DIY Projects

DIY Projects Home Improvement Tips/How-to

A Few Tips If You Plan on Doing The Painting Yourself

SegoleneLeave a reply

With the economy in a state of despair, homeowners are choosing to work on home improvement projects themselves, rather than hiring a contractor. This goes for the paint industry, as well. While refreshing paint colors in a home is one of the most inexpensive home improvement projects, hiring a paint contractor adds tremendously to the cost. Painting may be easy enough, but most homeowners are not professional painters. Here are a few tips to help make the painting process go a little easier.

Choosing the colors

Deciding on colors is often the most difficult task in the painting process. The color options are limitless; in just one store, there may be hundreds of colors to choose from. Choosing colors should be an enjoyable experience, however. If you have a theme or color scheme in mind, or if you would like to work around an existing part of a room (bedding, throw pillows), bring it along to the paint store. An associate will help you match the color. If it is a more permanent feature (such as furniture) that you would like to enhance, take a bunch of samples home with you.

paint-house-yourself

Some stores will even let you borrow a deck … Read the rest

DIY Projects Home Improvement

Step by Step Guide To Building a Block Retaining Wall

Segolene5 Comments

Using self stacking (interlocking) blocks will make your Block Retaining Wall much sturdier and they will make your do it yourself project a lot easier.

 

Step 1: Marking out the Block Retaining Wall placement

Marking the ground where you want to build the Block Retaining Wall with a shovel and driving long stakes in at the ends (or at 8 foot lengths if your wall is longer), is where we start. Using string, attach it to the stakes at the correct height for your Block Retaining Wall, ensuring that it is level.

Step 2: Preparing the base

The area needs to be excavated to an eight inch depth. Four inches of gravel then needs to be spread throughout this trench. Remove or add gravel as needed until you obtain the correct height for your Block Retaining Wall.

Step 3: Laying the first level

Begin from one end, placing the first level of blocks, right side up. Continuously check the alignment and level of the concrete blocks, adjusting it with your rubber mallet where necessary. Use crushed gravel to fill in the concrete cores.

Step 4: Installing the drainage pipe

Corrugated drainage pipe must be installed … Read the rest