9 DIY ideas for economical repairs

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-13 00:26

The second half of summer and the beginning of autumn are traditional times for renovation. This event is troublesome. What to do for those who want to update their interior, but do not plan large-scale, major work? Life hacker has collected top tips that will help you quickly and inexpensively change the appearance of an apartment.

The renovation never ends, but you can enjoy the renovation of the interior and do it profitably.

Refresh doors

Interior doors can completely change the interior. Their cost is very diverse, and often the doors "eat up" half of the budget spent on renovating a room. There are especially many problems with their installation, because for this you need to either very accurately determine the dimensions and engage in independent work, or call the masters whose work is more expensive than the door itself.

The way out is fantasy and hand-made. Don't buy a door, make a new one from an old one.

Remove the old paint first (if the door has been painted). This is done using liquid glass, that is, a solution of sodium silicate in water. If you lubricate old paint with it, after drying, the solution will exfoliate along with it. You can also use a blowtorch or a blow dryer to heat up and brush off the paint. These methods require more time than working with a grinder and a brush, but less dust and debris from them. If there are dents and chips on the door, a wood primer will help you.

The same methods will help to renew old wooden window frames.

A smooth and clean structure can be turned into a decorative element: paint, wallpaper, plaster, mosaic, sheathe with fabric. Choose according to your taste.

Re-paste the wallpaper

The room does not have to have wallpaper of the same color and texture. They can be combined, so much so that the result will look like a real design solution. If you take the product from the leftovers for a combination, then the savings will come out rather big, especially if you need to arrange a small room.

If you don't have the time and inclination to tinker with changes throughout the room, re-glue the wallpaper on only one wall. Fast and unusual.

By performing repairs in stages, you can save money. Large construction hypermarkets offer big discounts and special promotions in summer and autumn. For example, in August at OBI, you can save up to 40% on the purchase of basic renovation items: laminate, tiles, power tools, paints, plumbing fixtures. And with a one-time purchase of 10,000 rubles or more, the client receives an OBI Club card, which entitles him to a 5% discount and to lucrative individual offers until the end of the year.

Repaint old furniture

You can change an old wardrobe beyond recognition in a couple of days. You can use self-adhesive film, but this way you are unlikely to turn your grandmother's sideboard into the pride of the interior. But with the help of paint, primer, varnish, napkins and a few hours of free time, you can make something magical from a wooden or plywood chest of drawers.

1. First, remove all the old coating - varnish or paint - not only outside, but also inside the furniture. Process all crates. It will take longer, but the restoration will be complete. To remove paint and varnish, it is better to use special solutions, apply them in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
2. Sand the cleaned surface with fine-grained emery paper. Then prime (use a sponge to soak all pores).
3. If there are bumps and chips, cover them with wood putty.
4. The primer can be sanded again and painted over. Acrylic paints are suitable for furniture, they are easy to apply and lie flat. If you have not done painting work before, use the convenient spray cans.

In addition to paint, you can use stickers and apply decoupage. How it works - you will learn from the video tutorial.

It is best to work in air so that you do not have to protect the room from dust and debris, and also so as not to breathe sawdust and paint in a confined space.

Pay attention to home textiles

The bedroom will be transformed by one bedspread on the bed. The nursery is a carpet. In the living room, the entire interior can revolve around the sofa and unusual pillows on it. In order not to change the upholstery of furniture, sew beautiful covers. In any room, you can "rhyme" these accents with curtains, and draperies can be not only on the windows, but also on the walls and on the doors. As a result, the room will look like it has been renovated, although you have not done any work. The easiest way is to find a color that will create a contrast to the entire decor of the room and will emphasize the textiles.

Make an unusual floor

It is unrealistic to completely remodel the floor and lay the parquet with your own hands in a couple of days. For a quick DIY cosmetic repair, you need to estimate how much you can spend. It is not necessary to buy all the materials at once, you can prepare for a floor replacement by purchasing tools and products in stages. This approach will allow you to think over the design concept and save on offers.

Until the end of October, OBI has a cumulative promotion: you make your first purchase for 2,000 rubles and get a 5% discount on the second. For the second and third purchases for the same 2,000 rubles, the discount will grow and will amount to 7 and 10%, respectively. Customers who have received a card with a maximum 10% discount can use it until the end of October, and then exchange it for a card with a 5% discount until the end of the year for any purchases.

What can you spend money on so that the result exceeds expectations?

Repaint the floorusing stencils or patterned schemes. This is an option ideal for wood floors and daring owners. The main rule is to use multiple colors.

Refresh linoleum … It is the most affordable and easy-to-handle floor covering. Buy linoleum of a bright color, on it even the usual furniture will look completely different. Or you can use the experience of the artist Heike Weber and paint the old linoleum with ordinary permanent markers.

Combine coatings … It is not necessary to change the floor in the entire room; you can only replace it in damaged areas. Choose a texture and color that will match the remaining floor, and get an unusual interior.

Lay down vinyl tiles … This is another easy way to renovate your floors, saving you time. The tile requires preparation of a flat surface, but if you do not need leveling, even beginners can handle the installation.

Add light

Sometimes it's hard to be in a room just because of poor lighting. As you know, there are two types of light: functional and decorative. It is difficult to make the room brighter without reworking the wiring, but conductive structures also allow this: lamps that are mounted on a supporting frame can be turned in any direction and change the lighting.

But decorative lamps and LED lighting can be used with might and main. Original chandeliers and floor lamps look especially good in a minimalist interior.

Apply designs to old tiles

Replacing tiles in a kitchen or bathroom in a couple of days requires incredible craftsmanship, skill, and a full range of tools and materials. It would be strange if there was no other way to update an apron in a kitchen or bathroom.

The easiest option is stickers. Buy whatever you like, degrease the surface of the tile and apply the desired pattern.

A more time-consuming process, no less interesting in the end, is painting the tile. Not all paint can withstand constant contact with water, so you should not paint the walls directly above the bathroom, but the kitchen and toilet walls are at your complete disposal.

How to paint a tile?

1. Clean the tile surface and joints from dirt with detergent and a hard brush. Wipe with a cloth dampened with vinegar solution.
2. Sand the surface with fine sandpaper so that the paint adheres better to the surface.
3. Cover the tiles with epoxy primer. Let dry until the next day.
4. Take epoxy paint and create as you see fit. If you choose to apply multiple coats, let the previous one dry for at least 12 hours.

Add greenery

If you love plants and know how to care for them, take a bold step and make your apartment green. Modern floral interiors have little to do with pots placed wherever possible. The latest design tips are centered around vertical landscaping - hanging gardens and green walls. You need to pick up plants and soil, assemble a housing on which the greenery will be placed, fill it with soil and equip it with drip irrigation systems. All together it seems expensive and difficult, but with your own hands you will achieve an excellent result for modest money.

How to make a green wall?

• Container wall. Place several horizontal containers on a vertical frame. Plant with climbing plants that will hide the pots. The simplest option, normal watering is possible.
• Pocket wall. Instead of containers on a vertical frame, pockets are used. In this case, not only climbing plants are suitable. The more pockets and the closer they are, the easier it is to cover the surface with greenery.
• Modular wall … It is these walls that specialized organizations are engaged in. The most expensive method, since it requires not only a special frame for fastening plants, but also a substrate filling it, which will ensure the life of the plants without spilling out of the frame.

Under any system, you need to provide a place to collect excess moisture. Designers recommend using containers with stones, pebbles, sand and shells.

Make an imitation fireplace

A fireplace is placed in the living room or bedroom when you want rearrangements and new ideas, and no major repairs are planned. Fitting a fireplace into the interior with cladding and decoration is easier than ever, and the effect of the renovation is amazing.

You can make imitation of bricks, blocks and drywall. Or you can go the easy way and take an old wardrobe or chest of drawers. If you remove the paint, sand and prime the surfaces, and then lay them out with decorative stone tiles, you will get a ready-made hearth, for which you do not need to assemble the body.

Life hack: you can put a mirror as a back wall. If you light candles in such a fireplace, the effect will be amazing.