Spruce up bathrooms by regrouting tiles...

REGROUTING bathroom tiles is a cheap and effective way of sprucing up your bathroom décor. In the vast majority of cases new tiles is not what’s needed, but rather plenty of elbow grease and a touch up. Limescale and mould is unsightly and can make even the most expensive bathroom look shoddy if left untreated. Fixing leaking shower trays with filler and replacing washers on dripping taps will all help to make a bathroom look new again. You can apply new grout over existing grout but the results are less likely to work long-term. With a small electric grinder simply apply the cutting disc gently between each tile to remove old grout. If you don’t feel comfortable using a grinding disc, then simply use a scraper. The latter is a little slower, but making you feel better about the job is what matters. Clean the tiles well after this process.

By clearing away the old grout you’re allowing room to apply the new layer. This ensures that you avoid thick or bulky lines of grout that look untidy. You also don’t want the old grout to appear through the new layer. You basically want to follow the same pre-existing grout lines.

Once you start noticing mould and discoloured tiles it’s usually a sign that the grout is in poor condition. Damaged grout also leads to secondary problems in which water can gradually seep behind the tiles. This deteriorated grout will eventually lead to mildew on your walls and this can start to erode your wall joists. This is not good news. If you think the job is too far gone, then you should consider hiring a tradesman to do it. EVER felt like you need a job done but don’t know where or how exactly to go about it? If so, then you might want to consider paying a visit to your local Men’s Shed. The latter is a rapidly growing trend in Ireland and Kerry is no exception with over 11 Men’s Shed’s dotted throughout the county.

These sheds can be found in every major town and in rural areas making them accessible and available 24/7. But what are the advantages for the DIY enthusiast? What many people don’t know about Men’s Sheds is that they’re run by men who will do all kinds of projects from their shed, which are usually kitted out with wood working machines, etc. In many cases the sheds have members that are skilled or retired tradesmen who can come up with many solutions.

With spring just around the corner, many people will be thinking about outdoor garden furniture, bird boxes, picnic benches and the like. The vast majority of Men’s Sheds are already involved in making wood products to order. On top of that, you can pitch any idea to the men and find out if they can do the job. Men’s Sheds are a wonderful DIY resource right on your own doorstep. And if all that sounds good, how about joining one yourself ? If DIY is your thing and you’ve got a bit of time to spare, then a joining your local Men’s Shed is a good idea. Check out a Men’s Shed in your locality.