Tips & Tricks
Before Boarding Your Loft
Before boarding the loft, check you have adequate insulation. The minimum recommended depth is 270mm, but many houses - old and new – will have less. If so, take the opportunity to top up using blanket or loose-lay insulation. This will make your heating system more efficient, and may bring down the bills significantly.
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Spotting Wood Infestations
Woodworm holes are about 2mm in diameter. If dark in colour, they may have been treated before. Pale dust around the edge of a hole is a sign of recent activity and should be treated immediately. Wood that is infested with dry rot appears dry and spongy, with the fibres breaking down. Dry rot can do serious damage and is best treated by a professional.
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When Grouting…use tile spacers
Using tile spacers will give even grout lines between the tiles and a professional looking finish. They come in different sizes suitable for floor or wall tiles. Cross-shaped spacers are for use with standard square or rectangular tiles, while Y-shaped spacers are for octagonal tiles. Press them well below the surface of the tile, so they do not protrude through the finished grout.
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Tackling Damp
Damp patches should be looked at by a professional, as there may be a problem that needs to be addressed. When you are ready to redecorate, apply a specially formulated damp sealant or oil-based undercoat over the stain first. You can also help to keep damn at bay with microporous acrylic paint, which is a water-based paint that allows the wall surface to breathe.
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Recycling Unused Paint
Water-based paint is better for the environment than a solvent- or oil-based product, but whatever you use, never pour leftovers down the drain. Paint can pollute waterways. Contact your local authority to find out if there are any paint recycling schemes in your area.
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Keeping Scissors Clean
Occasionally dip your wallpaper scissors into a jar of clean warm water to loosen the build-up of paste.
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Jamming at the Bottom of a Door
If the door is jammed at the bottom or there is insufficient clearance over the carpet, position the door where it is sticking the most. Rest a thick piece of card or steel rule on the flooring against the door and mark a pencil line at that height along the bottom of the door. Take the door off its hinges and saw or plane off the excess material. Smooth the edges with abrasive paper and refit the door.
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Insulating Your Wall
Improve sound and heat insulation by fitting 100mm-thick glass fibre insulation blanket between the studs before plasterboarding the second side. To stop electric cables from overheating, run them inside PVC conduit clipped to the studs or noggings, and passed through notches rather than holes.
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Mind the Gaps in the Floor
Papier mache makes a good filler for gaps between floorboards. Mix a stiff paste with torn strips of newspaper (not coloured) and wallpaper adhesive. Colour this with a little water-based wood dye to match the sanded floor. Force the papier mache into the gaps and smooth off flush with the boards. Allow to dry before sanding.
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Gluing Vinyl
Not all vinyl has to be glued to the floor. Heavy duty ‘stay-flat’ vinyl does not shrink or lift, so it can be laid without glue. Cushioned vinyl, however, should be glued around the edges and at joins. Thinner non-cushioned types need to be stuck down al over: once fitted, roll back half the vinyl and apply adhesive to the floor (use the adhesive supplied or recommended by the manufacturer). Fit the vinyl back in place and repeat for the other half of the room. When it is all back in place, press the vinyl flat with a soft broom.
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Gaps in Wallpaper Seams
Sometimes gaps appear at wallpaper seams, generally due to poor hanging, but occasionally because of shrinkage while he paper was drying. White gaps can be filled with felt tip pent he same colour as the base colour of the paper. Some paper manufacturers sell special pens for this purpose.
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When Painting, Test Colours
You can choose from a range of acrylic paint colours, but you may need to mix several in order to achieve the shade you want. Add some of the mixed colour to a small quantity of glaze on an old saucer and test it on an out-of-the-way part of the wall – you don’t want to end up with a large quantity of glaze that is not the right colour. You need very little colour for these special paint effects, so you can use the tiny paint colour testing tubes, tins or pots as your colour source.
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Tiling Over Tiles
Rather than remove ceramic tiles, you can simply tile over them. Check that they are all firmly fixed in place, and reglue any that are loose. Make sure that the joint lines of the new tiles do not lie directly over those of the old.
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Adjusting Gate Hinges
With some hinges you may find there is movement or ‘play’ when you try to screw them to the gate, making them difficult to position accurately. If so you will need to adjust their position once the posts are set. This will be easier if you fit only two holding screws per hinge into the post while it is still laying flat. Likewise, wait to fit the latch until the gate is hung.
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