Painting tips

Doors are not the only ones that require painting and re-painting after a period of time. You also need to paint other parts of the house like the skirtings, the fireplaces and even your staircases. When you need to paint these areas, make sure that you break down the painting operation into logical steps in order to get the desired results. For example, you need to decide if you will start off at a corner and work your way along and laying each section back off into the previous one. Or you can list a separate way of doing the staircases. With the staircases, you can paint the component parts separately. Here is one suggestion when painting the staircases; try the spindles from top to bottom starting at the top of the stairs working down the hand rails. If you will be painting the stair treads and that part has no carpet, then you can paint all of the risers alternately.

Start your painting job on the right note

There are a few steps that should be remembered before you paint the door in order to match your contemporary furniture. You need to remove all handles and other obstacles and you lay down the newspaper under the door in order to prevent the brush from picking the dust around. So which part of the door frame should be painted? Most homemakers find this a difficult decision to make. Well the answer here is simple; you need to paint all the frame edges up and that will include the parts of the room where the door opens up or closes. It is suggested that it is best to paint the frame before the door. The door edges must be painted before the face, for better results. And when painting the face of the door, you should work slightly outwards at the edges rather than inwards in order to avoid what others say as the ‘fat edges’.

Looking for the best area rugs

How do you look for area rugs that you can use inside your living room? Well there are a few considerations that you should keep in mind. First and foremost is the size of the area rugs. What is the use of the area rugs if you cannot accommodate these inside your living room? Make sure that you get area rugs that are not too small or not too big for the living room area. And when you are fitting the area rugs inside your living room, remember that a simple rule should be remembered and followed. The furniture need not be completely off the rug or on the rug. But you have to remember that too much furniture will make the area rug look small so be responsible when choosing area rugs and when arranging the furniture in the area rugs. There are times when it is favorable to select two small rugs than to get one large rug.
.

Major home checks

There are some major checks that should be done on the house on a regular basis. For example the gutters and the downspouts should be checked regularly. When you check these areas, make sure that you remove the leaves and the debris that can be found on the gutters and the downspouts. You can re-attach the gutters that have been pulled away from the house. You can run a hose on the roof and check if there is proper drainage used. If you can note a leak in the area then you can dry first the area and use caulking or an epoxy to seal the leak. The siding should be checked too, and you can clean the siding with the pressure washer so as to keep the mold from growing. The wood surfaces should be checked for weathering and paint failure. Place attention on the exterior caulking and replace it if it is deteriorating.

Using stain to color the outdoor wooden deck

Leaving the outdoor wooden deck as is will be boring. It is suggested that you make some moves in order to finish the outdoor wooden deck. You can use a stain in order to color and then seal a deck. The use of this material is one of the more popular ways on how to color your outdoor wooden deck. Others usually like and prefer applying semi-transparent deck stains to the wooden decks since the transparency of the stain will allow the natural beauty of the wood to really stand out. Applying this kind of stain is easy and can be done without the services of a professional. Even you can do the painting and this can be done by following simple steps and by using the right products. You can choose from many different brands of semi-transparent deck stain which can be purchased for use on the wooden deck. Check the many brands available in the market.

Easy cleaning of adhesives

Adhesives are helpful home tools as you can use adhesives for a variety of applications. For the kid’s home projects, adhesives can be used. For your home office needs, the adhesives can be used as well. Simply put your adhesives are great help inside the house. But did you know that adhesives can be very messy as well when these are overused and misused? Here is an old method of cleaning the remains of the adhesives on any surface. What you can do is to mix one teaspoon of a mild pH balanced detergent, like a mild non alkaline non bleaching detergent with a cup of lukewarm water, then blot. And a repetition of this step until the remains of the adhesives is removed. So what is the new method of cleaning the remains of the adhesives? Well, it is thru the use of a commercial cleaner- petroleum based, commercially and industrially proven formulation that can remove the stains and more.

Tips For Cleaning

This is a constant for homeowners as we all want our house to be as clean as can be. Some of us dread the coming of cleaning day as it entails getting down and dirty. Also, you could work up quite a sweat while cleaning your home especially if you have a large house.

To make it easier for you, you should leave organizing your closets and drawers during cleaning day. You should just focus on cleaning your furniture items. Organizing your things could take up a lot of time and you might not be able to focus on cleaning. Another tip is to have plenty of rags at the ready. Since you are cleaning the whole house, you will need them. Also, when washing the rags after cleaning, don’t mix them with your clothes. That's just not right.

Make A Skirt For Your Coffee Table

If you have a wooden coffee table in the living room and you feel that it lacks something, maybe it could be a skirt. Adding a skirt to a wooden coffee table is a simple job that almost anyone can do. All you have to do is to find a fabric which suits the color of your curtains as well as the finish of your coffee table. Then, it's just a matter of sticking them inside the coffee table using either fabric glue or tacks.

Create Your Own Bed Skirt

If you think your bed sheet is not enough to give your bedroom that look that you want, maybe you should try adding a bed skirt. What you need are hand towels and bath towels as well as ball fringe, fabric glue and some bed skirt tacks.

All you have to do is to arrange the bath towels and hand towels with the latter placed over the former. Then, glue the ball fringe to the hand towels and secure the towels to the bed using bed skirt tacks. Be sure to choose towels which complement the color of your bed sheet.

Making A Photo Cube

If you want something new for your home, you can try making a photo cube. What you would need are six 16x20 inch photos, 20 4x4 inch wood cubes, adhesive, sealer, ruler, and a crafts knife.

The first thing you need to do is divvy up the photos into 4x4 inch pieces. Then, use the adhesive to stick them to the wood cubes and apply the sealer to protect your pictures. To do this properly, line up the cubes to form a 4x5 rectangle and use it as a guide to complete your picture. Do this to all the sides of the cubes.

After the cubes, it is time to create the frame. What you will need are pieces of wood. Two 18 inch plank with a width of 4 inches, and two more 22 inches in length with the same width. Pick a wood plank about an inch or two thick for the frame. Then, assemble it with the cubes inside as a guide. Use wood glue for the frame. Then, you can make your own stand or you can just set it up upon a pedestal or any shelf big enough to accommodate it.

Using A Floorboard For A Shelf

If you want to make your entryway look cooler but lacks in space, you can use a shelf instead of a table or bench, or any furniture for that matter. What you need is a floorboard, preferably of good quality. Installing it to your wall is just as easy as finding the stud and drilling through them to affix some brackets for the floorboard to sit on. After that, you can find a mirror of the right size and secure it over the floorboard. If you want, you can add a fabric over the floorboard if the wood you used is not that good-looking.

How To Remove Beer Stains

If you are a beer drinker or anyone in your house drinks beer, chances are, some of it will get spilled onto your furniture. If it stains the furniture, there are easy steps you can follow to remove it. If the stain is still wet, blot it with a clean white towel or paper towels. Do not rub the stain as it could only get worse.

After that, mix a teaspoon of detergent and a cup of warm water. Apply the mixture to the stain and let it sit for about five minutes before blotting it again. If the stain is not removed, try a solution of one part white vinegar and two parts water to remove the stain.

Finishes For The Outside

When you talk about finishes, you might think about the finish of your indoor furniture like chairs and tables. But it could also be applied to the exterior of your home like the door. If your home has some attractive wood, you might want to use transparent finish so that the beauty of the wood will still be visible. If you choose varnish or synthetic resins, it could not last long against the harsh sun. Therefore, it is recommended that you use semi-transparent stains as they are easier to use and can last longer against the harsh sunlight.

How To Reduce Energy Consumption

Today, most people are looking to save money and the energy bill is one place to start.  There are a lot of steps you can o to reduce your energy consumption at home.  For example, you can install a programmable thermostat which would control the temperature inside your home.  You can program it so that when no one is around, the air-conditioning system would shut down to save on electricity.  Also, you can use ceiling fans by reversing it in the winter as it will push the warm air down.

How To Clean Bricks

If you opted to use brick for your home like for the patio, you have to keep in mind that it needs to be cleaned every now and then.  When cleaning it, you should use a moderately strong alkali solution.

To make your own solution to be used for cleaning bricks, mix one ounce of soap with an ounce of table salt and water just enough to make a cream.  Apply this cream to the surface of the bricks and let it dry for more than ten minutes.  After the ten minutes, use a stiff brush to remove it.

Simple Window Decorating

A window need not look bland anymore with different curtains offered in the market.  With this variety, it is easy for people to choose the ones that will look well with their home furniture.  Making a window look appealing does not only involve a change of curtains though.  Even a simple project such as replacing curtain rods can alter how your window looks.  These are inexpensive so it would not be much of a hassle to undertake.  Just pick the curtain rod with the same design theme as your curtain and your ready to go. 

How To Strip Old Wallpaper

If you moved in to a house with old wallpapers you want to replace, chances are you are going to strip it yourself.  It is an easy job of course so there's nothing surprising about that.  Although there are types of wallpapers that need professional help when being stripped, the majority of wallpapers can easily be taken down.

Basically, what you would need is a cleaning solution made up of water and dishwashing detergent.  Use a sponge to wet the backing of the old wallpaper after stripping its outermost layer.  Then use a scraping tool to get rid of the backing.  The longer you let the wallpaper soak in the solution, the easier it would be to strip.

Painting Your Fence

While it may sound like an easy task, painting a fence properly is a task that should not be taken lightly.  First, you have to make sure that the paint you are going to use is resistant to ultraviolet rays.  Also, it should be able to withstand the elements.

Paintbrushes should also be chosen with care.  While brushes may look the same, they are not.  Look for brushes with bristles of uniform size and looks firm.  Also, you have to make sure that the surface you will be painting is cleaned thoroughly to make sure that the paint would stick to it.

Simple Home Décor: Pressed Flowers

If you love flowers and you want to decorate your home with it, there's a simple project you can do by yourself and that is pressing flowers.  All you need to do is gather the flowers that you want.  If you have a garden, this makes the project easier to tackle.  After collecting the flowers, place them between absorbent papers and put them in between the pages of a heavy book.  Give it eight days to dry and take them out and you have the materials for any home decorating project you might have in mind like having them laminated and displayed in your living room.