familypursuits.com

Another
great home improvement project for the weekend do-it-yourselfer is with tile. Since tile is used in the kitchen as a backsplash, on the floor, countertops, and in the bathroom for the floor, countertops, and in the shower or tub area, the possibilities are tremendous.

If you are experienced with family pursuits of any kind you already know that jobs have a habit of taking ten times as long as you intended. So always think ahead to where you can stop without too much trouble. For instance, don't mix up a bucketful of grout when you know that you might be called away in half an hour, and be prepared to dump your grout before it hardens if you are called away and can't do anything to finish off all the grout before you go.

Always allow too for errors made by little fingers. Some tiles will be broken by little fingers, and some when you make a mistake in cutting, so always buy more tiles than you think you need. Then keep the spares to repair broken tiles in future years, when it is impossible to match your tiles in the shops. 

Just remember that different types of tile have different pros and cons so understanding these is crucial when deciding the kind to buy.  The exciting thing is that tile comes in a variety of sizes, styles, colors, and patterns, meaning you can create magic for your home.

Types of Tile

When you look at the idea of ceramic tiles chipping easily think about your little ones. Then think how much more careful they will be of the tiles if they helped to install them. You won't get any vandalism on their work – that's for sure!

Now, as you get down to the nitty-gritty of quantity and quality of your tiles, always bear in mind how much your children will want to help you with this fun pursuit, and what they are capable of doing. Remember their timetable, and don't expect them to be wiping off grout when the are meant to be at football or ballet classes. 

WAINSCOTING: This wood or other material is a special type of paneling that is applied to the lower half of a wall.  If you have chair railing, the wainscoting would be installed below, going down to the top of the baseboard. These panels are decorative, adding a warm, charm to any room.

Originally, wainscot was used to cover the lower part of a wall in homes where damp-proof problems existed or poor material was used.  Today, we find many people adding wainscoting simply because it is quaint and beautiful. This attractive paneling certainly enhances the room, giving it an inviting appeal.

In fact, many people will install wainscoting to dress up a room, creating something rich and elegant.  Because of the versatility, this paneling has come back into style with great excitement.  The design is one of panels that fit together at the edge with a lip fitting flush to the adjoining panel. Usually, this design is tongue and groove, which creates a timeless fashion.

Today, you can purchase wainscoting paneling already precut to make the installation process much easier.  Materials needed for this type of project include pre-cut wainscoting panels, baseboard, trim, a brad nail gun although a hammer would work fine, finishing nails, a level, construction adhesive, and caulk.  The process of installing the wainscot is not difficult, as you will see below:

The most important piece of wainscoting installation is the installation of the baseboard FIRST.  This way, all the remaining pieces will fit accordingly.  To ensure the baseboard is perfectly level and parallel to the floor, we suggest you use a level.

Once the baseboards are in, the installation of the bead-board panels can be installed.  For this, you want to use construction adhesive applied evenly to the back corners. Remember, these panels will rest on top of the baseboard with all the pieces fitting in a tongue and groove design. The important thing is to ensure the corner piece fits tightly to the wall’s corners.  After applying the adhesive, press the panels in place, anchoring them with brads for extra security.  You will continue this method until all the panels have been installed along the length of the baseboard.

After a panel on a section of the wall has been completed, add the shoe molding at the bottom of the baseboard.  This trim will conceal gaps and create a clean, finished look.  For this, use a brad every 10 inches.

When you have all the paneling and base trim completed, the top molding would need to be installed.  This piece is designed to rest on the ridge along  the top of the panel pieces.  In addition,  fit to the adjoining corner pieces at the wall corners.

Next, slide the top piece in place and once the alignment is right, use brads to secure it.

The final step is to add a crown cap, fitting along the top of the molding, using brad nails to secure it. If you find any gaps around the corners, simply use painter’s caulk to seal them.  Once dried, you can easily stain the caulked area.