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Remodeling a bathroom means making a lot of choices about materials and design. During a remodel, most people eventually choose to add tile to their bathroom. Tile is especially suited to bathrooms because of its look, versatility, and durability. There are many ways to use tile creatively in a bathroom remodel for floors, showers, and countertops.

Choosing Tile

Choosing tile may be the hardest decision of the entire bathroom remodel process because there are so many different varieties to choose from. There are several factors to consider when picking out tile that will help you choose the right tile for your needs.

First, consider where the tile will be used. It is important to consult a licensed contractor when using heavier tiles like marble, slate or stone to make sure there is adequate structure to support their weight. Ceramic and mosaic tiles have more versatility and can be used throughout a bathroom. Homeowners should also consider installation. Floor tiles require an even surface and mosaic tiles take considerable patience and pre-planning to install correctly. Professional tile installers can help make a tile installation go smoothly and last longer.

Tile Floors

Tile floors in bathrooms can set the tone of a room and bring a spa-like quality to one of the most used rooms in the house. Depending on tile selection and design, they can unify the decor of the entire room.

Homeowners can create a uniform design with large monochromatic tiles. Large slate or quarry tiles can make a bathroom feel warmer and more inviting. Lighter colors will brighten a bathroom and darker tones will tend to create a more relaxing environment.

Floors make a great place to add simple designs as well such as checkerboard patterns or repetitive designs. Choosing tile designs appropriate for the era of a home, such as small art deco-inspired tiles for a 20’s or 30’s style, can complement an older home and add to its overall design continuity.

Tile Showers

Using tile in showers adds another dimension to a bathroom remodel. Tile is fairly easy to keep clean and holds up well in wet conditions. There are infinite design ideas for using tile in a shower.

A classic use is to create a mosaic or pattern. White subway tiles look great in showers and will give a clean, modern look. Homeowners can also create designs or images such as ocean waves, beautiful foliage, or other relaxing imagery. Natural stone tiles also work great for showers and bring a spa-like feel to a bathroom.

A new and exciting use of tile in showers is glass tiles. Tiling an entire shower with glass tiles brightens a shower as it catches the light and gives a bathroom a modern edge.

Tile Counters

Tile can really bring a countertop to life and bring a clean look to the bathroom. Counters are also a great place to get creative in a bathroom, since these surfaces don’t see the kind of use that a kitchen counter does.

Choose large tiles to reduce the number of grout lines if cleaning grout is a concern. There are also a wide variety of colored grouts available that not only complement different shades of tile, but also make cleaning less of an issue.

When installing countertops, include a decorative backsplash. Mosaic designs, subway tiles, and thinner, horizontal tiles work well on backsplashes and create a nice focal point in the bathroom.

Incorporating tile into a bathroom remodel is easy and can add warmth and depth to the room. There are so many ways to bring the versatility and design of tile to a bathroom, whether in the floor, shower or countertops, that every homeowner should consider adding tile to their remodeling project.

Here are the step-by-step instructions on how to do the techniques in our Pumpkin Carving with Power Tools video. Download free Pumpkin Carving Templates at the bottom of this post.

1. Cutting Off a Lid with a Jigsaw

To cut off the top, simply plunge the blade into the pumpkin at about a 45 degree angle. Work your way around the pumpkin until the lid is off. This technique is pretty simple and you will find that it is a lot faster than using a kitchen knife.

2. Gutting a Pumpkin with a Drill and a Pumpkin Gutter

1. Purchase a pumpkin gutter.
2. Insert gutter into your drill and tighten.
3. We found that it works best if you move the spinning head in a clockwise motion.
4. Large pumpkins may clog the head. Simply remove gutter from drill, clean out the pumpkin flesh and start again. Even if you have to clean the head once or twice, this method is much faster than cleaning with a spoon.
5. If you use a drill to make holes in your pumpkin, the gutter can also be used to go back and clean loose bits caused by the drilling. Your pumpkin will have a nice clean finished look with perfect, unclogged holes.

3. Creating Circular Patterns Using a Drill and Spade Bit

1. In the video, we made two pumpkins using spade bits.
2. The first pumpkin was made using a vertical series of holes around the pumpkin.
3. Take a ruler or tape measure and mark a dot every two inches around your pumpkin at the widest part.
4. Next, turn your ruler or measuring tape 90 degrees and mark a dot every inch on both sides for each of the dots that run around the circumference. The number of dots will depend on your pumpkin.
5. Once all the holes are marked, insert a ¾” spade bit into your drill. Drill a ¾” hole in all of the dots around the widest part of your pumpkin.
6. Next, remove the ¾” spade bit and insert a ⅝” spade bit. With the ⅝” bit, you will drill holes directly above and below each ¾” hole.
7. You will continue to decrease the bit size incrementally for each hole you step away from the center, so that the largest holes run around the widest part of your pumpkin and the smallest holes are at the top and bottom of your pumpkin.

4. Making Perfectly Circular Eyes with a Drill and Coring Bit

Coring bits are a great way to make perfectly circular eyes. Simply insert the coring bit into your drill, make marks on the pumpkin so that the eyes are spaced evenly.
You can also use coring bits in combination with spade bits to make intriguing circular patterns.

5. Using Linoleum Cutters for Fine Detail Work and Tracing

To do fine detail work and to carve intricate designs, linoleum cutters are the perfect tool. Purchase linoleum cutters if you don’t already have them in your toolbox.

The best bet for making an intricate design is to print out a pattern and then use a thumbtack or other small needle to mark the pattern onto the pumpkin.
Go back and use either the blade tool, or the finest v-tip to cut out the outline of your pattern.
Once the outline is marked, you can use the larger tips to remove sections of pumpkin skin.

6. Using a Woodworking Chisel to Remove Large Sections of Skin

Large woodworking chisels are great for removing the top layer of skin or for removing larger areas of a design.

1. Outline your design with a linoleum cutter, knife, or other tool that will remove a small section of pumpkin skin around the outside edge of your design.
2. Place the tip of the woodworking chisel underneath the skin and push away from the outside edge of your design.

Free Pumpkin Patterns and Templates

Mr. Handyman has put together 12 Pumpkin Patterns to help you make some spooky Jack-o-Lanterns this year. Click the links below to print out a PDF.

• Bats Pumpkin Pattern
• Cat and Moon Pumpkin Pattern
• Crescent Moon Pumpkin Pattern
• Cute Jack-o-Lantern Face Pumpkin Pattern
• Ghost Pumpkin Pattern
• Scarecrow Pumpkin Pattern
• Scary Jack-o-Lantern Face Pumpkin Pattern
• Scary Jack-o-Lantern Face Pumpkin Pattern (Option 2)
• Skull Pumpkin Pattern
• Three Bats Pumpkin Pattern
• Witch Pumpkin Pattern
• Wolf Howling at Moon Pumpkin Pattern
• Disney Character Pumpkin Patterns

Many homeowners are so overwhelmed with simply the thought of cleaning out the garage that it remains in disarray for years. Here’s how to reclaim your garage in only one weekend, by using this simple three-step program.

1. Sort and Clean

Sift through all the items in your garage and sort them into categories such as garden tools, sports equipment, tools, holiday decorations, cleaners, paint, items to sell/donate and, finally, trash. If you’ve been thinking of a new surface for your garage floor, now would be the time to do it.

2. Install an Organisational System  

Measure the space you have available for storage and install an easy-to-erect shelving or storage system. Mr. Handyman can assist in the assembly of all storage systems.

3. Organise, Hang and Put Away

Now that your organizational system is in place, it’s time to organise, hang and put things away. Plan to store frequently used items closest to the garage’s point-of-entry door. Affix wall hooks and hang all those garden tools that once cluttered the garage floor. Bulky items such as lawnmowers and snow blowers can be stored beneath the items hanging from the wall. Store like items in bins that fit your shelving unit. Consider overhead storage racks which can hold a surprising amount of weight to create new storage space. Store infrequently used items, such as holiday Garage Organisation with pegboard for toolsdecorations, up high or in a back corner. If you follow steps 1, 2 and 3, by Sunday afternoon you just may be able to park your car in the garage.

Related Posts:

Garage Organisation Ideas: Organise, Hang-it, Custom Solutions

Garage Door Maintenance

Mr. Handyman can help. Repair. Improve. Maintain. One call does it all!

Mr. Handyman can maintain your home to save you money. One call really does take care of everything on your to-do list. All Mr. Handyman franchises are Fully Insured.  Make sure to stay on top of all your household repairs, improvements and maintenance needs and request service in your area.

No place in a home gets cluttered as quickly as the garage. What starts out as a space for storage and your car can quickly turn into a tangle of tools, garden equipment, and rarely used household goods. Using shelves strategically is a simple way to get the clutter under control, and with the many varieties of shelves on the market, it’s easy to find the right shelving unit to fit your needs.

Free Standing Shelves
Probably the most prevalent kind of garage shelving is the free standing unit made from wire, steel or plastic. You can find these shelves in just about any home improvement or house goods store. They’re easy to assemble, relatively inexpensive, and come in a wide variety of sizes. You can also easily customize them with removable bins, baskets, and hanging baskets. Some free standing shelves come on casters making them easy to move around. The downside to store bought shelves is that they only come in a few stock sizes and it can be difficult to find bins to fit the shelf spaces exactly.

Adjustable Shelves
Another great option for garage shelves is adjustable shelving. These usually come with a set of rails mounted to the wall or inserted into feet brackets. You can easily adjust these shelves to fit the things you need to store, or to fit the storage bins you want to use. If you don’t have free wall space, or garage walls suitable for mounting rails, adjustable shelves may not work for your home.

Reduce & Reuse
Consider turning old kitchen or bathroom cabinets into your new garage cabinets. Those old cabinets may have gone out of style for your home but easily become useful storage space in a garage. Reusing shelves isn’t as aesthetically pleasing as installing new shelves, though, and they are difficult to customize.

Custom Shelves
Of course, having shelves custom-built by a professional handyman to suit your needs is ideal. You can choose your own materials, build around structural oddities in a garage, and get exactly the kind of storage you need and want. Custom-built shelves last a long time and are very sturdy. You can also have the shelves built to the exact measurements to fit the bins, boxes and drawers that best keep your garage organized.

Any shelving option you choose will help keep a cluttered garage in check. Explore your options and find the best shelving unit for your needs.

Mr. Handyman can help. Repair. Improve. Maintain. One call does it all!

Mr. Handyman can maintain your home to save you money. One call really does take care of everything on your to-do list. All Mr. Handyman franchises are Fully Insured. Make sure to stay on top of all your household repairs, improvements and maintenance needs and request service in your area.

Case study – Mr Handyman

David Christian

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Remember how excited you were the day you finished building your new deck?

The smell of fresh-cut wood, the warm even color of the new deck boards, that summer afternoon spent admiring the fine details that made yours the best-looking deck in the neighborhood. Now five years later, you hardly notice the deck as you amble across it to take out the trash. Yes, the colors have faded, the wood is gray and there may even be some mildew. Well, don’t despair; this is a love affair that’s easily rekindled. It takes just a few days, mild cool weather, some cleaning and stripping solution, and a few minor tools to get that old relationship right back where it started.

Before you revive a tired-looking deck, look it over to see that all the wood surfaces are sound. If the wood is rotten, a screwdriver will push easily into the wood and the surface fibers will pull away easily. No amount of cleaning is going to bring it back. If you have damaged wood, replace it with new.

Deck cleaners are formulated to clean a deck surface whether it has a stain or sealer on it or not. However, if you have an old finish that’s worn out, the cleaner will do a blotchy job. It’ll clean the worn spots differently from the spots that still have finish on them. Look for signs of an old finish line. A stain finish is easy to spot because it leaves signs of wear in high-traffic areas.

A sealer is harder to spot, but you can tell if it’s worn out because it’ll no longer bead water. Old sealers usually will come off with a deck cleaner. Look for a film in areas with lower traffic. If you detect a film, use a stripper on the railing (like we did) to get rid of it before you apply a cleaner. Examine the railing in the same manner as the deck boards.

The deck stripper is designed to lift off the old finish (stain or sealer) and get the surface ready for the deck cleaner to do its work. Save time and stripper solution by using an ordinary paint scraper to scrape away most of the old finish residue. It may sound daunting, but keep in mind that you don’t need to get down to bare wood. Just scrape the surface enough to remove loose, flaky finish. Don’t spend more than two hours doing this on an average-size (10 x 16-ft.) deck.

The deck we cleaned for this article had all sound wood, but the semi-transparent oil finish on the railing was starting to flake off, so we stripped the railings before applying a cleaner. The deck boards, on the other hand, were unfinished, so we used a deck cleaner only. It had been several years since this deck had received any attention, but it cleaned up beautifully.

A deck stripper is used to remove old loose stain and deck sealers, before cleaning and brightening. It breaks the finish loose from the wood like a furniture stripper does. Some sample brand names are Wolman DeckStrip, Flood Powerlift and Superdeck Wood Stripper. These products also enable you to get rid of an old color and apply a new stain color. The deck stripper products are most effective on oil-based finishes. New products that remove latex stains and finishes will be on the market soon.

There are basically two types of deck cleaners: One type (liquid oxalic acid or powdered hydrogen peroxide) removes a thin layer of gray, dead wood fibers from the surface and exposes the fresh wood beneath. Some sample brand names are Wolman Deck and Siding Brightener and Rejuvenator, Flood Dekswood and Superdeck Wood Cleaner. The other type has a bleach base that removes unsightly black and green stains on the surface such as mildew. If you notice this condition, clean off the mildew first and rinse, then use one of the standard deck cleaners mentioned above.

For the best buy, pay attention to the concentration of cleaner in the 3.5 litre plastic jug. Some of the cleaners appear to cost more, but on closer inspection, you’ll see that the 3.5 litre container mixes with water to make 19 – 20 litres of cleaning solution (enough for a large deck).

Summer is an excellent time to inspect the exterior of your home to make sure everything is in proper working order.

Mr. Handyman recommends starting with items that could lead to expensive repairs if not addressed immediately, then inspecting items that would have a lesser impact. The sooner you get done with your work, the more time you can spend having fun, enjoying your deck or patio and fun with the family.

Assess render for Damage

Once a hole is made in the render, water can get inside the wall behind. If you have leftover render material (contractors often leave a partial bucket), you can patch minor holes. For larger holes, a professional handyman should be consulted.

Brick Work and Masonry

Inspect brick or stone faces and pillars and note any cracks, missing, or damaged mortar joints. Mortar joints can be repaired by first cleaning out any loose material and dirt; then mix a small amount of mortar and water and work the material into the crack. Wear rubber gloves as cement is highly alkaline and will burn bare skin. Alternatively, for smaller cracks, a tube of mortar repair sealing can do the job.

Inspect driveway and paths for open control joints, cracks, and surfaces that have risen or dropped relative to adjacent surfaces. Slabs that have dropped may be able to be mud jacked rather than replaced. Cracks should be sealed with a concrete crack sealant to keep water out.

Fences and Gates

Inspect fence gates for proper operation. Tighten any loose screws/bolts and adjust latches so they operate easily. A sagging gate may be able to be corrected by installing a cable and turn-buckle from the top hinge side corner of the gate to the opposite bottom corner.

Trees and Bushes – Potential Home Hazards

Assess trees and bushes that may be touching or approaching roofs or walls. Any limbs touching walls or roofs should be immediately removed to prevent damage. A pole saw is handy for this task as it allows you to trim limbs from the ground. Use extreme care when trimming trees and call a professional for large limbs or trees, especially those over roofs. Never trim limbs around power lines; call a professional.

Exterior Irrigation

Inspect sprinkler system for damage. The most common damage occurs when the system is not drained in the fall and the backflow preventer freezes. The backflow preventer is the device that has a bell-like cap on it and is typically installed where the sprinkler system water line leaves the house. Also check to be sure all heads are intact and operate properly.

 Mr. Handyman Offers Tips to ‘Pimp Your Patio’

Here’s practical advice on getting your patio or deck in shape to kick off the summer season. Now that spring cleaning is over, it’s time to focus on the area that gets the most use over the summer months – the patio and deck. Mr. Handyman is encouraging homeowners to spend a little time working on the weathered extension of their homes to show the back garden some love.

Every year around this time, families, neighbors and friends begin making plans for summer parties. BBQ’s are cleaned and lawn mowers are powered up, but what about the patio or deck? Here are some tips to spruce up the back of your house for summer entertaining:

Power Wash: Over time, dirt, debris and mildew collect on the surface of your patio and if not properly cleaned, damage can be caused from the buildup. To avoid potential damage, it’s best to have an expert inspect and power wash your patio at least once a year. Routinely washing your patio properly is one of the easiest ways to maintain your investment and increase overall aesthetic.

Sand & Stain: Refinishing your deck is a two-staged job. For a polished look, first stain your deck with either a latex or oil-based stain and then use fine grit sandpaper to give your deck a smooth finish. Make sure to inspect your deck before starting and evaluate if you need to strip off the old finish before staining. Since the summer sun, heat and moisture all weather the deck’s wood, it’s important to sand and stain your deck seasonally to maintain the refinished look.

Install Flower Boxes: One of the easiest ways to add color and fragrance to any patio is by installing flower boxes. If you choose to build one from scratch, make sure to create holes at the bottom of the box for drainage and install a strong support system for each box.

Move & Assemble Patio Furniture: Patio furniture should accent your house while complementing the natural colors in your yard. Before dragging the furniture out of the garage, make sure to clean it up and make touch-ups where necessary. Good patio furniture is advantageous for both the look of your yard as well as the comfort of your guests.

Upgrade & Install: Installing new doors, windows and screens will complement both indoor and outdoor spaces. With your yard being a continued extension of your home, you want the transition spaces to be updated and inviting for both you and your guests.

Feeling cramped? Organising your garage is one of the best ways to reduce clutter and create more room in the rest of your house. Mr. Handyman has a few quick tips to transform your garage into a clean and functional space:

–Organise: Put similar items such as sports equipment, garden tools, and holiday decorations together and clearly label boxes, bins, and storage containers. Installing storage cabinets, shelving, and counter tops will make getting to things easier and help you stay organised.

Get it off the ground: By using hooks to hang bikes and organisation racks for brushes and rakes, you’ll  make your garage less cluttered and easier to navigate.

–Custom Solutions: We know that every home—and every family—is unique. For example, you may need a custom-built shelf to fit an odd-shaped object, more space for your active teenager’s sports gear, or a pet door in the garage. Whatever your requirements, Mr. Handyman’s experienced technicians can create personalised solutions that are just right for you—and your budget.

All Mr. Handyman franchises are Fully Insured.  Click here to request service in your area.

You are not REDUNDANT the job is. Work for yourself so you are not in that position again.

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