Painting projects
Preparation is the key to a successful painting job. Always prepare surfaces before you start.
When painting tiles, scrub surfaces before hand with sugar soap or mild detergent to remove all traces of grease and grime – even if you think your tiles are clean. If the tile primer doesn't have a clean surface to bond with, it's guaranteed that the paint will peel off.
Vacuum the room well before using oil-based paints on trim, windows and doors. You don't want any dust floating around to stick to the wet paint and ruin your hard work. If you have to sand the surface beforehand, clean up again. Even small particles of dust can spoil your efforts at achieving a professional-looking finish.
Protect your surfaces with masking tape or drop cloths. Whilst the project at hand may be quick and easy, cleaning paint off carpets, floors and other surfaces can take hours, not to mention the damage that could be caused during cleaning.
Don't scrimp on essentials. If you don't want to be spending time picking paintbrush bristles out of your painted surface, steer clear of budget range brushes. There's a reason why they are cheaper – they moult! Quality synthetic brushes keep their shape and don't shed.
Caring for wood
Timber fittings are expensive to buy, and very easy to maintain – if you do it right. If timber surfaces are not properly sealed, they will absorb moisture and become swollen and damaged over time.
Do it once, do it twice, and then do it again. The majority of manufacturers of timber products recommend that you apply at least two, and sometimes even three, coats of their product to timber surfaces. The reason for this is that wood absorbs. To provide the best protection, timber, especially that exposed to the elements, needs to be treated as recommended.
When sanding timber with a power sander – too little pressure is far better than too much. It's always recommended that you let the power sander do all the work, and you simply guide it. By applying too much pressure during sanding projects you'll not only damage the wood, you'll end up with dips and valleys in the surface.
DIY projects
Any craftsman or DIY enthusiasts will tell you that it is always better to measure twice and cut once.
The most important tools in any DIY kit are: a tape measure, and a spirit level. No matter how good you think your eye is, using a spirit level for horizontal and vertical fixings will ensure that surfaces are perfectly level.
Always use the correct fixings for projects. There are nails, screws, anchors, wall plugs and the like for every conceivable task. Understanding the different applications can mean the difference between a shelf that stays on the wall, and one that eventually falls off!
A well kitted out toolbox means that you have a wide range of essential tools on hand for any task. Take stock of what you have and what you need before undertaking DIY projects around the home.
Finally, it's better to have left over that run out. Paint, wallpaper, tiles and the like are manufactured in batches or lots. If you underestimate and need to go out and buy extra to finish a project, there is no guarantee that you will get exactly the same colour, or design. Scraps and offcuts can always be put to use somewhere else, but running out of materials halfway through a project can spell disaster!
Janice Anderssen is Women24's Décor & DIY expert.
Click here to ask her a question, or visit www.Home-Dzine.co.za
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