What are the small details that give a quality finish?
Discussion
Morning,
We moved house about 6 months ago and a starting to look at what work needs doing to it. It was built in the 70s and the structure is all fine, but some of it is looking tired and there are a number of jobs which need doing to smarten it up, namely: -
New skirting on stairs and some rooms (there is still some original skirting)
New carpets
Lots of creaking on stairs and floorboards - repair and fix
Painting/decorating
New tiles and flooring in bathrooms
New window sills - almost all of them have had a plastic sill added over the original wooden ones
Just looking for tips and advice on what details to consider to get a "quality" finish on the house. This is probably similar to the recent kitchen and bathroom threads where mistakes and lessons learned would be useful.
We moved house about 6 months ago and a starting to look at what work needs doing to it. It was built in the 70s and the structure is all fine, but some of it is looking tired and there are a number of jobs which need doing to smarten it up, namely: -
New skirting on stairs and some rooms (there is still some original skirting)
New carpets
Lots of creaking on stairs and floorboards - repair and fix
Painting/decorating
New tiles and flooring in bathrooms
New window sills - almost all of them have had a plastic sill added over the original wooden ones
Just looking for tips and advice on what details to consider to get a "quality" finish on the house. This is probably similar to the recent kitchen and bathroom threads where mistakes and lessons learned would be useful.
Little bits like nice (not cheap, square edge) light switchs, sockets etc - not even metal ones, just a nice white plastic design.
Decent door handles and locks - nothing worse than wobbly handles.
Simply finish things properly, nothing worse than a room that been half arsed and completed 95%.
Decent door handles and locks - nothing worse than wobbly handles.
Simply finish things properly, nothing worse than a room that been half arsed and completed 95%.
Lots of small details add up to a professional finish.
When installing tile or wooden flooring take the skirting boards off and re-fit afterwards. Nothing worse than that bloody beading or a grout line against skirting boards.
Oh and undercut the architrave too.
Don't paint round things (lights, switches, sockets, door handles). Take them off, paint, clean the fitting and re-fit.
When installing tile or wooden flooring take the skirting boards off and re-fit afterwards. Nothing worse than that bloody beading or a grout line against skirting boards.
Oh and undercut the architrave too.
Don't paint round things (lights, switches, sockets, door handles). Take them off, paint, clean the fitting and re-fit.
I moved to our house nearly 2 years ago, it had had some big jobs done - new kitchen done nicely, new bathroom, windows etc BUT there were loads of small touches that needed sorting and had been done poorly or just needed doing. Way more than the below but Im nearly done with it now.
Such as
Silicone in bath, showers, sinks, all done now and looks so much cleaner and neater.
Grouting in areas where it had disappeared.
Lots of things just not screwed in or aligned properly.
Cleaning things that looked tired but came up new, limescale removal in our shower for example, it was horrendous.
Plugs fitted in sinks that didnt hold the water, simple adjustments again
Bleeding rads / balancing system
Filling odd holes and dents in walls and plaster, around light fittings etc.
Cabling outside - redundant BT cable running alll round the house, virgin media cable hanging off the wall etc
Borken underfloor heating(tile removed, repaired, chunk out of wall, re tile, fill, paint etc
Render to paint, wood work to paint, fences to paint
Such as
Silicone in bath, showers, sinks, all done now and looks so much cleaner and neater.
Grouting in areas where it had disappeared.
Lots of things just not screwed in or aligned properly.
Cleaning things that looked tired but came up new, limescale removal in our shower for example, it was horrendous.
Plugs fitted in sinks that didnt hold the water, simple adjustments again
Bleeding rads / balancing system
Filling odd holes and dents in walls and plaster, around light fittings etc.
Cabling outside - redundant BT cable running alll round the house, virgin media cable hanging off the wall etc
Borken underfloor heating(tile removed, repaired, chunk out of wall, re tile, fill, paint etc
Render to paint, wood work to paint, fences to paint
8-P said:
I moved to our house nearly 2 years ago, it had had some big jobs done - new kitchen done nicely, new bathroom, windows etc BUT there were loads of small touches that needed sorting and had been done poorly or just needed doing. Way more than the below but Im nearly done with it now.
You moved into the same house!e.g.
Nice oak floors but gaps around the radiators - oak collars fitted
Gap between floor and back door - threshold fitted
Quadrant UVPC fitted around shower bottom seal
Collar fitted to loo exit pipe
New loo seat
Stainless steel screws to replace the rusty ones
Tubes of caulk
Replace pine window sill with oak
etc
Proper preparation makes the finish look great. Don't underestimate the job of sanding the skirting boards, especially the boards alongside the stairs. Pull the carpets to one side, get a power sander and sand very smooth. I like to get waterbased undercoat, apply two thick coats and sand it again. Apply a third if you're happy with the finish then get the finest grade sand paper or even better, one of those abrasive sponges and just go over it again. Vacuum the boards in between coats (never brushpan!) before applying your topcoat liberally but pulling the paint with the brush to prevent runs.
When it dries it'll be a mirror finish. I had a house built in the 60's. Layers of poorly prepared paint were everywhere but my results improved it no end.
When it dries it'll be a mirror finish. I had a house built in the 60's. Layers of poorly prepared paint were everywhere but my results improved it no end.
B17NNS said:
Don't paint round things (lights, switches, sockets, door handles). Take them off, paint, clean the fitting and re-fit.
People actually do this rather than unscrew them, pull the away from the wall/remove then paint? Why would you do that as they would get covered in paint.
KTF said:
B17NNS said:
Don't paint round things (lights, switches, sockets, door handles). Take them off, paint, clean the fitting and re-fit.
People actually do this rather than unscrew them, pull the away from the wall/remove then paint? Why would you do that as they would get covered in paint.
If you're painting a door surround, take all furniture off, including the hinges, so there's no risk of splatters/over paint. It bugs the s
t out of me when I see that!Jonboy_t said:
If you're painting a door surround, take all furniture off, including the hinges, so there's no risk of splatters/over paint. It bugs the st out of me when I see that!
t out of me when I see that!
I'm the same. Takes a little longer but speeds up the actual painting process. Plus the finish is far superior.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqpYRtWC8Kk
The attitude of a site painter.
dmsims said:
You moved into the same house!
e.g.
Nice oak floors but gaps around the radiators - oak collars fitted
Gap between floor and back door - threshold fitted
Quadrant UVPC fitted around shower bottom seal
Collar fitted to loo exit pipe
New loo seat
Stainless steel screws to replace the rusty ones
Tubes of caulk
Replace pine window sill with oak
etc
I reckon so, my OCD was going mad and its only just about calmed down! I even had a bathroom with 1 out of 6 bulbs working, halogens obviously like all the others in the house I went straight to LED. Previous owners were really, really lazy. I just resprayed our wood burner lower flap thing because they had used a metal fire tool to open it which had basically chipped the crap out of it and made a nice new stove look tatty. I could go on, paint literally peeling off the ceiling in the bathroom - same one in which the taps were literally white in the shower due to limescale, dont think they had ever been cleaned, literally ever. e.g.
Nice oak floors but gaps around the radiators - oak collars fitted
Gap between floor and back door - threshold fitted
Quadrant UVPC fitted around shower bottom seal
Collar fitted to loo exit pipe
New loo seat
Stainless steel screws to replace the rusty ones
Tubes of caulk
Replace pine window sill with oak
etc
Ill be honest, when we looked at it we were ushered in and out quickly because they didnt think we were serious the cheeky t
ts and on a quick look the place was amazing. 30k later, Im half way to making it right. Lesson, dont buy a house on holiday without a second look.Edited by 8-P on Monday 18th September 15:05
B17NNS said:
Jonboy_t said:
If you're painting a door surround, take all furniture off, including the hinges, so there's no risk of splatters/over paint. It bugs the st out of me when I see that!
t out of me when I see that! I'm the same. Takes a little longer but speeds up the actual painting process. Plus the finish is far superior.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqpYRtWC8Kk
The attitude of a site painter.
B17NNS said:
Jonboy_t said:
If you're painting a door surround, take all furniture off, including the hinges, so there's no risk of splatters/over paint. It bugs the st out of me when I see that!
t out of me when I see that! I'm the same. Takes a little longer but speeds up the actual painting process. Plus the finish is far superior.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqpYRtWC8Kk
The attitude of a site painter.
Floors being level when you go from one surface to another...door thresholds etc. Easy to skimp on and hard to get right. Wonky light switches drive me mad!
I am also a big believer in the quality of things like taps and door handles...good ones are expensive but to me it makes a big difference.
I am also a big believer in the quality of things like taps and door handles...good ones are expensive but to me it makes a big difference.
richatnort said:
B17NNS said:
Jonboy_t said:
If you're painting a door surround, take all furniture off, including the hinges, so there's no risk of splatters/over paint. It bugs the st out of me when I see that!
t out of me when I see that! I'm the same. Takes a little longer but speeds up the actual painting process. Plus the finish is far superior.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqpYRtWC8Kk
The attitude of a site painter.
I would say 99% of the population don't look behind their radiator or have the time to take the damn things off to paint behind them.
mask over the top of it then use one of those long 4in rollers and jobs a good un.
A couple of random ones from my house refurb last year.
We moved and replaced a couple of radiators with some nicely designed (ie expensive) ones. The vertical tube one in the hallway is always commented on by visitors and also throws out some serious heat when asked to.
I replaced all the locks with a set of keyed alike 5-lever locks. So now one key opens the porch, front, back and shed doors. I think it was around £80 and was worth every penny.
We moved and replaced a couple of radiators with some nicely designed (ie expensive) ones. The vertical tube one in the hallway is always commented on by visitors and also throws out some serious heat when asked to.
I replaced all the locks with a set of keyed alike 5-lever locks. So now one key opens the porch, front, back and shed doors. I think it was around £80 and was worth every penny.
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