Archive for the ‘Home Improvement’ Category

Older homes have charm, high ceilings, spacious rooms and fine materials that are no longer used today, but otherwise have the disadvantage that sooner or later we must change the old facilities if we want to ruin our housing defect.

* Before you begin a reform plan for the redistribution of bathroom and kitchen, consider the location of drains and downspouts, since a change in its course may extend the time of the work and commended.
* The Reform pipes formerly lead or galvanized iron today are considered contaminants and are prohibited. Today copper is used for resistance to lime and sediment and PVC pipes and sewage disposal.
* Electrical installations of more than 25 years can be dangerous if they have not been revised (this is recommended every ten years), so we must renew damaged items.
* Take the work to hide the cables in false ceilings and plan new lighting points, plugs or phone jacks.
* The phase of demolition of the walls is the first to be efctúa in any reform, it includes the demolition and removal of items that you are replacing (walls, linings, etc).
* The work “heavier” is to eliminate bathroom coverings (tiles and flooring), and the successive layers of paint colors and wallpapers.
* After removing all of the above have to prepare surfaces according to their needs, that means smoothing and tiling, the walls first and then the floor.
* The replacement of windows and good thermal insulation to ensure greater protection and noise, as well as savings in energy and gas, if you have the heating.

Always remember that it is better safe than sorry. If you spend a good time, even one or two days, removing furniture and floor covering (and window frames and doors) with masking tape, plastic or cardboard, then you will have much less to clean. Beware of masking tape, remove it as soon as possible to prevent the adhesive to dry and then it is impossible to take off.

Preparing the walls is fundamental nobody likes to see, after the beating stick painting a room, how the paint comes off or the surface defects are obvious … Spend part of your time to sand, fill holes and apply a fixative so that the result is perfect.

The roofs, always white. Although you like the intense colors, let the white ceiling is something that all professionals recommend both the painters and interior designers. The white ceiling visually enhances the space and reflect light, increasing the brightness of space.

Current trends are rather minimal. Gone are the houses with one room for each color. Blanks earned integers, and if you want to impart color, you can do one wall painting (the most important and visible of stay) of a strong color like red, maroon or black.

Ask yourself if you really going to do, you will have to devote much time to prepare all the space, removing furniture, cover surfaces, look for cheap materials, do the work …

Do you need a builder?
Builders are responsible for coordinating the various trades that will execute the work (bricklayers, electricians, plumbers, etc.), And charge a premium for it. In the event that we ourselves can coordinate that work or do not need a large number of guilds, can we ignore the hiring of a construction, thus saving a significant amount of money.

However, sizeable works (demolition, masonry, plumbing, electrical and drywall), it should have a coordinator, if not an expert in the field.

Another option to save on this matter would be mixed, ie, hiring a series of games with the builder and leave others out. Laying parquet, carpets, interior trim (wardrobes and doors) or aspects of decoration are items that can be performed without difficulty without the help of a builder.

Buying and recycling of materials
The housing reform will require the purchase of many materials. If the developer who purchased, assigned the industrial benefit, but if the customer wants it done, save costs. In this respect, the help of known members of specific unions can help us find the best prices without passing through the rate of the constructor.

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