There are times when you are home to yourself and you long for company.
Terra cotta pavers, also called quarry, saltillo, Mexican or Spanish tiles, provide a hot end to a patio or sunroom. While the clay tiles are usually used both indoors and outside, unless the porous surfaces are sealed, they quickly show stains and dirt. To resurface and refinish your own pavers, they must be thoroughly washed,…
The very nature of peel-and-stick tiles was made to make your life simpler as you revamp the flooring of your house. When installed properly, these tiles create a safe, resilient and low-maintenance vinyl floor application, minus the clutter of distributing tile adhesive anyplace. Instead, you want only peel off the backing every tile and smooth…
Ipe, also referred to as Brazilian walnut or lapacho, is among the hardest woods in existence, but it isn’t uncommon, and it makes a long-lasting and attractive material for decking. Installing ipe decking boards requires special techniques as it’s so tough to use. If you stick to the appropriate installation procedures, however, ipe doesn’t need…
Decoupage, even though a favorite medium for gift-sized furniture and crafts, also functions as a unique floor covering. Decoupage covers a floor up which has seen better days or that does not fit your sense of decor. It’s far less costly than brand new carpeting, wood or vinyl flooring, and may be tinted to your…
Fixing minor cracks and seams at a fiberglass shower pan may restore the pan into a uniform finish. While big cracks often indicate problems that patching may not correct, minor repairs are rather easy for a do-it-yourselfer. Gelcoat repair kits for marine and other wet fiberglass repairs are available at many home centers and marine…
The word “veneer” has gotten a bad reputation for referring to cheap, ill-made, ready-to-assemble furniture, but this is really a recent conceit. Veneers simply are thin layers of wood placed above less-expensive timber or other substances. The most beautiful Hepplewhite and Chippendale antiques were produced with veneers. Whether you have a valuable antique or a…
Coloring leather isn’t all that distinct from coloring wood. You can use either a dye or a pigment; the distinction between them is that a dye consists of smaller particles which penetrate deeper into the material’s pores. Most white leather isn’t dyed — it is colorized with a pigment and then top-coated with a transparent…
Give pretty much any object, metal or not, the expression of pewter by layering and texturing glaze over a gray or silvery base coat. The secret to a successful artificial pewter impact is to utilize matte or non-shiny paints, otherwise the artificial finish may appear more like aged steel or silver. Cover the work surface…