As a homeowner, you may want to spruce up the place simply to change the general atmosphere or even to add a lot of value to your home in order to refinance for lower monthly payments. Regardless of your reasons for wanting to take on a project, you should first take some time and read these home improvement tips.
When you are installing new cabinets yourself. Start with the top set first. This way you will have plenty of room underneath to stand and navigate as you hang the top ones. The bottom set are much easier to install as there is no holding up a heavy cabinet while it gets screwed in.
In order to save money on air conditioning costs during the summer, try installing ceiling fans. Ceiling fans recirculate air within a room, cooling it down without the need for turning on a central air system. They are relatively easy to install and can be installed in place of your lighting fixture.
You can make really neat one of a kind plant stands from old stools. You can buy some old stools from yard sales, garage sales or your local thrift shop. The older the better and the more unique your plant stand will be. Weathered stools that you use as a plant stand can add a touch of unique country to your home decor.
Recycle the molding in the closets of your old house to finish out your renovation project! Sometimes, finding molding to match the molding from old houses can be almost impossible. One option is to remove the molding that is, likely inside your closets. You’ll never notice that it’s gone and it will be restored to its glory, out in the open where it can be seen.
Age your new wall paneling a few days before installing it. New paneling is typically stored at the warehouse in large tightly compressed piles. When the individual pieces are removed from those piles and exposed to room humidity they sometimes shrink. Providing an aging period of a few days in your home will keep you from suffering the consequences of the shrinkage.
A simple home improvement that anyone can do is painting. Freshly painted rooms feel crisp and new with very little investment of money or time. If you want to sell your home, then adding new paint to your home can improve your home’s appearance to potential buyers.
Dumpster
Have space available for the trash. Renovation projects always involve lots of debris and if you do not have a special place for it, it will add up quickly. Planning in advance, by getting a dumpster or other debris storage area, will help to prevent any headaches that may come with removal.
Cleaning up always needs to be on your mind while making home improvements. Having garbage in the way is going to slow you down tremendously. Always have a trashcan or dumpster set up so that you can remove the debris as you’re working. This will make your efforts go much smoother,as well as being, clean and efficient.
Remember to account for debris. When you are planning a large home improvement project ” especially one involving demolition ” it is easy to forget about the large amount of debris that is generated. All of that garbage and old material will have to go somewhere, and most people would rather not have it piled up around their home. Consider a large tarp in the backyard to protect the lawn, or rent a dumpster to have hauled away on a designated date.
Clean Up
Painting is a perennial task. Water-based latex paints make for the easiest clean-up. You only need soap and water. But sometimes oil paint is best for a job. It is longer lasting. When cleaning up from oil paint, use cooking oil on your brushes to dissolve the paint. Then you can use soap and water.
Replacing the light switch covers in your home is an easy and quick way to brighten up a room. For about $20, you can replace all of the switch covers in an average-sized home with nice clean white ones. They will match just about any decor style. Since most people look for a switch when they enter a room, a clean switchplate appears to clean up the whole room.
If you have a lot of cords hanging out of your entertainment stands then you know what a pain and unsightly view cords can be. You can easily clean up your mess by using Velcro tape, which is widely available, at most stores for about $5. Roll up the unused portions of your cord and hold them together with the Velcro tape for a clean and tidy look.
Trash
Protect yourself when you change the blades in your utility knife. While changing the blade, wrap tape around the old blade before tossing it in the trash. By doing this, the sharp edges of the blade will be covered. When taking out the trash, or packing down the trash, the sharp edges will not be able to hurt anyone with the tape wrapped around them.
Use a flexible container to mix up just enough dry plaster of Paris for your intended use. When you are finished with the job all you have to do is allow the remainder of the plaster to harden, turn the container upside down over a trash can, and flex the sides. The plaster will cleanly separate from the container and you can put the container away to use on the next job.
When painting your walls, always make sure to properly spread tarps or newspaper over your flooring. You can even go as far as cutting open trash bags and laying them on the floor. Painting is messy and hard/impossible to remove from carpeting and wooden flooring. Take safety measures before you start painting so you don’t have to worry about the after effects.
After reading these tips, you are one step closer to finally making those repairs or upgrades. What’s the next step, you ask? Well, proper implementation of the above tips and tactics is how you want to proceed. No shortcuts here; apply exactly what you’ve learned for the best results.