Opaque tile floors can make a room feel dirty, even when you’ve just finished cleaning them. The tiles lose brightness for a variety of reasons, including damage to the shiny surface and dirt. The cleaning can leave a film, resulting in dull and faded tiles, which can be resolved with the correct cleaning method. Most tile floors are ceramic, although there are options in porcelain, stone and linoleum. All tile floors except linoleum, respond well to the same cleaning methods.

Instructions

1. Sweep the floors daily with a mop. Dirt particles left on the floor can scratch the tile, ruining the shine and giving them a permanent cloudy appearance.
2. If the tiles are opaque because of hard water or dirt buildup, mix 1/4 cup vinegar with 1 gallon (3.8 liters) of water. Clean the floors with a sponge mop and the vinegar solution.
3. Clean the floors with clean water. Wring the mop frequently and change the water if it gets dirty or cloudy. Mops with dirty water leave behind a thin film that reduces glare from the floor.
4. Mix one or two squirts of dishwashing detergent with 1 gallon (3.8 liters) of water if the floor is opaque, but not dirty. Clean the floors with this solution. Do it again with clean water to remove remaining detergent.

Tips & Warnings

• Commercial cleaners for tiles are also available. Use only cleaners formulated for the specific material of your floors.

Do not use vinegar on linoleum, since the acid product can damage the surface. Use detergent and water to restore the luster of this type of material

Many projects require the use of a ready mixed concrete. However, companies that manufacture this product often add unnecessary additives that are not friendly to the user or to the environment. If you want to make sure that the product you are using contains only pure ingredients, you can buy them separately in the store and do the mixing yourself.

Instructions

1. Place a bucket in a suitable area.
2. Determine the amount of mixture needed for your project. Convert this amount to units that are simple to work with, such as cups or gallons (which will measure with gallon buckets).
3. Multiply the required amount obtained in Step 2 by 0.15, or 15 percent. Add this amount of cement powder into your wheelbarrow or bucket.
4. Multiply the amount obtained in Step 2 by 0.14 or 14 percent. The result if the amount of gallons of water that needs to be added to the cement powder. Mix using a shovel.
5. Multiply the amount obtained in Step 2 by 0.28 or 28 percent. Add this amount of fine aggregate, such as clean sand, to the bucket or wheelbarrow and mix using a shovel.
6. Finally, multiply the amount obtained in Step 2 one last time by 0.37 or 37 percent. Add this amount of coarse aggregate, such as gravel to the bucket or wheelbarrow. Stir everything using the shovel.
7. Pick up some of the mixture with the shovel and fold it back into the mixture. Continue stirring the concrete using this movement for 10 to 15 minutes. This adds the amount of air required to the mix, in the same way a similar movement adds air to the cake batter.
8. Use your mix as you wish.

Whether you’re cutting a long, straight piece of drywall, or removing a piece to make room for an electrical outlet, make sure your measurements are correct and your hand is firm.

Instructions

Cutting holes in drywall

1. Measure the exposed area where your drywall begins to close and the far end of the light you’re accommodating. Measure from the top down and side to side.
2. Transfer your measurements to the sheet of drywall and cut with a jigsaw (jig).
3. Cut a circular hole with a drill in the center of the target area of the drywall. Measure the radius (from the center to the circumference, or outer edge, of the circle) of what’s to be installed and transfer this to a compass.
4. Draw a circle on the drywall, using the compass, and cut with a saw.

Cutting straight edges

1. Measure the exposed wall to determine what size area you need to cut. Make sure the measurements align with the center of a ceiling joist or wall stud.
2. Adjust the drywall on an easel, finished side up.
3. Mark measurements on the finished side of the drywall sheet.
4. Draw a chalk line between the upper and lower marks.
5. Cut or puncture with a knife along the chalk line (1/16 inch cut -0.16 cm- depth is sufficient). Once the paper has been cut, you get a pretty clean cut. You may want to use a plaster cardboard square (one large square size) as a guide.
6. Press the drywall back, away from your punctured line.
7. Fold the drywall slightly and cut the backing paper along the crease, with a knife. You will get a cleaner cut from the back instead of sticking your knife through the cut / break.

Tips & Warnings

If you start to measure the exposed wall on a corner, moving against the transverse wall, measure the beam that is closest to the length of your drywall (8 feet or 240 cm, drywall are easier to handle, but the sheets can be purchased in lengths up to 16 feet, or 480 cm).

Be sure to keep a sharp blade on your knife. This makes it easier and gives you a cleaner cut.

One of the greatest challenges in planning a kitchen renovation is choosing among the many products available for this type of project. However, free advice from designers and remodelers is available online and in home improvement stores to help reduce options and create functional, attractive and kitchens of any size.

NKBA

The National Kitchen and Bath Association, known as NKBA, has an “inspiration gallery” on its website. The gallery includes pictures of kitchen designs that won the association’s 2010 design competitions. Here you will find ideas of revitalizing small, medium and large kitchens. NKBA also has a section on its website that focuses on ecological remodeling and energy efficient kitchen products you might want to include in your renovation plan.

In-Store Displays

Check the model kitchens at local home improvement stores to help you get ideas on attractive combinations you might want to use. This also gives you the opportunity to ask salespeople about durability and maintenance. For example, you might be thinking of installing a granite countertop, however, you should consider if you want to deal with the maintenance of granite. This material is prone to stains if food or drinks are spilled and are not cleaned quickly.

Virtual Designing

Test several kitchen renovation ideas with virtual design tools online. “Virtual Room Designer” is available on the Lowe’s website, which allows you to create a kitchen design with various products and then view it from different angles. For more ideas, check out Lowe’s selection of tiles you can put in your virtual room as backsplashes for countertops.

Decorative Magazine Websites

Websites of decorating magazines, such as “Traditional Home,” often guide readers through the entire kitchen remodeling job. This is a way to get information on how to solve lighting, storage, or other problems you run into as you create your restoration plan. These sites also offer a list of the products used for renovations if you are interested in using any of them for your project.

Home Improvement TV Shows

Websites of home improvement shows will keep you up-to-date on kitchens trends and show you how to save money on a renovation. For example, the website “This Old House” provides step by step instructions on restoring kitchen cabinets. The instructions also include estimates of the cost and the amount of time it takes to complete a project.

For most drywall builders, installing it is the easiest part. In fact, many of them started as installers and worked until they could start their own companies. Because of this, many feel very comfortable doing this work. The discomfort comes when they have to estimate the cost of the work. With a proper systematic method, anyone can calculate this cost without undergoing much mental anguish.

Instructions

1. Measure the overall area where you will want to install the panels. Multiply the width by the height of each wall or ceiling section to determine the square footage and then add all the numbers.
2. Calculate the cost of the panels by dividing the square footage by 32 or 48, depending on whether the panels you’re using are 4 by 8 feet or 4 by 12 to determine the number of panels you need and multiply this number by the price of each one. Remember to include sales tax.
3. Multiply the number of panels that you need by 24, if you will be using the 4 by 8 feet, or 36, if you’re going to use 4 by 12 foot panels, to determine the linear feet of tape you’ll need. Divide this number by 250 or 500 (most common sized rolls) to determine the number of rolls you’ll need. Calculate the cost by multiplying the number of rolls by the price per roll.
4. Divide the square footage by 400 to determine the number of buckets of joint compound that will be required. Multiply the number of buckets by the individual price to determine the cost.
5. To determine the number of screws you need, divide the square footage by 300. The result is how many pounds of 1 ¼” screws you’ll need. Select a box of screws containing at least this weight and note the price.
6. Next measure out the amount of edger that is needed by adding the length of all outside corners. The edger comes in sections 8 feet and 10 feet, so multiply the number of sections you will require by the individual price to determine the cost.
7. Estimated the cost of getting the drywall installed by multiplying the price of installation per square foot by the square footage of drywall you need installed. In this you must include worker’s compensation insurance, if you’re going to pay. Contact your insurance company for instructions on how to calculate this compensation, as different states and different companies use different methods.
8. Also include any additional costs, such as debris removal (call a cleaning company for construction sites) and protection of the area. This may include plastic tarps for the areas not being worked on and a protectant for the floor. Each work area will be different, so pay attention to each, since what is needed for one might be different for another.
9. Add the totals for each section to determine the total cost of all the work. To determine this, multiply this number by your profit margin and overheads. This will depend largely on your location and the size of the company. A small company working in a rural area may only need 15 to 20 percent margin, while the same company work in an urban environment will require 10 or 20 percent.