Tiles can add an attractive, timeless look to just about any room in the house. A job of two parts, many people underestimate the importance of a good grouting job. Here are five great tips for grouting:

1. Always follow your grout manufacturer’s instructions when mixing up the grout. Never be tempted to add more water than specified.

2. Only mix as much grout as you can use in half an hour. Grout will begin to harden straight away and could be prone to cracking if used after this. Devise a method of accurately measuring the precise amounts of grout and water used in each mixing session, this will ensure you always end up with the same colour or shade of grout (if using coloured grouts!)

3. When grouting, scoop off as much grout as possible from the tiles, then focus on the shaping of the joints! Do not allow yourself to be tempted to start polishing the tiles yet. The joints are hardening, so these must be shaped now. Remember: If you’re using waterproof grout, you must doubly ensure that all the grout is removed from the surface of the tiles before continuing to shape the joints.

4. The main thing to remember when grouting is to not panic. If there’s a section you are not happy with, simply go back and redo it before it dries. Like in all DIY tasks, you are better off taking an extra five minutes now, than spending five minutes of every day you look at the result regretting not fixing it when you could!

5. Begin polishing when grout has dried. Glazed surfaces should polish up relatively easily. Some surfaces are porous and will have absorbed a certain amount of grout in the process. Don’t panic, all this means is you’re going to need something slightly stronger to clean it off. There are lots of after-market products that claim to remove dried grout, but these will cost a lot more than a small amount of a readily available chemical: hydrochloric acid. Simply mix a very small part to five parts water. Wear protective rubber gloves and use the coarse side of a pan-scourer to test a small, hidden area of your tiles. If the tiles suffer no reaction, then rub a small amount over the affected areas. Wipe down with a slightly damp cloth when finished and allow the tiles to dry. Repeat if necessary.

Posted in General | No Comments »

A tired kitchen can make a nice, clean house look unfinished. People looking to buy a house look far beyond the functionality of a kitchen. They want it to look smart. A few simple changes to a kitchen can make it gleam and will bump up your home’s value by far.

Here are five kitchen renovation ideas that will turn your kitchen around, without running your bank balance aground:

1. Fit a new worktop
Perhaps the most effective way to change the look of a kitchen, bar a repaint, is to change those tired or out of date looking worktops for a newer design. If you don’t intend to change the layout of the cupboards, the measuring is already done for you, and most worktops are simply screwed down from inside the cupboards. Add a touch of silicone sealant and the odd finishing joint and you can change the look of your kitchen overnight.

2. Add a tile surround or splash-back
A neat and good value addition to a kitchen comes in the form of tiles. Constantly in fashion, tiles can be added along the worktop and help protect the walls from any water or messy accidents. Tiles also represent your chance to express some creativity, as the final design is entirely up to you. The possibilities are endless!

3. Fit a new sink
If you are going for a new worktop, it may be wise to fit a new sink at the same time. Even a bargain sink will look shiny when fitted and will add some instant attraction to the kitchen. A new set of taps will go a long way to extend this and while you are at it, I would strip out the crusty looking, leaking waste pipe and put a new one in. Even for beginners, fitting a new waste pipe will only take a few minutes once you get started.

4. Refinish the cupboard doors
If your cupboard doors are made of solid wood, either painted or varnished, consider stripping them down and refinishing them with either a new paint, varnish or stain. Your local DIY store will have a range of suitable varnishes and stains on display. Fitting a 21st century style of handle to doors and draws will also help bring a kitchen into the present.

5. Fit a laminate floor
Fitting a laminate floor in your kitchen is a great value way of adding style and functionality to a kitchen. These floors are resistant to water and easy to keep clean. No more peas squashed into the carpet! Make sure you choose a darker finish, if possible, as these are harder to stain.

Posted in General | No Comments »

If you are a first timer, delving into the home improvement/house renovation world for the first time, you may want some help with the initial choosing of the house. Often your heart speaks louder than sense, but at a time like this, when there is so much money involved, it is important to suppress your heart somewhat and go with what the facts are saying.

Here, I’ve enlisted my top five tips when it comes to choosing the right renovation project:

1. The most important, and indeed obvious, thing to do when buying any home is to get a proper building report carried out by a professional building surveyor. This will highlight any structural defects the property may have and will simply save you from parting with your money on a house that is due to fall down next year. Some areas may offer additional property reports, often held at the local council offices. Ours were called LIM report and Property Bag. The LIM (Land Information Memorandum) basically told us everything the property had been through since it was built, i.e. any additions, extensions, refused permissions to build, past issues, etc. The Property Bag had the blueprints for the original house, details of how the septic tank was installed and operated and lots of other information on the building. I strongly recommend you view these or their equivalents, where available.

2. Are cosmetics the main problem with the house? Can you envisage the interior looking fantastic with just a new coat of paint and a new carpet? If so, this is looking good.

3. Get a second opinion. Take a friend or family member, preferably someone with DIY or renovation experience to have a look around the house with you. Ask them for their opinions and ideas. Attempt to suss out whether they would buy the property, if in your situation. Don’t try and cannonball them into agreeing to help at this stage! Save that for the house-warming…

4. Write down the first five or ten things you want to change and have a look online for some job costs. I know you will probably do the work yourself, but it’s a good idea to get a worse case scenario quote, just in case you decide against carrying out the work yourself.

5. What chattels are included in the sale? Often chattels will include the stove/cooker and an open fire/log burner. They usually won’t include paintings, vases or anything of this nature, even if the home isn’t lived in. Real estate agents often hire items like these in to assist with the sale. If you are going to be relying on any of these items being included in the sale, ensure you check they are in good working order. Also, from the time you declare the sale unconditional to the time you move in, try to make a final inspection visit. Check these items are still present and in the same condition.

Posted in General | No Comments »