26
votes
Is my wooden deck salvageable? Repair tips and Stain vs Paint questions
It appears to be somewhat weathered, but overall solid.
You can do as much or as little as you like to it, from there. It's a deck, not a living room floor. If it's not structurally compromised (and ...
- 192k
16
votes
Accepted
Re-do paint over plaster in bathroom: How to feather/match?
Here's how you get paint to stick to things.
Scuff-sand.
Paint cannot bond to a shiny surface; don't take my word on it, try to paint a mirror and see what happens.
Paint wants to see a surface ...
16
votes
Is my wooden deck salvageable? Repair tips and Stain vs Paint questions
I've worked on many decks that look just like that. Get a pressure cleaner/washer and go over the entire deck. You'll be surprised at how that cleans up the deck. Don't use a 4500 PSI (31 MPa) washer, ...
- 76.9k
13
votes
Accepted
What preparations can I do before I paint the ceiling of my bathroom?
Any home improvement centre sells two essential things for this: painter's tape and plastic sheeting. Buy a thin plastic for the walls, and thicker one for the floor (or, better yet, use drop cloth ...
- 1,183
11
votes
Accepted
Should painted stair treads be stripped before repainting?
You don't need to strip to bare wood for painting. You do need to sand well enough that old paint lines are gone. They will make an appearance in your fresh coat, otherwise. This will likely expose ...
- 126k
8
votes
Re-do paint over plaster in bathroom: How to feather/match?
I have fixed paint similar to this in my current house. There were large areas where I could peel it off back to the plaster by hand or with a scraper.
Your builder's first coat has failed to adhere ...
- 593
7
votes
Accepted
Is it necessary to strip all of the previous paint before repainting my indoor metal spiral staircase?
If the paint on it is well-bonded and not flaking off or rusty (but it's inside, so rusty is less of a problem, presumably) then simply scuffing to the point where the new paint can bond should be ...
- 192k
5
votes
How to fix cracks where wall meets ceiling? Flex Spackle? Caulk? Tape and Compound? Wall Paint Prep
Usual method is just to caulk the joint.
No real precision required as you'll stop looking at it six weeks after you did it.
Acrylic caulk, wiped in with a finger or just applied carefully from a gun. ...
- 9,286
3
votes
Accepted
How enthusiastically should I strip a flaking deck before staining?
Based on what I've seen in the pictures I'd say you have two option: 1) get a sander and sand the entire deck or 2) get two gallons of stain remover and spray in on the entire deck and scrape it all ...
- 76.9k
3
votes
How smooth does the floor need to be to lay vinyl plank over it?
You can download the DIY installation instructions here, which contain a lot of guidance on the subfloor requirements, as well as instructions. They say concrete is a suitable subfloor, although they ...
- 5,998
3
votes
Accepted
Am I removing too much paint from exterior when scraping?
This is a subjective question, but ideally any paint that's not well-bonded should be removed. Eventually it'll flake off as well.
That said, there's always a balancing act to be done. You'll have ...
- 126k
3
votes
How do I prepare an already painted wall for new paint?
TSP and a sponge mop. Wash the walls once with a TSP solution, then again with clean water to remove any soapy residue. This stuff really works, so that means if you've sensitive skin, wear those big ...
- 13.3k
3
votes
How to fix cracks where wall meets ceiling? Flex Spackle? Caulk? Tape and Compound? Wall Paint Prep
What I usually do is get some joint compound, mud, and just apply it with my finger running it along the seam. It spreads out evenly and blends in with the ceiling and wall. It's fast, easy and really ...
- 76.9k
3
votes
How to fix cracks where wall meets ceiling? Flex Spackle? Caulk? Tape and Compound? Wall Paint Prep
I have found if using either acrylic caulk or joint compound or just spackling paste, ( all will work equally well) the wiping is the key.
Using the big tile sponges, such as these is key.
Wet, ring ...
- 22.2k
3
votes
How to fix cracks where wall meets ceiling? Flex Spackle? Caulk? Tape and Compound? Wall Paint Prep
Another solution, if course, is to cover that joint with trim -- painted or stained -- so it looks more deliberate.
For example, in this photo we are looking at the junction over my stairwell; a fancy ...
- 25.8k
2
votes
How should I flatten (not level) a concrete subfloor?
Cut slots in the concrete close together with an angle grinder and diamond blade, knock off the little ridges you have just created, and then either flatten with a cup grinder or level up with ...
- 21
2
votes
How do I prepare an already painted wall for new paint?
Ok. What I've found when transitioning from one wall color to another is not tinting the primer to the top coat but rather tinting the primer to neutral gray. I've done it both ways and, for some ...
- 21
2
votes
What can I mix with paint to avoid mold?
Depending on the paint you bought, you may be able to add lime which is a mold inhibitor due to its pH.
If you can still return the paint, making your own milk paint (aka casein paint) at home is an ...
- 411
2
votes
Accepted
What are important things to do when moving into a new home?
check your home warranty clauses so you are intimately familiar with them
ask your neighbors (assuming you have some, and after you give them a bottle of wine as a welcome) if they have had any flood /...
- 34.5k
2
votes
Accepted
Necessity/value of using cardboard or weed barrier under gravel shed foundation?
If you don't choose to use geotextile, you may (depending on soil conditions) find that over time your gravel migrates into the ground, and the fine soils of the ground migrate up through your gravel ...
- 192k
2
votes
Accepted
Liquid Sandpaper Sprayer
"Liquid Sand Paper" is a diluted form of the solvent used in gloss paints in the first place, Diethylene glycol monobutyl ether (DEG monobutyl ether). It also contains fine grains of silica (quartz) ...
- 14.8k
2
votes
What preparations can I do before I paint the ceiling of my bathroom?
To expand a little on haimg's answer.
Cover the floor first, even extending the covering up the walls a little to catch spills. Then cover the walls.
The most important step, is prepping the surface ...
- 21
2
votes
How to fix cracks where wall meets ceiling? Flex Spackle? Caulk? Tape and Compound? Wall Paint Prep
Until we agree what makes the cracks, then we can apply proper fixing method.
Just filling the crack with anything will not stop the crack from appearing again.
There will be always shear/flexing ...
- 16.3k
2
votes
Fill slotted head screws before painting?
Painters Putty is commonly used to cover nail and screw holes.
Remember in most cases of construction the end product is intended to be in place for many years. The need to find and remove fasteners ...
- 22.2k
2
votes
Is my wooden deck salvageable? Repair tips and Stain vs Paint questions
As a variant opinion, go underneath and look for deterioration in the structure supporting the decking. If that's showing significant issues (i.e. edges rotting off) then expect to replace the whole ...
1
vote
How to prepare the ground before laying concrete
You definitely shouldn't pour concrete over mud. Also, I guess your local can get quite cold during the winter, thus you need to dig the soil, at least, down to the frost depth to avoid differential ...
- 3,362
1
vote
Repairing siding, old nails
I would certainly think a palm nailer should work. A hammer should also work.
Is it possible that the nails were originally nailed flush but they have released and moved outward? If that is the case, ...
- 20.8k
1
vote
Preparation and spraying cedar channel siding
If the channel of the siding has already been painted, and the paint seems to be adhering well, then you might be able to get away with just spraying over it after a good power wash. It has been my ...
- 672
1
vote
Re-staining with a lighter stain
Try applying a household bleach full strength in a small area you've sanded. Chlorine bleach will remove dye without harming the wood, but it won't remove pigments. It looks like you've sanded away ...
- 3,430
1
vote
What are the differences among "TSP" cleaners?
TSP stands for tri sodium phosphate . Anything not containing a lot of phosphate is not TSP ,so it can be anything. I would guess some kind of detergent. Detergents formerly contained significant ...
- 8,273
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