When I was painting my kitchen last weekend I found out that there is no such thing as too much sanding. I felt like I had sanded my cabinets enough, as well as all the mouldings but I still find spot where I wish I had done some more.
Do not get me wrong, I am happy with how the paint turned out altogether, but I wish I had spent more time sanding during my remodel. The little rough spots that show up under the light are going to bug me every time I am in my kitchen.
I suggest using one of the sanding sponges because you can put in your pocket and every time you see a spot you can pull it out and fix the spot. I am still not quite finished with my kitchen remodel but every step I take makes a dramatic difference in the look of my house.
January 03, 2007
December 26, 2006
Kitchen Remodel- Paint
I got the crazy idea on Friday about 5:00 pm to paint my kitchen. Since I was having a party on Saturday I knew it would be a late night but I wanted it to look good for my guest. Since I had finished stripping all my cabinets, I had a lot of trim work to do on this part of the kitchen remodel. I probably should have waited for a better time but sometimes I just cannot stand to look at something any longer.
I moved everything out of the kitchen and taped around all the mouldings, windows and doors. I think this took the longest of anything. Also, just a helpful note, spring for the painter’s tape because the masking tape I used was a pain to get back off. Plus, make sure your pets are locked up because they will cause havoc while you are painting.
I found that painting all the trim and then going back to roll the walls was a good system to follow. As the remodel took more time the more I wanted to finish and by just having to roll the walls I made better time than I thought. I would also advise anyone to wait until the next morning to put everything away because after it all had time to dry I found many places where I wanted to do some touch-up work.
I moved everything out of the kitchen and taped around all the mouldings, windows and doors. I think this took the longest of anything. Also, just a helpful note, spring for the painter’s tape because the masking tape I used was a pain to get back off. Plus, make sure your pets are locked up because they will cause havoc while you are painting.
I found that painting all the trim and then going back to roll the walls was a good system to follow. As the remodel took more time the more I wanted to finish and by just having to roll the walls I made better time than I thought. I would also advise anyone to wait until the next morning to put everything away because after it all had time to dry I found many places where I wanted to do some touch-up work.
December 21, 2006
Kitchen Renovation- Cabinets
Cabinets are the most important feature of any kitchen. They decide the layout of the kitchen as well as dictate where major appliances will go. When I bought my house, I had built in cabinets that were still very sturdy and fit the kitchen well. The main problem was they had been covered with about 10 layers of paint and need some work.
To start my renovation I decided to strip all the paint off the fronts and completely dispose of the doors. There are many products that will help to strip the paint, I went with a gel based stripper that worked pretty well. About halfway through the job I switched to a hot air gun which really worked. Make sure you have a good, stout scraping knife to get everything off.
To get the last areas of paint off I used heavy grit sandpaper and a Dremel tool. Once everything has reached the bare wood, I switched to a belt sander and fine sandpaper to smooth all the surfaces.
Just a heads up, but stripping paint off installed cabinets is time consuming kitchen renovation. If at all possible, remove the cabinets to strip them.
To start my renovation I decided to strip all the paint off the fronts and completely dispose of the doors. There are many products that will help to strip the paint, I went with a gel based stripper that worked pretty well. About halfway through the job I switched to a hot air gun which really worked. Make sure you have a good, stout scraping knife to get everything off.
To get the last areas of paint off I used heavy grit sandpaper and a Dremel tool. Once everything has reached the bare wood, I switched to a belt sander and fine sandpaper to smooth all the surfaces.
Just a heads up, but stripping paint off installed cabinets is time consuming kitchen renovation. If at all possible, remove the cabinets to strip them.
December 20, 2006
Frugal Aesthetics
Being a first time homeowner, there are more remodels I want to do than I can afford. Structurally, my house was livable but it was awfully ugly. Since I put all the money I could on the down payment, I had to find easy inexpensive jobs to tackle.
Yard work is always an inexpensive way to change the appearance of your house. This may not seem like remodeling but done in the right way it can be an easy way to change the look of your home. By creating landscaping that coincides with the features of the house you can really made a difference. For example, I have a deck that runs the entire back span of my house. Since it sits high off the ground, I was able to line it with river rock and mulch in to create a better look than the weeds that previously resided there. I intend on hanging a two person swing there when I have the money.
Also, instead of spending a fortune on supplies from Lowe's, look for alternative means to beautify your yard. For instance, buy your mulch from a local sawmill in bulk. A truck load at a sawmill will cost you about the same as four bags at the store and will cover ten times the area. Use your old grass clippings to fertilize the area where you plan to plant your garden. If you use this easy plan for a year it will not cost a dime and the land will be ready to plant the next year.
Vegetable gardens are a great idea for healthy food and can help the appearance of your house. Arrange your plants so they get the necessary sunlight they need and also so they look pleasant. A row of tomato plants can look charming beside a country home and will provide plenty for the summer months. I do not claim to have a green thumb but just by reading a basic gardening book you can learn volumes.
Your Perfect Lawn
Yard work is always an inexpensive way to change the appearance of your house. This may not seem like remodeling but done in the right way it can be an easy way to change the look of your home. By creating landscaping that coincides with the features of the house you can really made a difference. For example, I have a deck that runs the entire back span of my house. Since it sits high off the ground, I was able to line it with river rock and mulch in to create a better look than the weeds that previously resided there. I intend on hanging a two person swing there when I have the money.
Also, instead of spending a fortune on supplies from Lowe's, look for alternative means to beautify your yard. For instance, buy your mulch from a local sawmill in bulk. A truck load at a sawmill will cost you about the same as four bags at the store and will cover ten times the area. Use your old grass clippings to fertilize the area where you plan to plant your garden. If you use this easy plan for a year it will not cost a dime and the land will be ready to plant the next year.
Vegetable gardens are a great idea for healthy food and can help the appearance of your house. Arrange your plants so they get the necessary sunlight they need and also so they look pleasant. A row of tomato plants can look charming beside a country home and will provide plenty for the summer months. I do not claim to have a green thumb but just by reading a basic gardening book you can learn volumes.
Your Perfect Lawn
Kitchen Renovation- Floor
I am tackling a kitchen remodel right now and have found it takes more planning than work. Kitchens have such large appliances that are limited to where they can be placed, it makes major changes difficult. You can pay to have power outlets moved and cabinets torn out and replaced but that is a lot of hassle and will lead to a lot money.
The first part of my remodel was the flooring. The linoleum that was down originally was faded and stained. It was tearing up in the corners and bubbled around the sink. Since the kitchen is a high traffic area in my house, I had to choose a surface that could handle it. I went with the press on square tiles that you can find at any home improvement center. They can be laid down on top of the existing floor (granting it is level) with little difficulty. Since the tiles are easily cut with a utility knife, you will not need any special tools.
Plus, unless you are a amazing math wiz, there will always be tiles left over. If you decide to remodel further you can move appliances of cabinets and replace the flooring with little trouble.
As I move to remodeling my cabinets, I have had to do a lot of planning and mapping out where I want things to go in advance. I highly recommend using kitchen design products that are available. These will allow you to get a visual of what your kitchen will look like, as well as make sure you are not making any glaring mistakes. I bought two guides that helped me tremendously and I recommend any beginner using them for their remodel.
Ikea Kitchen Secrets
Kitchen Design E-Book
The first part of my remodel was the flooring. The linoleum that was down originally was faded and stained. It was tearing up in the corners and bubbled around the sink. Since the kitchen is a high traffic area in my house, I had to choose a surface that could handle it. I went with the press on square tiles that you can find at any home improvement center. They can be laid down on top of the existing floor (granting it is level) with little difficulty. Since the tiles are easily cut with a utility knife, you will not need any special tools.
Plus, unless you are a amazing math wiz, there will always be tiles left over. If you decide to remodel further you can move appliances of cabinets and replace the flooring with little trouble.
As I move to remodeling my cabinets, I have had to do a lot of planning and mapping out where I want things to go in advance. I highly recommend using kitchen design products that are available. These will allow you to get a visual of what your kitchen will look like, as well as make sure you are not making any glaring mistakes. I bought two guides that helped me tremendously and I recommend any beginner using them for their remodel.
Ikea Kitchen Secrets
Kitchen Design E-Book
The Big Four
Ask any house flipper and they will tell you the big four of remodeling are doors, windows, floors and paint. These are the parts of the house that make it stand out aesthetically. So any homeowner wanting to do renovations should look into these four areas first.
Doors and windows can be a cost efficient way to change the look of a house. Many older homes had smaller windows to help with heating and cooling, but the advances in insulating glass and the use of coatings have changed that. Putting larger windows in can bring more light into the house and open up a room that may have felt closed to begin with. Also, the paint or stain chosen for a door can completely alter the look of a room. If you happen to have a patio door or sliding door leading onto a deck or patio, I recommend putting in French doors. I did that right away when I moved in and being able to open up the house like that works perfectly for my little country home.
Floors are some of the easiest things one can change about a house. With all the available options today, installation is a breeze and costs have decreased greatly. I did a remodel on my bathroom and just putting new vinyl tile down made a world of difference. Also, I used tile my brother had left over from his renovation so the whole thing cost me less than $100. Ask around when you look into making flooring changes because people tend to have vast quantities left over from their job.
Painting is something any homeowner can do to make a major change in the look of their home. Choosing the right paint scheme for a house can truly personalize your home and give you a creative touch. There are software programs to help you choose complimentary colors and plan out entire rooms at a time. I recommend using these resources in your renovation plans.
Inside the Flooring Business
Doors and windows can be a cost efficient way to change the look of a house. Many older homes had smaller windows to help with heating and cooling, but the advances in insulating glass and the use of coatings have changed that. Putting larger windows in can bring more light into the house and open up a room that may have felt closed to begin with. Also, the paint or stain chosen for a door can completely alter the look of a room. If you happen to have a patio door or sliding door leading onto a deck or patio, I recommend putting in French doors. I did that right away when I moved in and being able to open up the house like that works perfectly for my little country home.
Floors are some of the easiest things one can change about a house. With all the available options today, installation is a breeze and costs have decreased greatly. I did a remodel on my bathroom and just putting new vinyl tile down made a world of difference. Also, I used tile my brother had left over from his renovation so the whole thing cost me less than $100. Ask around when you look into making flooring changes because people tend to have vast quantities left over from their job.
Painting is something any homeowner can do to make a major change in the look of their home. Choosing the right paint scheme for a house can truly personalize your home and give you a creative touch. There are software programs to help you choose complimentary colors and plan out entire rooms at a time. I recommend using these resources in your renovation plans.
Inside the Flooring Business
December 15, 2006
Introduction
Hi, I am Justin, and this is my first blog. I recently purchased my first home about a year after graduating from college. My parents home was a finished product so I wanted to buy a fixer upper and do most of the renovations myself. As I have started new renovations, I learned that almost all jobs around the house can be done by me personally. The majority of things my dad picked up a phone for are actually very simple with a little research and sweat.
I hope this is a place where I can share my experiences and offer any help to a home owner. Renovations may seem like a daunting task, but with a little guidance I believe any home owner can make the house of their dreams.
I hope this is a place where I can share my experiences and offer any help to a home owner. Renovations may seem like a daunting task, but with a little guidance I believe any home owner can make the house of their dreams.
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