Like most renovation jobs, a patient and meticulous do-it-yourselfer will have no problem laying ceramic. In case of doubt, leave it to a professional. Redoing a ceramic floor or even a part of a wall is quite unpleasant. Here are a few guidelines to help you determine if you should do the work yourself.

  • Laying ceramic is not as easy as pouring a concrete floor or laying a carpet. Especially if the choice of tiles requires various cuts.
  • The range of required tools and instruments is impressive. You will need to rent or borrow them.
  • Remember, generally speaking, the ceramic used to cover a wall is different from floor ceramic, as it is much more fragile. However, there is model of ceramic that applies easily to the floor, the wall and even the work surface in the kitchen. Lastly, there is a model reserved exclusively for floors, which is the sturdiest of all ceramics. [……]

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Installing a carpet is not complicated, whether it’s made of synthetic materials or natural fibres, but you have to be an excellent handyman to do it right. You also have to be patient and precise, have specific tools and get advice from a renovation centre professional. Here is some general advice:

-If you opt for natural fibres, remember that you have to allow the carpet to rest for at least two days in the ambient air of the room that it will be installed in, so that it becomes acclimatized. Remember, they are natural fibres and not synthetic materials.

-Seagrass is perfect for the bathroom because it grew in water. However, you want to avoid sisal as it doesn’t like excessive humidity, although it’s elegance makes it perfect for other rooms in the house.[……]

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You should let a professional do the laser cutting of a glass surface. However, an excellent handyperson can do it, as long as they’re careful.

Here is some general advice.

  • Wear protective gloves and glasses.
  • Laser cutting a glass surface requires a great deal of accuracy. The process must be done in a single cut, under steady pressure. It’s best to make a few dry runs before doing the final job.
  • Practice with the laser cutter so that you can handle it skillfully. The owner of the tool or merchant will tell you how to hold it properly. You could even look at a video on YouTube.
  • First you have to moisten the tools (glass cutter or shaping tool) with oil.
  • Place a cloth or other material between the table and the glass surface to cut.
  • Draw a straight line along a ruler using a felt pen, soak the traced line with oil and break the line with a slight tap of the finger or joint.
  • For a circular line, use a spinner with suction cups equipped with a shaping tool that acts as a compass. The technique requires a great deal of accuracy.
  • Once the line is broken, rub it with a silicon carbide abrasive moistened with oil along the line.
  • While we’re at it, if you have to drill a glass surface using an electric drill, place a material around the area to be drilled and make sure it’s firmly attached, as the bit tends to slip.

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Patio is a Spanish word that means inner courtyard. Anyone who travels in the Caribbean, Spain or South America has already encountered these outdoor spaces, often covered, which run the length of house or direct people to the centre of the property.

In Quebec, patio means most outdoor structures: large gallery, big balcony, deck. In general, a patio is on the ground while a deck is raised above the ground.

To get a taste of the great outdoors, the patio is a great choice if you have a small budget or if the space is too narrow. Sometimes it’s just a simple set of steps or a staircase leading to the yard. You can place plants, flowers and decorative pots there.

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The great thing about patios is that you can set them up any way you want, thus the importance of determining its use before you start the work. Do you extend it to the bedroom so you can have your morning coffee or a candlelit breakfast? Do you extend it to the living room for the pleasure of a cocktail in the fresh air? Do you extend it to the kitchen to benefit from outdoor meals or to organize receptions?  [……]

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Decks are great. You can lie in the sun or shade and dream, breathe fresh air, have a glass of wine or share a meal with friends. It also increases property value. There’s also the fact that, on nice days, the deck becomes an extra room. The house becomes bigger.

So why not build one? It looks so easy! Well, yes and no. If the deck looks more like a smaller porch, okay. But if you opt for a big, beautiful, friendly deck, roll up your sleeves and be patient.

A passionate do-it-yourselfer can build any size of deck, as long as they are serious, patient and organized. Even better if they enjoy team work.

Before you start the work, take the time to consider the following advice.[……]

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If you decide to open the inside of your home to natural stone, you have opted for a durable, chic material that requires little maintenance.

Stone works in numerous places in all rooms: interior and exterior walls floors, walls and retaining walls, staircase, wine cellar, work surface in the kitchen, vanity top in the bathroom.

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A stone floor is the most solid and durable there is. To make it more ecological, use lime mortar during installation. The most widely-used stones are slate, granite, limestone, marble and quartz, as paving stones or slabs. They allow for all sorts of possibilities in terms of finishes depending on the desired look: sponging, sanding, polishing.

For exterior paving, don’t forget to establish a minimum 1.5% slope to facilitate rainwater drainage.[……]

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Natural wood is ecological, but it has to be treated if you want to keep it looking good for a long time, especially if the woodwork has to face the rigours of the weather. Indoors, bare parquet could be dangerous for obvious reasons.

You always have the option of buying prefinished parquet, which will save you the finishing work: manual labour, odour of the product used, long wait before walking on the floor.

If you decide to treat your wood on your own, it’s preferable to avoid synthetic products in favour of natural products, such as varnish without solvent. Don’t play with your health. A toxic product can release noxious vapours for several months, even if your nose can’t detect them.

There are four major type of wood finish: varnish, lacquer, oil and wax.

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Varnish stays on the surface of the wood. It has a strictly protective role. Perfect for furniture, applicable for parquet. However, you have to be patient when the time comes to refinish, because you have to sand the entire surface.[……]

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