Do it yourself

The Best Cheap Garage Flooring Choices

Filed Under: Buying

You can have cheap garage flooring without sacrificing quality, as long as you are aware of your choices and know where to cut costs without sacrificing quality. Choosing high quality flooring for your garage means it will be able to withstand the tough wear and tear this kind of surface usually suffers, but there are affordable garage flooring options that promise a good balance between toughness and price.

Paint

There is nothing cheaper than just painting your garage concrete floors with concrete paint, and repainting as necessary when the wear and tear shows too much for your tastes. Paint is only suitable if your floor is in good condition, and it’s more of an aesthetic improvement that won’t protect the underlying concrete or repair damage to it.

Rubber Garage Flooring

Rubber is the least expensive garage flooring option, but it’s also the less versatile. It is perfect if you intend to use your garage as a workshop, storage facility or even a home gym, but it’s too susceptible to petroleum based products (oils and grease) and heat, and can melt if you park a car hot from the outside. Not pretty! It is softer than a concrete floor and has good insulating and sound buggering qualities, so it’s the perfect flooring for a kid’s playing ground.

PVC Roll-Out Flooring

PVC or mat flooring is slightly more expensive than rubber, but it makes a notable difference in terms of durability and resistance. It is also extremely easy to install without professional help, which makes it one of the best cheap garage flooring choices provided you aren’t too bothered about the looks. To install PVC garage flooring you don’t even need adhesive, and you can pick up the mats and hose them outside if they get really dirty. They also come in a variety of colours and patterns, which means you can achieve a bit of a designer look. But admittedly, it looks very much like you just covered your garage floor with overlapping PVC mats, and not particularly pretty.

PVC Garage Floor Tile

PVC or high quality vinyl flooring tile is easier to install than epoxy, while giving a more aesthetically pleasing result than Roll-out flooring. Interlocking tiles create a seamless look, and can be installed by anybody with a minimum ability at DIY, time and the right cutting tools. They come in a variety of colours and patterns that you can combine, so it’s perfect if you intend to use the garage as a workshop or care about how the flooring looks like. Cheap garage PVC tiles mar and dent relatively easy, but there are also self-correcting versions that will recover their shape after a few days.

Epoxy

Installing an epoxy flooring on your garage is not a task for the inexperienced and it’s not cheap, but it looks great and protects the floor underneath, as well as lasting ages impervious to wear and tear, stains, grease and chemicals that will inevitable fall on it if you like tinkering with your car on your garage. You should look for high quality epoxy, and be prepared to spend time installing it adequately. For example, the floor needs to be perfectly clean before installing, and that may require using substances and tools that require more than a passing familiarity with DIY. But the result is absolutely worth it, and if you are looking to increase the value of your home this is the best option.

Five Home Decorating Tips

Filed Under: Design

They say a change is as good as a holiday. While changing your home does not make you feel like you are lying on a beach sipping Pina Colcada’s, the change will keep your home looking fresh and exciting. Here are five home decorating tips:

Number One – Lights Fittings and Bulbs

One of the easiest ways to change the look and feel of a room is by adding a new light fixture. Change both the ceiling light fixture and your table lamps to give your room a new look. Be sure that the ceiling and table fittings match each other and compliment the style of the room. Remember when changing the light fitting, and bulb, to turn the electricity off at the switch board.

Number Two – Add Cushions

Another simple way to give your home a facelift is by adding new cushions to beds, benches, couches and armchairs. Ensure that the cushions compliment the room and the colour of the chair. For example: ensure that only one of the three – room wall, chair and cushion- is brightly coloured, as too many colours compete and end up leaving the room looking uninviting and unattractive.

Number Three – Change the Curtains

Buying new curtains or simply swapping curtains from different rooms is an easy way to give the room a new look. Ensure that the curtains match the room style and design. Furthermore, change the curtain railing, rings and brackets will make the curtains appear new and crisp up the look of the room.

Number Four – Give the Room a Fresh Coat of Paint

Give the room a fresh coat of paint, this will keep the walls looking new, add a fresh layer of protection and hide the marks that have appeared over the years. When painting the inside of your home, remember to choose a colour that matches the furniture, flooring and outside colour of the home. The three best colours to paint the inside of your home are: light pink, baby blue or cream.

Number Five – Paintings and Art Work

One of the best and most cost-effective ways to decorate your home is to move the existing items around in your home. Move paintings and artwork into different rooms and watch the room transform. Other items that you can move around in the home are: clocks, glassware, candle sticks and cabinets.

Giving your home a face-lift is easier to do that you think. Use these five tips to give your home a new and fresh look and feel. Remember to change your home every 3-6 months to ensure that you never get bored again.

I am Greg Jones: a gym lover, sports nut and DIY guy. I recently decided to give my home a facelift and these are five of the decorating tips I decided to try. My wife and I bought new homeware items to go with the painting and I feel as if we are living in a completely new home. Make the change and get excited to be at home.

5 Ways To Improve A Room On A Budget

Filed Under: Design

If you’re happier when you’re out of the house than when you’re in it, then don’t despair. Brightening up your home can be fun – and if you have a small budget, remember that making some small changes needn’t cost much at all. You may not be able to completely redecorate and invest in new furniture, but a little creativity and imagination can go a long way to improving any room.

Read on to find out how.

Clear that Clutter

Before you get started, have a good look around at what can be updated and what needs to be thrown away. Surveying a room with a critical eye will reveal what you are fed up with, and what can be made new again.

Update your Sofa

As one of the main features of a sitting room, a tired and worn out sofa can let the room down badly; even more so than a man lying around watching football. A really simple way to solve this is by updating it with a throw. If you want something more permanent, you might want to consider reupholstering it, or investing in new covers. This is far cheaper than buying a new one – and if you’re good at sewing you might even be able to make the covers yourself.

Decoration

A lick of paint can make a world of difference. If you have low ceilings, paint them a light colour in contrast to the walls to add height, or vice versa to make the room appear more intimate. You could also wallpaper a single wall which will interest and focus.

Accessorise

There are so many beautiful objects to be found that will make a room sing. Scour second hand shops and online auctions for things that will brighten up your home. An artfully placed beautiful vase of flowers on a table, a pretty rug, jolly cushions, a painting or a pouffe, will enhance your room and give it character. Don’t be afraid of choosing what you like, just make sure that what you buy complements the theme of your room.

Lighting

Clever lighting is essential for creating mood and atmosphere at night, while during the day, the addition of mirrors will increase natural light if placed opposite a window. Lighting can really spark your imagination – design beautiful lampshades by sewing beads onto plain ones, or create table lamps using upturned vases. Ideally, a soft glow using various types of lighting is far easier on the eye than a central ceiling light.

Flooring

Design magazines will tell you that a neutral carpet in a light colour will make the most of your space. But they have obviously never lived with children and pets. Instead, invest in rugs to cover over a boring carpet. A textured pattern won’t give away the fact that you haven’t vacuumed, and a vibrant colour will instantly uplift a room and add an immediate focus. If you are lucky enough to have old floorboards, these can be far more practical and beautiful than any carpet. And if they’re not in a good state, painting them will cover any flaws.

Rob Rudd is a professional journalist who dabbles in DIY in his spare time.

Installing Vinyl Over Vinyl Sheets

Filed Under: DIY Installation

Vinyl tiles are an easy and affordable way of giving a room a totally new look. They are easier to install than vinyl sheets, and if you are not very experienced at DIY they are definitely the best option. But if you already have a vinyl floor, a common concern is whether installing vinyl over vinyl sheets is possible. In most cases, installing over sheet vinyl is possible, but you will need to prepare the floor correctly.

Is The Old Floor Lifting Up?

First of all you will need to check out the conservation status of your existing vinyl flooring. The most important thing to look at is whether it’s perfectly bonded to the subfloor. Old vinyl flooring in need of maintenance often shows signs of lifting from the subfloor, and will need some vinyl flooring repair in order to install vinyl tiles on top. Use vinyl flooring glue and wait a few days to see if the old vinyl flooring lifts again. If it does, removing vinyl floor with a knife may be easier than installing over vinyl flooring that is in such bad shape.

Are There Marks Or Deep Scratches?

If the existing vinyl flooring has cuts, holes or deep scratches, those imperfections will make installing vinyl over vinyl difficult and will need to be fixed before continuing. If there is a lot of damage you may be better off removing the old floor and preparing the subfloor for laying vinyl floor directly on top of it. If the imperfections are minor, you can fix them using a self-levelling embossing solution to fill the holes, and make sure the entire floor is perfectly flat.

Installing Vinyl Tile Over Existing Vinyl Floor

In order to install your new vinyl luxury tile you will need the floor to be perfectly clean and flat. Start with using a good floor cleaning liquid, but avoid those that have wax or give a glossy finish. Use a clean mop, and change the water as soon as it gets dirty. You need a really spotless surface for the self adhesive vinyl tiles to stick properly. Dry the floor using towels, and make sure there is no soap residue at all. Leave the floor to dry (and make sure you don’t step on it with dirty feet) and apply a coat of vinyl primer on the vinyl sheeting to improve the adhesive effects. Once the primer is dry it’s time to lay your new vinyl flooring on top of the old one.

If you are using vinyl tile squares it’s better to start in the middle of the room and move outwards towards the walls, so if you need to cut any tile it’s only one that is close to the wall. Be careful when cutting vinyl flooring over existing vinyl, as you could make a hole that would need to be fixed before you can install the tiles. Depending on the size of the room, this work can take less than a day. Just make sure you are very careful and align each tile perfectly with the ones next to it so the effect is of a professional vinyl tile installation over your old vinyl sheet flooring.

How To Install Vinyl Floors

Filed Under: DIY Installation

Vinyl flooring comes in many different formats, suitable for installation by people with different levels of DIY expertise. Peel and stick vinyl tile squares are probably the easiest and most affordable way of laying vinyl floor. You can buy them in almost any colour or pattern at almost any home improvement store or over the Internet, and the prices for vinyl flooring start at less than $2 per square foot. To install vinyl floor tiles you will only need some easy to obtain tools and patience.

Things You Will Need

Self Adhesive Vinyl Tiles

Utility Knife

A Yardstick or other straight edge

A kitchen rolling pin or a tile roller

Measuring tape

Chalk line

It is recommended that you buy about 20% more tiles than you calculate you will need, to cover for any error or miscalculation. Spare tiles can also be used later on in case a tile is damaged and requires a replacement, as some styles may go out of stock or be discontinued.

Preparing the Surface Before Laying Vinyl Floor

You can install vinyl flooring tiles on almost any surface, except for carpet, but said surface needs to be totally dry, clean and flat. If you are installing on concrete you will need to repair all cracks or uneven areas, using a self-leveling compound. If you are replacing old vinyl tiles you will need to remove them and then use a scrapper to remove any stubborn vinyl floor adhesive. A wood sander can be used to make wood surfaces suitable for the installation of vinyl tiles.

If you are installing vinyl tile on a bathroom, make sure to remove the toilet first and set it aside so you can reinstall it after you are done. Clean the floor thoroughly before you start installing, vacuuming out any dust or debris to ensure your new vinyl tiles stick perfectly to the substrate.

How To Install Vinyl Flooring Tiles

Once the floor is perfectly clean, dry and even it’s time to start installing your new flooring. While most people wondering “How do I lay vinyl flooring” may be tempted to start from a wall, it is far better to start from the centre of the room.

Make two straight lines using the chalk across the centre of the room. The point where they cross is the middle of the room, and the place where you will start laying the vinyl floor. Your first vinyl tile should be when those two lines meet.

Peel off the backing of the tile, align it exactly where you want it and press firmly. Continue laying down tiles, making sure you line them up very carefully with either the chalk line or the previous tiles so the edges are straight. Use the rolling pin or tile roller to make sure the tiles are perfectly glued to the floor.

Once you reach a wall, you will probably need to cut a tile so it fits snuggly. You can use the utility knife to do so, just make sure you cut the tile against a wood surface so you don’t accidentally etch your newly installed floor.

To cut vinyl tiles straight you can use the yardstick and the utility knife to score deeply on the paper side, then fold forward on the non-sticky side for a perfect and clean cut.

Installing Non Adhesive Vinyl Square Tiles

If you have chosen vinyl tiles that aren’t self-adhesive, you will need to use vinyl floor adhesive suitable for the surface you are installing the tiles over, but otherwise the process is very similar if a bit more messy. Check out this video for a demo: