We've got Tool Hampers up for grabs for the best Home Improvement projects submitted by readers. All you have to do is to send us some 'before' and 'after' pics of your home improvement project and tell us what was done. Every 3 months you stand in line to win Bosch , Dremel or Skil Tools
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Don't think that you have to tile bathroom walls and floors when there are so many other options to choose from. |
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Are your window frames covered with layer upon layer of paint? Do they show rust spots? Are they spoiling the look of your home? Time to strip and paint your window frames! |
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There is a beauty to timber windows and the homes they grace, and if they are well maintained, they can last a lifetime. Charl Jacobz from Swartland offers some tips and advice on how to best maintain their beauty. |
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If there are damaged walls in your home, areas where you have removed tiles, or walls that are uneven or highly textured, plastering is one of the ways to fix these types of defects. Using a plaster mix, plastering is the technique for covering up raw and rough surfaces. |
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I love the look of natural stone clad walls - both interior or exterior walls. It's a way to introduce texture and detail to an otherwise bland room. It's also a way to merge interior and exterior areas. |
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Where tiles are still in good condition, and you don't want to paint over tiles, there is the option to tile over existing tiles. |
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I have always considered glass blocks to be perfect for bathrooms - they let in plenty of natural light without any loss of privacy, and now that they are available in soft and bright colours, you can use glass blocks in even more creative ways. |
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Installing your own gutters can save you substantially over professionally installed gutters. Your local Builders Warehouse sell gutter systems that are designed primarily for easy installation. But with just a little bit more work, you can use these same parts to put together gutters and downspouts that are stronger and better looking too. |
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Windows are an important element in how a home looks. From a design point of view window styles are suited to particular styles of homes. |
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I have previously featured an article on how to create more privacy by using self-adhesive vinyl on glass. In this project I used the same self-adhesive vinyl to add a decorative effect to my sliding door, and at the same time add privacy. |
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Conventional wisdom holds that old concrete, with cracks, surface discolouration, or surface imperfections, must be removed and replaced if improving the look of the concrete is the goal. But there are many options available for transforming that drab concrete patio, driveway, or floor into a new, decorative, coloured concrete surface. |
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Just as your home makes a statement about who you are and what you value, so do the patios, walkways and driveways that connect your home to the outside world. |
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A simple frame and panel with applied mouldings gives an ordinary window an extraordinary appearance |
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Window and folding-door shutters are ideal for light, wind and ventilation control on a patio, garden room. or any room in the home. Not only do they enhance the aesthetic appeal of your home, they will also increase the value. |
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This is one clever trick that I am sure many of you will appreciate, especially if you are looking to add a nice, high detailed trim to the base of your walls. |
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Standard home - standard doors! There's nothing special about the boring interior doors that get fitted to most homes. But there is a way to transform them into a unique feature for your home. |
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Forget about a hammer and nails, you can easily install the new style polystyrene crown moulding and cornice with a tube or two of No More Nails and a caulking gun. |
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The level of effort in installing bi-fold doors really depends on the condition and type of door jambs you already have. In new construction this is pretty straight forward. You just trim out the door opening as if it were going to be a cased opening. |
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Removing and replacing an exterior door, especially a front and back door, is as easy as removing the old one, making a few adjustments and then hanging the new one in place. |
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Replacing a door in an existing door frame is easier and much cheaper than pulling out the trim and frame and installing a prehung door, because you have the old door as a template. |
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There is no denying the beauty and old world charm offered by pressed tin ceilings. Popularised as an architectural feature in Victorian homes during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, pressed ceilings remain a much admired and sought after element in many modern homes today. |
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Panelling, wainscoting, board and batten - it's been a part of home decor for a long time. There are various design styles that can be applied to walls in a home, whether it's for a lounge, dining room, bathroom or bedroom. Here are some tips on how to install or add panelling to your home... |
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Whether featuring the flamboyant swirls and curves of Art-Deco style or the clean lines of minimalist design, decorative ironwork makes a statement. Iron pieces may be hand-forged or ready-made, but they will set the tone in a room or add contrast to a design. |
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Add interest to a plain dining room with this faux moulding project. All you need for this project is a few strips of pine and skirting, and some satin paint to finish off. |
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Installing crown moulding, like playing the piano, takes practice. Unlike playing the piano, however, most people can get the hang of it with only a little practice. |
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In an older home you may find that skirting boards need to be replaced either due to rotting, damage over time, or simply to update a home. In this do-it-yourself project we show you how to remove and replace skirting boards. |
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With so many options to choose from for enhancing an outdoor living space, cement pavers allow you to create a beautiful space on a budget, and outdoor spaces are just as important as indoors when more homeowners are looking to improve rather than move. |
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Deciding what flooring to install can be a difficult decision, especially with so many options to choose from. While each type of flooring has it pros and cons, there is one flooring that is extremely easy to lay, can cover up dated tiles, hide worn and scratched laminate floors, and that is affordable, practical and durable. |
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As long as the existing floor tiles are in good condition, and the surface is level, you can install new tile over an existing tiled floor. However, it is not recommended that you tile over high-gloss ceramic or other tiles, as there is insufficient bonding between the old and new surfaces. |
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With more decorative options than ever before, concrete patios are attracting homeowners who want an outdoor surface that offers the ultimate in design versatility. Concrete patios also have the edge when it comes to durability and low maintenance. |
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The heady days of summer provide us with an opportunity to spend more time outside the home to unwind from the fast pace of modern living. Turn your outdoor sanctuary into an attractive spot where you can entertain and celebrate with friends and family in pure alfresco bliss.
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So many homeowners are looking for affordable - and eco friendly - ways to update and improve a home. I recently came across an article or two on installing plywood as flooring and while I originally had my doubts, after giving it some thought I realised that you can indeed use plywood for flooring - and it's probably a great idea for a den, games room, children's bedroom or playroom.
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Brick has a natural beauty that blends perfectly with almost any style of home. Once sealed and protected, a brick floor is just as versatile as any other type of flooring - if not more so.
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We spend a lot of our time and money on the decor of a home, and flooring is an important element of home decor - affecting the look, feel, and the ambiance of a room. While budget plays an important role in determining what flooring you can afford, whether you are renovating or choosing flooring to update your home, you will find the tips below useful for choosing the right flooring for a home.
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One of the best kept secrets in hard-surface flooring is now out of the bag - it's almost identical to high-end hardwood floors that look great in any home - but provides quiet, warm-performance benefits, is easy to maintain and won't break your budget.
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Bamboo is an excellent, ecological flooring option, but not all bamboo is created equal. Since it caught on in the early 90s, this building material has been heralded as a green, sustainable, plentiful resource - it is fast-growing and can be harvested and replenished with virtually no impact to the environment, due to the fact that it regenerates in 4-5 years. It is also a high oxygen-producer.
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Many homeowners are choosing to have a concrete floor rather than tile or carpet their interiors. This versatile and low maintenance flooring option can be polished, stained or painted.
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Check out some of the newest technologies and reclaimed materials that are becoming the hottest products in flooring.
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Stamped concrete is an affordable way to imitate the look of natural stone or brick without having to pay for the real thing. Proprietary rubber patterns that create effects resembling natural stone, and preconfigured patterns such as brick or cobblestone, are commercially available, although sometimes hard to find.
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Epoxy paint is a two-part paint product that was originally designed for industrial flooring application. Now available for residential use, epoxy paints provide a tough, durable protective coating that makes them easy to maintain.
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Floors usually undergo heavy traffic in your home. They are expected to cope with the traffic flow on a daily basis. Added to that, floors are susceptible to spillages, heavy weight objects that rest on it and they have to look good whilst doing all that.
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Despite its many wonderful attributes, concrete slabs can be boring. Whether we are talking about a concrete verandah, a pathway or a driveway, there is something very uninspirational about the flat, dull look of grey concrete.
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In many homes the garage takes up a fair amount of valuable real estate on a property. When used for parking cars a garage is obviously in need, but when stacked to the roof with junk that should have been given away or tossed out, it's an investment going to waste. |
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While home improvement projects can really add to the appeal and practicality of a home, some will add more value onto the bottom line than others. |
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Knocking down internal walls can transform your home by turning two or more cramped rooms into one integrated and spacious area. But knocking down a wall – any wall – is not a job to rush into without detailed preparation and expert advice if the work is to be completed both safely and effectively. |
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Cutting-edge energy efficiency and stunning contemporary design are the keywords for a home that is elegant, functional, and efficient, and green - the home scored at the gold level under the US National Green Building Program. Is this the home design that we, in South Africa, can look forward to in the near future? |
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With the ever increasing cost of construction materials, the wise DIY builder should whenever appropriate, try and purchase them second-hand. In fact, a surprising variety of materials can be obtained without ever entering a builder’s merchant, hardware or DIY shop. |
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Fu-Tung Cheng's work has become internationally known for its sophisticated, understated design and innovative use of concrete throughout the home. |
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This couple cornered off a long driveway to create their very own 'secret' room and relaxation zone. |
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Lurking in many buildings, its safe removal and disposal is a must. But how do you spot it, and what do you do with it once it's found? |
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Renovation is a ‘dirty’ word, not only for the dust and mess, but also as a cause of serious stress. Indeed, additions and alterations have been known to reduce grown men to tears and strong women to helpless rage. |
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Before embarking upon a renovation or home improvement project it's important that you decide why you want to renovate. Renovation is no mean feat, you'll have to make numerous decisions and if you want to make the right choices. Setting yourself clear goals and deadlines will help you out enormously in the decision-making process. |
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With the housing market in its current state, the sensible householder's mantra should be 'don't move: improve'. With this in mind, we've come up with tips, advice and links to our best features to help you boost your home's value so that staying in put won't just make sense financially, it will be an absolute pleasure. |
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Before you start planning for home improvements in the form of alterations and additions to your existing home, there are some facts that you need to know. |
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If you are planning any home improvements, additions or renovations be aware of the fact that all building plans have to be submitted to the relevant Local Authority for approval. If you fail to do this you could end up tearing down, ripping up and demolishing any work you do. |
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...The tough do it themselves. And times are definitely tough at the moment. With property values in the doldrums, many homeowners are sitting tight and taking the option to improve rather than move. |
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If you have made the decision to tackle home renovation you'll want to ensure the best value for money for your home improvements. Whilst doing-it-yourself will save you a lot of money, you will need to know a fair amount of basics before you can consider tackling major home renovation. |
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If your garage is overflowing or packed to the brim with stuff, perhaps it's time to look at various storage options to get the space organised. |
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We've had a couple of very chilly days over the past two or three weeks. You can spend a lot of money on heating and cooling a home yet home insulation offers an affordable and more energy efficient way to keep a home cool or warm. |
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Solar Tubes or Tubelites are an excellent way to get natural light into parts of your home that don’t have any windows, or rooms that are situated on the south-east side of a home. These skylights are one of the most popular home improvement projects being done right now. |
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I would like to share a few things we would do differently if we were to start over on our concrete countertops.Don’t get me wrong, we love our concrete countertops but we have also done some experimenting and would make a few slight changes. I’m hoping these will help some other brave people out who might just attempt this monster project too. |
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With the increase in townhouse and apartment living, many homeowners share at least one wall with their neighbours. With single brick construction between dwellings, noise may be carried and be heard in the apartments or homes next door. The good news is that there are ways to soundproof your abode to reduce the amount of noise that you have to put up with. |
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You may not have the time or patience to throw yourself into an extension project at the moment, but there are clever ways you can trick the eye and give yourself a sense of more space more immediately. Not only that but you can physically open up a room to utilise existing space efficiently. |
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Whether you closet is in your bedroom, or in a small walk-in, adding a full length mirror to the doors will increase the amount of light in the room and add the illusion of space. |
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A small selection of modern homes that use concrete in inventive and imaginative ways. |
