Let’s refresh our memories and reflect on just how bad some of this paneling has been in this house, shall we? Remember the master bedroom?

But now it looks like this!

…and the living room! That has the same terrible paneling on the walls, but now it looks like this!

I actually love the extra bit of character that the painted paneling brings into this room.

I found myself painting paneling again this Summer when we started working on Kennedy’s room. I thought that by now I should probably be something of an expert on painting paneling, so I thought I’d share some of the tips I’ve learned in case you’re thinking about tackling a project like this too!

Fill any holes or gaps

Look really closely at your paneling, especially if it’s a dark color and find the spots where there might be gaps or holes that you hadn’t noticed before. With dark paneling, you often won’t see the imperfections, but painting them will makes them obvious. Take a few minutes and fill them in before you start painting and they won’t be noticeable at all.

Start by painting the trim

Really work the trim color into the grooves of the paneling, and even bring it up onto the wall a little bit to make sure that you get really good coverage where the trim and the wall meet. If you’re going to be installing new baseboards, install those after all of your painting is done to get a really crisp look.

Cut in around all of your trim, corners, and in AAAALLL of the grooves of the paneling…. twice.

This absolutely makes a huge difference. You’ll think that your roller can reach in the shallow grooves, but trust me, it’s not the same. You will notice a difference and your end result won’t be as fresh and flawless. Take the time and do your two coats of brush work. You know I wouldn’t tell you to do extra work if it wasn’t really worth it!

It looks like a lot of work, I know. But it’s really not that bad!

Fill in the rest with a roller!

Once you’re done with your brush work, fill in all the rest of the unpainted areas by rolling on 2-3 coats with a roller. I always use a small foam roller, even on large rooms because I find that they’re just really light and easy to handle and that makes the job go by quickly. Plus, I love the smooth finish they provide.

Crown molding is your friend

It can be hard to make the place where the paneling meets the ceiling look really good with just paint. That’s where crown molding comes in! Covering that area up with even just a small molding really makes the room look more “finished”.

And that’s pretty much all you need to know! I find light, bright colors or crisp greys look best on wall paneling and really bring a nostalgic feel to any 70’s basement-style room that might need a little quick update. If you’ve been thinking about it, try it out! You’ll be amazed at what a big difference a little paint can make!

This article is courtesy of Creek Line House

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5 Things To Know Before Refinishing Old Hardwood Floors

It’s a lot of work.

Like, a lot of work. I went into the project thinking we were going to have the entire house (4 bedrooms, hallway, huge living/dining space, additional room and kitchen) done in 3 days. Granted I thought it was going to be three LONG days but three days nonetheless. Nope. I was wrong. So very, very wrong. I think it took two of us 6 LONG days with fulltime daycare to get it done (minus the additional room and kitchen). There is a reason why people hire professionals for this.

Know what is on your floors.

The house was a foreclosure and as such it was not well looked after. Each room had its own unique challenges. The living/dining space had raw wood with no finish left and the office had a thick layer of yellow paint. The worst room was my daughter’s which had carpet glue UNDER a layer of thick brown paint. Because of the differences in how the floors were treated we had to customize our sanding to fit. For example normally when you sand floors you start with 60 grit sandpaper and end with 120 grit. To remove the carpetglue/paint we had to go with a ‘tear your flesh off’ grit of around 20.

Price out the equipment.

We rented a drum sander and edger (a must have – seriously) at a local contractor store. We saved about $20.00 a day versus a big box retailer. The local store also charged less for sandpaper. Shopping locally saved us a bunch of money so do not be afraid to shop around.

You need to stir the poly between each use.

This may seem like a no brainer but I made this mistake. We went with flat sheen clear polyurethane to seal the floors. I now know polyurethane is shiny, they add a special powder to reduce the sheen. This sediment settles to the bottom so you must stir the flat poly very well when you use it. I did not stir between coats on the second floor so some of the bedrooms looks like they have wet floor splotches on them. After working so hard on the floors this was not the look I was going for. I now need to handsand and re-poly these spots.

Know when enough is enough.

We are not professional floor sanders. At some point we needed to call a spade a spade and leave well enough alone. When dealing with almost century old floors the boards we uneven and there were spaces we just could not sand the paint off of (without potentially ruining them). I actually really like the way our floors turned out. They have a farmhouse vibe to them with the leftover paint in the crevices that I love. Sometimes these things work out for the best.

We also did not refinish the kitchen and additional room floors like we intended. Instead we covered them with laminate. Why? They were in much rougher shape then we thought. Many floorboards would have been replaced and under the ugly stick on tile we exposed deck boards from a previous patch job. Instead of trying to ‘put lipstick on a pig’ we decided to cover it up with laminate until we can save enough to have a professional fix the floors.

Refinishing the floors was a great investment into the home. We got to leave a lot of the original charm which was important to us.

Have you refinished hardwood before? Make sure you leave your favourite tips and resources in the comments.

Do not forget to follow us as we continue on the #totsreno journey.

This article is courtesy of Thinkingoutsidethesandbox

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So now I’m REALLY excited to show you this brand new tool that MyColortopia released called Color my Room. Guys… it’s freakin’ AWESOME! Since our little laundry room is still a blank canvas and we have yet to do much to it since the last time we talked about it, I thought it would be fun to play around with this new color tool to get a few different looks.

It’s really simple, all you have to do is create a paint pallet, choose a photo of the room you want to try different paints on, follow the instructions on how to outline the areas you want painted and then fill in your wall with different shades to see what strikes your fancy!

The post There is a tool to see your room in different colours before you buy paint! appeared first on GoldPro.

by Juliana Gordon

Remodeling your kitchen is an exciting prospect and a big decision that can change the feel of your entire home. Your new design needs to reflect the constraints of your house, while also providing you with the counter and cabinet space you’ll need to cook the way you want to.

Before you make the final call, take a look at these six popular kitchen layouts that people are using to give their homes a fresh, new feeling.

One-Wall Kitchens

Since there is limited counter space is available, it’s a good idea to use a high dining table that can double as an extra countertop. Also, consider a smaller rolling table that you can easily pull out when you need it and put away later to save space.

The Galley Layout

This is a good layout to be used by a single chef, or two at the very most unless the kitchen is very long. With workspaces on both sides, a cook can easily set up a basic cooking triangle by having two elements on one wall and a third centered between them on the opposite wall.

The downsides to this layout include the lack of room for a kitchen table in between the walls, and crowding if too many people are moving through it.

Read more at remodelaholic.com

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“It really depends on what your long-term goals are,” says Bath Crashers contractor Ryan Prosser, owner of Prosser Construction in Plymouth, Minnesota. “Repainting tile yourself is not a project that will improve your home’s resale value.” Some meticulous homeowners can do an adequate job, Prosser says, but he can always spot a DIY fix vs. one done by a professional.

“Obviously, I’m a bath contractor and I would love to come and rip out your tile,” Prosser says, “but I’m a big believer in saving your money until you can do what you want. Personally, if I can’t buy the best, I just wait.”

But if you can’t stomach the idea of a full-on bathroom remodel—or you want to tone down that electric-blue surround until you can afford the bathroom of your dreams—here are your options:

Before

After

Call in a professional

A professional tub and tile refinisher can evaluate whether your tile can be rejuvenated rather than replaced. “If it’s in good shape, refinishing is really worth your while, in terms of both cost and the environment,” says Chuck Pistor, president of Miracle Method [LINK: miraclemethod.com], a franchise-based bath and kitchen refinishing company. “We tell people it’s ‘recycling in place’—it keeps all those construction materials out of the landfill. And it costs far less than remodeling.”

Depending on the surface area to be refinished and the amount of repair that’s necessary, a typical tub and tile refinishing job might cost about $1000, Pistor says.

What do you get for the price tag?

Better results. Pros are highly trained, and they have access to better materials than you can’t get at a big-box store. Miracle Method, for example, uses a blend of fast-drying acrylic resins that bond tightly with the tile surface. Epoxies designed for home use do not bond as strongly, so they won’t last as long — they’ll likely need touching up or redoing in a year or two. (Miracle Method guarantees its results for five years, although Pistor says that a life expectancy of 15–20 years is more typical.) Epoxies also take longer to dry and turn yellow over time.

More color choices. Home kits are typically limited to basic tones—bisques, whites, and sometimes tints —whereas professionals can give you limitless custom color options.

A shorter time frame for the job. With a pro, you’ll have less down time without your bathroom. Miracle Method typically takes two days to complete a job, and you can use the surface within 24 hours. Unless you’re a refinishing whiz, home kits will probably take you longer than that to prep and apply , and they require 72 hours to cure at an absolute minimum.

Safety. Pros have the proper equipment to reduce your exposure to chemical vapors.

Do the job yourself

If your budget is small and you want to attempt the job yourself, it’s doable. But it isn’t on par with painting your bedroom walls—it requires much greater attention to detail, considerable down time while the paint cures, and ample ventilation. Convinced you want to give it a shot? Here are your dos and don’ts:

Do:

Buy a prepackaged tub and tile kit. Both Rust-Oleum and Homax sell kits that include epoxies designed to work for the job, a complete list of necessary tools and supplies, and step-by-step instructions that you should follow to the letter.

Sand like a maniac. With a home epoxy kit, your job is only as good as the time you spend cleaning and sanding, because a rough surface is your primary source of adhesion. Don’t skimp on this step. The better your prep, the less likely you’ll have to redo in a few years.

Wear a respirator mask and use a fan. Ventilate, ventilate, ventilate. Epoxy is vile stuff to breathe in.

Use a spray gun. Brushing and rolling can work, but a spray gun gives the best finish — use a pro-grade model if you can swing it.

Don’t:

Use regular spray paint. It will look just as expensive and elegant as when you spray-paint a pair of old lawn chairs.

Use water-based paint of any kind. It should go without saying, but water-based paint will disintegrate faster than you can say, “Why me?”

Take a long, hot bath — at least not for a while. Follow instructions about how long the epoxy should cure before you use the tub, and if you can wait even longer, do. Online reviews of kits suggest that impatient users end up with wrinkled surfaces … and sadness. If you don’t want a permanent print of your rear end on your newly finished tub, postpone a protracted soak as long as you can.

The post To paint or not to paint?? Tips From the Pros on Painting Bathtubs and Tiles… appeared first on GoldPro.

What apps do you use to plan your home interior? Tell us in the comments.

1. ColorSmart (free)

If you’re using Behr paint for your interior, you’ll want this handy app. You can actually upload a photo and the app will create a color scheme for you based on the image. Want your home to evoke memories of last summer’s vacation to Jamaica? There you go. You can also apply colors to a photo of the room you intent to paint, to ensure the new colors match your decor. Cover up those blank white walls for good. The app is available on iOS and Android.

2. Houzz Interior Design Ideas (free)

If you’re looking for home inspiration, you’ll definitely want to download Houzz. The app is a collection of photos of nearly every type of room, location and product. The company’s editorial team curates products and the app includes a directory of local professionals including designers, architects and contractors. When you save photos, you can access them offline. The app is available on iOS and Android.

3. Color Capture (free)

Carrying around paint samples is cool until you lose them or get two mixed up. That’s why it’s great to set favorites and add notes to your chosen colors inside this app by Benjamin Moore. You can also get more information on paints and colors, and find the nearest Benjamin Moore retailer. Of course, due to variation in screen displays, it’s recommended you double check colors with a printed sample. The app is available on iOS and Android.

4. Mark On Call ($2.99)

If you’ve ever said, “Wow, that chair is bigger than it looks,” this app is for you. Mark On Call is for professional interior designers and consumers alike. The app is for both designing and space planning, so whether you’re worried about logistics or aesthetic, you’ll be set. You can also custom skin furniture or countertops to get a better idea of how it will look. The app is available on iOS.

5. Home 3D ($3.99)

There’s floor layouts, and then there’s real life. Home 3D is at least a little closer to the latter, so you can visualize how your home will look, not just what will fit. You can move around floors and windows to match your space and set material on floors and walls. You can email your floor plans or save them to Dropbox. The app is available on iOS.

6. MyPantone ($9.99 iOS, $7.99 Android)

Browse more than 13,000 Pantone paint colors with this app. You can also be given a color combination if you’re in need of a few accent colors. The app is compatible with AirPrint so you can print out a color palette. Color details will give you the exact specifications of a color you’ve chosen so you can be sure to get the right thing from the store. The app is available on iOS andAndroid.

Article courtesy of mashable

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Some of the key differences between the two are the physical properties of the materials used, the thicknesses applied and the application service conditions. Damp proofing is intended to keep out soil moisture, while waterproofing keeps out both moisture (or water vapor) and liquid water. The International Residential Code (IRC) specifies that “any concrete or masonry foundation walls that retain earth and enclosed interior spaces and floors below grade shall be damp proofed from the top of the footing to the finished grade.” Waterproofing is required only “in areas where a high water table or other severe soil-water conditions are known to exist.”

Further, the American Concrete Institute (ACI 515.1) defines waterproofing as a treatment of a surface or structure to resist the passage of water under hydrostatic pressure, whereas damp proofing is defined as a treatment of a surface or structure to resist the passage of water in the absence of hydrostatic pressure.

Concrete is a heterogeneous composite building material based on a matrix of relatively inert inorganic aggregates held together by an inorganic binder of hydrated cement paste. Concrete physically is a porous material and will absorb water much like a sponge when placed on a wet surface or placed into water, allowing moisture to wick from outside to inside in a process known as capillary action. Differences in the internal void space of concrete of different compositions varies. Lower water-to-cement ratios in a concrete’s composition will typically render less capillary or void space in the concrete matrix. The composition of concrete has a dramatic effect on its strength properties and also profoundly affects its ability to resist deterioration caused by exposure to various physical and chemical conditions. Therefore, by being able to reduce the porosity of concrete, the detrimental effects of water can be minimized or eliminated.

Damp proofing

Damp proofing is a process that involves using a mixture (traditionally tar or unmodified asphalt) as a coating on the exterior side of a structure and has one main purpose: stopping the transference or wicking of ground moisture through concrete. Typically the damp proofing coating cured thickness is less than 10 mils thick. It is a basic, acceptable form of treatment in many situations. Damp proofing is not intended to keep all water and moisture out, but rather its goal is to retard moisture infiltration by blocking the capillaries of concrete, which slows water penetration.

Drawbacks of damp proofing include an inability to seal larger cracks, large bug holes, holes left by form ties, surface protrusions and potential damage caused by coarse or careless backfilling due to the limited thickness applied and the brittle nature of the product. With proper surface drainage, correctly installed foundation drains at the footing, and the absence of hydrostatic pressure that would drive water infiltration, damp proofing can supply adequate, long-lasting protection.

Waterproofing

Waterproofing concrete, on the other hand, is designed to stop water infiltration through a concrete structure. Waterproofing materials have the ability to bridge cracks that develop over time due to their elastic, flexible nature and the thickness of the applied coating. Waterproofing materials also are designed to withstand hydrostatic pressure and are often in excess of 40 mils.

According to ICC-ES, a nonprofit company that does technical evaluations of building products, components, methods and materials, waterproofing must be able to do three things. First, it must stop water vapor, the gaseous form of water that can be released by the surrounding soil and can move through concrete. Second, waterproofing membranes must be able to stop water under hydrostatic pressure. Third and most important is that waterproofing must be able to span a crack in the treated concrete.

Waterproofing is essential in areas where there is significant rain and high water tables. As water enters the ground, it collects around the foundation. The higher the water rises up the foundation, the greater the hydrostatic pressure exerted against the concrete surface. This is especially true in areas with clay soils, as clay will absorb and hold more water than granular soil. This hydrostatic pressure forces water through porous concrete. So the sub-grade depth of the concrete structure, the degree of inherent hydrostatic pressure in the area and the use of the interior space are important criteria to consider when determining whether damp proofing or waterproofing is appropriate.

Materials cited for use in waterproofing applications include:

• Rubberized asphalt coatings (hot and cold applied)
• Clay-based products (bentonite)
• Crystallization products
• Rubber-based coatings
• Urethane coatings
• Butyl rubber sheeting

Weighing both options

The primary variables to consider when determining the appropriate water protection of your structure include: soil conditions, water table level, local drainage conditions, sub-grade depth and the degree of moisture tolerable for the interior of the structure being provided water protection. Waterproofing will cost more up front when compared with damp proofing options. Best manufacturing is performed when it is specified appropriately, executed correctly and no future repairs are required.

All concrete coating projects have the same need for appropriate surface preparation, understanding and following the coating manufacturer’s application instructions (including environmental limitations during application and cure), proper backfilling to avoid membrane damage after application and providing necessary drainage where feasible.

Tim Frazier is technical director of Concrete Sealants Inc. He has been involved with coating-related products for 27 years and with concrete coatings for the past 20 years. Frazier holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Wilmington College, and a master’s degree in chemistry from Wright State University.

Article courtesy of Precast.org

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