Do it yourself projects more doable than ever
Lance Griffin News reporter dothaneagle.com
Dothan, AL
Goodbye costly professionals. Hello HGTV, DIY Network and YouTube.
More than ever, home improvement projects are being tackled by the homeowners themselves.
unauthorized-user Need to install a tile floor? YouTube.com has more than 54,000 videos to watch. Need to replace the wax ring around the toilet in your bathroom? YouTube has more than 6,000 videos from which to choose. Just prop your Ipad up right there in the bathroom and follow the step-by-step process.
When 73-year-old Pat Kines needed to keep an embankment from falling into her home, she didn’t check YouTube. All she needed was pencil and paper to draw out plans for a terraced wall … and a willing 13-year-old granddaughter to help.
Kines and Faith Ellen Eldridge completed the vast majority of their three-tier terraced wall in a week. When it was done, the Kineses had not only a practical solution to their problem, but an attractive addition to the side yard.
“I had been wanting to do this for about eight years, and I finally just did it,” said Kines, who lives in the Hidden Lake subdivision.
A steep embankment beside their home had given over the years, often leading to a significant amount of dirt getting under their air conditioning unit.
“The bank was much higher than the level of our yard and, over time, the ground began to slide down,” Kines said.
They sought estimates from professionals, but the labor intensive project exceeded their budget. So Kines decided she would do it herself, along with the help of her granddaughter.
“I drew designs, prayed over it, and looked at all kinds of conceivable materials to use at Lowe’s and Home Depot,” Kines said. “I got all my drawings out and all my information, then Faith Ellen and I decided on a plan. So, finally I said, ‘OK, Lord, maybe this is the time to do it’.”
And that’s exactly what they did near the end of June last year. Beginning at sunrise, the duo would wake up, grab a quick bite of breakfast and begin work. Chipping away the thick south Alabama clay to prepare the wall was one of the hardest parts of the job. Meticulously, the two workers prepared the ground, set foundation blocks, placed regular blocks on top, filled the block holes most of the way with their leftover clay and mortared the remainder. Each tier used about 40 blocks. They reinforced the wall with rebar, added a drainage pipe and painted the wall an attractive red.
Kines said they worked all the way until dark each day for almost a week. Jack, her husband, now in his early 80s, served as the runner to collect tools, blocks and other items for their work.
And yes, it was scorching hot in June.
“We took two baths a day, out there in all that dirt and the heat,” Kines said.
The hard work was worth it, she said.
“It was really, really fun when we saw the finished product,” Kines said. “And Faith Ellen and I got to do some bonding.”
Kines said she also likes doing home projects with her other granddaughters, 17-year-old Olivia and 11-year-old Maybri.
The home improvement project didn’t stop there. Kines made a wooden bench for outside use from found items along the way.
“I love finding a purpose for items that have been thrown out,” she said. “It reminds me of how God takes a broken life and gives it purpose when that life is given to Him.”
Kines said it never occurred to her that building a three-tier terraced wall in the middle of the summer was beyond her ability.
“My mama always told me that if anybody else can do it, with the right tools and a little help from your friends, you can do it,” she said.