How to remove wallpaper
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Buying a “renovator’s delight” property could mean you may have some very unattractive wallpaper on the walls, and if you’re really lucky you may find two layers of wallpaper on the one wall!
Don’t let this turn you off because removing wallpaper in most cases is a fairly simple process, although it can be rather messy. Also, look at the value it will add to the property. Does that get you excited?
- As the underlying wall surface could be plasterboard (plaster sheets between paper), or not properly unsealed (eg horsehair plasterboard), you need to take care not to damage these surfaces when removing wallpaper.
- First have a look at the wallpaper and see if there are any corners peeling off. If so, try peeling it back and you… Continue Reading…
How to paint kitchen cupboards and benchtops?
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Painting your kitchen cupboards and benchtops is great for a kitchen renovation on a budget, and quicker than demolition and install. We’ve found the result looks great and is hard wearing in a tenanted property using the procedures and products below.
- Remove the cupboard doors by unscrewing from the hinges. Mark the doors so you know which ones go back where and keep all the screws in a zip lock bag just in case they go missing.
- Scrape off any loose paint and brush off any loose material. If your cupboard shelves have any old stick on covering (like in this photo), rip it out before you move down to the next step.
- Wash down the inside of the cupboards and shelves with sugar soap following the instructions… Continue Reading…
How to add value to an old style kitchen without breaking the bank?
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If you don’t have the budget or time for a full on kitchen demolition and installation, here’s some ideas for a quick, budget renovation.
- Cabinet – A lot of older kitchen cupboards were built with the frame directly onto concrete / plasterboard (ie no backing board). If the shelves themselves are in good condition, paint the concrete / plasterboard with a white gloss paint (white gives a clean look and gloss is easy to keep clean).
- The doors – Although wood look laminex is back in, there are lots of old kitchen cupboard doors that have the “vintage” wood look laminex that looks faded and dated. You have two choices – either replace the doors or paint over the laminex. To replace the doors just unscrew from the hinges, measure, count how… Continue Reading…
How to deal with paint peel like wall paper?
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Wash down the walls, a quick coat of paint and voila! A new looking house…possibly…
One of the joys we discovered after we washed the walls was peeling paint. A few bubbles appeared so we started to scrape them off as per the instructions to make a smooth surface. A a bit of paint came off but then, we scraped and scraped but the paint peeled away in huge chunks that looked like wallpaper (See picture on right)! Neither of us had seen this before. The house is old and the walls were made of horsehair plasterboard. After researching we discovered this meant the plasterboard wasn’t sealed properly in the beginning, so nothing stuck permanently to it. We couldn’t just paint another coat on top as we discovered… Continue Reading…
How to prepare internal walls for painting?
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Well, you got here is because you want to know how to paint your internal walls? I’m assuming your wall is not new and you want to paint it a different colour but you want some real advice on repainting it.
It’s wise to look for information before you start, and here’s some tips for you.
Test the surface condition:
A simple way to test the condition of an existing paint surface is using strong sticky tape. You need a finger length of sticky tape, press it firmly onto the surface you want to repaint. Rip the sticky tape away quickly. If the paint comes off, you’ll need to strip the whole surface back to bare and prep it. Do a test at various areas such as paint near skirting,… Continue Reading…
