My Daily Nourishment

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A couple of years ago, I made the decision that my home needed a lot of work doing to it. Nothing major, I can cope with the kitchen and bathroom. I just wanted to improve the general internal appearance. I was going to do this by redecorating and renewing woodwork. I knew I would have to become handy with tools. I had received quotes from various contractors for the work, but the price was out of my reach.

Woodwork came first on my list. I worked through one room at a time replacing skirting boards and architraves. I’m sure they had been replaced in the past to a very poor standard.

The tools and materials I mainly used for this were:

• Crow Bar

• Hammer

• Cold Chisel

• Drill

• Tape Measure

• Wood Chisel

• Saw

• Mitre Saw

• Caulking

• Screws

• Rawlplugs

• Wood Filler

 I found it was easier to buy tools online so I wouldn’t embarrass myself asking for the wrong things in the shop.

 Removing the old skirting board was easy. To avoid damaging the wall by attempting to get the crowbar behind it, i first worked along the skirting board with a wood chisel and split it in half. Once it was split, it was far easier to remove. I worked all the way around the room, including around the doors.

When replacing with new material, I took my time and worked meticulously. There is no point rushing as a better finish will be achieved by taking time over the job. I worked through every room before turning to the next step in the renovation; decorating.

 Firstly, I removed all of the wallpaper in the house. This was hard work but made easier using a scraper and a wallpaper steamer. By holding the steam plate against the wall for only ten seconds, the wallpaper came loose and was easy to peel off.

Once the paper was removed, I set about repairing cracks and holes in the walls using flexible filler and a scraper. I sanded the repairs smooth, and rubbed the walls down quickly with sandpaper to remove any bits that may have stuck to the wall after I removed the paper.

 My walls were going to be painted, so I had no need to acquire papering tools. Using a paint roller and paint tray, two coats were applied to every wall as well as the ceiling. A roller is the quickest way of painting by far. My tip is to vary the direction in which you roll the walls so that, when the paint dries, lines cannot be seen.

 My last job within this project was to apply gloss paint the new woodwork and doors. To begin with, everything received a good undercoat layer. I found that by taking the time to undercoat, it was much quicker and easier to apply the gloss topcoat, which itself needed only one application. I was amazed at how easy it was to coat the doors using a four inch foam roller. In the past, I have struggled with a paintbrush. Firstly I lightly sanded the doors to give a key for the undercoat. Work quickly with the roller and a good quality, smooth finish is possible.

 After only four weeks, I had brightened up my entire home for only a few hundred pounds. The bigger projects can wait for another year. I am now sitting content in my living room, satisfied with a job well done. You can do it too; it doesn’t take an expert; just a keen eye and determination.

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