Try following these simple tips and tricks: 

1.)   You will want to start by wiping off of the wallpaper.  This will ensure that you get all of the dust and dirt off of the walls. 

2.)   Take all of the loose wallpaper off of the wall. 

3.)   Take 200 grade sandpaper and begin rubbing it on the walls where the old wallpaper was. This will help get the wallpaper glue off of the wall and it will make it easier to paint. 

4.)   Purchase primer and paint the walls with this first.  You may need to do this a few times.  It is best to take your time with this part so that you are sure you are covering any and all patterns on the walls.  This will help your final result be a success when you are finished. 

5.)   Consider the paint that you are going to be using because you want to purchase the correct primer for the best job. If you are going to be using oil based paint, you will want to use oil based primer. 

As long as you take the time to think about these things, you should have a lot of success painting your wallpapered walls. Make sure you choose the best paint color for your room.

Before you begin, make sure that you have a heat gun, a utility knife, and a putty knife for this project. 

1.)   Use the heat gun and get it to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.)   Run the heat gun around all of the tiles so that the caulking around them will become soft.  This makes it much easier to remove the tiles from the wall.

3.)   Take the putty knife and spend some time tapping on the tiles.  This will help you indentify which tiles are loose so that you can begin to remove them.

4.)   You may need to use the utility knife to cut the caulking, but then you will want to place the putty knife under the tile and slowly lift up on it. Do not use the utility knife to lift the tile up. 

5.)   Once you remove the first few tiles you will find that they rest of them seem to come out very easily. You will be amazed at just how easy it really is and how fast this process can take once you get started. 

As you can see, it is very easy to remove any unwanted ceramic tiles that you may have in your house.  As long as you have the right equipment it can go very fast and it will be very easy. If you are removing your tiles to add new tiles to your shower, make sure you know how to grout the tiles properly once you had added your new tile.

Take a few moments in read this article.  You will learn a few simple steps that can help you decrease the smell of paint in your house.

• Open the windows while you are painting.  This will create ventilation and it will help the pain smell flow outside.  Opening the windows can make your home cool if the outside temperature is low.  Therefore, you may not want to paint in the winter.  You may want to wait until the weather is nice so that you can open as many windows as possible without having to worry about making your home cold.

• Consider purchasing paint that does not have VOCs in it.  This is something new and it simply means that the paint does not have volatile chemicals in it.  This means that it will not smell bad.

• Consider getting an air purifier that you can use while you are painting.  If you are not interested in purchasing one you may be able to rent one. 

Hopefully these steps will help you.  Just remember that lighting scented candles and spraying air fresheners will not help you get rid of the paint smell for good.  These are only tricks that will cover the smell and could pollute your home air even more.

If you now want to paint a room in your home, but are having trouble deciding on how to select the best paint color for your room, there are simple tips to find just that right color. For the last thing you want is to paint a room, gets rid of the paint smell and then latter come to find out that you do not like the color you chose.

Damaged board paneling reacts well to a variety of techniques for repairing minor scratches and slashes, dents, and even deep gouges. But if the damaged paneling is too severe, you may want to replace one or more of the damaged tongue and groove boards. Be sure to carefully match any new paneling and its finish with neighboring boards. Below are 7 easy steps to follow for replacing a damaged Tongue-and- Grove board within your home.

Step One: Place a pry-bar between the baseboard and wall. Once there is a gap between the board and the wall, place wood wedges in the gap. Pry off the baseboard and remove the remaining nail with a hammer.

Step Two: With a circular saw, saw down the center of the damaged Tongue-and-Groove board. Once the board is sawed in two, split the ends using a chisel.

Step Three: Use a broad-blade pry-bar to wedge off the sections of the board from the wall one side at a time.

Step Four: Next cut the replacement board to length with the damaged Tongue-and-Groove board by placing the damaged board over the replacement and mark the correct length with a pencil.

Step Five: Using a mallet to hold the new board, use blocks of wood to protect the surface of the new Tongue-and-Groove board, and cut off the back of the boards groove with a wood chisel.

Step Six: Starting at the ceiling, fit the replacement board with the damaged old board’s adjacent neighbor and slip in into place. Continue fitting in the tongue with the adjacent board until you reach the flooring.

Step Seven: Using a padded block and soft cloth, tap the new board in place. Add finishing nails to the top and bottom of the new Tongue-and-Groove board. Make sure to fill in the nail holes with wood putty and finish for appearance. Once you have replaced the baseboard, you have completed replacing a damaged Tongue-and-Groove board.

Hot Water: The safest of the below methods for thawing frozen pipe is to wrap the pipe with rags and poor boiling water on it.
Heating Pad: Warp the length of the frozen pipe with a heating pad.

 
Hair Dryer: Used like a torch, a hair dryer will gently defrost the frozen pipe from the outside in.
Heat Lap:  For pipes situated behind any walls, floors or ceilings, beam a heat lamp 8 or more inches from the surface of the frozen pipe.

If you can see water flowing out of a crack in a wall or floor, you know that the source is ground water. If water is not flowing out of a crack, you’ll have to make a test for dampness in your basement to see if the water is due to condensation or water from the ground. To do this:

1. Cut two 12in squares of plastic sheeting or aluminum foil.
2. Tape a peace to the inside of one of the basement walls and the other to the basement floor.
3. Wait 2 days.
4. Remove the plastic or aluminum foil.
5. If the wall or floor that was covered by the square is dry then you have condensation. If the wall or floor that was covered by the squares are wet, you have a ground water leak.

Controlling Condensation In The Basement:

You will need to lower your basements air humidity by:

1. Raise the temperature in the basement.
2. Make sure all vents of moist air, like your clothes dryer, are vented to the outside.
3. Place a dehumidifier in the basement.
4. Insulate basement walls.
5. Insulate cold water pipes.
6. Open basement windows, weather permitting.

Controlling Ground Water Leaks In The Basement:

1. Gutters and downspouts should be directed to clear water away from the foundation of the home.
2. If you have a leaking crack, you will need to call a professional to fix the basement foundation.

How to maintain and inspect you homes siding:

Inspecting Your Homes Siding: Look for obvious problems such as warped boards, missing or damaged shingles, holes in stucco, crumbling mortar, cracks in your home’s exterior paint. Don’t ignore problems such as dry rot and termite damage. Dry rot and termite damage is the most serious damages that can accrue and may eventually destroy your house.

Begin with a visual inspection of your home: The following is a list of problems and solutions to guide you through a visual inspection of your homes siding:

Deteriorated caulking: Make a note of any caulking that had dried out and need to be re-caulked. Check the seals around windows and doors and where a deck or fireplaces adjoins to the house. If any cracks in a boarded siding are found, you should caulk them.

Defective Paint: Repaint any defective areas of paint. If necessary, repaint all of the siding.

Cracks: Long, vertical cracks in masonry walls may be a result of settling. To find if the crack is due to settling of your home, place tape over a crack and leave it in place of several months. If the tape twists or splits, this may mean you your foundation is settling and you should consult a professional to determine if there a serious structural problem. If the tap is still in place all that is need to be done is to repair the crack.

Mildew: Combination of heat and humidity may lead to mildew on wood and painted surfaces. To retard mildew see how to clean your homes siding.

Efflorescence: Brick or stone veneer may become covered in efflorescence. Efflorescence is a white powder formed when water-soluble salts are washed to the surface. On an old wall, this may indicate a leak. Cleaning the siding will remove the efflorescence.

Dry Rot and Termite Damage: Dry rot is a fungus that causes wood to crumble. Termites destroy wood by crewing out its interior. Both can work away at wood timbers and siding.

To detect damage by termites, probe the edges of wood siding with a knife to look for soft, spongy spots. Pay special attention to any part of the siding that’s close to or in contact with the ground. Check for visible evidence of termites by looking for any bug that has translucent 1/2 inch-long wings. If you find any mud tubes this also may be a sign of termites.

If you find evidence of dry rot or termites, consult a licensed termite inspector at once.

As Wallpaper ages, loosened edges, tears, bubbles, and other damage start to appear. Luckily all of which you can easily repair. When making a repair on your wallpaper, use lap-and-seam adhesive to hold the wallpaper in place. A seam roller helps you press the wallpaper smoothly to the wall with ease. Below are three easy wallpaper repairs.

1. Repairing Loose Edges and Tears in Wallpaper:

1. Moisten the damaged area and carefully lift the wallpaper away from the wall. Apply a thin, even layer of adhesive to the back of the now loose wallpaper paper.
2. Press the wallpaper back in place. Sponge off any extra adhesive. Make sure your sponge is not to wet, that it loosens the adhesive behind the paper.
3. To re-glue an edge or repair a tear, don’t use too much adhesive. To much adhesive can soak through and create stains in the wallpaper.

2. Patching Damaged Paper: Some types of damage like, stains, scuff marks, or wallpaper torn off, may require patching with a matching piece of wallpaper, if one is available.

1. Cut a square or rectangular out of the replacement piece that is slightly larger than the damaged wallpaper area. Make sure to match the patterns.
2. Apply the patch;
   1. Align the replacement patch so the pattern exactly matches the pattern on the damaged section of the wall paper.
   2. Attach the patch to the wall with tacks.
   3. Using a utility knife and steel straightedge, cut through both the patch and the wallpaper underneath the patch together.
   4. Remove the patch.
   5. Dampen the damaged wallpaper with a wet sponge and peel off. Scrape off any extra wallpaper or adhesive with at putty knife. Let the wall dry.
   6. Apply a thin layer of adhesive to the back of the replacement patch. Potion carefully the replacement patch to the wall and smooth it clean with a  damp cloth or seam roller. Wipe off any excess adhesive.

3. Repairing Bubbles:

1. Use a clean, damp cloth to moisten the wallpaper showing bubbles.
2. While using a utility knife, slit the bubbles. Make sure to make a V-shaped slit or a cut that follows the pattern. Don’t make a straight cut.
3. Use a narrow putty knife and force glue through the slit.
4. Use a damp sponge to spread the glue so it fills space the air bubble use to be.
5. Press the wallpaper smoothly to the wall.

1. When patching a fine or small crack in a plastered wall, widen the crack to 1/8 inch with the tip of a lever-type can opener. Once the crack is about 1/8 inch, blow out dust and debris (make sure to wear safety goggles). Fill the crack with speckle using your finger or putty knife.

2. Once dry, sand down the speckle, using a block wrapped with fine-grade sandpaper; sand in a circular motion. Make sure to prime the patch with sealer before painting.

Tip: Go to your local paint store and give them the name of your home builder and in what community you live in. They should have on recorded what color paint the builder used.