How to Repair Wood Grain Rise by Steam

Wood grain increase is a method woodworkers use to fix small dents, dings, gouges, scratches and rough spots. It’s an easy process that entails using a typical iron to swell timber grain by exposing it to heat and water. Individual wood fibers react to heat and steam when molecular cell walls become soaked with water. When cells swell upthey will remain enlarged even after they dry out. After the process is done, sand the wood flush.

Place a drop of water into a dent in almost any piece of wood. Allow the water remain in the dent until it sinks in and add another drop. Continue adding drops until the dent is soaked and will not absorb any more water. It is going to likely not take over four drops.

Dampen the corner of a folded piece of cotton fabric. Set the damp corner directly on the dent. Apply the tip of a hot iron into the fabric over the dent; utilize a moderate amount of pressure. See as vapor rises from the fabric.

Remove the iron once the fabric dries from the steam stops growing. Check the dent.

Place drops of water into the dent until its soaked, and repeat Step 2. Check the dent. If the grain isn’t adequately raised, repeat the water, damp fabric and warm iron software until the grain is raised flush or over the surface of the wood.

Sand the raised grain flush with 100-grit sandpaper attached to a hand block. You might also utilize a rotary or oscillating instrument fitted with a sanding accessory to sand the grain flush. Be certain that you sand parallel with the grain only.

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How to Paint Over Polyurethane Finished Wood

Trends change quickly in the area of design and decor, and it’s very likely you will want to keep up with the times. Wood furniture frequently comes with a polyurethane varnish or lacquer that prevents a simple or instant decoration change. But with careful preparations, you can paint over finished wood in your home and update its look. It requires some patient sanding and sanding paint products to adhere to the vinyl and polyurethane finishes on wood and business wood furniture.

Dampen the cotton rag with the the trisodium phosphate solution. Wipe away all dirt, grease and grime from the surface of the wood, scrubbing away in any tough stains. Let the wood air-dry before moving.

Sand the wood with a sanding sponge, power rotary tool, oscillating sander or sanding block until the varnished wood is smooth and the wood has lost its gloss and sheen. Use lower grit sand paper for rougher finishes and thicker varnishes. Wipe away any dust residue leftover from sanding with a tack cloth.

Apply a thin coat of primer on the wood. Apply in careful, even strokes to avert any thick splotches of primer in remote regions. Let the first coat dry to touch.

Apply a second coat of the primer. Allow to dry overnight. Sand until the primed surface is easy to get rid of uneven textures due to blotches from the primer application and from the brushstrokes.

Apply one coat of the enamel paint in the exact same manner of application as the primer, using lengthy and even strokes throughout the surface of the wood. Let the first coat dry to touch before apply subsequent coats of paint.

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Out Of Coming Out on a Down Comforter how to Stop Feathers

The top down comforters will lose a few feathers because the feathers’ sharp points pierce through the cover to make their escape. If a large number of feathers are coming out, or even the shedding does not stop after the first few months, it means that the cloth on your comforter isn’t properly comprising the down.

Trapped Inside

If you are planning to obtain a down quilt, then look for a single covered in cloth with a high thread count and a down-proof weave, both of which minimize the amount of feathers that come out. Also, pay attention to the sum of down and feathers filling the duvet. Down clusters, the very soft feather-like structures with no quills, provide warmth and attic, or fluffiness. Down feathers have quills and are employed as an filler. The volume of clusters that the comforter comprises, the fewer feathers it will lose. If you already have a down comforter that’s losing feathers, then insert it in a duvet cover with a high thread count and tight weave. Add a liner. Dry cleaning is recommended for down comforters. Washing a down comforter should be carried out. Do not use laundry detergent when washing your duvet since the phosphates will coat the down and prevent it from being as fluffy, like the effect of shedding feathers. Use a small number of dishwashing liquid.

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The Way to Use a Plant Pot with a Removable Drain Plug

A grass using a bottom drainage hole is typically one of the first things needed to grow a healthy container plant. If the container you plan to use does not have a drainage hole, most garden specialists, like those at the University of Illinois Extension, recommend creating a drainage hole. A few plant pots, however, come with a removable drain plug. With such a grass, you have a lot of choices of what to do with it.

Pull the drain plug in the grass to grow most kinds of plants. Set the plug in a secure place if you think that sometime you will use the grass for a purpose that needs the plug. Put, if desired, a mesh display or coffee filter in the grass so that the material is above the drainage hole. The mesh display or coffee filter prevents dirt from seeping out the drainage hole. Fill the pot using a potting mixture, and use the container to grow plants in a way that is best suited for their kind.

Keep the drain plug intact in the drainage hole to grow plants in a water garden. Arrange the plants in the grass, and secure them in position with about a 1-inch-deep layer of deep mud, gravel or plain kitty litter, and also called cat box filler. Then, your plugged plant bud is ready to be placed in a water garden.

Keep the drain plug in the drainage hole if you wish to utilize the plant bud for artificial plants. You also can use the grass for non-gardening functions. For instance, a big, plugged plant bud can be used to hold umbrellas in a foyer without fear of water seeping in the umbrellas and outside the pot’s bottom.

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Will Steam Cleaning Carpet Remove Furniture Dents?

Carpeting provides a cushy surface underfoot while protecting the ground beneath from possible scratches brought on by legs. Moving furniture on a carpeted flooring presents an issue of its dents left behind following the furniture is moved. Steam cleaning your rug eliminates those dents and indentations with little effort.

Steam Clean the Dents

A steam cleaner — your own or a leased version — removes even stubborn scrapes which don’t seem to go away when you brush them with your own hand. Follow the directions for your particular steam cleaner, then working the cleaner over the seams and the immediate surrounding area to fluff up the rug fibers back to their original form.

Manual Dent Removal Approaches

If you don’t have access to a steam cleaner, place a damp white towel over the dented area; iron it with a typical clothing iron on a low to medium heat setting. Permit the towel to set for a moment or two to permit the steam to impact the rug fibers. Iron again if some of this dent remains. For a small dent, place an ice cube over the indentation and allow it to melt. Brush the area with your hand or wipe with a sponge to fluff up the fibers.

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Pros & Cons of Ceramic Cooktops

Ceramic cooktops are state of the art. Some conceal those ugly, old fashioned coil heating components while some conceal state of the art electromagnets for induction heating. Smooth, ceramic cooktops have as many disadvantages as they do benefits. There are lots of facts to take into account before deciding on buying a smooth, ceramic cooktop or stove.

Counter Space

Two of the biggest benefits of ceramic cooktops are additional counter space and the ease by which they may be cleaned. Counter space is always at a premium, especially in smaller kitchens, and also a smooth-top stove or cooktop may add much needed space. Ceramic cooktops can easily be scratched, though, which means you wouldn’t wish to utilize them for food preparation, but they can be used for putting meals to be served within their serving dishes and bowls. Smooth cooktops can also be more easily cleaned if you spill food on them.

Beautifies Any Kitchen

Another huge thing selecting smooth cooktops is their ultra-modern look. Ceramic cooktops hide those ugly, old coiled heating components, giving your kitchen a sleek, contemporary look. Aesthetically they can’t be beat.

Danger of Burns

One of the biggest disadvantages of ceramic cooktops is that once the inflammation of the heat components showing through the ceramic top disappears, you have no means of knowing the ceramic might still be hot. Serious burns can result if you or among the children touches the top. This is not a concern with a induction ceramic cook top because they are always cool to the touch.

Pots and Pans

Another big disadvantage of installing a ceramic cooktop or stove is that just pans and pots with thick, smooth seams may be utilized. Pots and pans with rough bottoms can easily scratch the smooth, ceramic top. Some pots, like aluminum- or copper-bottom pans and pots should not be used since they leave marks that can be hard or even impossible to eliminate. Painted, tooth pans and pots are just another no-no since they can stick with the ceramic layer, which might lead to splitting of the surface when they are pulled free.

Unique Cleaning Required

Glass and ceramic cooktops and stoves are so easily scratched their producers supply special sachets with them. One of the sachets contains a special cleaner to remove dirt and grime without being overly abrasive because of scratch the sensitive surfaces. The second sachet contains a sealer to reseal the glass or ceramic top after cleaning. Their producers also give you a special scraper that’s safe to use on ceramic or glass tops. This scraper was made to eliminate boiled-over, baked-on messes without damaging the top.

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The way to Lay a Copper Penny Tile Floor

“Find a penny, pick it up” takes on a completely different meaning when you are in a room hall using them. As an alternative to ceramic and glass tile, copper pennies will stand out enough to be noticeable — hello, Abe! — however won’t detract from a room’s overall layout. Forget about the debt ceiling and begin focusing on your floor.

Make Change

To tile a floor with copper pennies, expect to spend between $2.50 and $3 per square foot, depending on how you lay your tilefloors. You can work out the number of square feet you want to cover by measuring the width and length of the room and then multiplying these two numbers together. You may want to tack on a few extra feet just in case. Most banks will allow you to purchase change from these, provided that you are a customer. If you want your pennies at a pattern — all facing one direction or rows of pennies facing alternating directions — lay out your routine before you begin. Soak tarnished and muddy pennies in vinegar for a few minutes to bring out their shine.

Educate Your Floor

Just how much cleaning and planning you will need to do will be based on the surface where you intend to lay your copper penny tiles. Interior designer Laura Quinn, author of the design blog happyroost.com, needed to take up vinyl floors and wash and out the underlying tilefloors. Momina Khan of decoist.com recommends removing any foundation molding before evening out your floor, and after you are done, thoroughly wash the floor with a detergent-based solvent, rinse and let dry.

Penny Wise Layout

The way you lay your pennies on the floor will determine just how long this job will require. Quinn laid her copper penny tiles right on the floor with glue. You also can attach your pennies to self-sticking fiberglass — usually accessible 6-by-6 inch or 12-by-12 inch sheets. Gluing the pennies to your floor may result in crooked rows and can be hard to remove if one day you change your mind on your floors. It could also be hard keeping everything in line if you are working in the middle of the area where you’re tiling. When you are done, cover each one of the pennies with an epoxy-based transparent adhesive to assist them place. No grout wanted. Attaching pennies to fiberglass sheeting first enables you to do the work elsewhere, such as on a table. After filling one sheet with pennies, add your epoxy adhesive and move to the next sheet. Put down the sheets one at a time, pressing each securely to assist set. You may want to trim one or two sheets to fully cover the floor. You require at least six hours of drying time before you grout.

Grout and Establish

After combining your grout and water, then use a rubber grout float to propagate grout over the pennies. More is less, Khan stated, because you can always wipe off excess, and this excessive can go a long way toward filling in gaps. After providing the grout the three days or so it ought to set, clean off any excess and then seal it with an epoxy sealant, covering the entire floor evenly. You can buy epoxy sealant kits in your regional home-improvement store. You can walk on your new shiny floor after giving another three days to fully set and dry.

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How to Finish the Fronts of Concrete Steps

Plain concrete steps aren’t exactly attractive. They are just there — easy and boring. If you have a set of concrete steps, you can enhance the appearance of these and add a little style and thickness by simply improving the fronts of the steps with a small shade. Concrete stain is a very simple way to do this without causing the slippery danger that painted steps creates. The stain includes an acid which causes a chemical reaction using the concrete, etching into the surface and eternally coloring it.

Scrub the steps with a scrub brush and soapy water to remove any debris and dirt. Rinse the surface with a water heater once it’s clean. Let it perform dry for a couple hours before rinsing, but do not allow it to dry out entirely. Water is needed to assist the chemical reaction.

Fill out a garden sprayer using a concrete stain in the shade of your choice. Read the directions and include water accordingly. Place the top on the sprayer and shake to mix everything together. The sprayer needs to be designed to be used with acid solutions.

Cover and tape the tops off of the steps if you don’t want to complete them as well.

Cover the steps using a template pattern or use tape to make a layout if you want.

Spray the steps with the stain, moving the nozzle back and forth across the steps.

Remove the stencil or tape in the steps and allow the stain dry for a couple hours.

Watch for a deposit to build up around the surface of the stained region. When it forms, scrub the surface with soapy water and a brush to remove the residue. Allow the surface dry immediately.

Fill a separate sprayer using a concrete sealant and spray on the front of the steps to maintain the stain over time.

Remove the covering from the tops of the steps after the sealant has dried for a few hours.

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How to Get Sunken Chair Marks Away Carpets

Furniture and carpeting do not always play well together. Moving a heavy chair reveals indentations left behind by its legs, creating small craters in the carpeting. These indentations can easily be remedied in many cases, however, using moisture or steam.

Removing Chair-Leg Carpet Dents

Run your fingers through the carpet fibers over each indentation to assist coax them back into position. For plush carpeting, this may be enough to take care of the issue, or it will at least help resolve it. If the indentations stay, place an ice cube inside each dent left behind by the seat, leaving them to melt down entirely. After a couple of hours, run your fingers or the bowl of a spoon during the carpet over the affected areas to assist the fibers return to their original spots. Steam provides a different way to remove dents — place a moist white cotton cloth over a dent, ironing the cloth on a low or medium setting to heat the carpet fibers back into position. Lift the cloth after a minute or so of ironing to see if the dent is gone; if not, iron it a little more.

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Fixing Carpet With Furniture Indentations

If you are hesitant to move your furniture due to the scrapes it leaves behind in the carpet, don’t worry — that the indentations aren’t permanent. Erase them fast with one of several moisture-based solutions that enables those rug fibers relax back into position once again.

From Cold to Hot

Place an ice cube on the indentation and let it melt in position — a massive score may need more than one cube. Utilize the damp carpet fibers back and forth with your hand, the side of a wooden spoon or even a comb. Vacuum the region, if necessary, to assist the fibers recover their initial positions. To get a steam therapy, place a slightly damp white tea towel over the dented area; then iron it onto a cotton setting, moving the iron about gradually. Leave the towel in place for at least 15 minutes after ironing to help refresh the rug fibers. When you’ve got a steam cleaner, steam-clean the carpet rather, following the steamer manual’s directions.

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