Before you paint or put up new wallpaper, apply a coat of primer. This helps to seal the wall and provides a good base for whatever finish you choose next. It's like giving your walls a fresh start. Check for Dampness If you notice any damp spots, it's important to address them be...
Prior to spraying the walls, you want to either turn off the power to the room at the breaker box and/or cover the outlets with Press N’Seal to seal them off. In case you didn’t know, water and electricity don’t mix well, so this is an important safety precaution. As far as ...
Plaster walls with lead-based paint are common in older homes. Sheetrock did not replace the commonly used lath and plaster for building interior walls until after World War II. Lead-based paint, which was banned in 1978, becomes hazardous when the dust is inhaled or when paint chips are ea...
How to deal with a wallpaper you can't remove? Some homes have extremely old wallpapers that have been around for generations. These may be installed on plaster walls instead of drywall – the latter of which is softer and more prone to dampness and gouging. In cases where the removal is...
If water gets into your walls through cracks or leaks, these must be closed immediately. Check out our DIY guide on repairing cracks in plaster for more information. Do you need to seal a flat roof or insulate an attic? We’ve got guides for those, too. If mould appears on wet patches...
If the basement has already been framed, how can we seal the foam boards behind the 2×4 to create the barrier needed. Reply Todd says: July 8, 2013 at 5:46 am My recommendation is to move those walls (not as hard as you think) away from the wall so you can insulate correctly. ...
If you spot mold on walls or ceilings made of sheetrock or plaster, you can make them disappear without replacing any materials. But if mold appears on a very porous surface, such as a ceiling tile, it's best to replace it right away. Expert Tip: It's important to wear eye protectio...
Many years ago paper hangers applied diluted wheat-paste adhesives on plaster walls to size them before they hung paper. This adhesive soaked into the fresh plaster and acted as a crude sealer. Modern technology has produced some amazing products that work much better than applying a thin wheat...
While windows attract most of the attention when it comes to energy efficiency, doors can play a major part in what can go wrong -- or right. Doors have a particularly difficult role to fill. Not only do they need to open and close smoothly and easily, but they also have to seal tigh...
A product calledliming waxcan also be used to give dark wood a whitish tint. Liming wax is applied to wood using a stiff brush, pushing the wax into the grain of the wood. The top layer of wax is then wiped away. Sand the walls to remove any clear protective coating. Don't skip ...