Our first project

Have you ever taken on any project to improve or repair your home? If not, you could probably give it a try because DIY (do-it-yourself) projects are not only fun, they are self-satisfying, too.  They also provide a rare opportunity for creativity, imagination and self-expression.

I myself never thought I could actually do something apparently as difficult as staining two staircases, not the steps, but the areas around them. We hired a contractor to do some household improvement jobs and staining the staircases were part of them. But our contractor had to go out of state on some work and the project of stairway staining had to be pushed back by a week.

We grew restless. We did some research online to find out what exactly needed to be done for such a project. But we had never undertaken a DIY project before and therefore, lacked confidence. So we thought we should perhaps visit a home improvement supplies store first and consult the staff there; they are always so eager to help their customers.

We went to Home Depot, the largest home improvement superstore in the U.S. , and found our way to its paint section, and luckily, met the man, Terry, who was in charge of it. He spent half an hour with us, listening carefully to what we actually wanted to do with our staircases. Terry showed us the things that we would need - sandpaper, wood filler, putting knife, painter's tape, paintbrush, mini-scraper, staining pads, stain and gloss.

He also suggested that we bring back some close-ups of the staircases so he could give us more precise recommendations about the kinds of stain and tools that we might need for our first home improvement project.

"Give it a try! You will see that it is not difficult at all," he said.

Terry filled our hesitant minds with courage and hope. So we went back to Home Depot the next day with photos he had asked for and waited about 20 minutes to get a chance to talk to him. We bought what Terry had suggested and came back home, still a little nervous but super excited about our first FYI project.

We watched tutorials on YouTube and read articles online, whenever we got stuck and needed some tips and suggestions. If you ever want to undertake a DIY project, keep in mind that all kinds of information are readily available on the Internet.

It took us one day to sand the wood, fill the damaged areas with filler and tape the surrounding areas so that the stain would not 'stain' steps and walls in case of an accident.

The next day, I stained the wood and let it air-dry overnight. It took me no more than 30 minutes to get the hang of staining. By the time it was the turn to apply satin gloss on the newly stained wood, I was more or less a pro! Terry was right after all. 

I was impressed with my work; our work! I ran my hands on the smooth surface of the wood countless times because I found it hard to believe that it was my time and energy that gave it such a splendid look. I took photos of our staircases and shared them with friends and family because I could not help but gloat a little. When our contractor came back the following week, even he praised us for the wonderful task we did as first-timers.

Start with a small project. Choose a weekend. Involve your family members. You will discover that there is a ton of joy, pride and self-satisfaction in doing a DIY project to upgrade the look and feel of the place you call home.