DIY

[ElwoodBlues1]

Be careful on DIY youtube video's, some good ones but also some shockers with real bad practices being employed and incorrect methods that are shortcuts to trouble and illegal. What is ok in the South of USA might not be ok in Aus........

[Baggers]

What great advice!

Mrs Baggers and I have also just bought a home down on the island. And it requires repainting inside and out which I am happy to do, having done it many times before. The advice of getting quality brushes/rollers and paint is spot on. We're lucky as our new home is not the typical holiday home but rather architect designed and properly built (no asbestos/double bedrooms/big kitchen etc).

Love the advice re tiling - thank you. I've never done that before. Mrs Baggers suggested just spraying directly over the tiles, something she saw on one of the 5,388 home improvement shows she watches. Any thoughts on spraying vs tiling over the oldies - as suggestion I really like, thank you, EB1.

The existing carpet is in pretty good nick but we will eventually pull it up and do floorboards so, again, great advice above. Under the carpet is chipboard.

NM, very best of luck with your reno. The only humble advice I can offer is to echo the above, take your time and use quality products, plus the 3 p's... preparation, preparation and preparation!

[Baggers]

...and I can echo what EB1 said re YT DIY. Try to find Aussie/Brit hints, I wouldn't trust the US as a source as it's a real minefield from excellent to downright dangerous.

[ElwoodBlues1]

What great advice!

Mrs Baggers and I have also just bought a home down on the island. And it requires repainting inside and out which I am happy to do, having done it many times before. The advice of getting quality brushes/rollers and paint is spot on. We're lucky as our new home is not the typical holiday home but rather architect designed and properly built (no asbestos/double bedrooms/big kitchen etc).

Love the advice re tiling - thank you. I've never done that before. Mrs Baggers suggested just spraying directly over the tiles, something she saw on one of the 5,388 home improvement shows she watches. Any thoughts on spraying vs tiling over the oldies - as suggestion I really like, thank you, EB1.

The existing carpet is in pretty good nick but we will eventually pull it up and do floorboards so, again, great advice above. Under the carpet is chipboard.

NM, very best of luck with your reno. The only humble advice I can offer is to echo the above, take your time and use quality products, plus the 3 p's... preparation, preparation and preparation!

Baggers...Dont recommend painting tiles either by hand or spraying, Bunnings used to sell White Knight tile paint and have some video's up but they were never clear enough to see the results, however I have seen a kitchen with painted tiles and they look ...painted, also the grout lines are impossible to get right with those grout pens even with masking.
Tiling over tiles works if the original tiles are in good knick, you need to sand/rough the surface up so the adhesive sticks. My preference is to remove the tiles and renew the tile backing board but you tend to do that more when you are doing the whole kitchen and the cabinetry, benches etc are all going too and you can smash away without fear of damaging stuff that is staying.
My preference also when tiling over tiles is to use bigger tiles over smaller tiles , you can still use a smaller feature tile row but I think it makes for a better more secure finish....use an electric tile cutter especially for holes in the tiles ie for power points and get a couple of glass/ tile drill bits for starter/marker holes and make sure you have a mask and eye protection....the tile cutter throws clouds of dust up so its an outside job as well as water from the cooling of the blade with tile chips so they can be dangerous and watch your pinkies or you might not be typing so quick when on CSC..

re: The carpet over chipboard, use the thicker better quality underlay and be prepared to shave a bit off the bottom of one or two doors if the previous carpet/floor covering hasnt been as plump/luxurious as some doors may not close/open so good.

[cookie2]

@EB1
Also with tiles, I found that I got better outcomes with larger tiles and for me anyway, the job seemed easier, especially the grouting.
Also agree, try and find local or British Youtubes, I find them better. As I said, Bunnings has some good ones.

[ElwoodBlues1]

@EB1
Also with tiles, I found that I got better outcomes with larger tiles and for me anyway, the job seemed easier, especially the grouting.
Also agree, try and find local or British Youtubes, I find them better. As I said, Bunnings has some good ones.

With you on the large tiles Cookie.....easier and less work apart from carrying them home........found National Tiles a good source for tiles when they have
their sales...Frank Walker makes appalling ads but he does do a good sale and the boys out the back in the store are happy to give you a few extra tiles for nada.
I like the British youtube video's for plumbing issues.....

[Navy Maven]

What great advice!

Love the advice re tiling - thank you. I've never done that before. Mrs Baggers suggested just spraying directly over the tiles, something she saw on one of the 5,388 home improvement shows she watches. Any thoughts on spraying vs tiling over the oldies - as suggestion I really like, thank you, EB1.

NM, very best of luck with your reno. The only humble advice I can offer is to echo the above, take your time and use quality products, plus the 3 p's... preparation, preparation and preparation!

Haha I probably watch all the same shows....the tile spraying is a favourite move of Shaynna on Selling Houses Australia. But whenever she says the cost, it doesn't seem a hell of a lot cheaper than re-tiling.

[tonyo]

Thanks tonyo. I would prefer bamboo too, but it's a bit out of the budget now. Originally we were looking at bamboo and getting all 3 things done by professionals, but spent a bit more on furniture than we expected.

As for the carpet, completely agree, but my partner wants carpet in the bedrooms and lounge and I'm not willing to spend the next decade hearing her whinge about it (she'll inevitably find something to whinge about) haha.

Thanks again, will need to look into the costs for the tools needed as well 

Hi Navy,

re price of bamboo, I used this place www.sriimports.com.au (yes I was nervous when I first went there, but it turned out trumps for me).

big range of laminate flooring as well

if nothing else, it's worth a look.....

[Navy Maven]

Hi Navy,

re price of bamboo, I used this place www.sriimports.com.au (yes I was nervous when I first went there, but it turned out trumps for me).

big range of laminate flooring as well

if nothing else, it's worth a look.....

Excellent, thanks for that. So those guys are just suppliers yeah? Did you just get a local contractor to do the work?

[Amers]

Being a DIY novice myself, although I have done a little painting and flooring before, I would happily give the painting a go by myself, there is no way I would give the flooring a go on my own!

Maybe you are braver/smarter than me though!