Is
there a hole in the drywall where your bedroom
door swung open too fast? Does the living room
paint job look like your little Michelangelo
practiced a few new brush strokes? Have you
had to call the city department of public
works to fix the potholes in your driveway?
Homeowners are
constantly repairing minor blemishes in and
around their homes, but many people do not
know how to properly fix these minor problems.
In fact, some basic research and preparation
can make the hardest home projects seem
simple.
If after reading the
following articles, you'd like Rod's Home
Improvement to take care of these small
minor repairs,
email or call us at 208-936-5778 or
208-919-1799
Patching a hole in
the drywall
Tools you'll need: pencil, 12-inch straight
edge, 4-inch putty knife, utility knife,
sandpaper, small bucket of drywall mud, piece
of drywall (at least six inches larger than
the hole), paint.
First - measure the diameter of your hole to
be repaired. From your extra piece of drywall,
cut a square, four inches larger than the
hole. Place the square face down on a table
and draw a line two inches from the edge on
all four sides. Score the drawn lines with
your razor blade and break-off the excess
drywall, leaving the front paper in tact.
Place the drywall patch over the hole in the
wall and use your pencil to outline the square
on the wall. Cut the traced square from the
wall. Apply a light coat of drywall mud around
the edges of the newly cut square hole and
place the patch into the wall. Squeeze out
excess drywall mud with your putty knife and
let dry overnight. Re-putty the patched area,
again allowing the mud to dry overnight. Sand
away excess mud and smooth out the wall. Paint
the area and you're done.
TIPS: use this repair method on holes two to
12 inches in diameter.
Degree of difficulty: Easy.
Painting a room
Tools you'll need: sandpaper (120 and 220
grit), screwdriver, paint roller, paint pan,
extension pole, stir sticks, 1 ½-inch masking
tape, painter's tape (blue), caulking gun
(with painter's caulk), spackle compound, dust
mask, hammer and nail set, varnish or stain,
paint brushes (2 ½ flat and 1 ½ angle
brush), putty knife, utility knife, disposable
paint tarp.
First - wipe down any surfaces that will be
painted with household cleaners. Use the
hammer and nail set to secure any protruding
nails or screws in the walls and trim. Lay
down your disposable tarp and cover any
furniture. Sand each surface that will be
painted including trim, molding and doors. Use
120-grit sandpaper for this part of the
project. Dust all surfaces and wipe with a
damp cloth. Apply one coat of stain-killing
primer to all surfaces that will be painted.
Let dry. Seal any wood surface with a varnish
or stain. Apply painter's caulk to molding and
trim, scraping off any excess with a knife.
Let dry. Cover all trim and woodwork with
painter's tape. First, paint the ceiling, and
then move on to the walls. Paint around trim
and molding first, and then paint the large
surfaces. Move from the top, down on each
wall. Imagine a four-foot by four-foot surface
when applying the paint.
TIPS: do not use "elbow-grease" when
sanding. Use a block of wood and press
lightly. If you drip paint on a window, do not
wipe it off immediately. Wait for the paint to
dry and scrape it off with a razor blade.
After your first coat of paint is dry, hold a
flashlight against the wall and spread the
light beam across the wall. This will
"show" you where paint touch-ups are
needed. Use the 220-grit sandpaper to smooth
any drips or rough spots before the final coat
of paint.
Degree of difficulty: Hard.
Sealing a crack in
cement
Tools you'll need: soft paint brush, caulking
gun (with silicon caulk), bucket of sand
(dry), backer rod. First - push the backer rod into the cracked
portion of the cement. Fill the backer rod and
leave ¾ of an inch to the surface of the
cement. With the remaining ¾-inch, fill in
the crack with silicon caulk, only caulking
six-foot increments. Spread the sand over the
caulk and let dry. Wipe off excess sand (the
sand dries in the caulk and looks like cement
when dry). That's it.
TIPS: use this repair method for cracks
½-inch wide or less. Do not use quick-dry
cement or other sealers to repair cracks in
cement. Using backer rod and silicon caulk
allow for a waterproof seal, which is the only
way to properly fix cracked cement.
Degree of difficulty: Easy.
Remember, if you want assistance with any of
these tasks - just contact us
208-936-5778 or 208-919-1799 |