Decorating, Kitchens & Carpentry Tips & Tricks
Below are some tips on painting and decorating. Listed are some of the tools and techniques needed when undertaking painting & decorating.
Decorating is more than just choosing colours and fabrics. There are a variety of tools specific to a decorating project, including:
- Paint brushes, rollers, and pads
- Sponges
- Sandpaper
- Patching compound
- Putty knife or scraper
- Wallpaper steamer
- Masking tape
The materials you'll work with while decorating a room or office space may include:
Common Decorating Materials:- Adhesives
- Binders and dilutents
- Glazes
- Gloss
- Emulsion
Choosing the Right Paint
Undercoat can be a water or oil-based. It is a finer paint that is best used on metal or wood. It may take two coats to completely cover the surface area, and can leave brush strokes, so apply with care. Gloss is also oil-based and is applied over undercoat. As with undercoat, more than one coat may be needed. Emulsion is a water-based paint that is very easy to work with, unlikely to show brush strokes, and has a weaker odour. It is advisable to mix emulsion with a small amount of PVA binding, and to use this mixture as a primer coat. In kitchens and bathrooms, where there is likely to be a lot of moisture, use a special emulsion that will absorb moisture as it dries.
Removing Paint
Wallpaper can be removed using a steamer, or a number of commercially available mixtures meant to loosen the wallpaper adhesive. A DIY mixture can be made using warm water, detergent, and a small amount of wallpaper adhesive. Use waterproof gloves to protect your hands from cracking.
Kitchens
A kitchen installation is a big job, and it's important to have the right tools at your disposal. Some of the tools you'll want to have on hand are:
- Spirit level
- Jigsaw
- Biscuit jointer
- Clamps
- Sawhorses
- Electric drill
In a kitchen renovation project, you'll likely be replacing cabinets (which can be custom built, or fabricated from pre-measured kits) and work surfaces like countertops and islands. Some of the materials you can expect to see are:
Worktops made of marble, granite, hardwoods, or laminate.- Silicone sealant
- Flat packs
- Rigid carcasses
- Gloss
- Emulsion
Kitchen Installation
Plan your kitchen well in advance of purchasing materials or beginning any work. Sit down with a scale drawing of the space and decide how to lay the room out and exactly what you'll need to achieve your goals. This will help to keep you within budget and will avoid complications down the line.
Place joints as far from sinks and hob cutouts as possible. To make the job look clean and professional, arrange joints as simple mitre or butt joints. Butt joints are stronger and more aesthetically appealing, but they do require a worktop jigsaw.
When cutting holes for sinks and hobs, be sure to use a template. If no template has been provided, turn the sink upside down on the worktop to be cut. Using a pencil, trace around the outer edge of the sink. Then measure 10 mm inside that boundary; this is where you'll cut. The extra 10 mm provides a lip for the sink to sit on.
When cutting a worktop to size, try using a piece of masking tape to mark the place to be cut, as it is easier to see than pencil. Cut with a jigsaw from the front to the back, with the worktop facing downward. This will prevent chipping the good surface.
Carpentry
A carpenter relies heavily on his set of tools. When taking on a carpentry project, you'll likely find yourself needing several of these common tools:
- Claw hammer
- Nail puller
- Rip saw
- Cross cut saw
- Hack saw
- Carpenter's square
- Staple gun
- Level
- Hand drill
- Hand plane
- Chisel
The most frequently used material in carpentry is, of course, wood. Modern home and office design demands a solid working knowledge of the most popular wood choices, as well as an understanding of what glues adhere best to those woods. These are some of carpentry's most common materials:
An assortment of nails, screws, nuts, and bolts will be needed for woodwork. Various woods, including some of the most popular, maple, oak, and cherry.
Cutting and Measuring in Carpentry
Make sure the metal prongs at the end of your measuring tape are not bent. If they are, they won't grab onto an edge at the same angle, and your measurement may be off. Straighten them with a pair of pliers.
If creating mitre joints is difficult for you, avoid them by using decorative corner blocks at inside and outside corners.
Try clamping a thin metal straightedge to a piece of plywood to get long, straight cuts. The bottom plate on the saw will butt up against the metal, using it as a guideline.
Hanging Interior Doors
The rough opening of the doorway should be about 2 or 3 inches wider than the doorframe you are installing.
Use a shim under the door, on the side with the hinges, to help you level the door as you install it.
Use a level to ensure that the door has been hung properly and will open and close without sticking.
Take a look at our painting & decorating course for more information.
