How To Tile A Bathroom

Posted on January 28, 2013 by admin

Tiling a bathroom can be an easy do-it-yourself project that can help you learn to tile while saving some money that would have to be given to a handyman for his services.  Also, it can be a pretty fun project and getting your family to help out can make the job more interesting.

tileThings you will need

  • Tiles (design according to your choice and size should depend on the size of the bathroom)
  • Measuring tape
  • Trowel
  • Level
  • Thin set mortar
  • Chalk
  • Tile cutter
  • Bucket
  • Sponge
  • Grout
  • Grout spreader
  • Grout sealant
  • Knee pads

STEP BY STEP GUIDE

  1. Put on your knee pads. This will ensure that you are comfortable
  2. Pick a wall that has the longest area of continuous tile. This will be your reference. This will ensure that all the tiles are set straight based upon this reference you chose. Making sure that all the tiles in this row are straight will also enable the laying of tiles in a straight manner for the rest of the room.
  3. Use a chalk and determine a 90 degree angle at the corner of your reference wall. There is a good chance that the wall might be crooked.
  4. Then, place the tiles according to the manner in which you wish in the horizontal and vertical direction from your 90 degree angled corner.
  5. Adjust the tiles so that the cuts are concealed in the far wall and less noticeable corners.
  6. Use a large scale if you have to in order to determine that the tiles you placed are in perfectly straight lines. Do not follow the wall in this regard.
  7. Mark the outline of the tiles in the first row using a chalk.
  8. Make sure the area you choose is far from the doorway so that there is enough space for you to exit the room without endangering the life of a newly laid tile.
  9. Set the level so that the floor will be sloping towards the drain. Also, this will ensure that the top of the tiles is flat.
  10. Mix some mortar in a bucket.  Do not mix too much as it might harden if you are tiling too slowly. Lay it using a trowel on the region that has been outlined using the chalk. Fix the tile on the area that has mortar on it. Do not worry if the mortar exceeds the area originally marked by you for the first square.
  11. Lay some more mortar and place the second tile close to the first one.
  12. Cut the tiles using a tile cutter to fit the far wall if need arises.
  13. Use grout that goes with the color of your tile and mix it in a bucket according to the instructions present on the bag.
  14. Spread the grout using a grout spreader in the gap between two tiles. Make sure the grout spreads evenly.
  15. Wet a sponge that has rounded edges to remove extra grout from the surface of the tile before it dries and sets completely. Make sure you only remove the grout from the surface and not from the gaps in between the tiles.
  16. Seal the regions where the walls meet the tiles and also the regions in between tiles using a grout sealant.
  17. Allow the tiles to dry and set for a period of 3-5 days or as prescribed on the cover of the mortar and grout bags.

Your bathroom is ready for use.

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How to Install Crown Moulding

Posted on January 22, 2013 by admin

Installing crown moulding is a bit trickier than other trim because it requires cutting compound angles. Plus, out-of-square corners and bulging, wavy walls can be a nightmare for a novice. Here are a few methods of installing crown moulding:

Step 1: Determine Which Type of Crown Moulding to Use

Wood moulding can be very expensive. You may want to use moulding made of MDF, which is a combination of wood and resins and comes pre-primed and ready to paint. If you decide of MDF though, don’t use it in a kitchen or bathroom as the humidity can cause it to warp.
crownmoulding
Step 2: Cut the Corners of the Moulding

The hardest part of installing crown moulding is cutting the corners. You can’t ԁo it like any other trim pieces because the moulding sits at an angle between the wall and the ceiling.  Using a coping saw is the easiest way to cut the corners because a coped joint is tighter than a mitered joint. A coping saw is also good for a beginner. Any gap in a coped cut can easily be concealed with a little bit of caulk.   Another tool that will make the job easier is a power miter saw.  It’s accurate and makes a cleaner cut than a plastic miter box.

Step 3: Measure and Mark the Wall

Measure the wall for the length of your first piece of molding. Mark the wall to show the bottom edge of the moulding.

Step 4: Cut the First Measured Piece

Once you determine the length, take the moulding to the saw and cut in a straight line at a 90-degree angle — you want both ends of the moulding to butt against the side walls.

Step 5: Cut the Next Piece to Fit an Inside Corner

Move the miter saw guide to the 45-degree angle point and set the moulding into place. The edges need to be pressed firmly against the saw table and the vertical side fence. This is the first key to a straight cut and a good fit.

Step 6: Understand How the Pieces Fit Together

The second key is not so obvious and can be a bit confusing. The moulding is upside ԁown, meaning the edge against the vertical fence is the bottom of the moulding and the edge against the table is the top of the moulding (think of your table as the ceiling).

Step 7: Cut the Moulding at a 45-Degree Angle

With the moulding in the proper position, use a 10-inch saw blade to cut a perfect 45-degree angle. It is also important here to make sure you cut the moulding angle in the right direction: for an inside corner, the bottom of the moulding should be longer than the top part of the moulding; for an outside corner, the top of the moulding will be longer than the bottom.

Step 8: Cope the Joint
When you cope a joint, you scribe the end of one moulding to the face of the other. Darken the front edge with a pencil and then use the coping saw to cut as close to the line as you can. You will need to hold your thumb against the side of the blade to guide the start of your cut. Start slowly, so you don’t splinter the delicate edge. Cut at a slight angle. You want to cut off more from the edge of the moulding and you don’t need to cut it all at one time. Cut out small pieces to make creating this coped joint easier.

Step 9: Check the Fit

Check the fit against a scrap piece of moulding to reveal any gaps that neeԁ to be trimmed. Use the coping saw to cut off the high points.

Step 10: Attach the Moulding to the Wall

Once the fit is right, take the moulding to the wall. For a long piece, you’ll need some help holding it. Push the end into the corner, making the fit as tight as possible; attach it to the wall. Use the caulk gun to cover up any gaps in the joint (make sure you’re using paintable caulk). You may need another small piece of moulding to finish out the wall.

Step 11: Make Miter Cuts for the Outside Corners

The outside corners should meet exactly (a caulk gun can’t help you much here). Less experienced DIY’ers may want to paint the crown moulding, since paint and caulking can be used to hide any small mistakes — with stained moulding, it’s much harder to disguise imperfections.

Step 12: Use Optional Corner Blocks

You can skip the miter and coping cuts altogether by using corner blocks, which will prevent having to cut angles into the moulding. It looks professional and tends to be a lot easier.

Installing crown is a bit trickier than other trim because it requires cutting compound angles. Plus, out-of-square corners and bulging, wavy walls can be a nightmare for a novice. But over the course of a dozen jobs, I’ve come up with a few shortcuts–I don’t really remember where I learned a lot of these tricks, I just know them.

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HGTV Dream Home Contest 2013

Posted on December 28, 2012 by admin

Another year has come and gone and it is already time from the HGTV dream home contest 2013.  This is the annual sweepstakes giveaway that HGTV does every year and this year includes a coastal cottage home, a new GMC Acadia and $500,000 in cash.

hgtvdreamhome2013

This contest seems to get bigger and bigger every year and I think this is the first time they have given a way a cash prize as large as a half a million dollars for their HGTV sweepstakes.

The HGTV dream home 2013 was built on Kiawah island, which is located on South Carolina in a small neighborhood of 16 other homes.

You now have a chance to enter their contest twice per day starting on December 28th, 2012 by going to the HGTV site by clicking here.

This year the contest will end on February 15, 2013 and the winner will be announced in March 2013.

Good luck!

 

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DIY Kitchen Plumbing

Posted on November 21, 2012 by admin

The plumbing for a kitchen might not be as complicated as that of a bathroom, therefore most people can do it themselves. This is because the specialty hardware kit can be found in virtually all hardware outlet stores making it ideal for DIY kitchen plumbing.

diy plumbingFor those who don’t know, don’t worry, by the time you are through with this articles you will be fully equipped with the right knowledge of doing a plumbing kitchen installation.

Step by Step Plumbing Kitchen Installation

1. Purchase a kitchen drain kit from a hardware supplier. Make sure it is in a good working condition before leaving the store. A kitchen Drain Kit is ideal in a number of ways; as it enables one to escape the challenge of constructing complicated measurements, sealing of joints, fixing different components and cutting the pipes.

2. The next step would involve detaching the old plumbing sink from the wall. This can be done by the use of a spud wrench as a way of unscrewing the nuts pieces by holding the old plumbing sink. Also you will require a pair of pliers to remove the sink by holding the basket while unscrewing the bolt. Many bolts provide an area to attach the pliers as you unscrew.

3. Cleaning the area previously occupied by the old sink would be the next step. Make sure to clean properly, leaving no putty or gunk. This stage of installation is equally important as it ensures no leakage of the drainage kit once it is installed. You can also paint the place with high drying paint for the purposes of cleanliness. Paint makes it ideal to discourage the formation of putty and gunk in the near future.

4. The next step would involve the attachment of the new washer found in the basket you have just bought. This should be done with great caution to prevent any possible breakages of the washer. In case there is a white backing in the kit of your washer, remove the strip to expose the centre of the adhesive part and fit it firmly in place.

5. The fifth step would be the most crucial one of installing the basket from the underside of the sink. The first thing to put in place is the washer rubber, followed by the washer cardboard and finally you can screw the nut. Make sure you do it tightly to enable the desired strength whenever a heavy object is placed on it.

6. Match the basin’s sink by adjusting the drains extension.  Consequently, secure the nut firmly after putting the washers on the sides.

7. By making sure the ”V” shaped washer pipes are pointing due south (perfectly downwards), fix the ”P” trap. In that stage, no putty or tape is required.

8. The final phase would be to inspect the newly stored kitchen plumbing. Try and apply some force in it and see whether it moves.  Then, open up the water so as to allow free draining and inspect whether the water is following in the correct route of the drainage pipes. If not, follow up the steps closely and check if everything is in place.

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How To Refinish Furniture

Posted on November 20, 2012 by admin

If you have a piece of furniture, it scratched or that has lost its luster, but still functional, don’t give up on it. You can try reconditioning and change the appearance.  Here is a method with which you can change the appearance of your old furniture:

1. Prepping

The first step in refinishing a piece of furniture is cleaning and surface preparation. Use a solution of 3 litres of warm water, 2 tablespoons of turpentine and 2 tablespoons of linseed oil. Wash the furniture with a soft cloth that you soaked in the prepared solution. Turpentine will remove residues, producing a matte finish effect.

Another method for cleaning furniture is wiping it with a solution of 80% water and 20% ammonia. Depending on the type of wood, ammonia could have the effect of changing the shade of the furniture. If the piece of furniture looks great, there’s no need to polish.  You can remove fine dust with a dry cloth or special furniture detergent then polish with lemon oil, which you can buy at any drugstore or natural products store. Traces will be removed and furniture will gain a new luster.

2. Use a sanding technique to get rid of scratches, lacquer or wax.

If the piece of furniture that you want to recondition is scratched or does not match the rest of the house and want to change the color, you need to use an abrasive technique.  It is advisable to measure how much the piece of furniture should be polished. This is because some pieces of furniture are damaged only at the surface level.  In this case you can remove the varnish or wax using a special solvent that you can buy in stores and DIY design.

It is good to know that once you start sanding, you will need to apply the same technique all over the furniture because the look of the wood will change due to the sanding.  You can use a sanding machine or a piece of sandpaper. Pay attention to the grain! A paper with a coarse grinding is used to go deeper while if you want to create a very smooth surface, it is advisable to use a paper with a small grain.

3. After you have cleaned the old furniture fill in the cracks and scratches

If the furniture shows more pronounced holes, cracks, or large scratches it is advisable to cover them before painting with a special wood kit that you can buy from DIY stores or design. Also, you can fill the holes using a mixture of lacquer with sanding dust obtained from another piece of wood.

If the piece of furniture has a very thick coat of lacquer, you can apply a solvent for varnishes and paints before starting the grinding process. After sanding, remove the dust with a soft cloth and vacuum surface very well. Apply a new coat of varnish or wax. Finally, after the paint has dried, you should polish furniture with lemon oil to increase its luster.

Also, instead of the lacquer, you can use a paint color that matches the rest of the house. Choose a resistant paint to dirt that can protect the wood at the same time. You can choose an oil based classic paint or latex paint, which is very resistant.

Enjoy!

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