Flooring reno

Step 1: Rip out old flooring. 

        

         Tools:

Pry bar, hammer, gloves, 
safety glasses and ear protection.

(If needed: something to remove staples. 
We used a flush cut saw and pliers)


Vinyl Floors

Or in my case four layers of old flooring... vinyl, subfloor, vinyl and vinyl tile!

Scrape and cut until floors smooth.

         

In some cases you may want to use a floor scraper, but with so many staples it was impossible here. 

Carpeted floors
Rip it out, cut and roll it into 4' bundles.
Then remove tack strip (try to get the nails out too)

                     

       

Step 2: Clean up and prep floors

Get rid of all nails and debris. 

Step 3 and 4 tools: 

• Laminate flooring 
• square footage +20% for waste.
• Underlayment 
• Square footage of your space.
• Duct tape
• Razor blade
• T-square or quick square tool.
• Fine tip marker
• Hammer
• Pull bar
• Tapping block
• Eye protection
• Flush cut saw ( for edging)
• circular saw for cutting laminate.

Step 3: Lay underlayment 

(If you need subfloors see how here.)

Just lay it out and cut. 

When you need to add more repeat process 

the above and tape the two sheets together 

Step 4: Laying the laminate

Start by snapping together your first row of boards.

Start with a half board to ensure a varying pattern.

Measuring, cutting and laying:

1st:  Lay the last board (B) over the previous one (A). 

2nd:  Measure and cut board A. 

3rd:  Place B where A was. 

                                                                     4th:   Lock into place.

Next Rows:

For all the rows following you will start with the end you just cut off of the previous row

Lay entire row, cut end and lock into place 

(set into grooves, lift up and push gently until it locks in.)

If it doesn't lock right away, gently tap with a block and hammer where you see gaps.

 If it still doesn't lock into place you may need to take it apart and try again.
 (check to ensure nothing is blocking it from locking - even the smallest fleck of wood will do it)


Step 5: Trimming around corners and edges. 

On this corner I trimmed under the wardrobe slightly and slid the board underneath. 

Measure, cut, lock and slide into place.
(Notice I pulled the boards forward to lock into place.)

Measure, cut and slide: 

More examples:

Continue this process until finished. 

Step 6: Trim

to be continued.....

Easy Cabinet Restoration

Step 1: 

Clean all surfaces and corners.

Use boiling water and vinegar to break down grease. Then scrape and scrub until all grime is gone.

Step 2: 

Remove doors, drawers and hardware. Cover everything with plastic to protect against dust. 

Step 3:

Sand cabinet doors drawers and base using 120-180 grit sandpaper.

You will want to sand until the "shine" is gone. 

Step 4: 

Paint or replace hardware

Step 5:

Prime and paint cabinets. 

Use a brush for insets and a roller for flat surfaces.  

**Priming is very important to help the paint cover and adhere to the wood.

Step 6: 

Attach cabinet doors and add hardware. 

Cabinet touch up: 

Repairs made:

Replaced shallow sink

Replaced stained counter top

Ripped out ugly tile

Updated an old faucet

Washed and touched up faded/dirty cabinets

Added handles

Step 1:

Replace counter top, sink and faucet.

We also ripped out ugly tile and painted a whimsical design.

Step 2:

Wash all surfaces.

Step 3: 

Paint new coat of paint over faded and damaged areas.

Tip: use small nap roller. I am using one that is a bit too  Tip: Use a thin nap roller. This one is too thick.

Step 4:

Measure for hardware. 

Drawers: Mark the center by measuring half way across the drawer- vertically and horizontally  .

Doors: Place one handle where you want it. Then measure the center of that knob vertically and horizontally and place markings for the rest of the knobs at those according to those measurements. 

Step 5: 

Drill holes at marked measurements.

** remember: Measure twice drill once!

Step 6:

Attach knobs!