Many homeowners take on home improvement projects without fully knowing what they’re doing. Not only can this result in a poorly executed project that they end up needing to pay a professional to fix, it can often cause other issues as well. Watch out for these mistakes when freshening up your interior:
Interior Mistakes to Avoid When Making Home Improvements
- Not leveling flooring. Ensuring your floor is perfectly level is one of the most important steps in adding new flooring. For the best results, use a leveling compound before laying tile or laminate flooring.
- Failing to prepare. Without cleaning, sanding and priming wood furniture, a new paint job may be subject to chipping and peeling or old paint may show through. Be sure to take the necessary steps to properly prepare your furniture before applying paint.
- Painting around or over. Failing to clear the path for a professional-looking paint job may result in unsightly tape lines, painted hardware or even gaps in the paint if something is moved. To avoid that cheap look, remove fixtures, outlet covers, and hardware before painting.
- Forgetting a protective covering. Want to avoid paint on floors, ceilings, windows, and trim? Be sure to lay drop cloths and cover or remove anything you don't want painted.
- Painting things shut. Windows, cabinets and other things can be extremely difficult to open once they've been painted shut, and trying to do so could damage them. To avoid this, be sure to remove doors and hardware before painting, and open and close windows occasionally as the paint dries.
- Causing paint to run. Drips and runs in the paint can ruin a perfect finish. To avoid these, paint in thin coats, allowing each to one dry according to the instructions on the paint can before adding another layer.
- Choosing colors unwisely. When painting a room, choose your colors carefully. If you select a bold color, opt for several shades lighter than you think you need. This is important because paint can often look darker after it’s been applied.
- Painting only what can be seen. Leaving the insides of cabinets and the tops, bottoms and sides of doors unpainted makes your work look haphazard and unfinished. Instead, consider removing doors and drawers, and painting everything inside and out.
- Wiring outlets improperly. Failing to wire outlets properly, using the wrong kind of outlet, or even not having enough outlets is a mistake that can be quite dangerous. To avoid overloaded circuits and reduce fire hazards, make sure outlets are grounded properly, install GFCI outlets when called for, and update outdated wiring to modern standards.
If you’re ever unsure of the specifics of a project, it is best to call a professional. Stay tuned for the final part of our four-part series on home improvement mistakes to avoid.
