Tackle Tough DIY Tasks Like a Pro

Tackle tough DIY tasks like a pro

(BPT) - Have you been putting off some seemingly hard-to-handle home improvement projects? If so, there’s still time to tackle do-it-yourself tasks like a pro – from painting high ceilings and stairwells to repairing garage and basement floors. With the right tips and tools, you can accomplish these home improvements in a snap.

Reach new heights
When it comes to sprucing up foyers and great rooms, painting may appear to be a challenge for most homeowners – especially when it comes to the ceiling. But it doesn’t have to be. Start by covering furniture and floors with drop cloths or plastic sheeting, or removing furniture from the room entirely.
Start the painting process from the top. A fresh coat of paint on a ceiling can transform a room. Grab a ladder and be mindful of necessary safety precautions. Before painting, shield your eyes by wearing protective goggles. Lightly sand your ceiling and remove any dust with a damp rag or sponge. Then, edge around your ceiling with a paint brush to line the perimeter of the ceiling.

Looking for an easier way to paint the main portion of the ceiling? Select a lightweight and durable extension pole such as the new Purdy Power Lock extension pole, which eliminates pole-to-frame wobbling. The Power Lock pole features a universal tip that connects to nearly all roller frames and rollers, including Purdy Marathon rollers.

Start painting in one corner of the ceiling and form a “V,” then roll the paint out and around. Work in 4-foot sections and always roll into the wet edge of the section you were previously painting. Wait for the ceiling to dry completely and apply another coat.

Safely painting stairwells
Many two-story foyers are accompanied by stairwells with equally tall walls. These high-traffic areas are very visible, yet may be the last place homeowners care to spend time updating. While most areas of the home can be painted with a roller or brush and a basic stepstool, stairwells may pose a safety risk. There are few ways to carefully cross this potentially tricky task off of your to-do list.  

A sturdy extension pole that allows for smooth length adjustments is a must. Power Lock extension poles enable the user to safely and effectively paint areas in and out of reach. You can also utilize an extension ladder on the side walls of a stairwell with a ladder leveler. Simply place one leg of the ladder on one step and the other leg, with the ladder leveler attached, on the step below it. Adjust the ladder leveler so that your ladder is resting evenly, and you’re ready to update the walls and ceiling in this space.

If you find yourself in a spot where the results are less than ideal or the job is simply too complex, don’t be afraid to reach out to a professional for assistance.

Repainting basement and garage floors
Has repairing and/or repainting the floor of your garage or basement made your to-do list for years but never seems to be your No. 1 priority? Make this year the one where this project gets done. First, pick up protective eyewear and gloves for the job as it will involve paints and cleaners, and be sure the area is well ventilated. Before beginning, it is best to remove stains by using a three-parts water to one-part bleach mixture. For tougher stains, consider using a pressure washer. Be sure to thoroughly rinse the area. Once the floor is clean and dry, repair any cracks in the concrete using concrete/mortar-repair compound for smaller cracks or concrete patch for larger ones.

Next, you will want to apply a thin primer coat using a paint roller attached to an extension pole like the Purdy Power Lock to ensure you don’t paint yourself into a corner. After eight hours, start with a coat of the floor paint and allow the first coat to dry for one full day before applying the second. Wait about 24 hours before walking or driving on the newly painted surface.

By following these helpful tips and using the proper tools, you can complete lingering projects in no time. You'll then be able to enjoy great looking, long-lasting results.

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The Gift of Stylish Decor

Mary Taggart

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The month of December is a whirl of activities that all center around home and family and for many that means opening doors to guests. And while the idea of sharing space with family and friends conjures up feelings of warmth and sentiment it can also bring out the insecurities of incomplete projects and outdated décor.

Clearly there is no time to renovate or undertake a major decorating task but there are a few DIY projects that you can pull off in a short time. Adding a pop of colour with paint will do wonders to dress up space and create an updated feeling within your home.

First it’s important to consider the existing colour scheme so that the new blends in with the old and doesn’t look out of place. The idea is not to create a whole new look but to help enhance the current décor. Next consider what trends are coming for 2015 and how you plan on implementing them. Is there a colour you have had your eye on? Tones are going to be more muted in the next year; there is an earthy influence with undertones of brown showing up in paint colours.

A starting point would be to take a version of your existing accent colour and tone it down a shade or two. Vibrant blues and greens have had strong influence on the décor scene. A simple decorating project would be to paint your powder room in a muted tone of the electric blue that has been so prevalent for the past few years or for even more “wow” add a trending shade like pantone’s colour of the year, “marsala red”.

Now, until December 20th, CIL Paint is offering up tester sizes for $3.97 at The Home Depot stores, so budgets won’t feel stretched by a simple, yet stylish DIY painting project. CIL paints “Deep Garnet” is the perfect version of the new on trend colour.

Looking to dive in a little deeper with an update that will create big impact? Tackle an accent wall in the guest room. The guest room is definitely an underused space and often gets overlooked when it comes to adding style and then panic sets in as guests are making their way for a holiday visit! Little touches go a long way to making visitors feel welcome. Fresh flowers and magazines on the bedside table, a cozy robe hanging on the door tells your guests you’re happy to have them. Go the extra mile and add some pizazz to the space and paint one wall in a calming soothing tone that says the room has style, all the while being a restful sanctuary!

The accent wall is typically the first wall you see when you walk into a room, but this rule can bend for bedroom décor and the wall where the bed rests is a perfect place for a pop of colour. CIL testers are just the right amount of paint for this minor project. Try CIL’s “Lakefront” for a soothing pop of colour.

There is still time to bring your space up-to-date. Plan for a half-day DIY project, crank the Christmas music and get to work. The new look will be appreciated long after the tree has been put to the curb and guests have made their way back home, consider it a gift to you this holiday season!

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Lowe's Uses Vine and Instagram to Showcase DIY

Mike O'Brien
 

In addition to a new set of Vine videos, the home improvement chain is using Instagram videos as trailers for its DIY projects that are popular posts on its Pinterest page.

Lowe’s has launched a video marketing campaign, using social media to teach consumers how to do home improvement projects.

With BBDO New York, Lowe’s used Vine to showcase the projects – a shelf made of pipes, a backyard fire pit, and a tile backsplash for the kitchen – from start to finish, with detailed how-to steps. With two taps at a time, users can pause on each frame, lingering on each instruction for as long as they need.

The campaign also uses Instagram, whereby videos are made with the Hyperlapse app that allows users to make time-lapse videos. These serve more as trailers for some of the home improvement brand’s more popular Pinterest projects, such as under-bed drawers, a lattice picture display, and the aforementioned pipe shelf.

Using video, the goal is to inspire people in a way that a static image couldn't by showing them the project from start to end, says Bob Estrada, senior vice president at BBDO New York.

"I think when you see [the project] in six seconds, you see that it's achievable and it demystifies it a bit," Estrada says. "Seeing someone else enjoying the final version of the project in their home may bring people closer to action and spur someone to do the project themselves."

Estrada thinks social media is a fun way to engage consumers - Lowe's is extremely popular on Pinterest, with nearly 3.5 million followers - but for Kate Ryan, vice president of integrated communications firm Diffusion, using these video platforms is also a smart way to engage the coveted Millennial demographic, in particular.

"Lowe's use of Vine and Instagram is a smart move in reaching today's younger consumers with notoriously small attention spans," Ryan says. "Millennials love bite-sized content, but to truly engage them long-term, marketers need to take them seriously and develop content that's authentic to the way they live their lives."

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