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A Look at Custom Shutters -
Who doesn’t love the look of shutters? On the outside, they accentuate the windows, adding personality and style to the house. Inside, they offer a beautiful and stylish alternative to mini-blinds. Shutters are readily available in stock sizes.
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Duct Cleaning - Proper Principles and Practices
As a qualified duct cleaning contractor I have discovered that most homeowners feel that they are very uninformed when it come to the principals and practices of proper air duct cleaning hygiene.
Let me begin by saying that the EPA as well as the...
Four Decorative Painting Techniques
Tired of plain, boring walls? Faux finishes are a great way to jazz up your space with little cost or effort. Here are a few of the most popular finishes. Sponging: Of all faux finish techniques, sponging is the easiest, even children can do a...
Use Wallpaper Borders to Decorate Your Room
The use of wallpaper borders is quite common for any room of the
house. A border is placed either through the middle of a wall or
about three feet from the floor to separate the top of the wall
from the bottom. There are many ways these accents...
Which Lamp should I choose?
With all the lighting choices out there, you may want to reconsider just purchasing a lamp for your lighting needs. Whether you are looking for interior lighting or outdoor lighting, you can find many options pretty easily. Lighting fixtures have...
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Learn the Basics of Bathroom Refinishing
The do-it-yourself "fixer upper" you decided to invest in is
finally nearing completion and looking like a decent place to
live; there are only a few more projects to complete. Passing up
the final touches like remodeling the guest bedroom, you look
down at the tired old bathtub that came with the home. It is a
nice size and shape and the fixtures are antiques. The plumbing
works, and it has great bones; it just looks old and beat down.
Grabbing your list of projects you circle "bathroom refinishing" and settle down to work.
Improve your home and your tub
You don't have to be in the throws of handyman heaven in an
investment property to refurbish your bathtub; this is one of
those home improvement projects that will not only breathe new
life into the look and feel of the bathroom, but can go a long
way to upping the value of the entire home. The majority of
bathtubs that are "off the shelf" are made from a form of
industrial grade porcelain, the kind that loses its finish, and
along with it its shine, over the years of use, not to mention
water deposits.
Restoring tubs to a beautiful look and feel can save a lot of
money; most new tubs can run a thousand dollars or more, and a
refurbishing project can run as much as $500, sometimes much
less. If properly planed for, refinishing a bathtub can take as
little as one day.
The actual work involves stripping the tub, which requires heavy
chemicals to do so. Then there is priming work, painting work,
and then finishing the tub. Most often a tub refinishing kit can
be purchased at a local hardware store and comes with
everything
you might need, complete with instructions. What those
instructions do not always include, however, are the major
troubleshooting issues that do-it-yourself'ers run into.
The issues
Most of the time problems like "aligatoring" (when a network of
fine lines show up where they are not supposed to) cracking and
bubbling come from improper cleaning before painting and
finishing the tub, although sometimes refinishing at the wrong
temperature can bring up issues as well. Below are some basic
rules to follow to help prevent the majority of pit falls along
the way while you are refinishing the tub.
Pay attention to the number of days indicated on the packaging
that you are to let the tub cure; using the tub before this time
is up will only mar all of your hard work. Don't place anything
on the tub finish during this time either, unless you want
permanent reminders left behind. While curing, ignore surface
dust. This dust will get cleaned off normally within a few
weeks, but if you go to remove it while the tub is curing you
may ruin the finish.
To keep your beautiful new finish in tip-top shape, avoid using
abrasive cleansers, as they are not needed. Normal liquid
detergents will do a fine job, especially if you wipe down the
tub with a towel after each use. To really keep it shiny and
healthy, use Turtle Wax or any other urethane polish five days
after it has been refinished, and then once every four months
thereafter.
Liz Smith writes about bathroom refinishing and bathroom remodeling for
homedoctor.net
About the author:
None
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