The Ultimate DIY Project

( … with a little help from EP Henry)

Passionate do-it-yourselfer (DIYer) Karen is constantly on the lookout for budget-friendly ways to make her family’s home reflect their own personal style. Over the years, she and her husband Roger have relocated a number of times and gained valuable homeowner experience along the way.

Starting out, the couple completed an extensive, six-month renovation on their first apartment in Manhattan, NY - moving walls and adding a second bedroom. Then, after living in new homes in Tampa, FL and Las Vegas, NV, they knew they could never again settle for the old and outdated. Moving again this time to Forest Hills, NY, they reconfigured their condo by adding a third bedroom, ultimately fetching a record high sales price for their building. Now living in the Long Island, NY house in which they intend to stay, the family has embarked on a number of DIY projects aimed at making this house their home.

Karen was determined to get the kitchen of her dreams at a price she could afford. After countless hours searching the internet, she found a craigslist deal she just couldn’t refuse: two year old, high end custom cabinetry, and top-of-the-line appliances listed by a homeowner in Connecticut who had tired of her kitchen - all at a fraction of the cost of new.

At home, construction delays meant she had to rent garage space in Connecticut to store all of the pieces until they could be used. Six months later, Karen’s contractor gave her the "go-ahead" to retrieve the cabinets, but held out little hope that conditions in the storage unit hadn’t rendered them useless. Ever optimistic, she rented a truck and packed up her growing family for the trip north where her extreme DIY efforts were richly rewarded: all of the pieces were in the exact shape she’d left them. Thanks to careful planning and measuring, Karen was able to fit everything to within an inch of her available space and now has the dream kitchen she’s always wanted.

While the kitchen renovation was a huge success, elsewhere the family ran into a number of unexpected expenses which put them over budget - a common occurrence in many whole-house renovations. So, when the family finally turned their attention outdoors, Karen, a former CPA and current high school math teacher, was determined to keep costs down. She sought the help of the DIY Network’s 10 Grand in Your Hand, the show that offers DIYers tips and advice for saving up to $10,000 on their home improvement projects.

Their project: Repositioning an awkwardly narrow and misplaced walkway and installing a backyard patio.

Their challenge: Protecting the roots of a century old tree and meeting the town’s storm water management requirements.

Their solution: ECO™ Pavers by EP Henry. Earth-friendly and cost effective, permeable ECO Pavers allow rain water to infiltrate the subsoil where it can be absorbed by the tree and not become excess runoff.

10 Grand’s host, John DeSilvia, a licensed contractor, helped Karen and Roger determine which parts of their outdoor overhaul they could realistically do themselves and where it was worth the investment to hire a professional.

When the paver walkway proved to be too much, Karen, then 5-months pregnant with the couple’s fourth child, called in a contractor and says she’s glad she did. He was able to identify and correct some critical issues with the edging that were already causing the walkway to shift. Problem solved and back in DIY mode, Karen shares what she’s learned:

“DIY projects are great, but there’s something to be said for hiring the right professional. If I had it to do all over again, I’d pay someone from the beginning. The truth is – as is the case with most home improvement projects – the simplest part was the last step of inserting the ECO pavers, which slid into place like a puzzle. That part was fun! The hardest and most important piece – preparing the base for installation –should be left to experienced professionals who have the equipment and know-how.”

In addition, the family used EP Henry DevonStone^® Tennyson^® in Bluestone to reconstruct the front porch and steps leading to their home. The timeless beauty of DevonStone, with its subtle shading and rich dimension, perfectly complement the ECO Pavers used in the front walkway, unifying the spaces and creating a welcoming entry.

To finish off their patio space, Karen and Roger say they’d like to add an easy-to-install EP Henry Fire Pit Kit. For now, EP Henry products have helped them create inviting outdoor spaces that are the envy of the neighborhood.