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Archive for the ‘patching’ Category
Prelimenary Floor Tile
The bathroom is ready for the floor to be covered and we are going with a 12″ ceramic flat tile that will bring a visual marriage to the shower tiles on the walls. After placing a level on the slab floor we have come to the conclusion that it’s very out of level in a relative short distance up to 3/4″ from lowest to the highest peak. Lucky for us the high point is located at the door transition, where tile meets the carpet in the hallway and will not be an issue.
We want to pour a leveling agent that can go from 0″ to 3/4″ and not crack or breakup over time. The liquid will find its own level and fill the low area as we pour. We have marked the borders here as to not over fill. The agent we have chosen is for leveling uneven wood or concrete floors. A quick setting, non-shrinking compound with excellent adhesive qualities for leveling and repairing uneven surfaces before the installation of ceramic tile of a resilient floor. Waiting for the curing process and the we can apply the tile over this with thin set.
Drywall Taping/Finishing
After all has been hung and nailed or screwed off we can now begin the mudding process. Pre mixed drywall compound can be bought in a few different ways. Basically in a box or in a bucket and ready to be used as is, although you may add a little water and mix it in to make it more fluid and less stiff for your drywall finishing ease.
Taping joints is the act of covering any seams to bring an even flowing appearance and looking as it’s all uniform.
When mud has been applied over the seam first we then cut our piece of tape to length and place onto the seam(illustrated @ left) . The mudding compound acts as a glue for the tape and can then be knifed smooth by applying another coat of mud over the tape to cover entirely as a first rough coat.
The corner seams get the same approach only the tape will be pre-folded prior to installing, NOTE: if gaps in seams are big it is not necessary to fill the void with mud. The drywall compound mud need only be applied behind and on top of the tape completely. If not you will see what looks like bubbles in the tape, this is where the mud was not there and caused the tape to not adhere.
Scratch Coat
This application of cement mortar over wire and paper is essentially the same as interior plaster and stucco on a exterior wall. Difference mainly here will be the wire used, which in a tile mortar bed float the wire has 1/4″ diamond holes to hold the cement, where typical stucco covered wire a standard application is chicken wire type with 1″ voids. Using the same mortar mix and scratch coating as well as floating the exact same method.
This first coat is considered by most the scratch coat as to just cover the wire and to not get too thick at once because the cement has a tendency to try and dry from the inside out and will crack, so a 3 coat approach is the system. Scratch, float and finish but the tile mortar bed need only a floated flat and level 2nd coat.
Fire Plug
It’s a must to have this technique when a quick home repair has to be completed ASAP in the DIY drywall pre paint fix area is needed. We have all been there when the door gets shoved open to fast and the door knob pushes a hole all the way through the face of the finish surface of an interior wall, drywall or plaster can be ready in just minutes.
Take a small piece of drywall or gypsum board, now cut it a couple of inches around the entire hole, now flip it over and cut the back of the piece so the surface paper will remain as the first cut size. Cut the back only then peel the gypsum away from front paper until the existing gypsum can fit inside of the hole leaving the paper to cover 2″ inches or so around the face of the hole. This should take 3 or 4 cuts before dry fitting, then apply mud generously around surface of the hole in the wall, place plug into hole and knife smooth. Great and simple useful trick when prompted.
Interior Patch
Once we have the new outlet in place and ready to be finished, it will require some DIY drywall work. Prepping the area in need of patching is a must. So clean out and around the hole with a shop vac or brush, get all the loose debris and dust off in, and around the surface.
The drywall mud has to be the consistency of a milkshake and free from any foreign particles. Use drywall tape to cover the edges (the fiberglass mesh tape works best in this type of application) of the new piece and existing surface, apply mud first then lay tape over the first coat of mud and knife smooth, let dry and add as many coats as needed. After some practice it will become quite easier. Some times a texture has to be applied, but often times the nap of the paint roller can be just right.