Your Most Hated DIY Problems Solved
On this blog, we love DIY. But there are some jobs that just suck. No matter how well you prepare, it always seems as if something goes wrong and ruins your plans. Here are some of the commonest DIY problems out there and what you can do to make your life a bit easier.Sealing Around The Bath
Sealing around the bath is important for many reasons. It stops mold from growing in places where you can’t see it, and it prevents water from dripping down the side of the bath into the room below. In other words, it’s essential. However, getting it to work is difficult.
To really do bath sealing like a pro, you need to first choose the right tools. Find a sharp knife, like a Stanley knife, and remove any old silicone sealant around the bath. Make sure that you peel it off entirely. If there’s any residue left on the bath or the tiles, scrape this off with a soft, blunt instrument or a silicone-specific scraping tool (if you happen to have one).
Next, take your new silicone tube and cut the top of it at a 45-degree angle. This is essential because it will make it much easier to apply. Finally, load the silicone gun and then apply it to the bath. To prevent any annoying strings from forming, make sure to close the gun as soon as you stop applying the silicone.
When it comes to sealing around the bath, the corners are often the most annoying parts. Don’t try to work around corners. Instead, work into the corners and meet in the middle to provide a neat finish.
Decorating Over A Leak In The Ceiling
If you’ve got a leaking ceiling, it’s a good idea to get in touch with a plumber through a site like http://www.hynesplumbingandheating.com who can solve the problem. But assuming that the cause of the leak is fixed, then what should you do? It turns out that there are actually quite a few ways to cover up the aftermath of a leak in the ceiling. One way is to use a stain blocker. This is a type of paint which you can buy at the hardware store. Alternatively, you can make your own blocker by combining a gloss paint with an oil-based paint. Just apply this to the area stained by water, leave to dry and then finish with a top coat. It’s really that simple.
Laying Laminate
Do you have an awful carpet in your home you want to replace with laminate flooring? You’re not alone. But unfortunately, replacing a carpet with laminate isn’t as simple as ripping up the carpet and putting down the new flooring. You can’t just put laminate down on top of floor boards.
So what do you need to do? Professional laminate flooring experts use an underlay, a type of material that is supposed to act as a buffer between the laminate and the floorboard. This helps laminate cope with any unevenness in the floorboards, something which is inevitable, given that wood usually warps over time. Different underlays have different levels of quality and thickness. The cool thing about underlays, though, is that they usually come packaged with any laminate flooring you buy, so actually choosing one that is appropriate for your situation shouldn’t be too difficult.
Successfully fitting a new laminate floor is all about preparation. Not only do you need to remove the carpet entirely, but also any adhesive residue and debris. Before you lay down any underlay, make sure the floor is free from any dirt, junk, and moisture.
Making Stripping Wallpaper Less Of A Chore
Removing wallpaper can sometimes be a bit of a chore, especially if you’re going about it the wrong way. Don’t try to remove wallpaper with your bare hands or just some simple tools. You’ll be working at it all day. Instead, use a steamer and move from one patch to the next every 10 seconds or so. If you don’t have a steamer, just use a sponge and some warm water with some washing up liquid instead. If you go down the sponge and warm water route, you’ll have to apply it to the walls two or three times before you’ll be able to quickly strip the wallpaper.
Once the wallpaper is wet, take your scraper and start removing the paper. Hold the scraper at an angle of 45 degrees or less to avoid damaging the wall behind.
Diagnosing Damp
Damp is one of the most annoying and expensive problems you can have with your house, especially if it is in the foundations. But how do you know you’ve got it?
Damp occurs most often in warm, wet conditions. Most people’s homes are warm, but the majority manage to keep water out most of the time. However, if there are structural problems with the roof or walls, then water can get in through the cracks, seep into porous brickwork and eventually arrive on the inside of your home according to http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk.
Damp is a problem by itself, but it can become seriously dangerous to your health when damp turns into mold. Mold spores have been shown to cause respiratory problems in children, so they’re worth sorting out as soon as you notice them.
How can you tell the difference between damp and condensation? Mold has a distinctive musty smell whereas condensation shouldn’t smell of anything. Mold also comes in a variety of colors, usually black so it can be pretty obvious.
The best way to fix mold problems is to prevent water from getting into the house in the first place. If you’ve got rising damp coming up from the ground, you’ll need a specialist company to solve the problem. Once the problem is fixed, the mold will slowly die away. But if you’re worried about spores getting into your home, there are special products you can put on moldy walls to kill off the mold directly.
To stop the mold from returning, keep your home well ventilated and at a constant temperature.
1 Comments
Francesca
July 24, 2017 at 9:49 pm
This is such a helpful blog, thank for sharing. I’m sure many people will really appreciate having this process broken down into easy steps. Damp is a really common problem in many homes unfortunately, but taking steps like this (or getting a pro to help if you feel unable) can make a huge difference. It’s also worth checking if your roof insulation is up to scratch!