DIY home improvement tips needed

[sundaymorningstaple]

If the walls have a lumpy type of paint (hopefully it's not a stucco plaster finish) you can use a paint scraper to get rid of it. But be careful not to gouge the walls doing it as you will then need to plaster the gouge marks.

If it's a stucco plaster finish then you will need to sand down the lumps first and then either plaster the whole wall to even out the stucco plaster or sand it down. This is not a good idea as the paint on the stucco (if it's actual stucco) can come loose later and you will have plaster & paint peeling from the walls. If it's a real stucco finished wall, get in a professional to do major restorative works on the wall.

I don't think it's stucco.

I think the effect was achieved with a roller somehow. I'll try and upload some pics of the walls tomorrow night after work so you get an idea of what I'm talking about.

It seems to have all been painted on, and in one section near the bathroom, the paint is bubbling because of steam from the bathroom (or from the flat above?), however the paint and all it's little bumps are in tact even over the bubble that formed.

If it the paint then, it's a paint scraper job and the belt sander to dress down the lumps.

[Mad Scientist]

Talk about paint lumping itself, take a look at the bathroom . The Lead Drainage Pipe that runs from the top floor thru your ceiling and onto the next floor below, will have this issue too. Chances are the water proofing on the top floor was not done properly and the water seeped thru the paint along the lead pipe. It is flaky at times, mouldy and discoloured. It does not look good when you have visitors coming to your home

[x9200]

Another solution could be if you manage to buy somewhere 5-10mm thick plasterboard.

Funny you should mention this option. Actually, I had seen a couple flats up for sale in the next building to where we bought ours that had used the plasterboard solution.

It just made all the rooms look smaller! Maybe it was just in my head, but it felt there was less space afterwards.

I reckon this is the easiest way to get the walls flat and leveled but it is not necessarily that easy to get it right. I would expect some of the places you have seen could have thick plaster boards placed over some frames - this would be really the fastest way to get it right looking but in small rooms it would clearly have impact on the room size (real and perceived).

[QRM]

Make sure you do your research on plasterboard there are so many different types out there. You want the ones with tappered edges so a mesh tape can cover the joins and then you fill over the gaps. Large thick panels are the best but they are heavy and awkward to use.

You can batten the wall first then apply the plaster board. This allows room for wiring, etc, but as pointed out does reduce the room size by a bit, or you can apply dab of adhesive direct to the wall, as Sms pointed out you need to score the wall so the adhesive has a fix on the base wall rather than the paint.

Dont forget skirting and keep the board off the floor as plaster board will absorb any water from mops being used for cleaning the floor.

Heres a tip get the longest spirit level you can find 1meter plus to make life easier. money well spent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NzGLj1l ... ded#at=114

then you have to fill the gaps

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFEi50ya ... r_embedded#!

[ksl]

Tap all areas to see if they are hollow behind the lumps, if hollow cut them out and follow the instructions http://www.ehow.com/how_6806598_diy_-wa ... ering.html

Do not use poly filler it will just crack, use the correct materials from builders yard and maybe a bonding agent to ensure a good stick, you can use also cement for the first layer then, fill out with plasterers materials and skim with plaster. Make sure you wet the walls before starting as the walls will suck all the moisture out of the material and crack.

No need to go mad, only cut out lose patches and crumbling areas. you should be able to complete the apartment for less than $60. That's all the renovators are charging to fill spawling cement.

Also your window frames, if they were anything like our HDB, they haven't been finished and water will just flood through, you can buy clear silicone for $4 and seal all the leaking joints.

Sanding lumps is a messy job, much better to cut them back to the brickwork and fill, dust gets everywhere!

Always purchase from hardware shop to save money never nice retail outlets!

Check the block you live in for upgrade! As you will also get the chance to rectify the faults for a price if it hasn't been done yet! Like new bathrooms, outisde doors, cement spawling, replacement of old pipes for new and so on.

Not a good idea to put up plaster boards, without first checking the walls with a damp tester, otherwise you will end up pulling the 8ft X 4ft boards down again. Uneven walls can be skimmed with plaster after scoring to make them even within reason, otherwise screeding maybe needed. Though preparation and following the book is important for a good job done so don't try to cut corners.

I have a paint blow torch and sander

[newsman]

Hi all,

Been away from this forum for a while.

My wife and I have finally bought ourselves a HDB flat, an older resale.

One thing I have found about these old constructions are that some of the concreting is "lumpy" in places along the wall. I'm not wanting to throw stones, but the "standards" of getting a flat bedroom wall probably wasn't as high back in the day.

Is there any way of smoothing out the wall? I'm a complete novice at this, so can someone advise what options there are... For instance, can the concrete lumps be sanded out somehow? Other ideas?

Secondly, the previous owner attempted to cover up the lumpy concrete but painting over it with lumpy paint finish, and for the most part they were 'successful'. Only thing is I hate the lumpy paint finish on the wall.

What's the best way to smoothen out the paint? Sand it flat? Strip it somehow?

Any advice is appreciated. Thanks in advance

DIY & SAVE SAVE n SAVE. Nothing is affordable in Singapore.

[ksl]

Make a couple light wt floor to ceiling timber frames. Stretch some fabric over it and Velcro them to the wall, when you are bored with the colour scheme/textures go to spot light and get a different fabric and its easy to redo.

Oh wow. That's a good idea (albeit I'll execute it differently but the concept is there).

Exhibitionist, event type not the flasher type! I use the velcro too less painful

[nakatago]

Make a couple light wt floor to ceiling timber frames. Stretch some fabric over it and Velcro them to the wall, when you are bored with the colour scheme/textures go to spot light and get a different fabric and its easy to redo.

Oh wow. That's a good idea (albeit I'll execute it differently but the concept is there).

Exhibitionist, event type not the flasher type! I use the velcro too less painful

WTF? It's a bit too early for Baron's, ain't it?

[ksl]

Oh wow. That's a good idea (albeit I'll execute it differently but the concept is there).

Exhibitionist, event type not the flasher type! I use the velcro too less painful

WTF? It's a bit too early for Baron's, ain't it?

Hee hee! dry as a bone! Though i was in that Thai restaurant last night for a meal! The beef was a little disappointing this time, guess they used stewing beef the cheapest cut, couldn't chew it