DIY Home Remodeling Project

Week 14

I spent a couple of days emptying the old kitchen cabinets. I put most things into plastic boxes and took them to the garden. This wasn’t the most sensible idea I’ve ever had - by the end of the week the plastic boxes that contained food were full of ants and slugs and other crawling creatures. They even crawled into the food containers that I thought were properly sealed. So I had to chuck away lots of packs of organic grocery products..

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Vinyl floor

You can buy either vinyl floor tiles or vinyl floor sheets. They come in hundreds of different patterns, styles and colors. As with everything in life, you get what you pay for. Avoid the really cheap and thin vinyl floor covering - these get torn easily and they DO look cheap. Generally speaking, the thicker the vinyl sheet or tile the more durable it is. Also, make sure it has a poly-urethane coating to resist scratch marks, stains and dirt..

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Leather flooring

Leather is the latest luxurious material to use for floor covering. It looks good, it feels good, it smells good…but is it practical?..

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Rubber Flooring

Rubber floors have been used for years in hospitals, schools and factories because rubber is hard-wearing, practical and easy to clean. Rubber floors are made from polyurethane..

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Polished Concrete Floor

Polished concrete is the one of the must materials to use in a modern interior. Yet it’s a very old finish, the Romans used it extensively. It is an ideal choice for creating a sensual and seamless floor, particularly if you want to connect an inside space with an outer space. Finishes vary from high gloss smooth to ridged and textured - also you can add glass, cobbles, pebbles etc. Chemical stains can also be added to create the desired color. If you decide on concrete flooring indoors, install underfloor heating for a warm and sensual feel beneath your feet!..

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DIY Remodeling Project

Diary - Week 13

We’ve chosen the hottest week of the year to remove the wall between the kitchen and the sitting room. We created an enclosure around it so that the dust wouldn’t go everywhere. It looked like a scene out of ET. Of course dust  did go everywhere - the wall was a stud and plasterboard partition. Actually, getting rid of the wall didn’t take a long time and wasn’t very difficult - it was the dust prevention measures and the cleaning up that was time-consuming..

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Panelling

As I wrote in the previous article, wall panelling is back in fashion. You can utilise the traditional tongue and groove wood panels, or the Shaker Style framed panels - but it’s much more interesting to have wall panelling with a modern twist..

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Painting panelling

Having attached your wood panelling to the walls as per the previous article, you can then decide whether you want to varnish, limewash or paint it..

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Wall panelling

Wall panelling is back in fashion - not only the country-style painted wood panels but also the wood panelling that defined our interiors in the 70’s. Of course both applications need a modern twist. This article will help you to choose the right panelling for your interior.

Panelling is ideal for walls in poor condition (but don’t use it to cover damp!) and it’s an easy DIY job. The most common type of wall panelling is made of solid wood planks with a tongue along one edge and a groove on the other. These joints allow secret nailing to the wall and for expansion of the wood with temperature change. Some tongue and groove panels have moulded or other decorative surfaces but, in my opinion, it’s best to stick to the simple ones..

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DIY Project Diary - week 12

I had a meeting with the local planning office and they confirmed that the space on the first floor cannot be opened up because a protected escape route must exist in case of fire. These rules apply to three (or more) storey buildings. Installing a fire escape into the garden is not acceptable because the garden doesn’t have a direct access from a public road, and it’s not bigger than the height of the building. Expandable ladders attached to outside of the windows are not allowed either..

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