home sectionhome sectionIf you want to cover your kitchen walls, but you don't want to remove your existing kitchen cabinetry, you'll have to do a little extra cutting. While it's always best to put wall material behind cabinetry, you can take a shortcut by trimming it to fit around the area. Beadboard paneling is ideal since it's typically less than 1/2 inch wide so it won't create too much of an overlap on top of your cabinetry.
Underlayment (also called the subfloor) is the material used beneath the flooring in homes. In older homes, this underlayment can be made out of wood planks or plywood, while newer homes tend to use composite materials made from cement compounds that are more impervious to water damage. Removing underlayment from around base cabinets can be a simple or complicated task, depending on your floor types.
Medicine cabinets come in two basic designs -- those that simply hang on the wall like a picture and those that sit inside the wall cavity, or recessed cabinets. Since installing recessed cabinets requires cutting a hole in the wall, the edges of the opening are typically a little ragged. One way to disguise the opening and improve the look of the cabinet is by applying caulk. Surrounding the cabinet perimeter with caulk also prevents air from leaking out of any gaps.
If your home utilizes hot water baseboards or underfloor heat, you most likely have a boiler. This boiler vents its combustion gases through a vent pipe that runs from the boiler to the chimney. Properly sealed vent pipes are essential to prevent them from leaking deadly carbon monoxide gases into your home. High temperature silicone caulk is the sealant of preference due to its ability to withstand the high temperatures that the vent pipe reaches.
The house mouse is a small rodent that averages from 5 1/2 to 7 1/2 inches in length, including the tail, and typically weighs about 1/2 ounce. Although the actual body of a mouse is around 3 to 4 inches long, its muscular and skeletal structure allow it to fit into spaces that are the size of a dime or smaller. This ability allows mice to access even the tiniest of openings in your kitchen cabinets. Fortunately, there is a way to block these holes, and once their food source is cut off, the mice will usually go elsewhere.
A number of different designs are used for cabinets, but almost all of them involve some sort of large box with drawers or doors. The size of cabinets is also highly variable. Larger cabinets are usually easily moved only by sliding them along the ground, but a few different techniques make moving cabinets significantly easier.
Downdraft cooktops have a fan exhaust mechanism that pulls air, smoke and heat downward, out of the air. This exhaust system keeps the air mostly dry and helps to cool the kitchen when using the cooktop. Downdraft cooktops can be electric or gas and have between four or five burners. Since these appliances have no oven box attached and are comprised only of burners, they can be installed anywhere along a counter or in a kitchen island.
Glass topped tables are beautiful but can be inconvenient and unsafe if the tops are not properly secured. Many tables feature wooden or metal frames where the weight of the glass is sufficient to hold the glass in place. However, when the top is simply placed over an attractive base, it is likely to slip. Fortunately if you are inspired to make a glass top table or if you are having problems with one that you already own, stick-on polyurethane bumpers will solve your problem.
One common area for floor caulking is around the base of your tub in the bathroom, but it can be found in other areas throughout your home. Once floor caulking starts to get old, it will start to peel and might even stain. If you have decided that it is time to re-caulk, you will need to remove the floor caulking that is already there. With the right materials, this task might be simpler than you think.
LCD televisions launched a new era in TV cabinets. With the thinner profile of the television, the cabinets to house them have also adopted a thinner profile. Depending on the size of the set and whether it is wall-mounted or sits on a stand, building a cabinet around an LCD TV is a project that do-it-yourself consumers can accomplish with confidence. Use solid lumber to give the edges of the shelves a finished look.
Glass tabletops can add an attractive design element to coffee and dining tables. If you have concerns about your tabletop shifting with use, you can secure the tabletop. For tabletops that will remain a permanent part of your table, a silicone adhesive may work well. If you want the top to be movable, clear bumper discs may offer security and mobility.
Caulking is useful for both aesthetic and practical purposes. Cabinets need to be caulked around the edges when they are first installed. This fills the gaps between the side of the cabinets and the wall and the helps to achieve a more finished and solid appearance. Cabinets may also develop cracks in the wood over time due to moisture and humidity, which causes the wood to shrink or swell, or from ordinary wear and tear. Caulk is useful in repairing these cracks as well.
Constructing cabinets for storage or a cabinet unit to hide appliances can help you maintain a neat laundry space, especially if the machines are visible in the kitchen or living area. Built-in cabinets can also help you organize laundry supplies or sundry items if desired. The cabinets surrounding the washer and dryer should provide good storage while harmonizing with the room's décor.
Many medicine cabinets come with attached trim which only needs to be caulked to the wall to complete the installation. But in older homes and some carpenter-built cabinets, a simple molding such as door casing is called for. By removing the cabinet, the trim can easily be installed. The process is fairly simple and can be completed in an afternoon.
Under normal circumstances, cabinet-door frames are usually not caulked. The side rails and top and bottom rails are tightly joined together. The panel fits into a slot that has been cut into the inside edge of the rails. It is possible that the rails were not properly fitted, leaving a gap in each corner; and the grooves for the panel were not properly placed, causing a gap between the rails and the panel. Using caulk to fix these issues will depend entirely on whether or not your cabinets are stained or painted.
