ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
Measuring up
November 25, 2008
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Denise Holtby
SPECIAL TO YOURHOME.CA
I had that whole “measure twice” thing in mind when I took the tape measure to our vanity cabinet doors, but apparently I followed my own axiom: “Measure twice, round down to the nearest whole number, and end up with doors that are half an inch too short.”
Either that or, after my “rant” about the orange-aproned people, the universe is getting even with me for my hubris.
Regular readers may remember that, after two weeks of delays, I finally placed my order for new drawer fronts and doors at my local big box building supply store. The company later called and offered me a 10 per cent discount and a delivery date two weeks earlier than originally promised. I was placated.
We went to pick up the doors a few days ago and, later that afternoon, my husband Dean decided to compare them to the existing ones to ensure the manufacturer had built them to the correct dimensions.
The doors were exactly the right size, according to the information on the form that I had filled out. Unfortunately, my information was wrong.
Yep. I measured the doors incorrectly. Actually, I think I measured them correctly in the beginning, but kept rounding them to an even number for the purpose of estimating. At some point, the estimate replaced the accurate number.
So now the doors are only 18 inches tall, when they should be 18 and 5/8th.
When I told my sister Michele of my error, her first, rather sensible, question was, “Why didn’t you get Dean to measure them?” Dean is known for his methodical attention to carpentry detail.
My answer? “I thought I could handle something as straightforward as measuring an existing door.” Michele laughed cruelly. Hmm. Apparently not.
So now we’re trying to decide between two alternatives:
1. “Fudge” a solution by adding a bit of material to try and hide the error, or
2. Order new doors in the correct dimensions.
Solution one could end up looking horrid if the doors and drawer fronts don’t align, while the second would add about $40 to my already-strained $1,000 budget. Waiting another two weeks for delivery could throw our two-month deadline out the window, too.
In the meantime, our daughter/painter Emily just flew south to take a job on a cruise ship, so we’ve lost an important member of our “crew.” Of course, now that her room will be empty for four months, I’m starting to think about redecorating a couple of bedrooms too. Time to pick up some more paint samples, just in case!
But from now on, when it comes to critical dimensions, I may measure once, but Dean will measure the second time.