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My Projects

40+ Years of Real Work, in Photos

Personal photos from the projects I've done in my own homes and rentals over the years — small fixes, weekend builds, and full renovations. Filter by category, sort by date, or browse by property.

Front yard cleared of the old plantings — exposed the existing stone so I could see what I was working with.

Rebuilding the Front Yard in Stone

Jan 2021 – Mar 2026 · 28 photos

yard and landscape

From Yard & Landscape

Backyard in winter before I started — gazebo, retaining wall, and the patio all needed a pass.

Backyard Patio Cleanup at the Blue House

Apr 2021 – Aug 2025 · 15 photos

yard and landscape

From Yard & Landscape

Kilz PVA primer for the patched drywall, Behr Marquee for the topcoat. Staged everything before I started rolling.

Repainting the Whole Rental

Mar 2014 – Jan 2025 · 10 photos

From Rental Unit Fixes

Pulled down the failing ceiling section onto a drop cloth so I could sister in fresh drywall above.

Finish Work and Odd Fixes

Oct 2013 – Jan 2025 · 5 photos

From Rental Unit Fixes

Water had run down this corner long enough to blow the seam tape and peel the drywall paper. Had to cut it back.

Patching the Trashed Drywall

Jul 2019 – Dec 2024 · 5 photos

From Rental Unit Fixes

Raked back the overgrown vinca off the gravel edge before regrading.

Regrading the Driveway

Sep 2022 – Jun 2023 · 8 photos

yard and landscape

From Yard & Landscape

Surveyor's tripod on the snow while the excavator started the cut for the new tank.

New Septic at the Lake

Dec 2022 – Dec 2022 · 11 photos

From Yard & Landscape

Crew in the bucket trimming the tall arborvitae back off the patio.

Taking Down the Big Trees

Oct 2021 – Nov 2022 · 9 photos

yard and landscape

From Yard & Landscape

Shingles, underlayment, plywood, and the old torn-off wood all staged together so the crew could just work.

Tear-Off and Garage Roof

Dec 2020 – Dec 2020 · 3 photos

From Yard & Landscape

Backyard before — overgrown pine, dead brush, and stone piled up against the mossy garage.

Side Yard Garden Bed Reset

Feb 2019 – Nov 2020 · 6 photos

yard and landscape

From Yard & Landscape

Heavy rain pooling along the fence line — exactly the spot I had to fix.

Fixing the Yard That Kept Flooding

Sep 2018 – Jul 2020 · 5 photos

yard and landscape

From Yard & Landscape

Rented skid steer staged in the drive — first thing I did was move the rock so I could get the machine in close.

Regrading the Lakeside Cabin

Jan 2017 – May 2017 · 10 photos

yard and landscape

From Yard & Landscape

Exposed ceiling light wiring with medallion

Changing A Lightbulb Rental

electricalbedroomdemo and renovation

From Rental Unit Fixes

hung a coat rack at kid-height so the boys could put away their own jackets

A Productive Week Home Alone

otherelectricalflooring +4

From My Home Projects

Starting point: floral wallpaper, oval mirror, builder vanity. Hadn't been updated in decades.

Gutting the Lake House Upstairs Bath

From Paulinskill Lake House

Towel-bar shelf unit on the bench in the shop. Pallet wood, dark stain, black pipe for the bar.

Built the Bath Storage Out of Pallet Wood

From Paulinskill Lake House

Respirator on, jacket covered in dust. Old paint and drywall coming down — this was a full gut, not a refresh.

Gutting the Lake House Downstairs Bath

From Paulinskill Lake House

Installing the gable fan myself. Wanted active ventilation up here to keep summer heat from cooking the room.

Finishing the Attic Conversion

From Paulinskill Lake House

Opened up the wall cavities to see what was behind the plywood paneling. Original framing was rough but solid.

Framing and Insulating the Attic

demo and renovation

From Paulinskill Lake House

Opened up a wall section to see what the original framing and sheathing looked like before committing to the gut.

Gutting the Lake House Attic

demo and renovation

From Paulinskill Lake House

Block walls, slab floor, egress window. Decided early I wasn't going to frame this side — just clean it up.

Sealing the Block Walls

From Paulinskill Lake House

Pulled the ceiling drywall in the bedroom first so I could see joists and wiring before touching the walls.

Gutting the Downstairs

demo and renovation

From Paulinskill Lake House

Lakeside room finished. New sliders, stained trim, vinyl plank. The view does most of the work.

The Finished Downstairs

From Paulinskill Lake House

Turnbuckle tension cables were already in the joists. Left them alone — they were doing their job.

Rebuilding Around the Steel Beam

demo and renovation

From Paulinskill Lake House

Set the new electric water heater on a wood platform — gets it off the slab in case anything ever leaks.

Hiding the Water Heater

From Paulinskill Lake House

Raised the plywood subfloor on shims to level it and run new wiring underneath before locking it down.

Turning the Attic Into a Bunkroom

From Paulinskill Lake House

Cutting in the powered attic vent through the shingles. Picked a fall day so the roof wasn't roasting.

Roof Vent and Chimney Cap

From Paulinskill Lake House

Open sump pit next to the existing basement bath. First thing I dealt with downstairs.

Finishing the Basement

From Grand Ave Leonia Renovation

Brown tile, built-in tub surround, frosted shower stall — vintage and tired.

Tearing Out the Old Bathroom

From Grand Ave Leonia Renovation

Empty bedroom with the dark paneling and drop ceiling still up. Heavy and dated.

Bedrooms, Trim, and Fresh Paint

From Grand Ave Leonia Renovation

Front of the house when I bought it. Old roof, weathered siding, sad-looking trim.

Siding, Foundation, and Curb Appeal

From Grand Ave Leonia Renovation

Speckled ceramic tile in one of the back rooms — coming up.

Pulling Up Layers to Save the Hardwood

From Grand Ave Leonia Renovation

Original kitchen — dark cabinets, green laminate, vinyl floor. Everything had to go.

Gutting and Rebuilding the Kitchen

From Grand Ave Leonia Renovation

Old Williamson gas boiler still running when I bought the place. Lived its life.

Mechanicals — Boiler, Water Heater, Panel

From Grand Ave Leonia Renovation

Set the extension ladder up to walk the chimney before the tear-off so I knew what I was paying for.

New Roof and Rebuilt Chimney

From Grand Ave Leonia Renovation

Backyard the day I closed — patio set, old gazebo, original shed. Plenty to work with.

Fence, Patio, and Backyard Cleanup

From Grand Ave Leonia Renovation

Bedroom with fresh paint and the original window trim. Subfloor still bare — flooring later.

Drywall, Mud, and Paint

From Paulinskill Lake House

My son laying out the pine boards for the table top.

Building a Farmhouse Dining Table

From Paulinskill Lake House

Sink and faucet sitting on the new quartz before I dropped it in. Corner cutout was tight.

Tying In the New Kitchen

From Paulinskill Lake House

Stair stringer going in with the tongue-and-groove ceiling above. Loft stair early on.

Building the Loft Staircase

demo and renovation

From Paulinskill Lake House

Saw and toolbox staged near the slider before laying floor.

New Floors Through the Cabin

From Paulinskill Lake House

Building a barn door from pine planks. Nail gun, clamps, glue between the boards.

Knotty Pine Plank and Barn Doors

demo and renovation

From Paulinskill Lake House

Looking through the new sliders to the deck. View I bought the place for.

Replacing the Lakeside Sliders

demo and renovation

From Paulinskill Lake House

Spray-foamed around the AC sleeve to seal up the gap I'd been getting drafts through.

Framing, Insulation, and Electrical

demo and renovation

From Paulinskill Lake House

Stairs sanded down to bare wood. Tools left where I stopped at the end of the day.

Refinishing the Original Stairs

From Paulinskill Lake House

Original main bath: floral wallpaper, vinyl tile, vanity rotting at the base.

Stripping Walls and Ceilings

demo and renovation

From Paulinskill Lake House

Scraping up the green vinyl tile to see what was under it. Original hardwood with tar paper still glued down.

Tearing Out the Floors

From Paulinskill Lake House

Attic as I bought it — exposed rafters, plank floor, gable window. No insulation worth the name.

Attic Cleanup and Insulation Package

From Leonia Renovation

Drum sander and partially sanded planks. Saved as much of the original floor as I could.

Attic Flooring and Final Reveal

From Leonia Renovation

New plywood roof sheathing from the attic side, between original rafters and plank floor.

Framing and Insulating the Attic

From Leonia Renovation

Original attic — lath wall, gable window, exposed rafters. Storage at best, nothing finished.

Gutting the Attic Down to Frame

From Leonia Renovation

First runs of shiplap going on the kneewall over the insulated framing.

Shiplap and Paint in the Attic

From Leonia Renovation

Drop ceiling out, joists and ductwork exposed. Stacked the tiles in case any could be reused.

Gutting and Finishing the Basement

From Leonia Renovation

Original upstairs bath before — subway tile surround, mosaic floor, and a radiator under the window.

Rebuilding the Bathrooms

From Leonia Renovation

Kitchen taped off and tarped for the ceiling paint job. Cabinets stayed in place.

Bedroom Paint and Window Restoration

From Leonia Renovation

New main panel landed and signed off. The old service was a mess of mismatched circuits.

Rewire, Panel, and Inspections

From Leonia Renovation

House from the back showing the aged cedar shake roof and the detached garage.

Exterior, Roof, and Grounds

siding and exterior

From Leonia Renovation

Front of the house before any of the exterior work started. Old wrought iron and overgrown beds.

Fence, Yard, and EV Charger

yard and landscape

From Leonia Renovation

Hairline crack running down the corner seam. Where I started chasing the leak from.

Tracking Down a Kitchen Ceiling Leak

From Leonia Renovation

Old cabinets still standing on one side, demo wall stripped to studs on the other. Worked it in halves.

Building the New Kitchen

From Leonia Renovation

Living room as I bought it — pressed tin ceiling, original archway, and good bones.

Living Room With the Tin Ceiling

From Leonia Renovation

Cabinets out, wires capped, floor pulled — first room down to bones.

Gutting the Main Floor to Studs

demo and renovation

From Leonia Renovation

First coat of mud on the new ceiling. Three coats and a sanding to go.

Drywall and Finish on the Main Floor

From Leonia Renovation

Moss and debris piled up against the chimney flashing — classic slow-leak setup that had to come off.

Tearing Off the Slate Roof

From Leonia Renovation

New gray runner on the oak stairs after I refinished the treads and kept the original balusters.

Upstairs Bedrooms and Stairs Refresh

From Leonia Renovation

Radiant barrier going in under the rafters. Tools on the plank floor, no finished surfaces yet.

Finishing the Attic Bedroom

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

Final inspection signed off on the building permit. The attic was now legal living space.

Turning the Attic Into Living Space

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

Buderus boiler with the rebuilt copper manifold, zone valves, expansion tank, and circulator.

Boiler, Baseboard Heat, and Water Heaters

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

Started here. Bare slab, exposed joists, utilities all on display.

Cleaning Up the Basement

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

Roof before — frost on the old shingles. The valley is where the new vent cap had to land.

Bath Fan and Roof Vent

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

Stamp on the back of a panel: Noda Plank Rustic, Japan, February 1969. That dates the last time anyone touched this room.

Gutting and Rebuilding the Attic

demo and renovation

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

Original flue connection — corroded through, charred, insulation falling apart. Reason enough to redo the whole heating side.

New Boiler Manifold and Baseboard Loops

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

What I started with — dirt floor, joists hanging full of old plumbing and posts shimmed up on whatever was handy.

Cleaning Out the Crawlspace and Re-Plumbing

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

Day one — a tree trunk down across the bottom of the driveway, blocking access from the road.

Clearing the Driveway and Entry

yard and landscape

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

From the doorway looking out at graded dirt before any pavement. This was the staging area for everything before it.

Paving the Driveway

yard and landscape

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

Old electric meter and the network interface on weathered siding. Cobwebs, peeling paint, and the bottom of the meter base rotted out.

New Service Panel and Lighting

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

Wood-sided cottage on the stone retaining wall after the exterior work was done. Same house, holding itself differently.

Final Grade, Walkway, and Curb Appeal

yard and landscape

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

The concrete steps had pulled away from the foundation — that vertical crack was funneling roof water straight at the wall.

Repointing the Stone Foundation and Patio

siding and exterior

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

Original gutters were stuffed solid with debris — that was sending water straight into the fascia and back down the siding.

Washing the Cottage and Hanging New Gutters

siding and exterior

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

Old shingles — ridge cap lifted, fascia cracked at the gutter, granules basically gone. Past due.

Full Roof Tear-Off and Re-Shingle

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

Engineered septic plans rolled out for review. Three-bedroom design, sized for the lot and the soil we'd tested.

Engineered Septic System Plans

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

Climbing rope and rigging staged on the slope before the crew started up. Steep ground, lots of pre-rigging.

Taking Down the Big Trees

yard and landscape

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

Before — crumbling sill, charred-looking subfloor, exposed wiring above. Worst part of the cottage.

Sealing Up the Crawlspace

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

Deck stairs starting point. Railings loose, boards splitting.

Rebuilding and Staining the Deck

siding and exterior

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

Track hardware and instructions out on the bench before I started cutting.

Double Pocket Doors Between Rooms

demo and renovation

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

Panel open with the new Generac surge protector wired in alongside the breakers.

Panel Upgrade and Laundry Hookup

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

This is what I was working with. Paint coming off the siding in big curls.

Stripping and Repainting the Exterior

siding and exterior

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

Green board going up on the sloped ceilings with the recessed cans already roughed in.

Finishing the Attic Bedrooms

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

Looking down the open-tread stairs with the oil burner switch on the bare wall. Starting point.

Finishing the Basement Stairwell

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

Sweeping up offcuts after laying the gray vinyl plank.

Flooring, Stairs, and the Reveal

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

Looking through the new opening into the kitchen with green board stacked for the patch-in.

Opening Up the Main Floor

demo and renovation

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

Entryway and stairs draped in plastic before the spray gun came out.

Masking and Spraying the Whole House

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

Old roadside stone wall before — overgrown but salvageable as the spine of the new beds.

Regrading, Paving, and Mulch

yard and landscape

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

Home Depot flatbed dropped the pallet at the lake side. Piggyback forklift earned its keep that day.

Hanging Drywall and Closing It Up

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

Loading flooring boxes into the trunk. I did most of the supply runs myself.

Floors, Paint, and Doors Through the House

demo and renovation

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

Before shot — beadboard wainscoting and painted plaster. The whole main floor needed to come apart.

Gutting the Main Floor

demo and renovation

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

New LVL beam set across the opening between kitchen and living room. Lake view all the way through.

LVL Beam to Open the Living Room

demo and renovation

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

Hearth blocks pulled and staged. Drill out, ready to start repointing the failed joints.

Restoring the Stone Fireplace

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

Started with this. Collapsed wall, leaning pillar, brush growing up through it.

Stone Patio and Retaining Walls

yard and landscape

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

Old floor pulled back to the plank subfloor with new Hampstead Elements boxes staged.

Running New Vinyl Plank Floors

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

Excavator parked on the snowy lot with utility lines marked. Cold start to a big job.

Winter Septic and Excavation

yard and landscape

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

My son working the slope with the string trimmer. The brush was head-high before we started.

Clearing the Hillside and Setting Stone Borders

yard and landscape

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

Big fallen trunk lying across the wooded slope. Had to come out before I could regrade.

Clearing the Lot

yard and landscape

From Mohawk Lake Cottage

Browse by Property

Multi-Job Properties

Some properties got worked on for years. These collections group every job done at the same address, ordered chronologically.

Rental Unit Fixes → 4 projects · 26 photos My Home Projects → 1 project · 19 photos Paulinskill Lake House → 24 projects · 344 photos Mohawk Lake Cottage → 38 projects · 669 photos Grand Ave Leonia Renovation → 9 projects · 142 photos Leonia Renovation → 18 projects · 315 photos Yard & Landscape → 9 projects · 95 photos

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