Tag: walls

What to Know About Removing Wood Paneling

July 12, 2021

Homes of the past can be time capsules of design styles from long ago. From shag carpeting to floral wallpaper, these features can take you back in a house’s history. But you might feel as if your home looks a bit outdated for your liking. Wood paneling is a common style used in homes built from the 1950s through the 1970s whose heyday has certainly come and gone. The good news is that it doesn’t take much to do a quick update! Tools for the Job Removing wood paneling is relatively quick and easy, making it a great weekend project! As you get ready to demo, make sure that you have: You can also get the materials you need to hang drywall to replace the paneling. Depending on how big of an area you’re remodeling, it might be worth it to rent a dumpster so that everything gets disposed of properly. Set Up the Room As with any project, you want to protect the spots you aren’t going to be working on. Before you start ripping off any paneling, lay down plastic sheeting. This will prevent dust from getting everywhere and also catch loose nails. Take off any outlet covers

How to Patch Up a Hole in Your Drywall

July 5, 2021

Holes and dents in your drywall can be one of the more aggravating things you have to deal with as a homeowner. Maybe you accidentally slammed a piece of furniture into the wall, a door handle left a puncture mark, or your kids got too rowdy playing ball in the house. Whatever the reason, you might be wondering about the best way to patch things up. Before You Begin There are a couple of things you need to do before you start cutting into your wall. First, check that the area is free from pipes or wiring. You don’t want to turn a small, fixable problem into a larger and more costly one. Also if you realize that it’s a bigger project than what you feel comfortable with, it’s best to call for backup. If you decide to tackle things yourself, you’ll need some tools: As you gather everything you need, get a pair of safety goggles and a dust mask to keep bits of paint and drywall out of your eyes and respiratory system. Square Off the Hole Holes that are larger than four inches in diameter have to be squared off and covered with new drywall. Using a

The Best Maintenance Tips for Older Homes

November 2, 2020

Older homes can be like time capsules of an era gone by. From their captivating exterior designs to their beautiful craftsmanship inside, it’s easy to see why people snatch these properties up. Yet with all the bells and whistles that can come with an old house, they also come with various problems. Although newer homes can succumb to these same issues, they can pose more of a threat to an older home. Renovations Can Take Longer Doing renovations on an older house isn’t as simple as working on a newer construction. Repairs and replacements must be done with an extreme amount of care to avoid damage. Having to be extra careful can extend the timeline of different renovations, causing them to take longer than average. The longer a project goes on, the more money you may be on the hook for. Renovations May Need Approval In addition to being cautious of your home when making repairs, you might have to follow stricter guidelines. Houses that are deemed historical markers or are part of a historical society are limited in terms of what can be changed. If you fail to follow these rules, you could land yourself in hot water. You

Removing Wallpaper Made Easy

September 10, 2019

If your home is plastered with outdated wall coverings, you might hesitate to make the upgrades that you want. After all, wallpaper is notoriously difficult to remove (picture hours and hours of steaming, scraping, peeling, grunting, etc.), life’s too short, and you’ve got better things to do. There’s good news though—removing that ugly wallpaper is easier than you think with the right tools, so you can get your project done without breaking a sweat. Here’s what you need to do. First, start with the right tools.Depending on the type of wallpaper you’re dealing with, how long it’s been on the wall and how it was originally applied, the tools you’ll need to remove wallpaper fast and easy will vary. Here’s a breakdown of everything you might need: Follow with the right technique.Before you know which technique will work for your situation, you’ll have to do a little test. If you’re using a steamer, saturate one panel of wallpaper, wait 10 minutes or so and lift an edge with your razor scraper. If it comes up easily, that means the last guy prepped the surface correctly when he applied the wallpaper—lucky you! Continue with soaking the wallpaper and lifting with your