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Thinking about putting in your own DIY deck railing? Check out this project where I put railing on my own backyard treehouse deck! Easy!

You guys remember my awesome floating tree deck at the Hill Country Wood Shed? Today, I’m finishing the build by showing you how I installed a DIY rod railing system by Viewrail from start to finish. This modern rod rail system is easy to install, perfect for exterior use and gorgeous to view!

Check out the video above to see how we did it.

You can also watch part 1 and part 2 of my floating deck build here.

Things I Used in This DIY Deck Railing Project:

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(Most of the links listed above are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for supporting me in this way.)

Want to put in your own DIY dog door? Check out this project where I show you how I built a DIY dog door for my pups at the house!

Today I’m showing you how I cut a hole in the side of my house and installed a dog door! This was surprisingly easy and has made my life, and my dog’s life, much easier. Check out the video above to see how I did it.

If you haven’t already, don’t forget to sign up at the top of this page for my newsletter so you don’t miss new projects!

(Most of the links listed above are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for supporting me in this way.)

First, a warning: Sad farm shit ahead. 

About this time last year, I walked out to the barn one morning and found the older of my two donkeys, Doc, laying unresponsive on the ground. He was alive, but barely. The vet lives just down the road and was able to make it out to us quickly–so I didn’t have to wait long for help and a diagnosis–but it wasn’t good news. Doc had some kind of stroke or other neurological event in the early hours of the morning. He was blind, unable to stand up, not responsive to outside stimuli, and very clearly suffering. 

I’m not a person who puts down an animal easily or lightly, but in this case, there was no question about whether or not it was the right decision. And it still really sucked. 

My only consolation is that it was the best case scenario in a shitty situation. If the stroke happened in the middle of the night and I came out to find a dead donkey in the barn in the morning, I never would have known what caused it (and then would have been in a full-on panic about whether or not he got into something toxic, or if there was some kind of electrical hazard, or all of the million other scenarios I would blame myself for.) Or if the symptoms had been less severe, I might have held on longer than I should have and he would have suffered needlessly. 

And he was, in fact, an old donkey. An old donkey who had a good life here causing trouble and escaping fences, and generally giving me a run for my money in the “who can be the grumpiest old man on the farm” contest. 

So, losing him was fucking sad. 

It was two hours of pure crisis, adrenaline, sorrow, and then, when it was over and the vet was driving away, I turned back to the barn and realized… it was not actually over. Because there was a 300lb dead donkey in the barn. In December (When the ground is typically frozen… i.e not ideal for farm burials.) 

Let me say again, for the record, how fucking sad this was. And, also, a completely different set of logistics than when, say, a beloved family pet like a dog or cat dies. 

Anyway, my mom showed up with a case of beer and we got the thing done, but, let me just say… not the most fun part of farm life. (Possibly related note: I own a set of bucket forks and have access to a backhoe tractor attachment now.) 

So, that is the very sad part of this story. 

It’s also relevant to note that at this point in time I was just maxed the fuck out on “tasks”. There was almost a whole year of life there that just felt like a neverending set of tasks that sucked the life out of me and brought me no joy or energy. (Probably worth analyzing, but not in this post.) Finding a new donkey to integrate into the farm was an endeavour fraught with tasks, when my tank was already running on empty. 

At the same time, donkeys are social animals (you can’t just have a single donkey in a pasture by itself… that’s torture.) 

So–ignoring everything else going on in the world in early 2020–even just on the farm, both Parker and I were struggling. 

Initially the way we handled this was just by opening the gates to the pasture and letting Parks hang out wherever he pleased… 

When it was Parker and Doc together, the pasture escapes invariably ended up with me chasing both of them back from down the road like a crazy person (and, on one memorable occasion, getting dragged through a field by a donkey on the run, true story) … but Parker alone just wanted to hang out and be closer to the “action”. (i.e. whatever I had going on) 

(In another life I would definitely have a pasture closer to the house and more integrated with the back yard. Donkeys like being a part of stuff.) 

But, come summer, I couldn’t ignore that Parker needed more donkey friends (and that getting him donkey friends was going to mean a lot more work for me.) 

One of my good (human) friends found a donkey rescue about an hour away, and the director of that donkey rescue convinced me to adopt 3 new bonded donkeys. 

That’s a mom (Marianne), her boyfriend (Guy), and her daughter (Zoey.) 

Parker was super excited to meet them at first. But they had been spending most of their time in a pasture with 20 other donkeys, so they were actually more excited for wide open spaces and grass, than to hang out with Parker.  

Also, Parker took a liking to Marianne, and Guy took exception to a dude hitting on his girlfriend… and I had a regular donkey love triangle on my hands. 

It became clear, quickly, that all of them could not share a pasture. Also, there was a fencing shortage in 2020 because… reasons. I guess everyone was building fences and using a lot of toilet paper in quarantine? 

I rigged up two different versions of a “fence” that the donkeys basically just laughed at and jumped over about 30 seconds after I thought I was done. (Did not know donkeys were jumpers before this… fun fact for me.) Then my mom took over with the help of my neighbor and rigged up, well, this thing… 

And I’m going to say it was 67% effective, because one third of the donkeys figured out how to do this… 

You really have to watch that thing to the end… it is astounding.

(If this post is starting to feel like an epic saga, imagine what it was like to live the thing.) 

Anyway, efficacy of the fence notwithstanding, I needed another shelter (aka run-in) for the donkeys, since they all couldn’t share space in the barn without a lot of aggression. Which meant this mess had to go… 

I built this addition/annex to the chicken run back in 2017 when my chickens were being mysteriously killed. (By, it turned out, a dog that lives down the road, and was slipping the fence when the batteries on his electric collar went out.)It looked a lot better then. 

For the most part, since the dog was secured, the chicken run (and annex) have only been used periodically. And, in the meantime, have collected a lot of weeds. So… 

Goodbye chicken run annex. 

So many “helpers” on the farm.

There’s some old barn foundation in this area so I used tapcons and the sheer force of my will to hold the posts in place for this build. Then tied it in to the existing barn “framing”. (I use that term loosely because that barn is older than all of us.) 

Still holds up though. 

The roofing I used on the chicken run was basically corrugated asphalt, which I know, sounds weird…but it’s cheap, easy to install, and good for scrappy farm structures. For these purposes I want general shelter, but nothing needs to be weatherproof obviously. 

Not going to lie, it takes a soft (and accurate) touch with a hammer to install this stuff, because if you miss the nail it’s super easy to put a hole in.)  Perhaps best installed sans beer? I wouldn’t know. 

Fun fact about corrugated asphalt roofing… I guess it’s delicious? 

I wouldn’t know, BUT THE DONKEYS WOULD. 

Generally I have no complaints about this roofing except for one thing… between the time I built the chicken run and the time I built the addition, they changed the size of their sheets from 4×6 to 3×6 (and also were straight out of the color gray this summer.) So I ended up short a panel and also now I have a multi-colored barn roof. 

Normally this shit would drive me nuts, but honestly… 2020 was exhausting. 

This run-in has one wall open to the north, and the west side was finished off with pine planks. 

While the intent was to provide shade and shelter in late summer and fall, it’s not appropriate for an all-season shelter in Michigan. 

So while that was a good weekend project last summer, I also had to do some modifications in the barn to have a split stall. 

This was the existing set-up: 

Although just for reference, this was the setup back in 2013 when I first decided to adopt donkeys: 

So, marked improvement. 

But it was not enough space for ALL the donkeys, particularly ALL the donkeys that did not get along. So. 

The back wall came out, and I created a flexible “stall” by adding a fence gate (so the barn can be one stall or two, with a second entry through an old man-door on the north side of the barn.) 

Let me just say, it required a lot of “creative” engineering… (creative = beer, just FYI.) 

So, good news, it kind of worked, in that all of this effort did manage to keep my one lonely donkey separated from the three larger donkeys who wanted to bully him. But it didn’t work in that the whole point of this endeavor was for Parker not to be One Lonely Donkey. 

Marianne, Zoe, and Guy would be incredible donkeys for anyone who either had an established herd or were just adopting those three alone (they were super friendly and great with people… also, hilarious) but, in this case, were not good friends for Parker, and also (if it wasn’t clear) a metric fuckton of work for me. 

Honestly, the thing that is obvious now (and really should have been obvious then) is that you can’t bring 3 bonded donkeys into a space with one single donkey and expect everyone to be friends. After two months with only increased aggression toward Parker I decided I couldn’t foster the 3 larger donkeys any longer, and instead sent my mom on a mission to find one other lonely male donkey that might be less aggressive and more likely to bond with Parker. 

So… 

Meet Nigel. 

Nigel and Parker spent 3 weeks in separate pastures, but are now living together on the farm like a couple of grumpy old men. (Which makes three of us.) 

And listen, dealing with donkey drama really was the least of anyone’s concerns (including mine) in 2020, but still, it was exhausting.

Anway, we got through it…

Welcome to the farm, buddy. 

In this DIY project, I’m showing you how to build a rotating workbench! I wanted a workbench that could house my Glowforge Laser, but then move away when not needed and allow another workbench surface to show up in its place.

Check out the video above to see how we did it!

Find Rotating Workbench Templates with Plans to build your own here!

(Most of the links listed above are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for supporting me in this way.)

After a number of years with just exposed OSB subfloor (and a couple of rugs) as the flooring in my kitchen…

It now has (part of) a floor.

Do not be fooled by that picture. It is still mostly this…

I have been avoiding this project for actual years because 1.) I couldn’t find flooring I liked, and 2.) I knew what an extra large pain in the ass putting this floor in was going to be.

There were a lot of good reasons to install wood floors in here (and there was a minute where I almost bought some click-lock floating laminate as a “temporary” floor for both the kitchen and the crazy-pink-tile rooms) but, at the end of the day, I’m not ever going to take my boots off in this part of the house, and tile felt like the right choice for all of the (literal) shit I track in on a daily basis.

Then, instead of continuing The Hunt for Perfect Kitchen Floor Tile (which has been going on for, again, actual years) I just said fuck it and bought some tile through Home Depot online without ever having seen it.

I don’t love it, and I don’t hate it, and it’s not plywood. So. Good enough.

Hilariously, this is how the tile was delivered.

That’s the delivery truck speeding away after leaving my tile in the middle of the road.

This is me, with two tractors, trying desperately to move the tile out of the middle of the road before someone came driving down it. (Also doing it by myself because I was exposed to covid a few days earlier, which, sure enough, started kicking my ass 24 hours after this.)

Every day is an adventure, right?

Anyway, Covid knocked out my plans to get this done in late December, then I started a new job, and somehow in the middle of all of the craziness I decided it would be a good time in my life to spend a month eating off a hot plate. Again.

(Couldn’t even find the actual hot plate I own for times like these…had to use my camp stove.)

In these wonderful times we live in where all possible information you could want on any DIY project is available on YouTube, I won’t spend a lot of time talking about tiling itself, but, two things to note:

First, this orange underlayment I used is the Schluter Ditra uncoupling membrane.

You cannot tile directly over subfloor, and Ditra is the underlayment I found that adds the least possible hight to the tile (only about 3/16″) which was important to me because of the crazy hight differences between all of my floors. (Also, the cats love it, obv.)

Second, the clips you see between the tiles here are the Perfect Levelmaster tile leveling system.

I highly recommend this system for any large format tiles, especially on a subfloor that might not be perfectly level.

And that is it for my tiling advice today. This post is mostly just an excuse to put up a solid before-and-(mostly)-after pic of the kitchen…

As a total aside–and in the spirit of that thing I’ve been preaching about on this website for actual decades… telling an authentic story–I’m struggling a bit (a lot) with what the next chapter is going to be for me, and the farm, and where my life goes next. And as much as telling stories–especually about where I’m stuggling–has been a part of my life, I still have very mixed feelings on telling stories on The Internet these days. (Maybe I’ll go old-school and write a book on actual paper? Who knows. I’ve been hand-writing correspondance recently like a proper luddite, so I wouldn’t put it past me.)

Posts here will continue to be sporadic until I figure it out, but at the very least, all of you who have been on this journey with me for a decade or more deserve to see that the actual kitchen has an actual floor.

(Also, speaking of things that are old and sporadic, if you receive these posts/updates via email, the subscription service I’ve used for years is being shut down, and this will likely be the last post that comes through to your email this way. I’m going to transition to a new system and all of you who are on the existing email list should be ported to the new one, but if you don’t see anything else come via email in the next couple of months and still want to receive new posts, make sure to check back on the actual website for updates, or re-sign-up here.)

Thinking about doing your own DIY kitchen remodel? Check out this project where I did one in one day, and on a budget! Easy kitchen renovation.

In this video I show you how I completely updated the look of this kitchen in just 2 days by giving the cabinets a much needed makeover!

Check it all out in the video above.

Things I Used in This IY Kitchen Remodel Project:

(Most of the links listed above are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for supporting me in this way.)

You know those little projects that quietly drive you crazy for years, but you keep ignoring them because they’re just… up there? Literally?

That was our attic door our first year of living in our house.

And here it is now. Can you see it? (Pay no mind to the painter’s tape. We’re still getting there.)

Ever since we moved into this house, I’ve been at war with the ceiling in our upstairs hallway. Between the old attic fan, an old crusty vent, and the oh-so-charming tattered attic door string, it had all been begging for an upgrade for years.

It gets worse before it gets better, but this hallway will look completely different after we paint it to have contrasting trim and wainscoting.

Now that we’re deep into our hallway makeover, I finally had the motivation to tackle one of our biggest goals in this space: hiding that attic door in the ceiling and smoothing out all the visual clutter.

We already patched over the old attic fan (good riddance). And the next mission? Make that attic door disappear while adding a layer of charm to the space in the process.

Enter: the tongue and groove ceiling.

Not only did this project solve our “how to hide attic door in ceiling” problem, but it also gave our hallway a cottage-core glow up that I can’t stop swooning over.

Here’s how we did it, step-by-step:

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How to Hide an Attic Door in the Ceiling with Tongue and Groove Planks

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Tools & Materials

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Step 1: Remove the Old Trim, Molding, and Attic Door

Clear the ceiling. We took down the existing attic door panel, trim, and crown molding so we had a clean slate to work with.

Step 2: Measure Your Ceiling + Plan Plank Placement

Measure the length and width of your ceiling to calculate how many planks you’ll need. Use a scrap piece of tongue and groove plank to mock up a layout. Mark the placement with a pencil so you can make sure you’re not left with a super skinny plank along the crown molding or attic door. A little planning here saves major frustration later.

Step 3: Start Installing Planks Along the Edge of the Attic Door

Apply a bead of construction adhesive to the back of your first plank and secure it to the ceiling using 2-inch 16-gauge finish nails. We started along the edge of the attic door opening so the layout would be symmetrical and look seamless.

Step 4: Cut the Next Plank at a 45° Angle

Using a miter saw, bevel cut the end of the plank that will meet the attic door at a 45° angle. This will help create a tighter, more polished look around the door and make that seam almost invisible once everything is painted.

Step 5–6: Continue Installing with Beveled Cuts

Repeat the process, bevel cutting each plank that hits the edge of the attic door at 45° angles. Adhere and nail them in place as you go. The tongue and groove system helps lock them together snugly, making the ceiling look like one continuous surface.

Step 7: Add Crown Molding (Optional)

Once your ceiling is fully planked, you can reattach crown molding around the perimeter. We use a coping saw to get those corner joints just right. If you need extra help with this step, our DIY Picture Frame Molding tutorial walks through the coping process.

Step 8: Cut Planks to Fit the Attic Door

Measure the dimensions of your attic door opening, and cut tongue and groove planks to size. Again, use a 45° angle on the ends that meet the ceiling planks so they align perfectly. This is the part that really makes the door blend in with the rest of the ceiling.

Step 9: Attach Planks to the Attic Door Panel

Use construction adhesive and finishing nails to attach the planks to the attic door. If you have a heavy attic door, make sure your hinges are reinforced to handle the added weight.

Step 10–11: Fill Nail Holes + Caulk the Edges

Use wood filler to fill any nail holes and seams, and caulk around the crown molding where needed. Let everything dry thoroughly before moving to the next step.

Step 12: Sand, Prime, and Paint

Once your filler and caulk are dry, sand the wood filler until smooth. Then, prime and paint the ceiling (and attic door) in your desired color. We went with a clean white for a crisp, classic look, but I’m not above painting a ceiling in a moody color later. (Never say never.)

Step 13: Replace the String with a Hook & Pull Kit

No more creepy dangling string! We added attic hook and pull kit a few years ago to make the attic door less noticeable, and now that the planks are in place, it blends in perfectly! Now it opens and closes easily without being an eyesore.

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Attic Door Before & After

Now that our tongue and groove ceiling is in place and the attic door is completely hidden, our hallway feels taller, cleaner, and way more intentional.

Now we can put our big antique mirror back up, roll out a runner rug to soften the floor, and a little gallery wall moment to bring it all together.

I honestly can’t believe we waited this long to tackle this project. Hiding that attic door was the missing puzzle piece in giving our upstairs hallway the character and charm it was begging for.

Here’s a little peek now that the trim is getting painted. ?

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Have a ceiling eyesore you’ve been avoiding? Let this be your sign to cover it with some good old-fashioned tongue and groove magic.

Let me know if you give this project a try or tag me on Instagram @blesserhouse if you do so I can cheer you on!

More DIY Millwork Ideas

Looking to build your own DIY nightstand or end table? Check out this project where I show you how to building you own, plus the DIY plans!

Today I’m showing you how I built an end table that has two built in hidden storage compartments!

Check out the video above to see how I did it.

Also, find the End Table or Night Stand with Secret Storage Plans here!

Things I Used in This DIY Nightstand Project:

(Most of the links listed above are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for supporting me in this way.)

Consider this “the post nobody asked for for 500, Alex”!

Several years ago, we painted all of the doors upstairs, and we absolutely loved how they turned out.

Fresh paint always has a way of making old doors feel new again—until you try to open them and they pop like a firecracker and rip the paint right off the jamb.

No matter how well we prepped the doors beforehand—deglossed, sanded, primed, painted with high-quality enamel, and waited forever for the paint to cure—it never failed. The doors still stuck. Loudly. And always when someone was trying to be quiet.

It drove me crazy.

So when we recently repainted the hallway doors in a fresh new color (Sherwin Williams Willowleaf if you’re wondering— the same color we fell in love with in our foyer and stairway), I was determined to finally solve this sticky door mystery once and for all.

Naturally, I dove deep into every contractor forum I could find and unearthed a few promising solutions.

How to Fix a Sticking Door (We Tried 3 Products So You Don’t Have To)

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I figured if pros are using certain products to stop painted doors from sticking, maybe it’s time to test them out myself. I narrowed it down to three top contenders and tested each one on a different door to find the best way to fix a sticking door for good.

Here’s how they held up:

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? 3rd Place: Wood Lubricant

Application method: Brush-on
Pros: Works… eventually
Cons: Messy, time-consuming, goopy

I had high hopes for Wood Lubricant, but it felt more like I was painting the door frame all over again than fixing anything. It went on thick and was just unpleasant. While it did stop the sticking, the whole process just felt clunky. Definitely not ideal for a quick fix.

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? 2nd Place: Door Ease Lube Stick

Application method: Rub-on wax stick
Pros: Cleaner than the wood lube
Cons: Uneven application, time-consuming

This Door Ease Lube Stick was basically like coloring your door jamb with a giant crayon. It worked okay and was a lot less messy than the liquid Wood Lubricant, but it didn’t apply evenly and took more effort than I expected. If you’re in a pinch and don’t mind a little elbow grease, it’s not the worst option, but still not my favorite.

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? 1st Place: Blaster Dry Lube Spray

Application method: Spray-on
Pros: Fast, effective, dries clean
Cons: Slight smell (but only for about 30 minutes)

The Blaster Dry-Lube was a game-changer! It took seconds to apply, and the door immediately stopped sticking. It does come out wet at first and has a strong odor (so maybe open a window), but it dries fast and doesn’t leave a mess behind. I sprayed it along the edge where the door meets the jamb and boom—no more loud popping sound, no more peeled paint, no more frustration.

The only downside? Now our kids can sneak out of their rooms ninja-style, and I won’t hear them coming. But honestly, that’s a small price to pay for a quiet hallway and doors that finally work like they should.

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Final Verdict

If you’ve ever found yourself Googling “how to fix a door that sticks”, I get it. It’s one of those boring home maintenance tasks you never think about until it becomes an every single day annoyance.

But after trying all three of these door lubricants side-by-side, Blaster Dry Lube Spray is hands-down the winner for how to fix a sticking door fast, cleanly, and with minimal effort. I only wish I’d found it years ago.

(Side note: Doesn’t that clean, modern ceiling vent cover look so much better than the rusty crusty one we had up there before?)

Now that our hallway doors are officially unstuck and the attic door is hidden in the ceiling with tongue & groove planks, we’re finally ready to bring in the fun stuff—like art, mirrors, and a rug to add a lot of life in here.

But first, I’m going to enjoy a quiet hallway without doors popping like bubble wrap. DIY wins like this might not be glamorous, but man, they are satisfying.

More DIY Door Upgrade Ideas