but if you are like me and doing it DIY, you may consider checking out the mold remediation EPA guide.

Please SUBSCRIBE and See What’s Next!  Thank you so kindly.  ♥ ~ Deborah

*Update: My heart goes out to all those in Baton Rouge and the widespread flood loss and devastation.  My prayers are with you.  If anyone would wish to donate, you can do so on this page at AMERICA RED CROSS.

***PRODUCTS WE USED AFTER EXTENSIVE RESEARCH***

Vacmaster 8 Gallon HEPA Vac with 2 Stage Motor

This thing is the greatest!  Read why I love it and MY EXPERIENCE!

ZipWall HDAZ2 Heavy-Duty Zipper for Dust Barriers, 2-Pack

Homax Products 6025 CinchTite Peel ‘N Stick Tarp Zipper Door 7’

This one was a little cheaper than the Zipwall systems (*see below), but for just one opening area, fine enough.  I still have this fun little zipper door up which segregates the sleeping and office areas from the main part of the house that is under new construction.  I think I’ll miss it when it’s gone.      (After having it up for several years… I’ve had to reinforce it with tape on the sides but the zipper still works great!)

Fastcap 3HANDCPACK 3rd Hand Contractor Poles, 4-Pack

When you need a helping hand and there isn’t anyone around!  (This helps with the ZipWall system, as well.)

Four adjustable floor-to-ceiling poles for bracing, clamping, and support; quick-release levers.  Other size packs available.

TRM Manufacturing 610C Plastic Sheeting, 6 Mil, 10′ x 100′

3M Mold and Lead Paint Removal Respirator, Medium

It can be so confusing, there are so many respirators to choose from.  Generally when looking I found N95 to be what is suggested.  But others seemed to fit the bill.  I spoke with 3M at length, and they suggested this one for the heavy duty stuff.

DEWALT DPG82-11 Concealer Clear Anti-Fog Dual Mold Safety Goggle

After trying others, this made such a difference as far as fogging up.  Also felt better knowing they are specifically tailored for mold issues.

DuPont Large White 5.4 mil Tyvek® Disposable Coveralls With Front Zipper Closure

When wanting overall protection, this is the proper suit suggested by DuPont for mold.

Groom Industries Disposable Shoe Covers, Blue, 100 Count (50 pairs)

These booties are the best price I could find for the count.  I found I wanted to change booties often, as they became compromised.  Even if you don’t need them for your construction project, they are very nice to have around when ever you want to protect your new flooring.

Tip:  When I don’t have a fresh pair available, I often use plastic grocery bags I’ve stored.  Simply tie around your feet!  (Normally I use reusable grocery bags, but on occasion, I take advantage of the free ones at the store and always reuse in different ways, and if not contaminated, put in the recycle bin, of course.)

Ammex AINPF Indigo Nitrile Glove, Medical Exam, Latex Free, Disposable, Powder Free, Small (Box of 100)

Comes in Small, Medium, Large and X Large

Please let me know your thoughts in the comment box below, friends.  

SHARING is CARING!    I hope you will consider it on your social media. 

The post Mold! My DYI Remediation Story appeared first on Deba Do Tell.

A friend suggested his method of using a Popsicle Stick & String. Tie string around stick, finagle into offending hole in wall, slap some glue inside, then anchor sting to something. Wait for glue to dry, cut string and spackle. Hmmm . . . Really not a bad DIY idea. Go for it if you like! I thought there had to be a better way.

FIRST PRIORITY: Find an EARTH-HUMAN FRIENDLY spackle. Not easy! Usual stuff out there – Nasty-scary – just read the labels. (They may as well say you could end up like a dead bug with crosses for eyes and legs in the air, if not careful!)

Finally found THIS COOL STUFF. Crawford’s Spackling Paste. “NON TOXIC! CONTAINS NO MERCURY, TIN, FORMALDEHYDE, ASBESTOS, DETECTABLE AMOUNTS OF BENZENE, NAPHTHALENE OR ADDED SILIC, etc”.

Note: Can says to use on primed or painted surfaces.

To learn more about Crawford’s Spackle and where I got mine, check it out on my article.

* * *
ONCE YOU’VE CHOSEN THE SPACKLE OF YOUR HEART . . . TIME TO FILL THAT HOLE!

WHAT I USED: (No strings attached! ha ha Yeah, pun intended…)
SCISSORS or UTILITY KNIFE
CORRUGATED CARDBOARD
GLUE GUN
PUTTY KNIFE – 3″ Flexible makes for a nice spread
CRAWFORD’S VINYL SPACKLE PASTE

MEASURE the size of the hole. You needn’t stick your nose in. (Unless you want to.)
Cut the cardboard to the general look of the hole. Poke it in a bit, mark and trim as needed.

NOW, time to haul out that grungy old GLUE GUN you haven’t used in years from somewhere in the back of the junk drawer. At least, that’s where I found mine. In the end, I actually said aloud, “Say, little guy, I don’t know why I ever stopped using you!” “Ouch!” Oh yeah, I thought while sucking my finger. “Now I remember.”

SMOOSH any rough edges of drywall inward.

GOOP a little glue on cardboard and fit in. (Wear lightweight garden gloves or something unless you’re an expert!)

SMOOTH edges of dry wall so all flat as possible. SAND if needed.

I ended up gluing another piece of cardboard on top of the first one and it was juuuust right. (Forgot to get a second pic. Sorry!)

OPEN your can of Crawford’s Spackling Paste.

Oooooooo, SO FLUFFY. Love this stuff. Fun to work with. Play, practice and scrape off if you need to, to get the hang of it. I did! Be sure to keep lid on tight when not in use, although seems fine to be off or on loosely for a bit while working.

WOO HOO! There we go. You may not be able to tell, but this was nice and smooth as a baby’s………. rattle.

I’ve since primed the wall. Went on beautifully. ALL READY for that FRESH NEW PAINT COLOR! Can you guess what color?

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE & STAY TUNED!

LET me know if you have any questions in the Comment box.

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I have a fabulous new BACKSPLASH and we did it ourselves, thanks to FLOOR & DECOR! One of the best things I found are some of the great Products they carry for my eco-friendly DIY flooring!

*This post is sponsored by Floor & Decor. All opinions are my own.  On that note, I write about the things I use, find valuable, and choose to pass on to you!

Huge Selection!

They have tile and all types of eco-friendly DIY flooring as far as the eye can see.    check out more and the wonderful NON TOXIC, non-porous grout on my story – My New DIY Eco Friendly Backsplash.  Really, amazing huge selection that is actually in stock and you don’t have to order and WAIT!

Free DIY Classes!

They have great DIY Classes for those who want to go that way but don’t have a clue!
That was my son and me!  So my son attended this class and came away with a whole lotta knowledge!  (Which he came home and shared with me – and thus we proceeded. ) My New DIY Eco Friendly Backsplash  Or perhaps you have done this before and want to brush up or learn more about a specific product or technique.

Either way, it’s WIN WIN!

To learn more about some of their GREEN products and my experience, see my blog post, My New DIY Eco Friendly Backsplash.      My son and I had all kinds of fun learning on our DIY project, as we went!  And the results are gorgeous

Floor & Decor is all over the country!  I was so impressed with my Floor & Decor,  I told them about everything I was doing and they sponsored me!  My review and experience is my own.    Yay!

I would love to hear of YOUR remodel adventures in the comments, below!  If you’ve had a great experience with Floor & Decor and/or their products, all the better!  

Please Stay Tuned & SUBSCRIBE (right hand column) to learn about more things I LOVE and lots of other stuff!

For more info on the cult classic movie, “Troll 2″, and my career in film, visit my IMDb page.

SHARING is very nice Caring.  Hope you will on any Social Media of your choosing.  Thanks so much!   ~Deba Do ♥

The post Eco-Friendly Floor & Decor ~ Why I Love for DIY! appeared first on Deba Do Tell.

After the shock of losing my darling husband Randy, (although it had been a long two years coming with his brave cancer battle), I knew I needed to deal with my post-flood home which had happened only two weeks prior to his passing. Well, at this point, it’s taken me over four years to ‘deal’, as I work to put the huge amount that was destroyed repaired, and still going . . . DIY Remodel Style! And keepin’ it GREEN as I can.

MY HAND PAINTED FLOORS: 

So long . . . . .   My home, like myself, wasn’t quite feeling herself and needed a major makeover! 
Much was ruined, but let’s start with my floors.    Shortly after I helped to build this house over thirty years ago, I decided I wanted to do something rather different for the main living area.

So I hand painted large particle board squares we had cut and put down to appear as black marble.  (Not a great material choice in hindsight!  Wish we’d used plywood, but were trying to save $.  It looked beautiful for many years, but water wasn’t its friend.)  Then I cut out my own stencils and using multiple layers, created some interesting effects on the Dining Room floor.  Then I created a Greek Key stencil to go around the perimeter of the Family Room. (More about how I did all that soon, on my DIY page!)

SO LONG . . . Time to say, “Good bye, old floor friend.”

I thought sure I’d shed a tear when the time came, but I didn’t. Time for my under-foot grieving to come to an end. I felt my Randy was looking down and giving me a pat of encouragement and a nudge, knowing my adventure was just beginning.

Besides, not much choice

Floor buckled. Yikes.  (In hindsight, the particle board not a brilliant idea!  Trying to save money.   But I’m pretty sure the extent of the flooding would have  damaged whatever available in the day beyond repair.)

And generally just not fixable.

Nope. Nada.

Ta Ta Tile:  Kitchen tile floor had to go, too. So sad. But I wasn’t sure what dark/damp-created monsters might be lurking under there . . .
The whole kitchen, for that matter, had to go as well. (But that’s another story coming soon.)

And Thus It Began . . .  Good times ahead on our DIY Remodel!

My son, Gavin, was handy with that pry bar and mallet. Who knew (remembered) we glued those suckers down like crazy around the edges. With most, we did tongue and groove on the large squares we had cut and fit together.

Whelp . . . Thar she blows! NO turning back now.
Just trying to keep that smile going, find the humor as I go. And . . .

REMEMBER HOW BLESSED I AM to have a home at all to fix.

Read about MY MOLD REMEDIATION STORY!

SO, what’s next? Plenty. (And I’m going in a VERY different design direction.)

8/5/17 UPDATE!  COMING SOON… Finishing touches in KITCHEN, DINING, FAMILY ROOM & Working on new BATHROOM!  

***Please COMMENT!  I’d love to hear your experience! ( box below)

***If you SHARE on your favorite social media, it will make me smile.   

***If interested learning more about “Troll 2” and my film career:  My   page!

Hope you’ll SUBSCRIBE – See what happens next!  (Left column.  On phone – scroll to bottom.)

Thank you so kindly.  ♥  ~ Deborah  ~ Deba Do  

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