Living in a 1920's home is wonderful - you get style, character, and an established neighborhood all rolled into one. But some of the antique "innovations" of the 1920s may not cut it for modern use. I mean, let's face it, plumbing back then was barely in existence, let alone up to modern building codes. But most of us aren't dealing with a simple and straightforward update to modern systems and styles. No, we're often undoing someone else's botched mess. Much of what makes a simple renovation into a full-blown remodel has to do with inferior work performed decades ago. What you have, in our case, was a situation where a bathroom was simply in desperate need of an update to bring it into the 21st century - but while letting it retain a bit of old world charm. That was our challenge - and we started where all good projects start: at the drawing board.
No other flooring material offers the warmth, beauty, and value of real wood. Wood flooring provides a timeless beauty that can enhance the décor of just about any room. Many of today’s wood floors are affordable and durable with nearly no limit on styles, colors and species of wood available, Installing a prefinished hardwood floor in your home can be one of the best ways to upgrade your home. While there are many products that look like hardwood flooring on the market, it is difficulty to really replicate the feeling of real wood under your feet. Doing the prep and installation of a hardwood floor can be daunting, but the fact that you don't have to sand and finish a prefinished floor makes it a compelling choice. Normally the finish coatings on prefinished flooring is many times more durable than traditional flooring finishes. If you have the time and a helper, laying your own hardwood floor is probably one of the most rewording DIY projects you can tackle.
If you've ever lived in an old house - a really old house, then you are likely familiar with the problem of termites and what they can do to wood floors. The good news is that if you have access to replacement wood (in our case, pine boards taken from the attic, which used to house a second story until an unfortunate "incident" with a tree some years ago), you can do a remarkable repair job that will look good as new in virtually no time flat.
The basic process of refinishing a piece of furniture is simple and knowing the purpose behind each step is as important as the knowing about the materials and tools. Enjoy the process and keep in mind: refinishing isn't just protecting, it's also beautifying!
If you're not happy with the look of your current garage floor, you might want to consider adding a coat of paint. Paint can dress up even the dullest and oldest looking floors. However, painting the garage floor just isn't the same as painting other surfaces. For one, a garage is subject to a lot more abuse and traffic than a typical floor. It also must be able to withstand dirt and even grease, something an interior is unlikely to see. Follow these steps for painting floor surfaces in the garage.
Cleaning floor grout is one of the most difficult tasks around the house. No matter how good a job you do applying grout or sealing it after installation, there will come a time when it needs to be cleaned. Understanding how to take care of the problem easily and effectively is important. Most of the dirt is going to be caused by mold, mildew, food stains, or just plain old foot traffic, so keeping it clean is a necessity. Follow these steps to keep your floor grout looking beautiful.
It sounds simple, but we've seen many a frustrated consumer struggle to install a new towel rack in a bathroom. These can be of the bar variety (two anchor points) or towel ring style (single anchor point). There are even space-saving models with articulating arms and multiple racks that swing out of the way to allow for more towel capacity. Finishes can be chrome, brushed, antique, copper or just about anything else you can imagine or dream up.
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