TGFM

This pandemic has been a blessing and a curse, but one things is for sure - people have been taking care of small projects around their homes. Not a day goes by when I don't get a call about a repair,  a new project,  or someone interested in taking a class. 

Honestly - most business owners I know tell me they're busier than ever. Sure, things are different.

 LIFE IS DIFFERENT.  

But most have adapted with curb-side pickups, online sales, distance learning, Zoom meetings, etc. It's working.

One of the constants in my life is people calling for repairs. I get calls about everything from broken furniture, to refinishing, to building new projects, but one of the most popular calls is for drawer and door repair. 

Property managers constantly have apartments or homes that have damaged components, and well.... who wants to rent a place that has missing kitchen drawers? Or broken doors?

This door came to me with a panel that had a giant hole in it. (Of course I forgot to take a picture of it before I removed the panel.)  Suffice it to say that this repair was pretty stressful!  The tenant was threatened with having to pay for all new doors in the kitchen, because of this one broken door. 

 I made two plunge cuts on the tablesaw, cutting away the two strips of wood that held the panel in place. 

Luckily, I had parts of the old panel that I could use as a template for the new panel. 

And one of my neighbors in my warehouse complex had a piece of plywood that I could use, thus avoiding having to buy a whole 4x8 sheet. 

But I knew the challenge would be matching the finish.. that's ALWAYS the biggest problem! 

I pulled out my trusty Mohawk catalog, 

and tried to find a close match. I ended up going to my local Mohawk store,

 and the clerk tested a few different shades until we found the closest match. It's not perfect; one was too white, another to yellow... but we finally found one that would work. 

I ended up with a shade in the middle - maybe not a perfect match, but as we say.... close enough!

 Putting the panel back in was a bit of a challenge. I had to coax it in place gently - so I grabbed my "small" mallet. 

One whack later and it slipped into the slots. All that was left was two small strips of trim on the back of the door, to keep the panel in place. Repairs like this are more tedious than difficult. 

Taking a trip to the Mohawk store was probably the most time consuming part, honestly.  I feel like there's so much stress going on in people's lives that taking on small jobs like these are the least I can do to help out a bit. It's not much, but it sure saved my customer a ton of money in the long run. 

TGFM

(That's - Thank God for Mohawk!)