Installing a Traditional Tile Backsplash

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Bring everything you have. There are several different items required to install a traditional ceramic back panel in the kitchen. Before you start your project, make sure you are well prepared. Materials to be prepared before starting include tiles, tile adhesives, and grout.


Make sure you have the necessary tools, including a notched trowel, tape measure, sponge, level, utility knife, and a tile cutter. You may need spacers for tiles that are not attached together in sections. You may want to use something to cover your countertops during this process to keep them clean.


Clean your walls. In order for the tile adhesive to stick the walls, they must be free of any dust or grease. Wipe them down with a damp rag, and give enough time for them to completely dry. Measure your space. It is important to make sure you get a good measurement so you know exactly what size you should cut your tiles.


Choose a stopping point, either directly below your cabinets or at an arbitrary point on the wall. Make sure that you have enough tiles to fill the measured space, as well as a few extras for precaution. Use a level and straight edge to mark your stopping point along the wall.


Apply the tile adhesive. Use your trowel to smooth the tile adhesive across the wall, working in small sections. If you apply too much at once, it will begin to dry before you get a chance to attach the tiles. Always start applying your tiles from the bottom center, and working outwards from there. Don’t apply the tile adhesive to the backs of the tiles, as it will be more difficult to attach them to the wall.

How to Repair Cracks in Wood Floors?

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Get some sawdust from the floor you want to repair. If you don’t have any leftover pieces of matching wood laying around your house, you’ll have to go to a flooring store and buy a piece of wood to match. (same species and stain if possible).


If you can’t find any wood to match, you’ll have to “cannibalize” a piece of the existing floor. Pull up the baseboard and pry up a strip from the edge of the floor, or alternatively, remove a piece from under a doorway. Sand the side of the wood nearest the wall where it will be hidden under the baseboard once it’s re-laid, or at the edge of the strip under the door where it’s hidden by the door jamb.


Using a belt sander, sand off a cup or two of wood from the piece of wood into a container (or however much you think you’ll need to fill the cracks). Mix the sawdust with some wood glue to make a fairly thick paste. Using a plastic trowel (or a plastic spatula), lay the sawdust/glue mixture into the cracks. Try to finish off as smooth as possible.


Wipe the patch and adjacent flooring with a damp rag to wipe off any excess. Wipe on a diagonal to avoid pulling filler out of the patch. Let the filler dry for a day or two. Hiring a flooring specialist to work on your home involves a certain amount of trust. Go online to read reviews of contractors in your area or ask a friend or loved one for a personal recommendation to find one that meets your standards.


Sand lightly. If there’s a huge color difference between the patch and the rest of the floor, you might need to re-stain the patch.Using a very small artist’s brush, stain the patch. Allow to dry for a minute and wipe off. Let the stain set overnight and using another small artist’s brush, cover the patch with a coat of varnish to match the existing floor.

How to Close Gaps in Laminate Flooring?

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With enough time and wear, unsightly gaps can begin to open up in interlocking laminate flooring. Fortunately, this tends to be a minor issue, and correcting it won’t require you to go to the trouble of replacing the flooring altogether. For most jobs, all you’ll need is a simple tube of wood glue, or a mallet and flat object heavy enough to provide enough traction to allow you to tap the planks back into place.


This will ensure that the far end remains concealed by the baseboard. If you go towards the wall instead, you may end up having to deal with gaps in adjacent planks as a result. When correcting more than one plank in the same row, it may be necessary to also move the neighboring planks inward to keep the spacing consistent and avoid making the gap worse.


Tap the end of the block with a mallet to close the gap. Steady the tool with one hand and give the side furthest from the gap a couple whacks to move the loose plank closer to the one it’s drifted away from. It should slide along a few millimeters at a time. Continue tapping the block until the plank rests snugly against its neighbor.


Be careful not to strike the block too forcefully. This could dislodge it, or even damage the underside of the flooring. After successfully closing the gap, simply pull up the floor gap fixer to remove it. Repeat with any remaining gaps. Use the block and mallet to repair any other slipped planks that have appeared in your laminate flooring. Work carefully to keep your floor looking neat. All in all, the project should only take a matter of minutes.


If necessary, wipe off any dust or debris that’s accumulated on the adhesive pad with a damp cloth before the next time you use it. If you own a floor gap fixer tool, consider using it in conjunction with a touch of wood glue to ensure that the gap stays closed for good.

How Preventing Gaps in Laminate Flooring?

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Allow your laminate flooring to acclimate for 48-72 hours. Bring the planks inside and leave them to sit undisturbed prior to installation. This will give the material a chance to get used to the unique conditions in your home, which can help you avoid many environment-related complications later on.


Fluctuations in temperature and humidity can cause certain types of laminate flooring to swell and shrink slightly. Over time, this can result in noticeable gaps and other inconsistencies. Storing your laminate flooring materials in your garage, basement, or foyer also keeps them from being exposed to the elements.

Make sure the subflooring is perfectly level. Use a level to check the angle of your subfloor every 2–3 feet (0.61–0.91 m). If there are rises or depressions present, your laminate planks won’t sit correctly, no matter how many times you reposition them. Subfloors that are off alignment will need to be smoothed out using leveling compound.


If you plan on adding a separate underlayment for insulation, it will be important to make sure it’s cut properly to eliminate wrinkling, folding, or bunching, all of which could contribute to an off-level subfloor.


Have your laminate flooring installed professionally. Attempting to measure, cut, and install laminate flooring yourself leaves a lot of room for error, even if you have experience with this type of project. In most cases, it will be better to leave it to the pros. They’ll have the equipment, expertise, and manpower needed to get the job done faster and with more lasting results.

How Filling Gaps with Wood Glue?

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Scoop up a glob of wood glue using a small utensil. A toothpick, cotton swab, or similar item will make it easier to reach down into the narrow space. Some home improvement buffs even use disposable syringes for precision application. The important thing is that the glue only ends up on the grooves where the planks interlock.


Any clear or yellow wood glue will work just fine. Invest in a high-strength adhesive to spare yourself followup repairs in the future. Alternatively, you can also use caulk or wood putty to fill in gaps in laminate flooring. However, these substances may require special applicators or additional equipment.


Swab the glue onto the exposed tongue of the displaced plank. Inside the gap, you should be able to see the squared edge where the bottom of the plank is designed to fit together with the top of the next one in the row. Apply a thick coating of glue to this surface, aiming for even coverage from one end to the other. If you don’t apply enough glue, the repaired section of flooring may not hold up long under constant foot traffic.


Don’t be afraid to use more glue than you think you need—you don’t want the planks separating again after a few short days. Do your best to work neatly and efficiently, but don’t take too much time. Wood glue dries quickly, and once it does, it will be tough to get a second shot.


Push the separated planks together to close the gap. To do this, strike the plank at an angle repeatedly with the palm of your hand. For a less forceful approach, you could also try placing both hands flat against the plank and guiding it slowly towards its neighbor using your full body weight.

How Using a Floor Gap Fixer?

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Purchase a floor gap fixer tool. These days, many companies sell special devices designed to make it easier to close small gaps in hardwood and laminate flooring. These most often take the form of small, heavy rectangular blocks. The blocks feature an adhesive rubber face that provides traction to maneuver the slipped plank back into place with a few taps of a mallet.


You can find floor gap fixers at most major home improvement centers or online for around $40-60. If you’re trying to keep spending to a minimum for your repair project, try making your own floor gap fixer tool by coating one side of a 4×4 with double-sided tape.


Remove the protective backing from the adhesive face of the block. Peel the plastic covering away to expose the tacky rubber pad underneath. This surface will be used to grip the laminate plank while you force it back into place manually. The adhesive pad of the floor gap fixer is reusable, as long as it’s properly cleaned between projects.


Position the block 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the end of one of the displaced planks. Situate the tool in the center of either plank, then press down firmly on the topside with both hands to anchor it. It should stick to the plank securely enough to prevent slipping or scooting while you work. Once you get started, you’ll the shift the plank in the direction of the gap to close it off.


Avoid removing the block once it’s in place unless it’s absolutely necessary, as this may weaken the hold of the adhesive pad. Work your way toward the center of the floor and away from the wall. When using the floor gap fixer, it’s generally best to inch the problem plank towards the center of the floor, rather than outward towards the wall.

How Removing Debris from the Floor?

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Sweep the floor with a soft broom. Take a soft dust mop or a broom with soft bristles and sweep the floor. Make sure to sweep up as much debris as you can. Pay special attention to areas along walls or doors.


Be careful using a vacuum. If you choose to use a vacuum, you need to be careful not to damage your marble floor. The plastic on the nozzle or wheels of a vacuum can etch or scratch marble. As a result, use caution if you decide to use a vacuum. If you have a central vacuum system in your home, you may be able to use a soft floor attachment on the nozzle. However, you should test the attachment in an inconspicuous area (such as behind a door) before using it.


Use rugs and mats throughout your home. Rugs and mats will help accumulate debris. As a result, sweeping or vacuuming your floor will be easy. In addition, rugs or mats will protect high traffic areas from scratches.


Put down rugs to protect your floors. Area rugs and floor runners can help protect your marble floors, especially in high-traffic areas. Use area rugs in places like the living room and rug runners in hallways to prevent scuffing and scratching. Adding a no-slip pad under your rugs will help further protect your floors and keep your rugs in place.


Apply additional layers the same way. After the previous layer is completely dry, wax the floor again. Remember to do it in sections and plan your route to the door. Your specific floor wax product should include a recommended number of coats. If it doesn’t, apply three or four thin coats. Stop if the wax starts turning yellow.

How to Wash Marble Floors?

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Marble is a somewhat soft and porous stone that needs to be cleaned with care. Due to the traffic they get, marble floors, especially, need extra care. There are, thankfully, several ways to safely clean marble floors. By using appropriate cleaning products and avoiding things that could damage your floor, you’ll be better prepared to wash marble floors.


Mop the floor again with clean water. After you’ve mopped your floor with a detergent solution, you should mop it again with cool clean water. By mopping it again, you’ll help pick up any dirt or debris that remains on the floor. In addition, you’ll remove any suds that remain on the floor.


Change your water frequently. When mopping your floors, you need to make sure you change the cleaning solution or water often. If you don’t, your floor might become streaky or could be scratched by debris in the mopping water. If your water appears brown or you see it full of dirt, dump it. Refill it with new water (and soap, if you want).


Use a soft towel to dry the floor. Since marble is relatively porous, it’s important to sop up as much of your cleaning solution or water as you possibly can. If you don’t, the solution could leech into the marble and discolor it. Switch out wet and dirty towels as needed.


Sweep and mop your floors regularly. Regularly removing dirt and debris from your marble floors will help prevent future scratching and scuffing. How often you clean your floors will depend on how frequently they get dirty. Aim to remove debris as you notice it. For example, you have children or pets that easily track in dirt, you may need to sweep your floor a few times a week as opposed to once a week.

How Securing the Buff Floors Area?

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Remove movable items from the floor being buffed. Place these items in a separate room or hallway. Moving these items allows you to buff the area under and around them. Otherwise, it will be very difficult for you to get an even shine. Keep in mind that a buffer is a bulky machine that can easily damage items that it bumps into, and it’ll be harder for you to buff the area around the items in the room if you don’t remove them.


Block off the area to prevent people from slipping on the wet floor. This will also help protect your freshly buffed floor from getting dirty while you’re still working. Tell other people living in your home or those who are in your place of business that the floor will be wet for the next several hours.


If you moved large items from the room, you can always use these as a blockade to help keep people out. Simply position them along the entrance to the room. If you’re cleaning a commercial floor, put up “Caution” or “Wet Floor” signs for added safety.

Place your pets in a safe location if you’re buffing the floor of a home. Pets can get in the way of the buffer and may dirty your floor. You don’t want to accidentally buff pet fur into your floor, as you won’t be able to remove it once it’s buffed into the finish. Put your pets in a separate room and shut the door.


Alternatively, you can place your pets in their kennel if they already use one. Your pets will likely be afraid of the buffer, so keeping them out of the way will save them a lot of stress!

How Cleaning the Buff Floor?

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Use a broom or dust mop to remove any debris. Start in the corner of the room and slowly sweep the entire room. Make sure you get the floor as clean as possible. Otherwise, you risk buffing dirt into the finish. Over time, buffing a dirty floor can permanently alter the color of your floor finish, turning it a dingy yellow color.


You can also use a vacuum to suck up the dirt you swept. Use a vacuum attachment meant for your type of flooring. Wash the floor with a wet mop to ensure it’s completely clean. For best results, dip the mop into a bucket of soapy warm water. Then, start in the corner of the room and slowly work your way back toward the entrance. As you mop, make short, even strokes to clean the floor.


Rinse your mop when it starts to look dirty. Use a floor cleaner that’s formulated for the type of flooring in your home. Allow the floor to dry for 2 hours or use a fan to dry it faster. Touch the floor to make sure it’s dry before you move on to buffing. Don’t try to buff a wet floor because you will be applying a buffing solution, which is also a liquid.


If the floor is already wet, there will be too much liquid, which will make you need to change your buffing pad more often. Turning on a fan will help you dry the floor more quickly. A ceiling fan or box fan will work best.


The microfiber cloth shouldn’t damage your floor, no matter what material it is. Keep in mind that buffing a floor typically requires a lot of pressure, so you may not see much difference if you don’t press down very hard.