Category: Furnishings

Epoxy coatings are generally used on high-traffic areas like garage flooring since they wear well and need very little upkeep. But, problems frequently arise when property owners desire to remove the epoxy coatings since conventional scrubbing methods are usually ineffective. The removal of epoxy coatings needs a fantastic deal of work, and many of important safety measures need to be adopted.

Safety

Safety measures must be followed once you use an acid wash to take an epoxy coating. Ensure that the area is well ventilated. Wear appropriate protective clothing, especially rubber boots with acid-resistant bottoms and acid-resistant gloves. Never rely on a simple dust mask; buy a correct respirator with a filter to keep toxins out. Wear goggles to protect your eyes and protect your hair with a cap. When hosing the wash, constantly hose it from you therefore none of the acid gets on your clothes.

Acid Wash

Soak flooring liberally with clean water before work begins. Mix a wash of muriatic acid and water at a ratio of 12 oz. Of acid to one gallon of water. Use the wash to the epoxy coating using a scrubbing brush and let it boil for a quarter hour. Sprinkle baking soda over the surface of the floor to nullify the effects of the acid. Use a pressure washer to remove the acid wash from the coating. It might be required to repeat the process several times to remove the epoxy coating completely.

Solvent

You can use solvents to remove epoxy coating, but it also requires extra time and work to reach the best results. Start by scraping off as much of the epoxy coating as you can by hand or with a hand-held tool fitted with a rigid scraper blade. Apply a generous amount of solvent to the floor, working in small, contained regions. Although solvents like lacquer thinner aid to remove the epoxy coating, acetone frequently produces the best results. Scrape away the epoxy coating and repeat the process over different regions of the floor. Finish by hosing down the surface of the floor to remove the solvent.

Grinders

You can use flooring grinders to remove plaster coatings easily. You can purchase or rent a floor grinder system. For stubborn areas like corners or edges, you can use a handheld rotary tool with a shaving attachment to get those off last scraps of epoxy. With either apparatus, the blades must be either carbide or diamond tipped for it to work properly. Familiarize yourself with the machines and take your time to ensure full removal of the epoxy coating. Utilize a wet/dry vacuum cleaner to suck up the debris as possible work. This will let you see whether you’ve completed a location before you move.

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The expression”clear coat” frequently refers to a clean, colorless polyurethane sealant used to protect floors and furniture. However, the term also includes any sealant, with or without color, that preserves the presence of the wood grain when providing a protective coating. Additional clear coats include varnish, oils and sealants. While any of these apparent coatings may be removed and reapplied, the benefit of removing the clear coat without removing the underlying blot will depend on the method and the status of the furniture or floor.

Oils or Waxes

Mineral spirits or turpentine will remove an oil coat from wood. Oils and waxes are most commonly used on unstained or unpainted wood to prevent drying, provide a moisture resistant barrier and make a glossy shine. However, they may be applied over a blot. If the wood has been stained, be careful when implementing the solvent as it may draw the stain out of the wood. Scrub the surface of the wood with a solvent and medium-grade steel wool. Reapply the oil or wax based on the manufacturer’s instructions.

Sanding Furniture to Eliminate a Clear Coat

In case the polyurethane clear coat is becoming yellowed or unsure, use sand paper or a tiny handheld sander to strip the coat. Don’t use a massive power sander, because it will remove the clear coat and a layer of wood. Also, a power sander, if used badly or by the inexperienced, will leave grooves in the wood. Sand with the grain of the wood and work with a light pressure. Vacuum the surface with the bristle attachment of a shop-vac to eliminate all of the dust and then use a tack cloth to grab anything that the vacuum cleaner overlooked. Reapply the coat based on the manufacturer’s instructions.

Screening Flooring to Strip a Clear Coat

If your flooring have become dull and scuffed, utilize a procedure called screening to eliminate the clear coat. Screening uses a floor buffer and progressively finer grades of abrasive disks, beginning at 60-grit and finish at 120-grit. This system produces a significant amount of dust and you must hand sand the corners. You can use a detail sander for the corners, but you should be careful to mix with the surrounding region. You can only screen floors which are unwaxed. For waxed flooring, you will need to completely strip the ground, blot included, with a drum sander which will also remove a fine layer of wood.

Using Chemical Solvents

Most hardware stores offer an assortment of chemical solvents developed to strip memory, paint and varnish. These solvents will not pull the stain out of wood, but they may lighten or discolor it. Chemical solvents soften the apparent coat, allowing it to be washed or shut off. When using chemical solvents, always work in a well ventilated place. Be skeptical of solvents that wash off with warm water, because the wood will soak up the water, preventing it from accepting a brand new clear coat.

Significant Notes

Always vacuum and wash the surface off with tack cloth before applying a fresh clear coat. Any dust particles will become trapped in the crystal clear coat, marring the end and possibly preventing the clear coat from sticking to the surface. If you previously employed an oil-based clear coat, only utilize an oil-based clear coat to the new end. The same goes for water-based. When the clear coat has been scraped to bare wood, you must strip all the furniture or flooring to bare wood prior to reapplying any stain or clear coat.

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When it comes to timber, Brazilian walnut ranks close to the top on the hardness scale. Called an exotic species, it’s tougher than oak or maple. It is used on specialty items like knobs, handles, medallions, tables, stair treads and handrails, plaques, veneer and flooring. The deep rich texture and colour of Brazilian walnut is comparable to teak, and for this reason, usually doesn’t need blot.

The Stripper

Chemical strippers are caustic. Don rubber gloves, breathing and eye protection and put down a dropcloth before you start. Apply an even coat of chemical stripper to the timber with a brush. Permit the stripper to gel the initial end and start scraping the finish off with a level stick. Do not use sharp tools since they can scrape. Scrape the finish off from the inside out. Use sharpened sticks to get inside tight spaces and corners. Fold a sheet of sandpaper into a sharp edge to receive gelled finish out of tight spots.

Sand Softly

Because this is a refinishing task the surface of the walnut has previously been sanded, so go straight to higher-grit sandpapers to your last prep before completing. Orbital sanders can leave small swirls in walnut, whilst belt sanders depart lines, therefore sand the surface of the walnut employing a hand block with 180-grit sandpaper. It is more work, but pays off in the long run. Sand the wood smooth with strokes parallel with the grain. Brazilian walnut is tough and will withstand the attempt so be patient. It should produce a fine powder during sanding. If the hand block begins to slide or polish the timber, change the paper. Brazilian walnut can be slightly fatty, therefore wipe the surface using a cloth dampened with acetone to clean off the tacky feel and remove dust or residue. Permit the wood to dry.

To Seal or Not to Seal

Brazilian walnut is prized because of its colour and texture and doesn’t need blot. But, oil-based stain is sometimes employed as a sealer or to tint the walnut marginally. Choose a colour that you prefer, wipe it liberally and wash it off. Oil stain takes up to 72 hours to cure, so follow label instructions and give it considerable time. If you skip the stain, apply a coat of sealer to the walnut with a soft brush. Sealer dries fast so work accordingly using strokes parallel with the grain to cover the timber until it dries.

Gloss or Satin

Satin polyurethane works well on Brazilian walnut. Other options include varnish or lacquer. Glossy clear coats detract from the beauty of walnut, but should you want, gloss is also an option. Apply a single coat of the clear finish to the wood with a soft brush with strokes parallel with the grain. Permit the finish to dry according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Some goods take days, others just a few hours. When the initial coat is dry, apply a couple of additional coats using strokes parallel with the grain. Two coats are often adequate, but additional coats can be applied if desired to get a deeper appearance.

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Animal pests introduce quite a quandary into the eco, wildlife-loving homeowner striving to keep a manicured, well-maintained lawn. Yards commonly contain the requirements for several common pest animals’ survival, mainly food, water and shelter. Unfortunately, the most effective and fastest way of preventing animals from damaging a yard and all included therein is extermination. So maintaining a balance of humaneness with efficacy is vital when repelling these invaders. Short of dispatching, the easiest approaches to deter pest animals — like rabbits, gophers and the dreaded skunk — is having a hurdle, especially about garden areas, or with organic repellents, like predator urine.

Natural and Environmental Repellents

Move all food water and supplies, like pet dishes, bird feeders and rubbish cans, inside at nightfall to discourage raccoons. If you must maintain the rubbish cans out, then fit them together with secure lids. Distribute a light dusting of cayenne pepper, baby powder or blood meal on vegetables and corn ears to serve as a natural raccoon repellent, and prune any limbs from trees hanging above the perimeter of your yard with lopping or pruning shears to prevent access.

Remove and discard piles of stumps, collected timber, tall grass and mounds of brush to discourage woodchucks and rabbits. Applying dried bovine blood, hot-pepper (capsicum) spray, talcum powder and puppy pee around the perimeter of your yard also repels woodchucks. If you have a gopher issue, place used cat litter, pine oil or rags covered in cat or dog pee in their burrowing holes.

Drape bird netting over fruit trees along with fruit-bearing plants which attract birds and wrap it around the base of the plants or trees. Secure the ends of the netting with the plastic retaining clips provided with the netting. Put strips of reflective tape to goal trees, hang reflective, disposable pie tins in their divisions or tie large, “frighten” balloons with pictures of hunters’ eyes on them into the limbs to repel birds from your yard.

Slim back overgrown shrubs and bushes, stack any firewood piles tightly and remove any fallen fruit from the yard to deter skunks from penetrating. Like repelling raccoons, eliminate any potential food sources and transfer or place tight-fitting lids on rubbish cans.

Fencing

Assess the perimeter of your yard or garden in feet with a tape measure and mark the corners with a spray of landscaping paint. Add the dimensions to find out the length in feet of chicken-wire fencing you need.

Divide the length of fencing you’ll need by five to arrive at the number of chicken-wire bets required. If the length of your yard’s perimeter is not divisible by five evenly, round up the span until it’s.

Drive a timber stake in every corner of your yard’s perimeter with a hammer and tie a piece of twine between them to serve as a guide for placing the fence bets. Tie the twine so that it rests against or near the ground.

Make two marks, 3 feet apart, with landscaping paint on the twine at which you will place the gate. Mark the remainder of the twine with the landscaping paint at 5-foot intervals to serve as a manual for the span between bets.

Dig a 1-foot-deep and 2-inch-wide trench about 1 inch behind the twine employing a garden trowel or scoop shovel. Reserve the dirt to backfill the trench later.

Hammer one 5-foot-long chicken-wire stake in each of the corners of the trench that runs along the perimeter to a depth of 1 foot with a short-handled sledgehammer. Make sure that the clips that fasten the poultry netting into the bets face the inside of the yard.

Hammer the remaining bets 1 foot deep in the trench at the places marked on the twine. Remove the wood manual bets and the twine.

Unroll the roster of poultry netting and place it in the trench before one of their corner stakes. Secure the netting into the stake by first prying open the ground-level hook having a flat-head screwdriver, inserting the connection between it and the stake and closing the hook by splitting it shut. Open another hook to the stake above the first, insert the connection between it and the stake and hammer it closed. Keep securing the netting into the wager. Attach the netting to each stake around the perimeter, pulling it taut before securing.

Cut 1 foot in the bottom of a 3-foot-long portion of the stick with cable snips once you reach the very first stake utilized to your opening. Reducing the netting 1 foot shorter prevents it from going from the trench and allows you to use it in order to enter and leave. The top of the 3-foot-long portion used as the opening will nonetheless be with the remainder of the fence.

Cut the mesh in the roster together with the wire snips and loop one part of tie wire at the top and one piece at the bottom of the netting attached to the wager. Twist the tie wire to fasten it into the netting.

Loop the other ends of the tie wires into the netting linked to the other stake and twist them to fasten. Untwist the two tie wires when you need to go into the fenced area. Finish by backfilling the trench with the reserved dirt and tamping it down with your foot.

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