Whether you live in Brighton or beyond, it’s not uncommon to want to make improvements to your home. After all, we should all aim to create our dream space, as this can help improve our general wellbeing.
However, it is an unfortunate truth that some projects do not always go to plan – and may also be a rather messy business. That’s why you need to know a few tricks of the trade when it comes to dealing with them.
Our Homes are a Work in Progress
A recent study suggested that more than half of respondents see their homes as a work in progress, and around half believe they will never be finished. Indeed, there was an average of five DIY jobs left unfinished around the houses of those who took part in the study.
Many people also said they have had jobs go wrong, with some adding that they had spent more than £300 to correct such issues. That’s a serious outlay, and it’s one that is best avoided if at all possible.
Sometimes, DIY issues are not major disasters – rather, just small issues you would prefer to avoid. With that in mind, here’s a look at a few problems and how you can handle them.
Cleaning walls
Walls can easily get marked during jobs or even when moving items around the home. No matter how careful you think you’re being, you’re bound to notice slight stains here and there. But you don’t want to have to repaint the whole area to sort out the problem.
One suggestion to deal with this issue is to use a paint roller along with a special solution. This has been referred to as a genius wall cleaning hack, which many people wish they’d known about sooner. The solution involves baking soda and household disinfectant and works like a charm.
Glue spillages
We’ve all been there. One of the most common snags you’re likely to encounter during home improvements is glue spillages. You might be repairing broken household items or patching together an old, but gold, pair of shoes when a spill happens, and panicking only make it worse.
As silly as it may sound, you need to know how to act in this undesirable situation if you are to salvage your DIY project and your dignity, in the process.
Many novice DIYers are in search of answers when it comes to spilt glue. Do you try to dissolve it or scrape it off? If you choose to scrape, what kind of tool should you use? These things may be second nature to experts but can induce rage in the non-trained.
Thankfully, there are plenty of tips available online from seasoned DIY veterans on all sorts including how to remove glue from wood. This, in particular, is a material on which you’d ideally avoid a glue stain as it’s super visible and problematic to the integrity of the woodwork. The general consensus is to remove the residual glue, dissolve the glue using acetone and then apply wood varnish.
Our advice would be to always keep the basics, like acetone and wood varnish, in the back of the cupboard. They’re quiet little lifesavers when it all goes wrong.
Paint on Hands
Painting is a key part of looking after a home, but it can be frustrating when it gets all over your hands. You also run the risk of getting paint where it should not be if you don’t have the relevant expertise. However, on the flip side of that coin, you can save a lot of money by doing it yourself.
There are some solutions that you should know about if you’re planning on doing some painting, as it’s bound to get on your hands. It’s best to understand the difference between certain paints and the strategies you can use with them. For example, you can use mineral oil to remove dried water-based paint.
DIY can be fun and satisfying, but it’s well worth considering how you will tackle certain issues should they arise. It’s better to know how to deal with a problem first, rather than have to search on Google for a solution with paint-stained hands. After a while, these things will become second nature to you.
