Cove Base

 Home Improvements  No Responses »
Nov 302011
 

One of the ways for beautifying the floor and protecting the base of the walls at the same time is to install cove base. Cove base is a type of flooring which is installed in the place where the wall meets the floor. Rubber and vinyl cove base are used in this flooring technique since they are quite inexpensive when compared to the traditional wooden baseboards. This material is also easily to install and requires little maintenance. Available in an array of colors and unique designs, cove base is created to match with the interior designing of any house. The basic things required for this are cove base tiles, cutting instrument and mortar or adhesive to stick the tiles to the wall. Cove base tiles are easily available in various home improvement stores and also with some online retailers. You can seek the help of a professional flooring contractor to lay the tiles or can even do it on your own. Guidebooks regarding the installation process can be used if you are doing this task on your own. So if you want to transform a drab room into a stunning one, then go in for cove base installation. Believe me, you won’t regret your decision and you will get all your money’s worth. Let us take a look at some simple steps for installing cove base tiles to the wall.

Cove Base Installation

Installing a cove base can be done in an easy way and you don’t have to be a veteran to do so. With a few basic skills you can lay cove base tiles along the walls and floor, yourself. Here are some simple instructions regarding the installation of cove base.

Review the floor plan of the room, where you are installing the cove base. Take appropriate measurements before laying the tiles.
Lay the tiles to get a rough idea of how they would look, once the actual process has been completed. If you are satisfied with the results, you can go ahead with the task.
With the help of a power tile saw, cut the cove base tiles evenly based on the measurements taken of the floor. Once the tiles have been cut, apply cove base adhesive to the tile on the face down and press it firmly to the wall. Repeat this procedure till all the tiles have been laid.
With the help of a damp rag, rub off the excess adhesive from the tiles, before it becomes dry. If you have maintained uniformity while laying the tiles, the edges can be hardly noticeable. You can follow these steps to install cove base in the remaining rooms.
Let the tiles set for about one day and press them again so they are pressed firmly into the wall.
Maintenance of the cove base is also quite simple just like the installation. For cleaning the tiles, you can choose mild cleansers available in every household, like detergent or soap water.
In case any tile has been damaged or is detached from the wall, it can be easily pulled from the walls and replaced. Using small tools, the old vinyl tiles can be removed from the walls. Reinstallation involves reapplication of the adhesive, fixing it to the wall and recaulking.

This was a brief overview regarding cove base. Make the interiors of your house more stylish by installing cove base that are available in versatile colors and tile designs. This can add a dramatic effect to the appearance of every room in your house.

 Posted by at 6:12 pm  Tagged with:

Wet Sanding

 Home Improvements  No Responses »
Nov 252011
 

Technically, if you define wet sanding, I shall say it is a better alternative to the ordinary drywall sanding within a household repair or remodeling. Wet sanding method is effective and safe firstly because dry dust doesn’t get released into the air in the time of action. Working this way is a better option to all those people who are highly allergic to excessive rubbing. And secondly, if no dust, no extra efforts to clean up the mess settled on other furniture. Hopefully, by now you must have got the basic idea of this concept! Wet sanding is nothing but a process of dry sanding an inflicted drywall or plaster at the time of repairs in your home. The main ingredient used in wet sanding is the proper choice of a sanding sponge. Yes sponge is the ‘tool’ used to sand the patches and blocks on the wall. It often requires a rinsing and cleansing though!

For a drywall repair taking place anywhere in your home. Like in your living room or kitchen, perhaps bathroom, using the proper technique of wet sanding is necessary. Below I have discussed the simplest method of wet sanding wood.

Wet Sanding Wood

The main objective of sanding wood, or any other wood furniture is reducing the load on using liquid sandpaper. the process of dry sanding using a sandpaper will create a blockage to the material you are removing. It often sticks to the paper and makes your job all the more tough. Hence wet sanding is introduced which will remove the waste material in the blink of your eye and also keep the sandpaper all clean. When it comes to furniture merely applying varnishes and paint doesn’t finish the job. Achieving a perfect refurbished surface is an important aspect. Check these steps below to do the same, before you jump only on the aesthetic part.

1. Step: Considering any of your furniture, sand its surface to a 320 grit and soundly remove all the sanding dust from the holes and pores of the woodworking. You would have to use a compressed air or an ordinary vacuum to do so. Also, keep a tack cloth at hand to clean the surface.

2. Step: Once you successfully complete step 1, paste a wood filler to create a smooth furbished surface on your working piece. Now mixing a simple solution of water and detergent wet sand the surface and use a rubber sanding block at the bottom center. All this procedure hardly takes anytime to finish. In the final step, use an automotive wax to polish your article of furniture.

Since, wet sanding is the method of damping the drywall right before sanding it, it is the most recommended and significant method in working faster towards a repairing project. While wet sanding drywall ensure to keep a bucket of water next to you. Dip the sponge in and keep rinsing it frequently when it becomes turbid. With this, here are some tips about wet sanding drywall (painting new drywall) that you could keep in mind.

Tips on Wet Sanding Drywall

Selecting the Sponge: Sponge selection is the important aspect of wet sanding. They aren’t heavy weighted at all and its availability is easy in any near-by store. Since they are light-weighted they are bigger in size, at least bigger than your ordinary kitchen sponge. These sponges have a quality that wets and sands the drywall simultaneously. It is advisable to go for a sponge tapering at its corners.
Cleaning the Sponge: Now a constant usage of the sponge is definitely going to mud the sponge where all the sediments and particles would remain absorbed. Hence often cleaning would be required, because with more dust settled in the sponge, picking up of the same will be annoying. Ensure to keep a bucket of water to rinse and wring the sponge frequently. Also, make sure you replace and refill the dirty bucket with freshwater occasionally.
Using Water: Water isn’t always a good solution to everything. In wet sanding case, if you use too much water, it will have a substantial effect on the wall. Using lot of water would strikingly reduce the drying time of the wall. This would lengthen your working project and ultimately bore you till it is all over. Another aspect of using excessive water is the lifting or turning of the plaster wall. Too much liquid on it would make it all messy. So wring your sponge as often as you can to avoid all this fuss.

Hopefully, all these straightforward tips and discussion on wet sanding was fruitful for you to go about working your repair works in your house or backyard! Don’t haste with your job while working on any remodeling project. Although the finessing and refinement of an object takes time in the books of wet sanding, its far more a better option if you desire to gain a clean process.

 Posted by at 6:06 pm  Tagged with:

Brick Pointing

 Home Improvements  No Responses »
Nov 202011
 

Bricks are one of the most important and primary building materials that are a must for any structural building. They not only provide the strength and stability to the building structure but also give it a distinguished look if used solo and kept uncovered. Simple brick structures are one of the all time classic trends in architecture. They add an aesthetic value to the artifact and allows you to try various looks for the particular building. But the only drawback of brick walls is that the mortar between bricks comes off when it is exposed to external weather changes, including heavy rains, snow, or heat. And hence brick pointing is important to maintain the brick structure strong and neat.

What is Brick Pointing?

When I heard the word brick pointing for the first time about three years back, I thought it is some complex construction process. But I was wrong. Brick pointing is nothing but replacing the mortar or cement between the bricks. Generally, mortar from the old brick structures comes off after some years making the structure weak. Apart from weakening the structure, it also gives it a rough and unrepresentable look. Imagine, you have a nice brick fireplace in the highly furnished living room but the rough bricks are worn off with all the mortar coming off the bricks. This can ruin the entire look of your house. Be it big or small, rough and unrepresentable brick structures does not look good and hence need to be repaired. At such moments, brick pointing is what comes to your rescue that transforms the rough brick construction to an elegant brick artifact. By the way, I still don’t know why this process of replacing the brick mortar is called brick pointing. If you have any idea then share your knowledge with Buzzle by posting your comments in the comment box provided below.

Process of Brick Pointing

Now you know what is brick pointing and might have realized that there are so many brick walls and structures that you want to repair. Well, in that case, you must read the article further and get down with your home improvement project all by yourself. Because, hiring a professional can cost you a lot and hence to keep the brick pointing cost to the minimum it is better to do it on your own, especially if the brick wall construction is smaller. Given below are some of the simple steps that would assist you in the process of brick pointing:

Before you start with brick pointing, you will need following brick pointing tools:

Mortar
Water
Pointing trowel
Hammer
Chisel
Waterproof gloves
Mask
Safety glasses
Broom
Bucket

Procedure:

First, get ready with all the safety glasses, gloves, and mask. Do not forget to wear any of them as they are important for your safety.
Now take a closer look at the wall and check from which areas the mortar has come off. Decide if you want replace the mortar between all the bricks or only from those which are highly damaged.
Once you decide that, remove the old mortar or cement from the bricks using hammer and chisel. Do it carefully without breaking or causing any damage to the surrounding bricks.
Now, clean the structure by dusting it with a broom properly so that small pieces of dry mortar are removed. The bricks are now ready to get the new mortar.
Start preparing the cement for filling. Mix water and mortar in a bucket as much as you need. Keep the consistency moderate so that you can place it between the bricks properly.
You can fill the gaps using mortar bags or you can do it manually by using a pointing trowel. Give a proper shape to the mortar on the joints so that it looks neat.
Once all the gaps are replaced with new mortar, let the wall dry thoroughly. After this, your brick structure will be shining again!

You see how easy is the brick pointing process. You can use various types of concrete to bring about different look and strength to the brick structure. You can buy the necessary tools from any local dealer but be assured of the quality of the materials you are buying. Remember that, bricks are costly and hence it is important to make the best of them. So the next time you notice a damaged brick wall in your house you know what to do!

 Posted by at 6:01 pm  Tagged with:
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