Improving your home without draining your wallet :)

                                                                                       Would you like to improve your home, but don't have the budget for a bath or kitchen remodel?  Consider rejuvenating another room in your home instead.  In the photos below, you see before and after pictures of a dining room remodel we recently completed.  

          The first step was putting down layers of paper, plastic and wood to protect the floor. Next we removed wallpaper and moldings, then scraped the popcorn off the ceiling.  Re-texturing was then done on the ceiling and on the walls that were covered with wall paper.  New can lights were installed on the ceiling, and set up to work on a dimmer.  

          Next came several steps in the process of installing the crown molding.  It was primed and  painted, then installed.  Nails were then pushed in, and the nail areas filled with spackle.  The crown was caulked where it met the wall, then finally the crown was painted.  Painting prep can often take longer than the painting itself, but it results in a much better job.  The walls and base molding were sanded and caulked as needed prior to painting as well.  Clean up is the final step, and to get the floors clean again sometimes involves the old hands and knees approach.  If you need help bringing your home up to date, feel free to contact us :)

Al's Fair and Square Home Repair, LLC

(214) 302-9693

http://alsfairandsquare.com

alsfairandsquare@gmail.com

Epoxy Flooring

     The garage can be an overlooked area of your home, as guests do not usually see it.  Unfortunately (in some cases), you see it every day.  For a relatively small amount of cash, you can greatly improve this area.  Painting the garage is usually a pretty simple task as there is not much to paint around.  For another great improvement, consider covering the floor with an epoxy coating.  After removing everything from the garage floor, the floor will need to be swept out then cleaned with a chemical that comes with the epoxy kit.  Several hours are then needed to allow the floor to dry thoroughly.  Next, the epoxy can be rolled onto the floor and the confetti that comes with the kit can be sprinkled as you go.  Again, allow a generous amount of time to dry, especially before driving on the floor again.  If you would like help with painting your garage or coating your garage floor, feel free to call/text to (214) 302-9693, email us at alsfairandsquare@gmail.com or visit our website at http://alsfairandsquare.com.

Nifty Gadgets

    We used a few neat items this week that I thought you might like.  We needed to mask off the walls in a hall as we were going to scrape, re-texture and paint the ceiling.  This hand masker has tape attached to the device, so when you unroll the plastic, tape is adhered to one side.  You pull out the desired length of plastic and it is ready to hang.  The next great feature is that the plastic unfolds to a width of about 6 feet, so you are covering a lot of square footage very quickly.  The picture below is the hall with the plastic rolled out.



















     Yes, this gorilla is cute, but there is nothing funny about this tape's adhesion.  A great application for this product is shown in the next picture.  We had masked a doorway, but by the next day some of the blue tape had already started to peel off.  The gorilla tape stuck to the blue tape as well as to the masking paper with paint over-spray on it.  It sticks great to brick as well.  If you will be using this tape very much, it's a good idea to wear gloves--you can literally see the skin on your fingers being pulled up with the tape as you try to un-stick yourself from it.  Need help with your painting project?  Give us a call/text (214-302-9693) or check out our website at http://alsfairandsquare.com.

Masking

     If you have done painting, chances are you have done masking.  The picture depicts a wood floor that was masked with paper, plastic and masonite. The ceiling in this room was to be scraped, re-textured and painted; new lights were to be installed in the ceiling; and the wood paneling was to be painted.  With all the activity planned for the room, the masonite layer would keep the inevitable dropped tools from damaging the floor underneath.  Though masking is dull and tedious,  in can really pay off in fewer headaches later.  For help with your projects, feel free to call/ text (214) 302-9693, email us at alsfairandsquare@gmail.com or visit our website at  http://alsfairandsquare.com.

Lighting

Lighting can make a big difference in the look of a room, and your kitchen is the perfect example of this.  Your requirements for lighting in the kitchen range from strictly utilitarian to aesthetic.  The top picture is a typical outdated box light, serving a utilitarian purpose.

In the bottom picture, the box light has been replaced by can lights.  While the lights are installed in a pattern for the most part, "task lighting" can be placed strategically above your stove, sink, etc., providing extra light in your work areas.  Under cabinet lights are aesthetically pleasing, and also serve a practical purpose.  Leaving these lights on after dark gives you enough light to navigate safely through the space when raiding the refrigerator.  Pendant lighting over the counter is beautiful, but practical as well.  For help with lighting or other home projects, please email (alsfairandsquare@gmail.com), text or call (214) 302-9693.  Be sure to visit our website at http://alsfairandsquare.com for more info.

Deck Staining

        Do you have a wood deck that is looking pretty worn?  Would like to liven it up again?  Consider a relatively new product called Restore.  Restore deck stain can be used on decks that have cracks, nail holes and other signs of aging.  This product is different from other stains as it contains sand and provides heavy coverage, masking a multitude of sins.  While this stain is more difficult to work with than a typical stain, great results can be achieved with some patience and effort.  For help with your wood deck or other home projects, feel free to contact us at (214) 302-9693 or alsfairandsquare@gmail.com.  You can learn more about us by visiting our website at http://alsfairandsquare.com.  Check us out on Facebook, too :)

Exterior Window Repairs

  Do you have an exterior window frame that looks like this?  Repairing it involves several steps, the first of which is to remove all of the rotted wood.  You may remove the top layer, only to discover, as in this photo above, the wood below is rotted as well.  Wood lumber can be used as a replacement, but a longer term (though more expensive) fix is to use plastic lumber.

While cutting and installing all of the new lumber, make sure you take the time to fill in any cracks with insulation, such as spray foam, and caulk everything well.

Above is the corner after the first layer of plastic lumber.  And below is the finished window after the second layer of lumber and painting.  To match your paint color, you can simply take a piece of the lumber you removed to your home improvement store for color matching.