Wo-Built Inc: Clients' Advocate for making their Dream Home happen: Tales from the Renovation Track: Tricks of the Trade That Make Home Repairs/Renos Much Easier and Complete

Tuesday 25 August 2009

Tales from the Renovation Track: Tricks of the Trade That Make Home Repairs/Renos Much Easier and Complete

Collage:caulking, home improvements, repairs, tools, women

Credits: MS Office ClipArt - J0426549

We continue our publishing of Janice Bell’s articles One Woman’s Experiences of Being a Renovator. Now - tricks of the trade that help a homeowner to improve DYI renovations.

Part 11a - Tidbits of Wisdom

During my work day I often run across a whole plethora of renovations completed by homeowners - some of which are done well or adequately. At the same time there are certain tricks of the trades that can make some of the repairs/renos much easier and complete.

Here are some of these tips:

1. Recaulking bathtubs. This is a very common task that plenty of homeowners take on. One trick to get a better result is to first fill the tub at least three quarters of the way with water. Why you should ask? Compare the tub to a plastic grocery bag. If you put a rock in it, the sides of the bag draw together and the bottom goes down from the weight of the rock pulled by the force of gravity. It’s the same thing with the tub with water in it. The sides pull in and the bottom sinks a bit. This forces the sides of the tub away from the wall, which maximizes the size of the gap to be caulked. When you fill the maximized gap, leave the water in overnight if possible until the caulk is set. When the tub is drained out, the gap closes a bit and this tightly seals the caulk in. Then when you use the tub, you don't strain the gap. Not filling the tub first always stretches the caulk when you use the bathtub, and causes premature failure.

2. Placing peel and stick tiles. This is a relatively easy chore for most people to accomplish. However, many don't realize that there is a primer that should first be used to seal the floor, especially if one is placing the tiles on plywood. Plywood floors are porous and not altogether perfectly smooth. This minimizes the amount of adhesive contact between the tile and the flooring, causing failure. I put on 3 coats, especially on plywood, which renders it as close to impervious as you can get.

Happy Renovating!

Janice Bell
Bell Renovating