Category: Furnishings

Lacquer is a coating that protects metal from scratches and rust. Hardware, for example brass handles and knobs, is often coated with lacquer. Before doing any kind of metal antiquing, you will need to work to eliminate the lacquer so you can access it. You can use a solvent and buffing instrument to remove the lacquer and restore its glow.

Soak a clean cloth in lacquer thinner.

Rub the cloth over the metal until the lacquer thinner is still gone. Based on how thick the layer of lacquer thinner is, you may have to resoak the cloth to work off all of the lacquer thinner.

Buff the metal sterile using a handheld rotary tool fitted with a felt polishing cone felt polishing wheel accessory to attain a lustrous finish on the metal.

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As a raw material for cabinets and furniture, plywood has a lot going for it. It’s constructed in layers, that makes it resistant to warping, and it comes in 4-by-8-foot sheets, letting you make broad tabletops and cabinet faces without having to laminate boards. Since plywood has a veneered surface, it is harmful to oversand this, and you must do something about the advantages. Apart from that, it is as easy to finish as wood.

Edging Tips

Whether you are using plywood having a center made of fiberboard or softwood, the layers are visible to the borders. A frequent strategy is to cut strips from timber which matches the plywood facing and glue or nail them. An even simpler approach is to cover them with vinyl or metal beading. Should you choose to prevent the excess function that installing beading entails, however, you can round the edges with sandpaper. You’ll likely find voids — small gaps in the plywood layers — which need filling, and when there are a huge number, the filler may may be apparent. In cases like this, try painting the borders after sanding and filling using a color that blends with the face veneer.

Sanding

When sanding plywood, it is important to treat the surface as the veneered layer it is and prevent bearing down with a orbital sander, or you may mud straight through it. This is especially easy to do when sanding borders. Use the machine to smooth the grain, then quit using it and complete the sanding by hand, going with the grain using 120- or even 150-grit sandpaper. This is also the best method to remove the swirl marks left by the orbital sander, which may only appear when you apply the finish. To avoid surprises, then check for them with a rag dampened with mineral spirits before you stain and complete.

Overcoming the Blotches

Plywood comes with a variety of wood facings, and a number of them have a grain which accepts stain unevenly — a few examples are birch, fir and pine. You should treat those with wood conditioner before applying a pigment-based stain. The conditioner is similar to a very dilute end — it soaks to the seals and grain it so the stain spreads out evenly without blotching. An alternative is to use a thin coat of shellac. Shellac is a surface layer, and it wo not penetrate deeply enough to cause blotching or other hurdles.

Painting and Finishing

Just as you should precede a crystal clear finish using a sealer, you need to prime plywood before painting it. If your job involves knotty plywood, use a solvent-based, stain-blocking primer to stop tannins in the knots from bleeding through the paint. Water-based primers and sealers raise the grain of the surface layer, and that’s easy to knock down by using a light hand sanding, using 220- or even 300-grit sandpaper. You’ll probably need two or more coats of paint or complete, and you’ll get the smoothest surface by sanding every coat lightly after it dries and before you apply the next one.

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Brushed nickel fixtures have a multi layer, giving them the charm of antique fixtures but the functionality of fresh ones. Manufacturers dull the shiny metal surface by sanding, creating etch marks that provide the fixtures a jewelry finish. Even though you can clean brushed nickel fixtures exactly the exact same way as any other metal fixtures, they require regular polishing to brighten and guard the pectoral layer. Keep them looking their very best with daily cleaning and monthly waxing.

Wipe fixtures clean using a soft, damp rag or chamois cloth daily.

Spray a cotton swab using glass cleaner or hard-surface cleaner to clean hard-to-reach areas, such as where the faucet and sink match.

Dry the fixtures using a soft rag or chamois cloth. Rub quickly back and forth to buff the nickel to a shine.

Spread a coat of paste wax, such as car wax, on dry fixtures every four weeks. Use a soft, dry cloth and polish in a circular motion.

Buff the waxed surface aggressively with a soft rag or chamois cloth till you’ve removed all the glue as well as the fixtures shine.

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Although artificial grass, or artificial turf, does not need the trimming, fertilizing or watering needed by dwelling grass, it still requires some care to keep it looking fresh and presentable. Over time, debris and dust build up on its surface, dulling its colour and verdant appearance. Its seams and edges sometimes work their way loose. Persistent foot traffic and utilize compact the turf’s blades and dislodge the cushioning infill. Brushing, washing, washing re-anchoring and replacing the infill material improve artificial turf’s appearance and keeps it looking like new.

Remove debris such as fallen leaves, rocks and twigs periodically out of your artificial turf utilizing a push-broom. Sweep the broom across the turf while moving in parallel rows. Gather the debris at a neat pile close to the border of their turf. Use a dust pan or shovel to collect the debris, and take it into a compost pile or trash bin.

Spray the turf with water by a power washer or garden hose to wash off accumulated dust, pollen, dirt and dried liquids from accidental spills. Keep the power washer’s or lawn hose’s nozzle at least 1 foot above the turf to prevent damaging the turf. Pour a few drops of dish soap on stubborn stains that do not easily wash away with just water. Rub the dish soap back and forth over each stained area with a towel. Rinse each of the areas thoroughly with water.

Prevent stains from forming on the artificial turf by absorbing spills immediately as soon as they occur. Use a towel to wipe a permeable material from the turf’s surface. Wash that place with water to wash off residual material in the spill.

Brush against the synthetic turf’s grain using a rug rake or push-broom to lift and spread individual blades compacted from foot traffic and yard furniture. Change the direction in which you brush the turf, varying the angle while brushing against the grain, to make an appearance more like natural grass.

Examine the turf once per month for loose edges that pop up. Fold the edges down, and push them back into their corresponding spaces at the ground. Insert artificial turf pins via loose edges or seams to re-anchor the turf into the ground. Hit the top of the pins using a rubber mallet to drive them easily through the layers of turf and soil.

Implement new rubber infill or sand into the artificial turf as needed to boost its cushioning. Pour a 1/4- to 1/2-inch layer of infill or mud above the synthetic turf. Sweep the stuff downward, into the artificial grass blades, employing the push-broom. Repeat this procedure until the synthetic turf is complete and springy.

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Many remodel projects in homes using a concrete foundation and slab call for moving plumbing fixtures, like toilets, sinks and floor drains. Removing the current plumbing leaves holes in the floor that must be filled prior to installing new floors or painting a floor. The job isn’t complex, and with a few labor, concrete mixture and a few tools, you are able to fill the holes and fix the floor so that it mixes with the surrounding concrete slab.

Preparing the Hole

Wear safety glasses. Prepare the edges of the hole by undercutting them using a cold chisel and hammer. Tapering the lower part of the edges outward prevents the new concrete from growing.

Eliminate the chipping dust and brush the rough edges of the concrete using a wire brush. Vacuum the residual debris in the rough edges using a wet-dry vacuum.

Put in a mud base in the hole. Fill the hole to 3 inches under the surface of the slab with plaster mud. Tamp down the mud and moisten it with a modest quantity of water.

Installing the Concrete

Apply a generous number of concrete bonding liquid at the rough edges of the concrete hole using a utility paintbrush.

Add 2 quarts of water into a mixing tub. Insert a 40-pound bag of concrete mixture and mix the stack thoroughly using a scoop. Add water, as needed, so the mixture is medium consistency. Shovel as much concrete into the hole as needed so the wet concrete has a small mound at the very top.

Tamp down the surface of the wet concrete with a single edge of a random item of two-by-four to press on the gravel in the mixture beneath the surface. Work the bit of wood throughout the surface in a sawing motion, from one side of this hole to another, to remove any extra concrete. Shovel the excess into the mixing tub.

Permit the fresh concrete to heal enough to start completing with a steel trowel. Examine the concrete using the tip of a finger. It’s prepared to trowel when the indentation in the finger remains.

Trowel the surface of the concrete, using swirling strokes as opposed to straight strokes. Enable the concrete to cure for half an hour and complete it to your uniform surface, with swirl-strokes and pressure on the trowel.

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