Furnishings

The Way to Prime Wood With Shellac

Priming a wood surface is almost always a good idea before applying an opaque finish, such as opaque lacquers or paint. If you don’t prime the wood, the first layer or two of end will end up serving as your primer anyhow, and utilizing primer in the first place is more effective. Shellac primer works well enough under most situations, but also has the virtue of being the major primer to be used over previously stained wood. With no shellac, you will need to remove that stain until you refinish the wood. Fill any cracks or deep gouges in the wood surface with wood putty, using the putty knife. Sand the surface of the wood to prepare it for priming, using an orbital sander to the big distances and an oscillating tool for corners, borders and inaccessible spots. Use rough, 60-grit sandpaper to eliminate rough spots as well as out…

Furnishings

How to Produce Patterns on Drywall

Plain, flat drywall requires on an artistic look when cosmetic patterns are implemented. Texture can also hide imperfections like screw holes, visible seam tape and uneven joints. Walls with texture or patterns are more difficult to paint than flat walls. Regular paint roller covers can leave spaces unpainted, so use a thick, long-nap roller created particularly for textured walls. Washing textured walls is every bit as catchy, so dust them often to help prevent buildup. Clean out the wall, unless it is new, unpainted drywall. Use a ladder to get to the high locations, and clean it from top to bottom with a soft sponge and residue-free cleaner. Dry the entire surface with clean towels. Sand a shiny, painted wall lightly with fine sandpaper, or employing a rotary or oscillating tool with a fine-grit sanding accessory. Rough surfaces hold joint compound better than shiny ones. If the paint is flat,…

Furnishings

The Way to Repair Clear Scratched Plastic

Apart from brittle and cheap shaped polystyrene, two types of clear plastics can readily be polished and repaired. Decorative and functional items, such as jewelry boxes, ornaments, smart-phone displays and laptop cases, are usually made from acrylic due to its impressive high gloss and texture; this type of plastic isn’t hard to polish. On the other hand, tough impact-resistant things like industrial face guards, windshields and riot shields are made from polycarbonate. This type lacks the sparkle and clarity of acrylic and requires specialized polishing processes. Acrylic Edge Scratches Before removing scratches and noticed marks in the cut edge of sheet acrylic plastic using the flame-polishing method, make sure it is not polycarbonate by looking at the edge. Clear acrylic sheeting includes a mild gray edge, whereas polycarbonate has a different dark edge. Unfinished sheet acrylic edges can be blended in with a flashlight that burns stabilized methylacetylene-propadiene, or MAPP,…

Furnishings

Prepping Walls for Thinset

Mortar is acceptable for application over concrete, masonry, brick, backerboard and gypsum wallboard. These surfaces must be prepped before applying bonds that were thinset to be sure the material. Put on safety glasses and rubber gloves. Mix 1 teaspoon trisodium phosphate in 1 gallon of warm water. If you’re washing a wall that is large, you may need to double the cleaning solution in two gallons of warm water. Wash painted walls and tiles using a sponge. Scrub the walls using a sponge soaked in clean water, and then leave the area to dry. Put on a dust mask. Sand painted walls using an sanding sponge to remove the sheen. Wash off the residue with a tack cloth. Patch cracks and holes in the wall. Drywall can be patched with drywall joint compound, whereas cement and masonry surfaces should be patched using a cement-based patching compound. Sand patched areas smooth…

Furnishings

How to Fix the Circle of Stucco

Made from Portland cement, sand, lime and water, stucco functions as a durable and versatile finish for exterior walls. As time passes, stucco could suffer cracks or chips as the house settles. The corners of stucco walls are particularly vulnerable to damage due to the chance of collision or impact. Repairing stucco corners not only helps to improve aesthetic appeal, but also keeps moisture to protect the home’s integrity. Remove in the corner of the wall, with a hammer and chisel. Evaluate the damage to the corner. If the corner bead is damaged or missing, cut a stucco corner bead to fit, with snips. Fasten it using galvanized nails. Alternatively leave it and proceed. Open a container of premixed stucco and stir thoroughly. Stir in a small amount of powdered pigments to match your existing wall color, if desired. Pick pigments from precisely the exact same manufacturer as your stucco….

Furnishings

Stripping an Oak Fireplace & Staining It Darker

It’s unavoidable that the finish on an oak fireplace may cling to grime and smoke. The finish becomes irreparably cluttered, dries out, cracks and flakes away. As awful as it may seem, It’s not the end of the world. Don’t even think about spending hours using a sanding block in your own hand. It’s not hard to strip oak fireplaces using chemical strippers. With a minimum of sanding, your fireplace is ready for staining and finishing. Never Reduce the List Collect a few supplies and tools before stripping. A drop cloth is on top of the list — you will be creating a mess. Set safety glasses and rubber gloves on the list next. It’s also a good idea to wear long-sleeved shirts and a hat. Insert masking tape for the walls, or anyplace else required to shield areas you don’t need stripped. Get an assortment of paintbrushes for the…

Furnishings

Can an Epoxy Floor Finish Be Recoated?

Epoxy floor paint makes a durable, impermeable surface that’s harder than the concrete or wood substrate, but it does not last forever. You can recoat a epoxy finish that has lost its shine or otherwise been damaged, but you’ve got to correctly prepare the brand new epoxy won’t adhere. This preparation must include careful cleaning with a grease-cutting detergent to remove the thin, oily layer that has likely constructed, but might be invisible. That isn’t all, though. In addition, you need to etch the surface to make it tough enough to bond with the brand new finish. Repair chips and holes in the floor. If you use fresh mortar, then allow the repairs to heal for at least 60 days prior to recoating with epoxy. You can also create the repairs using epoxy patching compound, which cures in a matter of days instead of weeks. Mix a way of grease-cutting…

Furnishings

How to Restore Old Doors

The quantity of effort you want to put into restoring an old door is dependent largely on whether or not it is an outside door. If the door is not exposed to the weather, you may be able to get by with a touch-up. Sun and rain wreak havoc on most finishes, though, and you will probably have to strip an outside door and sand the wood to do a decent restoration. While it’s possible to strip and sand a doorway whenever it’s hanging, it is much easier — and you will do a much better job — should you take it down. Pull the hinge pins and then take down the door. Lat it flat on a set of sawhorses and cover the floor using a drop cloth. Take off all the door hardware, including the knob, latch and hinges, with a screwdriver. If the door has a window,…

Furnishings

Rocking Chair Refinishing

Some rocking chairs date back decades. If they are still solid, you may get extra decades of enjoyment from it. If the chair is grayish or rough with flaking paint or varnish, do not be worried about it. It is possible to upgrade that chair in 1 day with some sandpaper and a few finishing materials. Stripping In case you’ve got a rocking chair in need of refinishing, it likely still has varnish on it that needs to be removed. Don’t knock yourself out trying to sand it away. Chemical stripper will dissolve any finish in a couple of minutes. Place the chair on a drop cloth. Don protective glasses and plastic gloves. Dip a brush to a open can of stripper and generously paint the chair using the stripper. When you finish painting it, use a putty knife to scrape the gelled finish from the chair. Use small, sharpened…

Furnishings

How to Repair Cracks in Stone Masonry

Fixing the mortar joints and cracks in stone masonry is also known as re-pointing, or tuck-pointing. An unrepaired joint or crack in stone or brick foundations can result in more severe problems down the road. Since the base settles, the rest of the home settles using the changes at the base, which can manifest in plaster cracks, or doors and windows being difficult to open or close correctly. Once you properly repair cracks in stone masonry, you also can slow the consequences of the settling. Cracks in Stone Masonry Wash the crack using a wire brush. Eliminate any bigger loose particles using a chisel and hammer as required. Don safety glasses and a dust mask. Blow the debris out using the compressor attachment of an air compressor hose to eliminate any fine particles from the crack. Use a pointed trowel to thoroughly fill the washed crack with vinyl concrete patcher…