Nothing planned for the May Bank Holidays? Rather than waste those precious days off lounging around eating far too many chocolates, get the most out of the Easter break and undertake some easy DIY jobs.
Expert Handyman and Power Tool Specialist from Bosch, Eric Streuli explains, “A quick three day make-over can make a major difference to the appearance of your home. Whether you’re motivated by the onset of the summer entertaining season or you’re planning to sell and capitalise on the current booming property market, the following DIY jobs will update your home and add value at the same time.”
Deck It Out Nothing says summer like sipping Pimms whilst entertaining friends on your outdoor deck! According to Streuli, one of the most common things on people’s wish lists for their garden is a deck. “Building a deck isn’t as hard as lot of people first think,” he explains.
“Building a deck will take approximately two full days to complete. On the first day the holes will be dug for the support posts which, once in place, will be secured with cement,” explains Eric.
“Two days later, when the cement is dry, support beams need to be secured to the posts to form a frame. Then, using the Bosch PSR 14.4 Li-2 Drill/Driver with Lithium Ion technology, secure the decking boards 10mm apart along the length of the frame. Apply a coat of varnish to protect against the elements,” continues Eric.
Transform Your Kitchen The Kitchen is the heart of the family home, if yours looks like it’s been through a coronary it’s time for an update. “Renovating a kitchen doesn’t have to be time consuming and costly, you can achieve an impressive transformation at a fraction of the cost by simply replacing the kitchen cabinet doors,” explains Eric.
There are lots of companies out there who will design and build kitchen doors to your specifications, taste and budget. Then all you have to do is remove the old doors and install the new ones. Whilst in the kitchen, Eric suggests checking the sink, as old, stained or rusty sinks can dampen the affect of the new doors. Installing a shiny new sink will dramatically update the look and feel of tired kitchen.
Refresh Your Woodwork “Wooden fixtures in your home such as doorways, banisters and windowsills show the telltale signs of age and water damage, left un-maintained they really make a home look worn and tired,” advises Eric. Repairing such damage is really easy explains Eric, “sand back wooden fixtures to remove old paint and smooth out dents and scratches, using a Bosch PSM 80A handheld sander will take a lot of the elbow grease out of this project. After sanding the surface, simply apply a coat of varnish or paint to finish.”
If you’ve updated the doorways only to find the doors look dreary, battered or outdated, sand them back and repaint them with your choice of colour, or go one step further and replace them. “A stylish door makes an amazing difference to the appearance of the room, after all it’s the first thing people see as they enter and the last as they leave,” says Eric.
“Replacing doors is a straightforward process and using a cordless driver like the Bosch PSR 14.4 Li-2 Drill/Driver with Lithium Ion technology which will make the job even easier. And don’t forget about the door handles as they instantly update any entrance and add to the overall appeal of your home,” says Eric.
Update Your Flooring Another way to update your property is to look at the carpet and if you’re one of the lucky people who have wooden floorboards underneath then Eric suggests pulling up the old carpet and sanding and polishing the floorboards. This will make any room brighter and, as daunting as it may seem, even a novice DIY-er can complete this project in over a bank holiday weekend.
Clear the room of any furniture before pulling up the carpet. When the floor is bare, ensure all protruding nails are hammered flat and carpet staples are cleared. Fill any holes with timber mate.
After sanding the majority of the floor with a floor sander which you can hire from your local tool hire store, use a smaller hand held sander like the Bosch PSM 80A for the borders of the room. Your floor will require rough, medium and fine sanding for a smooth finish. Once complete, vacuum the room to remove all dust before applying a floor finish such as a stain, gloss or paint and leave to dry.
Express Yourself If you’re like the 72% of Britons* who see their home as an outlet of self expression why not spend an afternoon hanging those pictures you bought but never got around to putting up. Alternatively frame your favourite photos and create a feature on a bare wall.
For those who get nervous making holes in walls, Bosch has taken the stress away with its PDO Multi Scanner. This little gem will scan what lies beneath, detecting metal circuit wiring and wood, so you can safely hammer away! Also making life easier, crooked wall hangings will be a thing of the past with the Cross-Line Laser PL1 that will guide you so your pictures hang straight.
Safety First! As with all home DIY remember - safety first! Always wear protective glasses, a dust mask and enclosed shoes and always keep tools out of reach of children.