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  • Getting Started
  • From "Weekend Decorating"
    episode WDC-110
    advertisement

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    Laundry room: before.

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    Laundry room: after.

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    Figure A

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    Figure B

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    Figure C

    Nancy Golden shows how she turned a drab laundry room with good functional space into a bright and cheerful room that any member of the family would be proud to do laundry in.

    On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the greatest degree of difficulty, this project rates a 3. It took 14 hours over two and a half days to complete it, and the total cost for materials and accessories was $550.

    The first step in any type of project of this sort is to measure the room carefully and construct a floor plan sketch (figure A), either freehand or with a computer program.

    Materials:
    Paint and painting equipment (roller, tray, etc.)
    Painters tape
    Heat gun
    Hammer
    Chisel
    Level
    Tape measure
    Pencil
    Degreaser

    Preparation:

    1. Cover molding and door casings with painters tape.
    2. Apply semigloss base coat to walls and allow to dry overnight.
    3. Measure the room for base molding; measure the area for the chalkboard.
    4. Paint trim or molding.
    5. Remove closet doors.

    Removing the Old Tile Floor

    The easiest and most cost-efficient way to remove old tiles is to use a hammer and chisel. If this doesn't work, use a heat gun to loosen the tile adhesive before returning to work with a hammer and chisel.

    1. Place the beveled side of the chisel onto the floor (figure B).
    2. Tap the chisel with the hammer (figure C), prying up the tile flooring.
    3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 until the old tile is removed.
    4. Once the entire old tile floor is removed, clean the floor with degreaser. Degreaser is critical to the tile application because the tile adhesive will apply perfectly to the clean new floor.

    Flooring expert Michael Wall suggests commercial flooring in high-traffic areas such as a laundry room.


    RESOURCES :
    Painting Skills
    ISBN: 1842154109
    Author: Mike Lawrence
    Order this title from Amazon.com.

    Ceramic Tile: Selecting, Installing, Maintaining
    ISBN: 1580110479
    Author: Jim Barrett and Jerry Germer
    Order this title from Amazon.com.

    Creative Homeowner Press
    Website: www.creativehomeowner.com

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