How to quickly make cosmetic repairs in an apartment. Stages of cosmetic repairs
Cosmetic repair is a concept that is interpreted differently by everyone. I call cosmetic repairs a set of works that does not affect the permanent structures in the room, and also does not involve the replacement of communications (electrical wiring, water supply and sewerage) in the room. Cosmetic repairs do not affect floor screeds, do not imply installation of plasterboard structures, replacement of doors, or installation of plasterboard arches.
Stages of cosmetic repairs
The stages of cosmetic renovation, which I will discuss in this article, include restoring the apartment to its previous state without carrying out work to change the types of finishes. This work includes re-gluing old wallpaper, new painting of ceilings, painting of window frames, if necessary, painting of doors, skirting boards and trim, as well as replacing a simple floor covering (linoleum flooring or laying laminate). All work included in the downtime redecorating, if desired, free time and basic skills, it is quite possible to do it yourself. In the article, as an example, we will look at the renovation of a room.
Preparation for repair
1. Clear the room of furniture (if possible). Place the remaining furniture in the center of the room and carefully cover it with plastic wrap. This will provide free access to the perimeter walls and provide access to the entire ceiling area. 2. If you do not plan to change the floor covering, also protect it from construction debris and dust, as well as mechanical damage. Parquet and laminate must be covered with sheets of hardboard or thick cardboard. Lay a thick plastic film on top with a 10 cm overlap and seal the joints with tape. Protective film It is advisable to secure it with tape also around the perimeter of the room. 3. Dismantle the baseboards in case of replacing the floor covering or sanding the parquet. Use masking tape to protect individual elements that do not require repair. Painting tape - special sticky paper tape, which can be easily removed after completion of work. 4. Remove the front panels from sockets and switches, and cover the sockets and switches themselves with paper masking tape. Do not forget to first disconnect all electrical circuits from voltage.stages of cosmetic repairs: Dismantling work
Removing old coatings for cosmetic repairs
Old coverings of walls, ceilings, and floors are removed.
Preparing the ceiling for cosmetic repairs
Start with removal existing coatings. Meet ceiling coverings water-dispersion paint; in old houses, lime whitewash. Ceilings painted with enamels (oil or alkyd) are rare.
Ceiling washing and rustication
Water-dispersed paint and enamels cannot be washed off with water (they are not water-soluble). Therefore, use a steel spatula to remove the flaking areas of the coating, and open the cracks with the corner of the spatula. Treat the enamel with coarse sandpaper to roughen and increase adhesion to new coats of finish applied.
Wash off the lime whitewash down to the base. There is no need to remove the bottom layer of putty. The technology of this process is not complicated, but labor-intensive and dirty. Using a roller, wet the ceiling with water, then scrape off the whitewash with a spatula. After cleaning the entire ceiling, sponge the ceiling with a warm water solution.
Preparing walls for cosmetic repairs
The technology for removing old wallpaper is no different from the technology for removing lime whitewash Peel off the peeling fragments of wallpaper “dry”, soak the remaining firmly glued areas warm water and remove with a spatula. If there are a lot of layers of wallpaper, be patient and remove layer by layer to the primary base.
Cleaning paint before redecorating
Remove old paint, trim, window frames and doors only if it is severely peeling. The process is labor-intensive, but necessary.
Choose from two methods of removing oil (alkyd) enamel: chemical and thermal. With the chemical method, the paint is softened with special chemical compounds, they are called “washes”, and the paint is removed with a hard spatula or scrapers. Ready-made washes are sold in construction stores. With the thermal method, softening of the old one is carried out by a stream of hot air from a special construction hair dryer, do not confuse with a hair dryer. The paint softens in small areas and is also removed with a scraper or spatula.
Preparation of surfaces for finishing for high-quality cosmetic repairs
After removing old ceiling and wall coverings, it is necessary to eliminate defects in the walls and ceiling. Widen (expand) the cracks. Remove loose and dull-sounding “rumbling” areas of plaster completely. The surfaces prepared in this way must be treated with a primer. Primers ensure uniform drying of the applied materials and their better adhesion to the surface.
Sealing cracks with gypsum plaster mortar
Plastering is part of the cosmetic renovation
After the primer has dried, fill deep potholes and areas with chipped plaster using a gypsum base such as “Rotband”, “Starateli”, TIGI Knauf. Perform this operation using a rectangular trowel made of of stainless steel. At large areas plastering use building code the required length.
stages of cosmetic repairs: Plastering work
Stages of cosmetic repairs - obligatory putty
Prime the plastered areas and level the surfaces, for example, “Vetonit KR” (up to 1 mm) or “Vetonit LR+” (up to 3 mm) (Weber). This operation eliminates minor surface irregularities and fills small cracks.
Remember, a large thickness of the putty layer is ensured by applying several layers, with each subsequent layer being applied after the previous layer has completely dried.
I recommend gluing serious cracks in the ceiling with strips of plaster fiberglass mesh with mesh sizes of 2x2 mm. The technology for gluing the tape is as follows: a layer of putty is applied to a section of the ceiling, the fiberglass mesh is pressed into the putty with a spatula and rubbed in. Remove excess putty that has squeezed out through the mesh cells with a spatula and return it to the container for further use.
Wall putty
Ceiling putty
When making cosmetic repairs, do you need to completely putty the walls and ceiling, or can you limit yourself to leveling individual areas?
My answer is as clear as possible. Completely putty the ceiling at least once. When gluing dark and heavy wallpaper on walls, you can limit yourself to partial putty; with light and thin wallpaper, putty at least once; when painting walls, this is not a matter of cosmetic repairs.
Ways to prevent cracks from forming again after cosmetic repairs are completed
The probability of a crack appearing on ceilings with rustication (rust-joint of floor slabs), as my practice shows, is very high. For your peace of mind, I recommend using a “spider web”. "Gossamer" is a fiberglass ceiling wallpaper. The web is sold in rolls and has a thickness of up to 2.0 mm. The significant thickness and loose structure of the web prevents cracks from appearing on the ceiling.
The technology for gluing “cobwebs” is the same as gluing wallpaper at the joint.
For very uneven surfaces and wooden floors Before gluing the web, I recommend completely covering the ceiling surface with a painting mesh with 2x2 mm cells. The mesh is puttied, sanded, primed with diluted wallpaper glue and covered with cobwebs, like wallpaper. This multi-layer “pie” will provide maximum protection against further cracking of the ceiling.
Preliminary result. After the work listed above, you will receive:
- Defects in the wall and ceiling have been plastered.
- Cracks or all surfaces glued with painting (plaster) mesh (it depends rather on your desire).
- The surfaces were puttied in 1-2-3 layers (the quantity also depends on the expected result). They turned out smooth and white. It's time to paint the ceiling!
Cosmetic repairs are not possible without painting the ceiling
Finish painting the ceiling with a new polyamide paint roller with medium pile. I do not recommend using foam and velor rollers. Foam rubber curls, velor does not stain. When painting, use a special tray (cuvette) to squeeze out excess paint.
stages of cosmetic repairs: Painting the ceiling
Prime the prepared ceiling with water-dispersion paint diluted with water. This is done in order to identify almost invisible defects in the putty. After puttying and sanding (“zero” sandpaper) the defective areas, paint the ceiling with undiluted paint.
Determine paint consumption in advance. This is important when painting the ceiling with colored paints. The amount of pre-tinted paint should be enough for 3 colorings. Avoid re-tinting the paint. When using a web, paint consumption increases by 25%.
Pasting wallpaper is the final stage of cosmetic repairs
After painting the ceiling in 2-3 layers, proceed to wallpapering. If you plan to glue the ceiling plinth.
1.Priming the walls before wallpapering
Before gluing the wallpaper, prime the entire surface of the walls with wallpaper glue, diluted as indicated on the glue package: preparing glue for priming the surface.
2.Marking before wallpapering
Using long building level or draw a vertical line to guide the first canvas. Wallpaper is traditionally glued away from the window, but when modern gluing end to end it doesn't matter. You can also glue from the door.
3.Preparing wallpaper before gluing
Wallpaper is cut into sheets with an allowance (5-7 cm) along the length. When cutting canvases, take into account the frequency of repeating the pattern (rapport). Be careful when selecting adjacent canvases in height to match the pattern. If the wallpaper is “unmatched” then you are a little lucky.
4. Wallpapering
Wallpaper is pasted in two ways.
Gluing paper and vinyl wallpaper
Cover the wallpaper sheets with glue (paint roller or paint roller), of course with end side. Fold the canvases in half (with glue inward, edges in the middle). Maintain in this condition for the time indicated on the glue packaging (usually 3-7 minutes). Do not hold the canvas. It's better not to hold out than to overextend. Be especially careful and attentive when using thin paper wallpaper. If they get too wet, they will simply fall apart in your hands.
The canvases soaked in glue are applied to the wall according to the pre-marked vertical level. Smooth out wrinkles and bubbles with a pressure roller or a stiff brush. I do not recommend using a rag, because... Some types of paper wallpaper may have paint washed out.
Gluing non-woven wallpaper
Wallpapering walls
When gluing non-woven wallpaper, the glue is applied to the wall. The wallpaper itself can be cut into canvases according to size and selected pattern. Apply glue to the wall with a roller and glue the canvases end-to-end, making sure that the pattern of adjacent canvases matches.
5.Cutting the wallpaper
Since the pieces were cut with an allowance in length, after gluing the canvases under the ceiling and at the baseboard, trim off the excess wallpaper construction knife using a metal ruler or a special wallpaper cut resembling a spatula. Keep the blade sharp. The dull canvas tears and pulls the paper of the canvas along with it.
6.Gluing the wallpaper border
Paste top part canvases, up to the planned border. Beat off horizontal border level marks along the entire perimeter of the room. The “end” of the line should meet the “beginning”. Using a sharp knife and a metal ruler, trim the canvas around the perimeter. Glue the border butt to the cut edge. Do not glue the bottom of the border. Glue the bottom panels, bringing them under the border. Glue the bottom part of the border, first cutting off the excess from the canvas.
You can glue the border without such “bothering” - into the “overlay”. Use special glue for gluing borders.
Gluing the wallpaper border
Clean the room. Don't open the windows! Avoid drafts until the wallpaper is completely dry! The wallpaper is up!
10.Floor repair during cosmetic renovation
These are all stages of cosmetic repairs. That's all!
Photo gallery "Kitchen renovation before and after renovation"
Just a couple of decades ago, cosmetic repairs meant the usual wallpapering, updating the flooring, painting or whitewashing the ceiling. Today, this concept is associated with a wider range of work: replacing window and door profiles, partial replacement of plumbing, laying tiles, installing suspended ceilings, dismantling sockets, switches and other things, that is, redecorating apartments involves everything that is not related to redevelopment dwellings.
If you are planning to make cosmetic repairs in the apartment yourself without special costs time and money, but do not have construction skills, check out our recommendations.
Preparatory work
Before you begin, prepare the room in which you will first make repairs: take all things and furniture to another room, carefully wrap large or immovable objects (for example, a wardrobe) with plastic wrap.
If you do not plan to change the floor covering, lay sheets of dry corrugated cardboard on it, and overlap the top with a film covering. To protect the baseboards, simply cover them with tape.
Don't forget to turn off the power Electricity of the net, remove the covers from switches and sockets and carefully seal the holes with special masking tape.
There are several principles of “correct” repair:
- work should always be done from top to bottom (from ceiling to floor);
- the sequence of work is carried out according to the principle “ from dirty to clean"(that is, the most labor-intensive and dirty work is performed first);
- redecoration of two room apartment starts from the back room, that is, you should move towards the front door, the finishing stage is a balcony or loggia;
- Cosmetic renovation of a one-room apartment can begin directly from the room or kitchen itself.
If you change windows, doors, plumbing, this will be the next (after preparatory) stage of work. If you limit yourself to only finishing the walls and ceilings, then read what you will need to do next.
Dismantling old coatings
To begin with, old coatings should be removed from the walls and ceiling. Water-dispersion and regular enamel paint are removed using a steel spatula (after which you should walk over the surface with a piece of sandpaper in order to improve the adhesion of the new coating to the surface).
Lime whitewash is usually simply soaked with water using a roller, after which the residue is removed with a spatula.
Regular paper wallpaper are also removed by soaking, more modern ones (for example, washable wallpaper) can simply be removed, but the thin layer underneath does not need to be removed.
Old varnish coating from trim, windows and doors should be removed only if it is cracked. To do this, the paint is treated with a stream of hot air from a hair dryer or a special composition (removal) is applied to it, after which the surface is cleaned with a spatula.
Surface preparation
Now, after cleaning the surfaces from old coatings, we begin to eliminate existing defects - potholes, cracks, chips, etc. Cracks need to be enlarged for more high-quality processing putty, and remove all exfoliated parts, then apply a primer.
After complete drying, after a few days, all irregularities are treated with alabaster or gypsum-based plaster using special tool- steel rectangular trowel.
After final drying, the entire surface is treated with a primer, and to eliminate possible unevenness - with putty. It should be applied in a thin layer, no more than 2-3 mm, but if necessary (for example, deep unevenness) - in several layers.
After the preparatory work is completed, the putty has completely dried, you can begin finishing.
Ceiling finishing
Regardless of whether you are redecorating a 1-room apartment or a multi-room apartment, you need to start with the ceilings.
There are several ways to finish the ceiling:
- the simplest and cheapest is whitewashing (but this option is completely outdated and is practically not used in modern apartments);
- wallpapering;
- painting with interior paints;
- finishing with decorative plaster;
- pasting with polystyrene tiles (used, as a rule, for the kitchen and hallway);
- suspended ceilings are relevant if the ceilings initially have unevenness, which there is no possibility or desire to eliminate (in this case, it is impossible to do without the help of specialists).
To paint ceilings you will need a small roller with a pile 1-1.5 cm long, a construction bath into which you will squeeze out excess paint and, of course, a convenient stepladder.
If you decide to paint the ceiling with water-dispersion paint, apply it in two layers. Dilute the first layer (approximately 20-30%) to eliminate possible defects, apply the second layer with undiluted paint.
Wall treatment
Exists great amount wall finishing options. Let’s focus on those that you can produce on your own, without professional education or the proper skills.
Wallpaper. As a rule, even a beginner can handle wallpapering - to do this, you just need to strictly follow all the recommendations specified in the instructions on the package.
But there are small tricks:
- to prevent the diluted glue from forming in lumps, it should be poured into the water in a thin stream, stirring vigorously with a stick;
- if you are gluing wallpaper with an overlap, you should start from the windows so that knocking is not visible when entering the room;
- you need to expel air bubbles from under the pasted strip of wallpaper from the center to the edges; sometimes it’s even better to peel off the edges and smooth them again moving from the center.
Remains of wallpaper under the ceiling, above baseboards and in openings should be removed with a sharp construction knife under a metal ruler to avoid tears.
Dye. You can use any of the interior wall paints on the market; as a rule, they apply very easily and look beautiful. A rather interesting effect of a non-uniform surface can be achieved using structural paint.
Circumstances in life can develop differently. For example, renting apartments involves moving residents into a prepared clean room, and for this it is not at all necessary to carry out major renovation, it will be quite enough to make cosmetic repairs.
Cosmetic repairs in a studio apartment intended for rent may include painting the ceilings, pasting new wallpaper, but not changing the style of the room. This can also include work related to painting floors, ceilings, windows and doors. Cosmetic repairs may include work on replacing plumbing fixtures, installing additional equipment in the kitchen and bathroom.
Where to start renovating an apartment?
First you need to decide what exactly you want to update or put in order. The first thing you need to start with is emptying the apartment of furniture, or grouping it in the center to provide easy and quick access to the walls and ceiling. Of course, this will take some time, but all subsequent work will be completed much faster. Cover with thick plastic wrap. If you do not plan to repair the floors, then they also need to be protected from dirt and mechanical damage by covering them with the same thick film and securing it to the baseboards with adhesive tape. And, of course, you need to remove the frames from sockets and switches, accordingly covering the “insides” with masking tape.
Removing old paint, whitewash and wallpaper
The whitewash must be removed before puttying. This may be the erosion of chalk or lime whitewash. Removing wallpaper “dry” or by soaking. Modern wallpaper They are easily removed dry, but leave behind a thin layer of backing paper. If the walls do not require additional leveling, then this backing layer can be left. Subsequently, the new wallpaper will lie smoothly and beautifully on it. Enamels and water-dispersion paint It is impossible to wash off, so it is removed with a spatula. And the enamel is processed with sandpaper in order to improve adhesion to the applied layers.
Removing paint from doors and windows is a troublesome and time-consuming process, and is only necessary if old paint peeled off in different places. Removing paint in this case is necessary, since partial removal, followed by putty and painting will not give desired effect, and in a few months, you will have to repeat it again. old oil paint removed chemically or thermally. Chemical method removal is more expensive and time consuming. The thermal method is more productive, but requires the use of a special construction hair dryer.
Finishing (final) finishing
After the old coating has been removed, it is necessary to level the walls and repair cracks on the surface. In areas where there are loose pieces of plaster, they must be cleaned and completely removed. Treat with a primer, and only after that, fill with a cement-alabaster composition and putty. To prevent repeated cracking, it is advisable to glue the sealed surface with glassy ceiling wallpaper or fiberglass mesh. Having sealed the cracks, you need to apply putty, but no more than 2 mm, since more thick layer prone to rejection.
When sealing local cracks, you need to consider what kind of wallpaper the entire surface will be covered with. When pasting light wallpaper, you need to remember that only putty areas will give the effect of stains on the wallpaper. In this case, the walls should be completely puttied. When pasting dark wallpaper, such stains will not stand out and it is enough, with smooth walls, to putty only the necessary areas.
The same cleaning and leveling operations are performed on the ceiling. But in old apartments, these procedures are sometimes not enough, therefore, it is advisable to cover the entire ceiling area with plaster fiberglass mesh. Then putty with wallpaper glue, previously diluted with water.
Final work
The final work in the rental apartment is painting the ceiling and wallpapering the walls. But not only painting the ceiling can be useful for redecorating an apartment. This can be suspended ceilings and wallpaper. The walls can also be simply painted, various colors, which construction stores are rich in.
“May the renovations in your apartment never end!” - the passer-by throws over his shoulder and goes home. And you stand there and think: “Why is he doing this? Did you wish for wealth or, on the contrary,... tax you?”
But really, the issue of repairs is an unpleasant matter for the average citizen. With today's prices for materials and services of construction Jedi, you will have to fork out seriously. And how much time and nerves you will have to spend, and even live in a ruined apartment! You wouldn't wish it on your enemy. But repairs are a vital necessity, and sooner or later you will still have to face them. Some craftsmen, even in times of crisis, still manage to renovate an apartment with their own hands quickly and inexpensively. But how do they manage to do this? Inexpensive - this is a cosmetic repair with your own hands and domestic materials. Such repairs will not require large financial investments, but you are guaranteed the cleanliness and freshness of your apartment. Cheap is not always bad.
Where to begin?
Keep a small notebook. In it you will write down all the ideas, prices and phone numbers of stores or specialists. But the main thing is that it will contain a plan for your repair and a cost estimate. The plan needs to reflect all your wishes: replacing windows with plastic, suspended ceiling or just whitewash, new tiles in the bathroom, wallpapering or a couple of new sockets in the kitchen. Write exactly what you want. We decided on wallpaper - that means wallpaper, whatever you want decorative plaster- so so be it. Pipes are humming - replace it, a cracked toilet - throw it away. You may think that, based on your desires, you won’t be able to do an apartment renovation with your own hands quickly and inexpensively. But you probably don’t know this, and you’re only forcing yourself into limits. If it works, you’ll do it; if not, it’s not a big loss, it’s just a note in a notebook. Next, start making an estimate: what exactly do you need and in what quantity. How many meters of tiles, grout, bags of putty, wallpaper, chipboard and other things. You can always correct these entries.
To find out exactly what materials, what quality and price you will need, go to online stores and construction forums for help. Carefully study the characteristics and pricing policy, approximately calculate the consumption. And at the same time, learn how to replace a faucet, hang wallpaper or install drywall yourself. Determine for yourself: I can do this myself, but here you need to look for an electrician or plumber. Write it down.
How can you save money?
There are many options. First, remember: it is better to buy materials for apartment renovation in the cold season - the price is much lower. But summer is construction season. In winter, you can come across a 50% discount in construction markets or a “Buy 2, get 3 for free” promotion! So you can buy the same wallpaper at a low price, but much more best view and quality. And if they lie for a couple of months in a dry pantry or closet, then nothing will happen to them. Explore local forums, especially if you live in big city. There you will surely find many people who have already done inexpensive repair do-it-yourself apartments. You will probably find photos of finishing, tips, addresses and phone numbers of specialists there. And you will also come across the heading “repair” and “remaining materials”. Periodically look at who is selling or giving away interesting things. People often end up with materials after renovation that no one will buy at the sale price, and it’s a pity to throw them away. So, you can buy a couple of bags of putty or even Spanish tiles for a ridiculous price. A person has an extra 2-3 meters left, there is nowhere to put it, but it will do just fine for you in the toilet. There you can also find the remains of a cable or grout “for a chocolate bar.” More respectable people, when moving into new buildings, often exchange brand new plumbing fixtures or PVC windows for more expensive ones, and these are given away for next to nothing. Why? Because they want “Rehau” or “only France”, and such a window will do just fine for you. Anything is better than the old wooden one. When you get rich, buy yourself a Rehau.Tools for repair
Construction tools cost a lot of money, so it’s better not to spend money on them. Another option is to rent it for a while; it is rented everywhere. And it will be even better if you borrow it from acquaintances, friends or relatives. And be sure to thank the person for their help. How? You know better. Take this opportunity to ask if they can help you decorate your apartment. Especially if your friends are well acquainted with construction literacy. This will also help you do your own apartment renovation quickly and inexpensively, and also with high quality. And your friend will probably make a significant discount for old times sake.
You will need:
Step-by-step instruction
1. The concept of repair includes the following list:
4. Next stage- ceiling repair. Sew all the cracks with a spatula so that they become deeper. Prime with primer, putty and let dry. After the primer has dried, sand the ceiling and prime it again. Before painting the ceiling, make repairs to the walls. 5. After working on the ceiling, start removing the old wallpaper. To do this, wet the old wallpaper with water, let it soak for a while, and as soon as it gets wet, remove it with a spatula. The wall must be dry and clean before you begin repairing it. Sew all the cracks on the wall with a spatula, prime them with primer and seal them with putty. When the areas you putty have dried, sand them and then coat them with primer again. If you glue thick wallpaper, then finishing putty do not use. 6. The next stage is painting the ceiling or wallpapering the ceiling. Divorce water-based paint, as written on the can and paint the ceiling 2 times. If you decide to glue wallpaper for painting, then glue it and paint it 2 times as well. Domestic paints are cheaper, so your budget will not suffer. 7. Before covering the walls with wallpaper, you need to paint the doors and window frames. If you buy paint "P" Russian manufacturers, and not imported ones, it will cost you much less. After the paint has dried, proceed to wallpapering. To save money on purchasing wallpaper, choose a domestic manufacturer. In terms of quality and durability, wallpaper from Russian manufacturers is not inferior to imported ones. 8. The final stage is painting the floor. If the furniture was not taken out, then cover the legs and perimeter of the furniture with masking tape, and remove it after painting - the furniture will remain clean. Choose domestic paint - it will be cheaper, but will not affect the quality of the paint.
Walls
Walls are the first thing that always catches your eye. Certainly, smooth walls and beautiful stylish wallpaper everyone will like it, but if for leveling and expensive materials there is no money, you can limit yourself to simply replacing old wallpaper. Just by re-pasting the wallpaper you will already transform the apartment. Find inexpensive ones thick wallpaper on a paper or non-woven basis is quite possible, and they can be glued even to not very smooth walls. Non-woven wallpaper hides minor irregularities especially well.
There is another option. The previous owners left a couple of rolls of wallpaper in the apartment, which were of no use to them during the renovation. For example, I simply replaced a few particularly dirty and torn areas of wallpaper. It was enough to replace the wallpaper strips where they were most noticeably damaged. These are protruding corners, places near door jambs, in the hallway at the entrance, in the kitchen not far from the stove - all this will cost much less complete replacement, and the housing will look much better.
Ceiling
If we are dealing with whitewash or layers of lime, it is best to clean them first. Numerous lime deposits that peel and crumble are not only aesthetically unsightly, but also harmful to health. It is not difficult to wash away lime; you must first soften the layers by wetting small areas ceiling with water from a spray bottle, and then clean off the plaque with a hard spatula or scraper. If there is old peeling wallpaper on the ceiling, it needs to be removed.
After cleaning, the ceiling can be additionally sanded with ordinary sanding paper, that is, sandpaper, and primed. If the surface is smooth, without pits or cracks, it will be cheaper to paint the ceiling with acrylic paint; it is better to use matte paint in light, pure tones. If there are small defects, the wallpaper will hide them. Wallpaper for the ceiling should be chosen white or very light, without a pronounced pattern and with very fine corrugation. Another economical option transform the ceiling - glue foam boards.
Floors
If these are concrete floors, as a rule, nothing additional needs to be done with them in terms of preparation; they are quite smooth and durable. Creaking wooden floors- that's much more serious problem, and their repair, at least over time, cannot be avoided here, but the squeaking problem can be temporarily solved. Creak in wooden floors occurs when adjacent boards rub against each other. In particularly “loud” areas of the floor, you can drill several holes a regular drill and pour a little polyurethane foam. The foam will fill and seal the voids between the boards and the floor will stop creaking. This must be done carefully, without fanaticism, so that the floor does not swell.
Level out strong “waves” and unevenness wooden floors it is possible by nailing hardboard, plywood or OSB sheets. For the required strength, the thickness of plywood or OSB should be about 1 centimeter. As a finishing floor covering, linoleum is still the most economical and durable. Fortunately, the choice of linoleum in stores is extensive.
Tile
If we have already figured out the wallpaper on the walls, then what to do with the tiled flooring? Replacing the tiles, of course, may be a solution if the tiles do not stick to the wall, because there is no other way out. In rare cases when tile easily came away from the mortar, and the mortar itself adheres well to the wall, the tile is easy to restore by spreading it with a thin layer of PVA glue and pressing it tightly into place against the mortar. The main thing here is to get the back of the tile correctly into its imprint on the mortar, and PVA glue will glue the ceramics to the mortar very firmly - checked! But if the tiles are holding strong, and buying new ones is expensive, you can work a little on what you have. Firstly, the tiles can and should be washed thoroughly. Since it's tile, it will withstand much more aggressive cleaning agents than dish gel, but it will also look much better when it's cleaned off. limescale, rust and other traces of use. It is also necessary to clean the seams between the tiles. There is no need to be afraid of damaging the grout; on the contrary, you need to clean off as much grout as possible. Mold often settles between the tiles in the bathroom and it is very difficult to remove it from there.
After removing as much grout as possible along with unwanted flora and fauna, the seams can be treated with a special antiseptic. After this, they can be filled with fresh grout. It is better to choose a grout color that is neutral or close to the color of the tile.
Plumbing
Carefully inspect your plumbing fixtures. Are there any cracks or chips? There is no need to change plumbing. Plumbing cleaning products will help make all sanitary surfaces look more presentable, and a bright shower curtain will complete the job. By the way, you can refresh it with paint cast iron bath. Not from the inside, of course, but from the outside. But, shining with freshly painted sides, the bathtub will immediately take on a more elegant look. But if the inner surface of the bathtub is damaged and worn out, it makes sense to contact bathtub restoration specialists who will cover the surface of the bathtub with new enamel right at home.
As a rule, such a service is cheaper than purchase and installation. new bath. Here's another option: make a bath curtain not only for the top, but also for the bottom (use glue and Velcro).
Electrics
Inspect all outlets. If you see melted plastic around the plug holes or even just dark spots, such sockets should be replaced without hesitation! Lamps are changed as needed. If they are intact, not obsolete and all the lights are on, you can simply remove them, wash them and hang them back. Do not forget to turn off the voltage in the apartment when working with electricians!10 ways to spend less on decorating an apartment and get a real masterpiece
Designer tips: 1. 100% polyester silk. Stone-like tiles, parquet-like linoleum, onyx-like laminate, Trekhgorka like Ralph Lauren. Python-like porcelain tiles. “Artificially aged” something... It’s embarrassing to even think about. Alas, the number will not work. Look through good interior design magazines. Everywhere there, stone is stone, tile is nothing more than tile, and wood is just that, wood. If you don’t have the money for parquet, and simple laminate is beneath you, look for a good engineered board. The result is a floor that looks worth much more than the money you spent on it. A good alternative to porcelain tiles for kitchens, bathrooms and hallways - cement tiles. The result will look a hundred times more expensive. 2. Adjacent rooms should contrast. If you have a bright living room, let the hallway be painted in a deep, relatively dark color. The cost of paint will be the same in any case, and the result can look really expensive. 3. If on good carpet no money, look for carpet made from viscose or blended fibers that imitate a silk or wool pile carpet.
4. Place the curtains on a thick lining. Even inexpensive curtain fabric will greatly benefit from this. Look for fabrics that are three meters wide. This results in significant savings. If you are not willing to spend a lot, avoid printed textiles (fabrics with a pattern). When cutting patterned fabrics, due to the need to properly join the fabrics, a lot of scraps remain. The more rapport, the more waste. Do not use curtain tape for curtains. Let the seamstress lay down the “hand” folds. It's not that expensive, and the pleats, gathered with braid, look very cheap. 5. Set-set-set. Identical things in the interior are permissible only in one case: if they are paired items that form a symmetrical composition. Leave the chandeliers, table lamps and sconces from the same set to those to whom God has not given imagination. They are the kits upholstered furniture“a sofa or two armchairs” and similar tender sadness. For more details, see the next paragraph. 6. Ready-made solutions. Bad news: there isn't any. At least for us. The shower room is built using construction methods because it is a room. Unless you run a student hostel or an underground massage parlor with striptease, a shower stall (that sad structure of yellow acrylic and lopsided doors) will not suit you. Don't spend money on “designer” plumbing fixtures. Let appearance The plumbing equipment of the bathroom (kitchen, toilet) will be dictated by function. Buy washbasins and faucets simple shapes, without inappropriate decor. The toilet should be inconspicuous and do its job. No one will admire him, right? 7. Paintings, prints, engravings, photographs and posters frame in simple but deep frames with glass and always with a mat. Even a picture printed at home inkjet printer(or naive children's drawing), in such a frame looks very significant. Play with the size of the mat. A small work in a very wide mat looks very “designer-like”. And, by the way, cardboard for mats can be of almost any color. 8. Cosiness. Another collective fetish. According to my observations, what in our Palestinians is called “comfort”, in 99 percent of cases, is poetic closeness. In many ways, this is a physical memory of a bygone childhood, of the warm and affectionate meager Soviet life with carpets teeming with saprophytes, a kind grandmother, Czechoslovak crystal and the unread Dreiser in the polished Polish wall of “Hanka”. Moreover, expensive devilry like round bed with music and a minibar, a bar counter with a built-in aquarium, etc. The same is true for such rich things as lambrequin, garland and swag. Don't worry: in a good, well-thought-out interior, comfort inevitably comes naturally. Therefore... 9. ...Goodbye, gypsy Sera! Duvet covers made of calico in fine Nefertiti, towels in scarlet roses, pillowcases in eye-catching shades, nylon blankets with Shanghai leopards. All these are attributes of collective farm chic, forgive me for being blunt. They will not add comfort. Variegated coloring is often necessary for these things solely to hide their exceptionally lousy quality. Keep bed linen and bath towels plain white (options: Ivory, ecru). But made from excellent Egyptian cotton. 10. However, it is also important not to overdo it with ivory. Peach, beige, sand... The average nuanced range is good for chain hotels. Because their stenciled interiors are bound to please everyone. You should like your interior. After all, he is a manifestation of your essence, right? Pick up a fan palette from any paint manufacturer. Do you feel pleasant heaviness? These are your possibilities. Don't miss them!