Home Beautification and Home Renovation

[sweetdaddy]

this past weekend i began my first attempt at laying hardwood floors. my bro and I are doing alright... lots of beer helps with the monotony.

i've learned allot about home renovations, repairs, and so forth in the last 2 years... and Im moving into a new place april 1st, so i cant wait to start using the tricks i've learned (as well as make up new ones) there.

besides my bed, I am taking no furniture with me, So i get to pick and chose every aspect of the apartment. I refuse to buy anything from IKEA or the like... im going totally garage sale/antique stores/flea markets/ etc... and repairing and restoring things as i feel fit. Moving in April 1st is great too, because there is nothing but summer ahead to open the windows, crack the beers, and enjoi the work.

yay!

 

[Dirty Girl]

^ watch out for bed bugs.:O

he's a friend of the family...he is definitely a decent guy

*gasp**swoon* I hate you!

 

[MoFo]

Great deals at the Home Show this year.
40% off bathroom stuff.

And that cube house was so ugly. It was completely decorated with Urban Barn stuff but not well. I wish it was a mix of things with prices.

Not enough decor stuff at all. There are only so many windows I could look at.

 

[kuba]

how possible is it to buy this

gut it completely and replace the amp/receiver and record player with something new, along with the speakers?

or not worth the hassle?

 

[kyfe]

how possible is it to buy this

gut it completely and replace the amp/receiver and record player with something new, along with the speakers?

or not worth the hassle?

I caught one ayt the curb the other week butr it was a 70's version. My parents used to have one and I've always wanted to do exactly what you suggested. pricewise it wouldn't take much but i have no idea how much customizing would need to be done

 

[Eclectic]

The only problem I can see with your plan kuba, is finding devices that share the dimensions of what you will be pulling out.

Other than that, shouldn't be hard at all.

 

[kuba]

I had a unit very similar to this one - in worse shape. I pulled out the old amp and speakers and replaced with newer ones. The speakers are easy because they're behind that netting. The current amp and turntable might be more difficult because it's so open. Either way I'll see what this old claptrap wants for her old-ass stereo and go get it if the price is gooood.

 

[She]

Our new tile backplash has now been wiped down 4 times and the haze is still there. I will try some vinegar and water on it tonight and see if that works. Does it make a difference that it’s now sat there for a week with a haze on it? Any other suggestions? Grrrrrrrr….so frustrating!

 

[Eclectic]

Just keep wiping....took me about 8-10 wipe downs until I was happy with the look of the tile.

Just make sure your sponge is completely wrung out when you wipe or you could take a bit of the grout out (and that's bad).

 

[Re: Shoe]

Our new tile backplash has now been wiped down 4 times and the haze is still there. I will try some vinegar and water on it tonight and see if that works. Does it make a difference that it’s now sat there for a week with a haze on it? Any other suggestions? Grrrrrrrr….so frustrating!

John Bridge's Ceramic Tile Advice Forums will have all the answers - just search.

Yes, the fact that it's been a week will make a big difference, since the grout is half cured by now. An acidic solution will help, but depending on the type of tile/stone you have to be careful about the acid eating away at the tile.

 

[kyfe]

Our new tile backplash has now been wiped down 4 times and the haze is still there. I will try some vinegar and water on it tonight and see if that works. Does it make a difference that it’s now sat there for a week with a haze on it? Any other suggestions? Grrrrrrrr….so frustrating!

Dilluted TSP (tri sodium phosphate)

 

[Lil'Timmy]

So I painted my room, but I used Paint tape to cover corners, outlets etc etc. I was told to hold off on removing the tape, well that was a mistake because now there's peeling of paint!! Is there a special way to remove the tape with it fuckin up the paint?

 

[Eclectic]

You can take a razor blade or exacto knife and just use it to cut away at the edges sticking to the tape.

Who told you to wait on removing the tape?

As soon as you're done painting you should remove it to avoid this.

(But you know that now)

 

[Eclectic]

My future father-in-law is a machine!

He just built us a new bathroom mirror using the leftover tile from our kitchen backsplash.

It's huge!

Hope this link works.

 

[MoFo]

So I painted my room, but I used Paint tape to cover corners, outlets etc etc. I was told to hold off on removing the tape, well that was a mistake because now there's peeling of paint!! Is there a special way to remove the tape with it fuckin up the paint?

You can wait. It's not a big deal to wait as it makes your line settle. Waiting a half day should suffice. I've waited a whole day and it was fine. You just have to use the right method of ripping.

Use an Exact-i knife or boxcutter to pick the corner out. Rip your tape at a 90 degree angle or more ONLY from the line of the tape. And let the tape rip too. Don't try to pull the entire piece off if it starts to rip. Just let it rip and pick at it again with the knife.

And also, use a foam brush to touch up spots.

Did you use primer?

 

[MoFo]

Also, if you covered the outlets, there shouldn't be an issue as you can't see it that part of the wall anyway. UNLESS you just covered the actual outlet covers with tape instead of unscrewing those off first.

 

[kyfe]

Tim, the exacto knife is the key moving fwd.

next time, remove the tape once you've painted the entire room and start removing from the area you first painted.

Latex paint takes about 1 hour to dry and 30 days or so to cure. the more dry the paint becomes the more difficult it will be to remove without incident.

I've always incorporated this step in phase one of the cleanup

 

[MoFo]

That's a very good tip to start where you started when you finished.

 

[MoFo]

Another thing, I don't like doing one piece of tape for a whole side of a wall. I do it in segments so that I can avoid mistakes and also, it's really difficult to get tape to be completely straight.

It can also deter pockets and raised sections as those tend to dry and promote paint ripping due to weird leaks beneath the tape.

So removing is constant picking with my knife and ripping at a 90 degree angle. If it's on the wall, I pull down. If it's on the ceiling, I pull sideways.

 

[artemis]

My future father-in-law is a machine!

He just built us a new bathroom mirror using the leftover tile from our kitchen backsplash.

It's huge!

Hope this link works.

Well done - this looks great!

 

[kuba]

I can't stress enough about how excited I am to finally visit the Domison and Periphere stores in Montreal. Domison. They have got some amazing stuff there, and I'm asking them all the time for a Toronto distributor. This stuff belongs in Kiosk, but the pricing is well below.

Favorites include the bloom sofa, lolipop table, and everything from periphere.

Anybody ever been/seen /bought their stuff?

 

[g0nz0]

Another thing, I don't like doing one piece of tape for a whole side of a wall. I do it in segments so that I can avoid mistakes and also, it's really difficult to get tape to be completely straight.

laser level yo! perfectly straight lines, and taper removal is one swoop.

 

[Fillmore]

So my discs are herniated and possibly being operated on. I need to find a nice, stylish ergonomic chair to replace an existing poang.

I am not talking office or desk chair. Something to go into the living room so is comfortable to watch a movie in but wont make my back worse.

Thought? photos? stores?

 

[kuba]

Eames chair, end of story. Expensive yes, timeliness yes. Available at planb on davenport, or thru craigslist for used versions. Get a vintage, it'll go up in value if in good shape. Watch for cracks in the wood, and for the springaction to be in good shape. Otherwise all parts available. Design Within Reach also has re-issues.

and how can you go wrong with a chair that can hold a pug?

 

[MoFo]

I would assume that for the same amount of money, you could probably get a regular chair and add an ergonomic old man back support system. Hell, you could buy buy 5 chairs.