South West Condo Treviana

Ways to Hide that Ugly Wood Paneling in your Home


You hate the old paneling in your home, and its to expensive to replace it, but you cant stand living with it any longer. In fact its so bad that it depresses you, and youve actually thought about selling the house just to get away from it. Dont despair youre not alone with that ugly wood paneling; there are a million others that live with it too. There are a few repair tricks that you can do that will get rid of the ugly wall paneling in your home. Take some time and learn about some steps to solve your wall paneling dilemma.

The list below is just a few of the ideas that you can use to brighten up your dingy 70s wall paneling situation. Be prepared for some elbow grease, but itll be better than looking at the wall paneling.

1. Painting the Paneling. The number one rule to remember with painting paneling is that you just cant slap some paint on it and expect it to look professional. It will look tacky if you do. Paint will run and paneling will show through as it absorbs the paint which could also cause yellow streaks to run in the paint. Surface preparation is the key to all of the paneling in your house. Begin with a good cleaner that will degrease the muck and build-up on the paneling. Youll need a gloss remover after you apply the degreasing solution to the paneling. Never apply the gloss remover over large areas. Rub the area in the direction of the wood grain over smaller sections. Let set for about 30 min. and then apply the primer. Dont try to remove the gloss remover. This will need to stay on. Next apply the primer over frame areas and baseboards. If the wood paneling is showing through after the first coat, let it dry, and go back over it with a second coat. If you dont it will come through your regular paint, and your effort is wasted. Keep applying the gloss remover over small sections and priming until youre finished. Let it dry over night and then add the caulking in the unsightly grooves of the paneling. Remove excess with a putty knife. Let dry completely over night. Youre then ready to start painting your first coat of paint. Let dry according to directions and then put a second coat on.
2. Painting Wallpaper. In some of the nicer wallpaper stores you can find wallpaper that can be painted. This will give the appearance of a painted wall. Its a wonderful idea to be able to pick what color you want and get rid of that dingy awful looking wood paneling. You can add other colors to give it a 3-D effect too. First clean with a good degreaser and let dry. After drying go in and fill in each groove with a caulk to get rid of wall paneling ridges. Clean excess caulk with a putty knife and dispose of. Its necessary to do this because your lining and wall paper will not have a firm surface to stick too. Next buy a good primer at your local hardware store, and prime all of the paneling. An extra step is needed when papering your walls by applying and sizing to them. Its sticky and will keep the wall paper sticking to the paneling. Hang your wallpaper according to directions. Youll need to soak the paper in water, and then hang after a few minutes. Youre ready then to paint your wallpaper with your favorite color or colors. Take note of special instructions for painting wallpaper from the paint manufacturer.
3. Glazing the Paneling. You can add a nice shine to your paneling too by glazing it. First clean the paneling with a degreaser. Next add a color that you like and paint it. Let it dry overnight. Secondly mix a satiny top color with a glaze in the correct proportions. Read instructions with your paints for a correct mixture. Paint over small sections of the paneling, preferably one or two sections at a time. Depending on how much shine you want wipe off excess glaze with a clean rag. When done always clean your brush with mineral oil, and let drive over night before storing them for future projects.

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How to Change your Locks in Five Simple Steps


Changing locks in your home sounds so simple, and it can be if you know what youre doing. Of course there are on the market different styles of handles, and certain styles have different locking mechanisms. Each style has its own unique function, so if youre going to change your lock, know what type works best and why. Read on and learn a little about how to change a basic lock, and other style issues and uses.

You need to know what youre using your lock for before changing out the lock. Here are a few styles that youll want to consider.

1. Free through Passage Handles. If you need to change the handles in your house for a closet then you wont have to fool with locks on this one. Its free through exactly as the name sates. You can buy them in a knob type handle style, or a lever type that is very popular. Of course make sure that you dont need one a lock before purchasing a free through handle. Any medications that are stored will need to be locked if you have small children around.
2. Privacy Door Knobs. Commonly used in the areas of a bedroom or bathroom where privacy is most desired. The lock on these doors are made where you can unlock the door from the inside by turning an extra switch, or just by turning the knob.
3. Entrance Locks. This type of lock is very popular for a garage door or anywhere that youll want limited access to areas that might have dangerous chemicals, or sharp machinery or tools. The style is not totally secure because if its used on fencing around a pool someone can hop the fence, and get right into the area youre trying to keep closed. Consider enclosing any area like this with a much taller fencing system for better security.
4. Decorative Door Knobs. These types of knobs are used for spicing up the look of your house. Popular places for placement are on French doors. You can use them on pantries too as long as you dont have anything in there thats hazardous. Theres no lock on these, so make sure that youll use them in the correct way. Handles can be placed on both sides of the door, but youve got a choice of having them only on one side too. A cap in a matching color is on the other side with fake trim.
5. Security Single Deadbolt Lock. This lock is good for any entrance door to the home, such as a front or back door. You can put them on interior doors that lead from a garage to inside of the house too. Its advisable to use this type of lock with doors that dont have glass panes or side lights. It would be very easy to enter by just breaking the glass and reaching in to turn the knob. It has one cylinder on the outside. Youll enter by using a key from the outside of the door.
6. Security Double Deadbolt Lock. Use this type of lock when you want extra strength and security for you doors. This deadbolt lock can be locked from the inside or outside of the door using a key. Other types of locking mechanisms can be added for security such as a chain too.
7. Decorative Deadbolt and Latch Set. This type can be made as either a knob or handle type. Its a deadbolt lock and a door latch in one. You can use the two configurations by themselves too. It just depends on your needs.

Now that youve got an idea about the different types of styles and their locking mechanisms youll need to figure out if the door handle that youve got now is appropriate, or if you just want a new style of lock and handle to replace the older one.

Considerations for changing your lock are below. If youre upgrading your lock these are a few tips that will come in handy when doing it.

Latch plate. The latch plate hole might not be deep enough for a better quality latch. The latch plate is on the interior part of your door. Open it and remove the existing latch plate.
Try fitting the new latch plate into the old hole. If it doesnt fit flush with the hole, youll need to chisel out the old hole to a deeper depth.
Check to make sure that the plunger for the deadbolt matches up with the hole in the door frame. The lock wont do any good for security if the holes dont line up.
For extra security add longer screws to the pre drilled areas on the plate.
Readjust if needed for security purposes.