Get your home looking great!
Your home should look beautiful - not only because you live in it, but because you want to show a level of respect and responsibility when it comes to the things you own. Well, or the things you're paying off each month. Either way, if you want a home with beautiful siding, siding spots simply won't do. If you plan on selling a house with siding spots, it might be a good idea to take a Saturday afternoon to fix them. Here's how you can do it.
First, identify all of the spots you plan on fixing. Knowing how much fixing you're going to be doing will allow you to know how much primer and color-matched paint you're going to need. If you still have paint of the original color, make sure you have enough; if not, try visiting the hardware store to have the color matched.
Next, you'll have to find a way to grind the spot smooth. Whether this is with sandpaper or a small power grinder, you might want to get in touch with your hardware store and see what they recommend. If you already have a small power grinder, you shouldn't have too much trouble leveling the surface and preparing it for priming and painting.
Wear the surface down and try to make the level relatively consistent with the rest of the siding. Once the surface has been properly worn down, continue the "prepping" by cleaning out the area of dust and paint chips. You don't want to apply primer and paint over this debris, to try to clean each spot as thoroughly as possible.
Now that you've got a clean spot to paint over, apply your primer. Apply thinly but try to make sure that you also apply evenly and thoroughly. This will allow for more paint to stick to the area and completely fill in the spot.
Once the primer has dried from your siding spots, apply the paint. Use oil or latex-based paint for your siding, and - voila! You should be clear of siding spots.
You'll find that having a home clear of siding spots will help you feel more confident when it's time to sell it. You want your home to look as good as possible when you're selling it, and siding spots simply aren't in the cards. If you're simply taking care of your home for your own sake, you'll feel proud of yourself and might even ask, "what's next?"
Photo Credits: iLoveButter
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Posted by Fix Handyman on September 14, 2009 in
Handyman, House, How to Fix, paint
Loose or Broken Tile?
Whether your kitchen floor is new or old, there's nothing that disturbs the balance of a room quite like a broken tile. After all, tiles were installed with a pattern in mind: break one link in the chain and the whole thing falls apart. That's why it's important to know how to fix a broken tile - like learning how to change a tire, sometime it pays to know how before you have to do it.
First, we can assume that the conjoining material between each tile is already hard, which means that you'll have to do a little work that might include dust and debris. Make sure to wear protective eye goggles - you might even want to cover your mouth to prevent inhaling too much dust into your lungs.
Next, you'll have to destroy and remove any leftover spots from the previous tile. Most likely your tile is still in place, unless the whole tile itself came out already. In order to remove tile chips, you're going to want to follow a precise pattern: break the tile in the center using a hammer and nailset, and then cut the tile into an X pattern using a glass cutter. Then you can use the hammer to chip away the rest of the tile - beginning in the center - and pry up the pieces using a metal tool.
Once the area is cleared of the main tile bits, it's time for you to dry it out - suck out the remaining debris with a vacuum cleaner. It might not hurt to sand down any protruding areas that might get in the way for the new tile, so be sure to vacuum after you've done the sanding, as well.
Now that you have a clear area where your tile used to be, it's time to replace the tile. First you're going to want to fill the area with latex primer and allow it to dry - you should probably make sure to protect this area so that no one steps in it, particularly small children if you have them. After the primer has dried, you can apply tile adhesive, making sure to move it left and right to make sure it settles in properly. It's important to keep the tile level, so use a mallet to make sure that it gets in far enough. Any extra tile adhesive that comes out of the sides can be scooped up with a stick or screwdriver.
Give the tile some time to dry and you should be all finished. You've covered up the spot in your kitchen that detracted from all the rest. Now if you could just get a new set of cupboards.
Photo Credits: wakingphotolife
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Posted by Fix Handyman on August 4, 2009 in
Floors, Handyman, How to Fix, kitchen
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