Why pay for home improvement when you can do it yourself?
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There
has been a decline in consumer confidence in the building and
construction industry. This may be the same reason why many are now
doing home improvements by themselves.
Why
not? A little knowledge of the technical aspects combined with the
eye for creativity is enough to do the home improvement on your own.
Why
are people turning to do-it-yourself home improvements?
Many
construction workers who do not have a lot of experience or expertise
in construction or home maintenance are out there right now trying to
work on these homes across the country.
As
a result, homeowners are finding that the jobs are not being
completed to their satisfaction. Sometimes they are even prepaying
for services that do not get done or are not part of the plan.
You
do not have to rely and pay someone to improve your home. Why not try
to do it yourself?
You
can enhance your home’s existing concrete surfaces using acid
stains, acrylic stains, epoxy paints, and scoring techniques.
If
you are tired of looking at dreary gray concrete, there are some easy
projects for the serious home improvement do-it-yourselfer to give
your patio, driveway, garage, etc. a refreshing new look.
Decorative
concrete work costs double or even triple that of regular concrete.
This is why many people cannot afford it.
There
are inexpensive ways to decorate concrete after it has cured without
having to pay skilled tradesmen.
Acid
based concrete stains are becoming more and more popular for coloring
concrete surfaces. They chemically react with the cementitious
material to produce permanent color with variegated or mottled
appearance like that of marble. This results in a natural, elegant
looking surface.
Water
based concrete stains are an alternative to acid stains and are much
more user friendly because they’re much less toxic. These stains do
not chemically react with the concrete; they are absorbed into the
surface pores and act like a dye. The big advantage of water based
stains is the wide array of colors available.
If
you want to venture beyond the basic staining of concrete, consider
using some scoring techniques to create patterns on the surface.
You
can make your concrete look like a tile floor for example. It is up
to your imagination. An angle grinder with a 4 inch grinding or
cutting wheel is the ideal tool for this.
The
important thing to remember when scoring is to draw the pattern on
the concrete first and make sure you are satisfied with the way it
looks because scoring is irreversible.
Epoxy
paints make an excellent coating for garage floors and basement
floors. Many commercial floors have epoxy coatings because of their
durability and resistance to chemical spills as well as their
appearance.
In
recent years, however, it has become very popular for residential use
with an increasing availability of different colors. This is not a
difficult project, but the key to successful application is surface
preparation.
Epoxy
paints have also become available in a water based form making it
safe for the do-it-yourselfer and ideal for indoor applications. They
cost a little more than stains. For a 400 square foot garage, you’ll
spend about $200 for the materials needed for this project.
See?
You do not have to spend money to have your home improved. You have
the capability to do it yourself. With some instructions and a little
bit of work, anyone can turn boring concrete into their own
masterpiece.
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