Doing plaster repairs and installing drywall may well account for a healthy portion of your work. Fixing old plaster and replacing lath and plaster with new drywall are much-requested jobs. Both plastering and drywalling take skill and time, and many customers are happy to pay well for a quality job. Here are some tips for these types of jobs: (more…)
Archive for the ‘Sheet’
Home Improvement, DIY Tiling your floor or Walls part 2
Step by Step
Don’t try to do too much in one day and make sure you arrange alternative washing and toilet facilities with a neighbour if necessary.
Preparing the floor The most suitable surface for laying ceramic tiles is concrete. However this must be wood-float finished (rough textured) — if it is a mirror-smooth or steel- trowel finish, it will first need to be scratched, roughened with a chisel or acid-etched. (more…)
Sewing Project: Hanging Handbag Tidy continue…
Under-fives Handbag
Cute as they are, little children can create a storage nightmare. They are an active, inquisitive bunch, and their bedroom will reflect their changing needs. They require masses of equipment, most of which are vital at one stage of growth and redundant at another. In terms of storage, expandable and adjustable units are the most sensible option. They should be safe and durable, and all handles and shelves should be low enough for your child to reach. (more…)
Bathroom Surface Values, Decorative Finishes continue…
Ceramic tiles
If ever a product has stood the test of time, it is the ceramic tile. Popular since the days of the Romans, ceramic tiles are still the most versatile of the bathroom surfaces. They can be used for both floors and walls and are available in a huge variety of colours, shapes and prices.
When choosing tiles, select ones that are in scale with your bathroom. If you choose a fancy shape, such as the ogee or Moorish designs, keep the colours simple: too much variety looks over-fussy. (more…)
Too small Space, Space Extension: Window Storage Box DIY
This very simple box with its hinged-top lid panels is ideal for storing items such as copier or computer paper, old job files and children’s artistic endeavours.
The box used here is 2.4 m long to suit the standard length of MDF board, but could be shorter. The completed box can be positioned under a window and finished off with cushions, or placed anywhere in your office or study, depending on layout, so that it doubles as a piece of furniture. (more…)
Home Office Plan: Study and Computer Center (Deskmate)
A deskmate is a mobile storage cabinet which is stored out of the way under a desk and rolled out when needed.
There is a number of different configurations ranging from simple storage of paper, envelopes and a few files you may be working on, to a deskmate which can store a printer on the top with the paper feeding from the shelf at the hack. (more…)
Sewing Project, Clever Cupboard Cabinet Built-in Storage
This neat fold-away sewing centre has ample storage for not only a sewing machine, but also an overlocker, shelves of patterns, sewing accessories and other odds and ends.
This clever cupboard idea is based on a simple upright cabinet that takes no more room than a bookcase, and folds away in one or two easy steps.
The overall cupboard is 1070 mm wide as built (to fit in a corner) by 2070 mm high, and is a total of only about 350 mm deep with the doors shut. When open it reveals seven shelves for storage, and a sewing table 1220 mm x 600 mm. (more…)
Patchwork Quilt Stitching
Designing a Quilt Patterns
Draw up a plan of your design on a sheet of graph paper and mark out the width and length of the quilt you wish to make, whether it is a small one for a baby’s cot or a large one for a double bed.
It is traditional to create quilt patterns built around a regular block of patchwork squares, for example in groups of five, seven or nine. For a seven-patch block, the total number of squares making up the quilt would be 49. (more…)
Weekend Project, Building an Entertainment Centre
This modular stereo and home entertainment centre can easily be expanded or adapted to suit your needs. It has been cleverly designed to accommodate equipment as well as an extensive collection of CDs, records, videos and cassettes.
| MATERIALS
Quantities are for building three units. This can be varied for more or less units. This project was made using 19 mm particle (chip) board but 16 mm thick board can also be used with the necessary adjustments to dimensions. |
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| ITEM | DIMENSIONS (mm) | QUANTITY |
| Hardwood-veneered particle (chip) board — cabinet | 1220 x2440 x 19 | 2 sheets |
| Plywood — backs and drawer bottoms | 1220 x 2440 x 3 | 1 sheet |
| Cabinet timber DAR (PAR) — drawer fronts for large drawers | 200 x 25 | 1 length (1 m) |
| Cabinet timber DAR (PAR) — front top member of cabinet, kickboard and drawer fronts for small drawers | 100 x 25 | 2 lengths (1.5 m) 1 length (2.1 m) |
| Cabinet timber DAR (PAR) — rear top of cabinet | 75 x 25 | 1 length (1.5 m) |
| Cabinet timber DAR (PAR) — edging of the top | 25 x 25 | 1 length (1.8 m)
2 lengths (0.6 m) |
| Cabinet timber DAR (PAR) — large drawer sides and backs | 150 x 19 | 1 length (2.7 m) |
| Cabinet timber DAR (PAR) — small drawer sides and backs | 75 x 19 | 1 length (2.4 m) |
| Cabinet timber DAR (PAR) — drawer guides | 12 x 25 | 2 lengths (2.4 m) |
| Cabinet timber glazing bead — optional | 12 x 19 | 2 lengths (3.6 m) |
| Cabinet timber DAR (PAR) — shelf battenslcleats | 12 x 12 | 1 length (2.4 m) |
| Iron-on veneer to suit | 8 m | |
| Connection fittings | 24 in total (8 per unit) | |
| Double-headed connecting screws | 8 | |
| Handles to stilt | 6 | |
| Record dividers (optional) | ||
| Stain and polyurethane finish as required | ||
| SPECIAL TOOLS
This project could be built using hand tools, but power tools will save you a lot of time. circular saw (with a fine-cutting tungsten-carbide tip blade) Router Jigsaw Power drill Sash cramps (optional) |
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| TIME
Three or four weekends, depending on finish |
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The project consists of three units which have a total width of just over 1500 mm. Although the centre is modular, it is also relatively low level, and a single top and kickboard draws all three units together. (more…)
Framing up an Alcove, how to build additional Place for good Clothes Shoe Dress Jewellery Storage, step by step guide
Alcoves offer the perfect opportunity to make the most of otherwise small and cramped spaces.
This particular project is in a bedroom, where a solitary alcove originally made the room appear strangely offset. The space was used as additional hanging space for good clothes on two levels, as well as shoe and dress jewellery storage. The top hanging level is for seasonal or infrequently used clothes, and the lower provides ready access for more popular items. The idea was also to use two standard off-the‑shelf doors to enclose the area. (more…)
Decorative Knobs Finishing Touches continue…
All screws must have pilot holes made before they can be driven home. For screws smaller than No. 6 gauge (3.5 mm) into softwood, make these with a bradawl. Drive it into the wood with its chisel point across the grain, to avoid splitting.
Screws larger than No. 6 gauge into hardwood and screws into softwood need two holes -one for the thread (the pilot hole) and one for the shank (the clearance hole). These must be made with a drill and bit.
When drilling pilot holes, mark the required depth on the drill bit with a piece of masking tape. This will tell you when to stop and cannot damage the workpiece should you overdrill. (more…)
Storage Cabinet French Polishing
French polishing storage cabinet is a skilled craft but, using proprietary solutions, it can be tackled by anyone with patience for that special piece of storage cabinet that is beau but not faux.
Step by Step
1 Remove broken latch and strip wood veneer off storage cabinet top panels.
2 Rub down storage cabinet timber with methylated spirits using steel wool to remove lacquer. (more…)
Art Painting on Antique, Fresh Looks for Old Treasure continue…
Sanding
Sanding is the other method used to remove accumulated layers on timber surfaces. It is hard work but rewarding, and the effects will be most gratifying.
Start with a coarse grade of sandpaper graduating to finer grains as the sanding proceeds. Once the timber has been reduced to its (nearly) ) original state, the process of filling and smoothing must be tackled. Whatever finish you are to apply, be it natural or a painted one, it is important that the surface you are working on is as clean and free of imperfections as possible. Paint, wax or sealants will not adhere to dusty, damp or grimy surfaces. (more…)
Slate Floor for a Family Room, Timber Floors, Power Tools easy Home Improvement
Step by Step
1 Slate must be laid on a firm base that will support it. Timber floors present a problem in that timber and particle (chip) board expand during humid periods, and shrink during drier times. Timber floors can be prepared in several ways. Care should be taken with all the procedures however, bearing in mind that timber or particle (chip) board is not the best base material for slate.
2 A number of slate suppliers have specially developed membrane systems available for the installation of slate on a timber floor. The one used here is the hessian and bitumen method and will provide the necessary `slip’ joint between the rigid tiles and the timber. (more…)
Kitchen and Family Room Improvement, Cork Tile Floor
One of the most successful types of floorcovering for a kitchen is cork tiling. The colour of cork is fairly neutral and these days can be natural, stained, or dyed to various colours. The finish applied is easy to care for and the job can be done by any handyperson.
Our project kitchen and family room is a large area, just under 50 sq. m. The original floor is structural plywood. There are three steps between the kitchen and family areas, which will be edged with light-coloured seasoned hardwood as a wearing edge. (more…)
The Perfect Floor, Dominant Decorative Furnishing Surfaces
Choosing the right floor and floorcovering is an important aspect of furnishing your home — it is not only one of the most dominant decorative surfaces, it will also claim a large proportion of your furnishing budget.
An important aspect of Furnishing your Home
The type and quality of the floorcovering you choose should be appropriate for each room, just as the right colour and design are important. Poor quality flooring, ill-suited to the requirements of the room, will wear out quickly and end up costing you a lot more in the long run. (more…)
Quilt-type Sleeping Bags and Inflation Pillows, better than the Slippery Nylon ones!
As far as bedding is concerned, ordinary household sheets, pillowcases, blankets, quilts etc. are usually too sensitive to be used for camping. They are also rather bulky. Instead of separate items of bedding, it is more practical to have a one-piece sleeping bag that will not suffer as a result of being trampled on or crammed into the car boot. It also provides the right kind of warmth because the way to ensure a comfortable night’s sleep is to have as much insulation underneath your body as on top of it. Neither an air mattress nor a thin campbed gives enough warmth by itself. (more…)
Household Improvement, Painting do it yourself, Fun, Save Money
Yes, it’s fun! More than that — you can save a lot of money if you do it yourself, provided you do your homework and research beforehand. Reading this is an excellent start!
The novelty of painting does wear off after a couple of hours, so try to enhance your painting task by playing loud music (be it punk-rock or classical) and experimenting with new colours. We are playing it safe by giving you guidelines on the basics of wall painting; you are on your own when it comes to washes, sponges, stencilling and other special effects. Take note: read the information on the paint tins — everything we don’t tell you the tin will! (more…)
Household Master of Guide part G (Fabric, Blind, Shed, Window Decor)
Blended Fabrics
Fabrics made from a combination of several fibers, either natural (such as wool, cotton, linen, or silk), man-made (such as acrylics and polymers), or both, in contrast to fabrics made of only one type of fiber. The advantage of blends is twofold. (I) Blending several fibers can yield fabric with the virtues of each of the fibers used (color absorption, durability, wrinkle resistance, warmth, or washability), some of which would be missing in a fabric made from any single one of these fibers. For example, the addition of Dacron, an acrylic, to cotton has produced sheets that do not need ironing. (2) Fabrics made with several fibers often have new qualities (weights, textures) with decorative possibilities that no single- fiber fabric has. (more…)
