It’s time for a ‘where are they now’ post. And much like those celebrity ‘where are they now’ stories, this one isn’t pretty. Not even a little bit. This is one of those in-and-out-of-rehab disasters. A caught-on-camera horror that gets splashed across the tabloids and clog your social media channels. In fact, I should probably use one of those screens over my next photo with a warning sign about the graphic nature of the image. With a ‘click at your own risk’ disclaimer …
The painted on porch rug.
Sigh.
Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
Unlike my last porch fix that involved a bit of caulk and liquid nails, this time around I need to bring out the big guns …
okay, the big guns would be a Bobcat and construction crew to tear this thing down and build anew. But I have college tuition payments in my (very) near future, not to mention the money-draining-basement-fiasco this summer that all but depleted my home repair fund.
So I’ll just have to settle for a budget-friendly little gun in the form of this lightweight, portable DeWalt orbital low profile sander.
Unfortunately, I can’t just slap a coat of paint over the porch and call it a day. Much like a new haircut and applying makeup on a once A-list celebrity doesn’t solve the underlying problems. No, this porch makeover will require a bit more man-power. Or, more accurately, sander power …
I can’t even begin to express how difficult it is to share this with you. Especially since I can’t end this post with a pretty ‘after’ to wipe away the memory of the embarrassment that is my “before” (and current) front porch. I can’t even blame this state of ‘before’ on a previous owner. Nope, the blame rests squarely on my shoulders. Shoulders hunched low, bearing the weight of my shame.
Needless to say, ‘fix front porch’ has been bumped up a few notches on my fall must-do list …
Now, if you want to see a less horrific use of the DeWalt low profile palm grip sander, my fellow Ace Blogger Jena at Involving Home used this same sander on a much different project. In fact, her tips are so amazing that I’m going to use my new DeWalt orbital sander on a piece of furniture as well. You see, I didn’t think I could. I was worried about wood grain issues, but Jena clears that up in her post. Just click here …
To wrap this all up, the Dewalt low profile palm grip orbital sander is definitely worth the investment. Lightweight and easy to use – as in the sanding pads attach with Velcro easy! After I finish sanding down the porch (and repainting a new rug, of course!), I have plans to use it on a few more projects around the house.
Oh, and let us not forget the best part of today’s blog post (as teased in the headline): The Ace $100 gift card giveaway. You can enter here …
Good luck!
This post was written as part of my partnership with Ace Hardware as a member of the Ace Blogger Panel. However, any and all opinions are my own.
Paint!!!! =) I need to finish our half bath. It looks ok but touch ups need done!
I painted half of the fence and need to finish it
I would like to install shelving in our garage.
Paint!
I would gey a rug or paint supplies. Thx
Paint, paint and more paint. Have lots of projects that need to be done.
Thank you for this giveaway opportunity
Paint, paint and PAINT!!!
Me too! Paint and more paint!
I love hardware store as much a fabric stores. No unfinished projects at this time.
All my projects are unfinished! I need some home maintenance things for the stuff that got damaged in all the snow last winter… I have a dewalt dander and I love it.
love to go to the hardware store, always have an unfinished project on my mind.
I need a wheelbarrow! And paint! A tree fell on our house last October and we’re still dealing with it. Love your tale of shame! Don’t get me started on mine! So embarrassed! Thanks!
I need paint and and new patio deck!!!! Would love to win this!!!
We need to stain our front and back porch!! 🙂
I would buy paint to fix our family room. Right now it’s half painted!
I need some outdoor ‘smalls’–a new bird feeder and a doormat and a replacement window box.
I need a taller ladder so I can finish painting.
Sooooo many unfinished projects! But one I really would like to finish soon – a table that needs some serious help!
Paint would be a good place to start!!!
Our unfinished project is our fireplace/mantel. We retiled and it sits mantel-less. WE need to get on it before Christmas comes.
Paint is so much fun because it’s instant gratification!
I’d put it towards stuff for our new house – paint, lights, maybe a new mower?
demureprincess7(at)gmail(dot)com
Like you many projects to start and this sander would make them easier
I have a really bad habit of starting DIY projects and not totally finishing them…I totally redid my kitchen but still haven’t added some trim (it’s been 2 years now), I made an outdoor L-sectional last year and didn’t put the last 3 slats down….and I painted my bedroom and have a picture frame hanging that has fake people in it…I never ended up putting our family photos in it….I think I need to finish up my projects.
My office! It’s a mess! I need some desperate help!! 🙂
My daughter just moved out and now it’s time to redo her bedroom and bathroom.
My computer lost my first comment on here. Very annoying especially with the stakes involved, if I don’t win the card our front porch won’t get painted for another year.
Our front porch is a mess, has been for while now but it needs to be scraped/sanded/painted it badly this Fall. Too hot now to go at it. I’d buy paint for front porch and back deck. Really gets hot on back deck as back of our house faces due West and gets the sun very strongly. I’d like to give the Ace hardware store the business as since True Value opened about half mile down same road they need the love. To whomever wins, happy for you. Happy weekend
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I have a new large apartment with bare floors. With cooler weather coming, I would be
thrilled to have extra floor covering. Being an artist and having a cat, outdoor carpet is
just fine!
Definitely paint! Every room in my house needs freshening up!
I remember your front porch painted rug is exactly how I found your blog!!!….I loved it then and love its chippiness now!…
My next project is to make fall burlap wreath for a friend. Next I want to start on Halloween garland made from burlap and card stock for my mantle.
I would love to put the gift card toward a new project for my flower garden.
I would use it to buy paint for my bathroom.
Stain and power wash deck before winter… since it was not done this summer only running a few months behind.
Um, our whole house? LOL. When you have a 7 and 4 year old there’s a never ending list of things that need to be patched or mudded or painted 😛
I know what you mean. And guess what? They’re still messy and sticky when they reach their teen years! 🙂 Linda
That Dewalt sander is looking pretty good 😉
I would use it to buy some paint to finish painting my kitchen, and some mason jars!!
Actually a new hand sander would be Great! I am using an ‘antique’ sander presently and it rips the sandpaper every few minutes!
hubby would buy lawnmower parts lol
Would love to win.
I need to finish my bathroom. I started taking the wall paper off the walls and stopped. Did not have the money for the paint to finish!
I really do need a new wheelbarrow! And paint! A tree fell on our house and we are still dealing with it! Love your tale of shame! Mine are awful! So embarrassed! Thanks for the chance!
have to finish painting my dining room table, 3 white chairs and one still brown!
My porch rocking chairs are in serious need of a makeover and this sander is just what I need
We need to finish up flashing and siding on our house. It’s been on the to-do list for faaaar too long!
My whole house is an unfinished project!!! I would use this to buy paint for my garage walls and floor.
My unfinished project is a cabinet, its half finished and disappointing.
Our kitchen needs work and a dishwasher.
Adding baseboards when we moved a doorway is on my hitlist… and painting all hte baseboards in the house.
I would get paint so I can help my mom paint her kitchen.
I definitely need to buy paint for my upstairs hallway. Thanks.
I would definitely buy a sander – I’m tired of sanding by hand!!
Our unfinished project of MAJOR shame is our mud room. We started converting a large storage closet by our garage…8 years ago. I finally got so disgusted, I hung the closet door back and haven’t opened it again 🙁
So much to choose from but I’m leaning towards some industrial materials to make some cool shelves in my master bathroom.
I would use my gift card to start updating my master bathroom. I definitely want to repaint it among other things.
I would get some paint for my bathroom.
Just found your blog. LOVE your style!!
i want to paint my bathroom.. the all white is horrible!
unfinished project: refacing an old table top that has been sitting in the garage, half done; I would use the card to buy paint to repaint my ugly dark 1/2 bath. Thank you for the chance to win 🙂
I would paint my living room! We’ve been renovating for over a year!
I love your blog, Linda. You have a brilliant mind! (( :
Thank you so much! You just made my day!!!! 🙂 Linda
for me, my unfinished project is installing flooring in the living room and ripping up the old nasty carpet 🙁 we’ve had the flooring for over a year but just haven’t gotten around to it yet lol. And I need some shelving & organizers and paint for the laundry room!
Well, they do say the flooring should spend some time indoors before you install it, after all! Thanks for sharing!! 🙂 Linda
Oh girl, you know there’s too many projects to pick one! Heck, I’m still unboxing stuff from the move.
Hope the move is going well! 🙂
Mama needs a new pair of shoes!…and some home tools! Always get to follow along!
my unfiished project is sanding and painting drywall in my hall
Ok I have to be honest I have two current unfinished projects of shame…. one of which is our youngest son’s room. The poor boy is not the final “child” at home and we had such grand plans to redo his current bedroom into “his” bedroom. See before it belonged to his eldest brother who picked the paint scheme, then it became a shared room with our youngest and middle, and then it became HIS room. Only it had a loft bed, a loft bed that seemed like a great idea at the time when he was 8 inches shorter, a loft bed that was mounted directly to the wall. Yes you can imagine what his wall looked(looks) like once we removed the bed and the anchors… the crazy thing was the frame of the bed somehow adhered itself to the (apparently NOT) fully cured walls. Yes you are picturing it correctly. The bed came down and so did part of the wall. Lots of patching has ensued but no painting and then there are the stripes which we discovered have tiny ridges along the edges which are insanely obvious when painted over.
The other project is the decking around our above ground pool but we are NOT going there right now.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Oh Peggy! Thank you for your honesty!!! And a reminder of an unfinished project in MY son’s room. The ceiling is a mess. We had to cut multiple holes in it to try and best locate the AC spacepack unit that was installed in our attic crawl space 20 years ago and needed a major repair last summer. Sigh. I just don’t look up when I go in there …
🙂 Linda
So who was the lucky winner?