There are a lot of things to do over Easter – eating chocolate eggs and watching repeats on TV being the most popular.
But bank holidays are the perfect time to tick off some easy DIY jobs in the home.
Georgina Burnett– DIY expert, TV presenter, celebrity home stylist and interiors vlogger (as the Home Genie) – says many jobs will result in big gains for little pain.
From painting the front door to bleeding the radiators, homes can become more efficient and have more kerb appeal in the time it would take to watch Moonraker for the 20th time…
Paint the front door
Kerb appeal is everything, so why not give your home a facelift by painting your front door? Wooden doors are easy to paint and will make for an instant transformation of the property.
STEPS
1. Choose your colour and make sure the paint is appropriate for the environmental conditions of your area.
2. Remove any door furniture – you might also want to give these a clean.
3. Remove any flaking paint or blisters, and sand these areas smooth.
4. Use wood filler on any gaps.
5. Sand the door back using a fine-to-medium-grit sandpaper.
6. If necessary, use a moss or algae treatment.
7. Clean the door with sugar soap. I tend to use a pre-mixed spray. Finish with fresh water.
8. Once the door is bone dry, use a roller to paint the first coat.
9. Make sure you adhere to the paint’s coating and drying times, which you will find on the tin. You are likely to need two to three coats.
TOP TIP: When choosing your colour, go bold, as it is a statement of your character, and research shows it could even raise the value of your property.
Put up a shelf
Been meaning to put up that shelf for a while? It is more simple than most people think and can quickly help declutter a room.
STEPS
1. Identify whether the wall is solid or plasterboard as this will determine the fixings you need. Knocking the wall can help to do this as plasterboard will often sound more hollow.
2. If you don’t know where wires andpipework are, you can use a device to check.
3. Place masking tape on the back of the shelf and mark where the fixing holes are.
4. Remove the tape and stick on the wall in position, using a spirit level to make sure it’s straight.
5. Use the markings on the tape to drill your guide holes.
6. If it is plasterboard, screw in butterfly fixings and hook on the shelves.
TOP TIP: Sticking a folded Post-it note on the wall underneath where you are drilling will catch any brick or plaster dust and make cleaning-up easier.
Create a feature wall
Many people fear wallpapering but if you start small with a feature wall it’s easier than you think.
STEPS
1. ‘Paste the wall’ wallpaper is the easiest to use, so it’s worth opting for this when choosing your paper.
2. Use a steamer and stripping knife to remove old wallpaper and clean the wall with soapy water to remove any debris.
3. Work out which order you will hang it in if there’s a pattern. If there’s a chimney breast and you’re using patterned paper, start in the centre.
4. Use a plumb line to draw a vertical line down the wall with a pencil.
5. Use a roller or brush to apply an even layer of all-purpose paste to the section you are going to paper.
6. Cut the paper roughly to length (slightly more than you need) and hang from top to bottom on the pasted section.
7. Use a brush to smooth the wallpaper into place and trim any excess with a decorating knife.
TOP TIP: When steaming the walls, wear a shower cap to avoid sticky paste getting in your hair.
Fill holes and gaps
Holes and gaps can ruin the feng shui of a home, and they are a simple quick fix you can easily do in a day.
For smaller holes or gaps you can simply use a standard filler or decorators’ caulk. For bigger holes you might need to use a deep hole filler.
STEPS
1. Clean the hole and surrounding area. If there’s dust you may need to vacuum it out.
2. Apply a generous amount of filler – pre-mixed is the quickest and easiest to use.
3. Scrape away any excess with a filling knife and wipe the surrounding area.
4. Wait for it to totally dry and lightly sand smooth with a fine-grit sandpaper.
5. If the filler has shrunk back, you may need to repeat the process. With bigger holes it may take a few attempts.
6. Paint over the top.
TOP TIP: If you don’t have a filling knife, use an old credit card to remove any excess filler.
Bleed a radiator
If radiators take a while to heat up, have cold spots at the top or there are gurgling noises, it’s likely they need to be bled to make them the most efficient they can be.
STEPS
1. Bleeding is basically releasing trapped air so water can move freely.
2. You need to turn the heating off first and wait for the radiators to cool down.
3. Place a vessel under the bleed valve and insert the bleed key. If you don’t have a radiator key, you can purchase one online but just make sure it’s the right size.
4. Turn the key anti-clockwise until you can hear a hissing noise, which is the air escaping.
5. When water starts to come out, turn the key clockwise to tighten the valve again.
6. You can do as many radiators as necessary and then turn the heating back on to check it’s worked.
TOP TIP: If addressing multiple radiators, start with the radiator furthest away from the boiler.
MORE : County Down home on the market for £24,950 – but it’s ‘just a shell’
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