Home Improvement

If you’ve shopped for new kitchen cabinets recently, you know that it’s often much more economical to refinish your old cabinets than to buy new ones. Here are 8 tips that will make your kitchen cabinet refinishing a huge success.

1. If your cabinets are painted, remove the paint with a chemical stripper. If your cabinets are stained or varnished, either clean the surface well or remove most of the stain or varnish with a chemical refinisher.

2. Take the doors off your cabinets and remove the handles and hardware. It will be much easier if you lay the doors flat to work on them.

3. Check to see how much damage there is to the cabinets. If there is only minor damage, such as dark stains around the door handles, just clean these areas. Use a synthetic steel wool pad because it won’t hurt your fingers or get caught on the wood grain. [Read more →]

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Kitchen counter tops are one of the most used items in your kitchen.   Whether you are preparing the evening meal, storing appliances, or just enjoying that first cup of coffee in the morning, kitchen countertops serve many uses.  Aside from multi-uses, kitchen countertops are an important aesthetic element of the kitchen.  There are a plethora of styles, types, edges, and materials for countertops.  Selecting the one that is right for you can prove to be a challenge.  An excellent starting point is to research online as well visit home improvement stores to determine what style, cost, and material fit your budget.

Kitchen counter tops are available in a wide selection of materials and finishes. One of the most popular materials is Formica counter tops.  These are easy to clean and maintain, not to mention easy to install and even easier on the wallet. With a wide selection of color, Formica counter tops are available to match nearly all color schemes that a kitchen may have.

Granite counter tops are another popular type of kitchen counter top. Be prepared that granite counter tops cost significantly more than the Formica counter tops.  Granite counter tops are more durable and even scratch resistant than Formica.  Slabs of granite are used for the counter top.  They are polished and generally available in a variety of edges, such as bull nose, blunt cut, or even knife edge.  As you can see, granite countertops can offer more variety in the form of looks than compared to a Formica counter top. [Read more →]

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Replacing a worn out or outdated bathroom vanity is a quick and dramatic way to clean up a bathroom. With a little planning and a step-by-step approach, you can complete this alteration in a day. In fact, the biggest challenge may be just deciding which vanity to buy.

Here are the steps you’ll need to follow for installing your new bathroom vanity, Shut off the water and disconnect the supply, use a bucket to catch any water that drips from the supply lines and the p-trap the white curved pipe in the center.

Loosen the caulk between the bathroom vanity and the wall with a utility knife. You may have to go all the way down to the floor on the sides to remove all the caulk. Remove the countertop very carefully so as not to damage the wall, you may need a helper for this step, especially if the countertop is large.

Loosen the screws attaching the bathroom vanity to the wall. A cordless screwdriver makes it easier to do this step. Remove the screws, being careful not to strip them. Remove the old vanity. Locate the wall studs and make marks for new screw holes. Make the marks for the studs a little higher than the top of the new vanity.

It’s very important to make sure the bathroom vanity is flush against the wall. You’ll need to use shims and a carpenter’s level for this step. Once the vanity is positioned, attach it to the wall with 2-1/2″ wallboard screws.

Before you attach the new bathroom vanity top, install the new faucet. It will make the job go faster in the long run, and it’s one less time that you’ll have to get under the sink. Use tub-and-tile caulk to secure the bathroom vanity top to the base.

Reconnect the plumbing this is also a good opportunity to replace the p-trap. Teflon tape makes the connections easier and tighter. Carefully apply a thin line of caulk around the countertop edges. Be careful with this job, the caulk will be highly visible, so tidiness really counts.

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Ceramic tiles for kitchen countertops have become a must have in home buyers’ kitchens.

Whether you prefer glazed, porcelain, quarry or mosaic, these tiles are versatile and come in an array of designs, colors and shapes. A design savvy look, country flair, artistic interest or upscale appearance can enhance your kitchen countertops surface that’s low maintenance but high in style. Tile countertops are also a great idea for completing your kitchen renovation since tiles are not only durable but are heat resistance.

Be creative and always design your kitchen tile layout the way you like it. One interesting way to do it is to tile your backslpash. Be sure to put colorful, unique and single designs tiles in between plain fields tiles. You can do multiples of the same design tiles or each can have a different design or color. To make your kitchen come alive, use beautiful kitchen tile with attractive colors or designs. Your kitchen tile can standout or contrast, but you always want them to blend in with what you’ve got going on the cabinets and the floor. You do not want to get dizzy walking into your kitchen from all the “busyness.” [Read more →]

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