La femme de ménage voit tout

Freida McFadden

Description

Everything needed for trouble-free makeover projects and creative home maintenance.

In this practical manual, a professional decorator shares hundreds of her personal tips, techniques and trade secrets that will guide homeowners in attractive decorating and regular maintenance tasks, from repainting a ceiling to finding and fixing energy-sucking drafts. These are the how-to's, the wisdom and the time-saving shortcuts that do-it-yourself homeowners will appreciate for years to come.

While the book is designed for beginners planning their first-ever home makeover, more experienced homeowners will find tips and tricks to make their work easier, too. Clear instructions and lots of illustrations demystify all key aspects of every task. There are also handy checklists, tables and diagrams.

The main focus is on decorating with paint, wallpaper and tile, and includes all aspects of surface preparation, application of materials, estimating quantities, using tools, cleaning up and much more. The straightforward ideas and useful tips will achieve a professional-standard result and avoid costly mistakes. Any project can have unexpected challenges, so the author has provided fix-it solutions for common problems.

The six chapters (Tools and Equipment; Walls; Ceilings; Doors; Windows; and Be Prepared and Essential Maintenance) are comprehensive, covering every project the home decorator may face:

Step-by-step "how-to" sections
Useful lists of essential tools and supplies
How to build a decorating kit
Using equipment safely
Order of work planning
Hang wallpaper, match patterns, work in awkward corners
Ceiling access and safety when working aloft
Finishing touches: ceiling roses and decorative elements
Door maintenance and security
Finding drafts and correcting air circulation
Installing window treatments
Using a decorating record and maintenance table
What to do in an emergency.

Here are two sample tips that save a lot of work: 1. Add dish detergent to the water used to hang wallpaper to help the water stick to the paper; 2. Use color indicator spackle that is pink when applied, and turns white when dry enough to paint.

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