Interior Painting
No other project you do around your home so completely changes the appearance and mood of a room for less time, effort or money than painting.
Refinishing Timber Furniture
Furniture eventually reaches a point where it needs more than dusting and polishing, however, stripping and refinishing old furniture is no longer the norm. An aged finish, with a patina that only time can produce, can greatly add to the character and value of an object. Sometimes all that is needed for such pieces is a thorough cleaning and as different kinds of furniture call for different cleaning methods advice on cleaning or other restoration should be sought from an expert. If you have no concerns re the above and you simply want to remove the old finish and re-apply a new one, then use the following steps to guide you through the process.
Composting
Composting is the common name for the decomposition of organic matter such as leaves, grass, and food scraps, by micro organisms, under aerobic conditions. This decomposition occurs naturally in all but the most hostile environments, such as within landfills or in extremely arid deserts, and the result of this decomposition process is compost, a crumbly, earthy- smelling, soil-like material that is an excellent source of organic matter for garden soils. Although you can buy commercially prepared compost, making your own is personally rewarding and by joining the thousands of individuals across the country who compost in their own backyards you can help greatly reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills or incinerators.
Cubby House
Draw your cubby floor plan and elevations on graph paper to an easily convertible scale. Depending on the size of your cubby some local Councils may require that plans are submitted for approval so it might be prudent to check with them first. While you’re at it, check the locations of any underground utilities that you may encounter when excavating. Consideration should also be given to what you are going to do with the cubby after it has outlived its usefulness. Maybe you could use it as a storage shed at a later date, in which case you may want to increase the wall height to suit future needs.
Replacing Door Furniture
Door furniture refers to any of the items that are attached to a door or a drawer to enhance its functionality or appearance. These items include latches, locks, knobs, handles, flush pulls and push plates Transforming your home's appearance for relatively little cost is just one of the reasons for changing your home’s door furniture. You might also want to improve security or replace a broken lock with a new one. Even if there's nothing wrong with your existing door furniture, you might want to upgrade to lever-style door handles which are much easier to operate, especially for children or people with arthritis and limited hand strength. If you are planning to redecorate or upgrade your home and want to replace your door furniture, there are things that you need to take into consideration.
Laying Ceramic Wall Tiles
You can easily brighten up your bathroom or kitchen by using wall tiles. They make an attractive backsplash behind sinks and stoves, or encasing a bathtub or shower. Wall tiling is relatively easy if accompanied by careful planning, but it does take patience, common sense and being somewhat handy. However, be aware that shower tiling requires waterproofing of the substrate and the consequences of a poor job can be expensive leaks. Sometimes it is better to leave shower tiling to experienced, professional tilers. Use graph paper to estimate the number of tiles you need beforehand and to work out your design requirements if you are introducing a pattern or border. It’s also a good way of planning how you a going to deal with awkward corners or recesses. When purchasing your tiles you should order at least 10% extra to allow for broken or chipped pieces and also check to that your tiles are all from the same batch.
Rope Tying
Knots are essential in many industrial, work, home or recreational activities but the number of knots, ties, bends, hitches, and shortenings in use is almost unlimited and they can be confusing and bewildering to the uninitiated. For the average person who only uses knots occasionally, it is useful to learn just a few knots which are easy to tie and easy to remember, yet are strong and secure and safe for a wide variety of purposes.
Exterior Painting
There are few more rewarding projects than giving your home a new look with a fresh coat of paint. Painting is a relatively simple do-it-yourself project the whole family can help with and a good paint job will not only protect your house from the elements, saving you the higher cost of extensive repairs, but will also add value to your home, and can make a great first impression if you're planning to sell. Take a few minutes to read through the steps that follow. They'll save you time, money and frustration as you paint outside.
Plasterboard...Jointing and Cornice
Once all your plasterboard sheets are in place and the adhesive has had time to dry, the seams and corners of the plasterboard need to be finished off with joint tape and premixed jointing compound. Jointing is not as easy as it looks, so take your time and use smooth strokes and clean tools … and be prepared for some frustration at the beginning. Cornice styles are wide ranging and are the ideal way to finish off the look of a room and do not require any special skills to erect. Fitting cornice will remove the need to undertake detailed finishing of the corner where the wall and ceiling meet.
Plasterboard...Cutting and Fixing
Plasterboard is the most widely used wall and ceiling lining material in Australia. It is composed of a gypsum core encased in a heavy-duty linerboard which is folded around the long edges to reinforce and protect the core. For domestic use, long edges are recessed to assist in producing a smooth, even and continuous surface once jointed. Generally in 1200mm and 1350mm widths, plasterboard is available in a variety of lengths from 2400mm up to 6000mm, in 10mm and 13mm thicknesses, although there are some ‘special application’ products that are 6.5mm, 16mm and 25mm thick. As well as plasterboard for general applications there are also boards specifically manufactured for water resistance, fire resistance, acoustic resistance, flexibility and long span applications. It is advisable to confer with your local building authority before beginning any major plasterboard projects.
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