Lynda Dixon asks: I own a 1960's brick clad home with wooden windows that has no wall insulation. In order to add insulation is it cheaper to reclad the exterior or reline the interior? I'm not keen to use the foam insulation that gets squirted into the wall.
It is easier and cheaper to reline the interior to install the insulation.
Hi, We are building a new house and currently the upstairs bathroom sits partially above the master bedroom. Is this a terrible idea in terms of noise? Also, what are your thoughts on locating the hot water cupboard in the main bathroom - inadvisable? Useful? Doesn't matter? We quite like the idea, and it works really well in terms of available space, but we do have to consider resale. Thanks in advance!
It is better to avoid having a bathroom exactly over the bed room but if you can’t then talk to a designer and he can suggest ways to reduce noise. The water heater can be located in the bathroom cupboard.
Hi, We are building a new house which will include a small foyer. What are the minimum dimension's you'd recommend, and also the minimum you'd go to for a hallway? Many thanks!
There is no minimum or maximum size for the foyer. This will need to be considered on the basis of the existing structure you have. You should discuss this with your designer.
Su asks: We are renovating and want to move out our meter board (with internal electricity meter) off an internal wall as it's being removed. What is the process for this?
This is definitely one for the professionals. Call your local electrician. NRG is a nationwide franchise 0800 NRG 123.
Emma asks: We have just stripped the old wallpaper in our room of our 1940's home and have found the walls are quite cut up with shallow scratches and fibre coming out of the boards. We were planning to paint, will this then require complete re-plastering of the walls head to toe? (first home decorators!) or will re-wallpapering be the way to go??
Without seeing it, it is hard to say. However, whether you are painting or wallpapering you will still require a smooth finish (wallpapering is a little more forgiving). We recommend you coat all walls with a pigment sealer. This will bind all loose and fibrous materials. Then get a good stopper in to skim all the walls. Once dry, prime and then paint.
Kathryn asks: Is there an easy way to tell if an internal wall is load bearing? Can you tell by looking in the roof space? I'm toying with some ideas about renovating a kitchen space and would like to get an idea of whether the wall I would like to get rid of has to stay or not.
Getting in the roof space will give you an idea but you really need to check this with a designer or engineer by showing him the old drawings of the house
Jo Main asks: We have an 8yr old home and the tiling flooring has cracked in a number of places. Where/who do we get to advise us on what to do to? We think we need independent advice from some one who knows about such things.
There can be many reasons that tiled flooring can crack ranging from the structural integrity of the substrate, inexperienced tiling application to incorrect choice of adhesive or tile. You could contact your local Tile Warehouse store who have experienced sales consultants who should be able to find out a little more information about the project and help to find a solution.
I need to replace the cold water pipe from the meter through to all cold water pipes in the wall, as it is all rusted. Are the products Bunnings and mitre 10 up to standard for this, etc [blue pipe]
The products sold by the merchants or imported by them into NZ should comply with the local standards. Check with the store.
Peter Metcalfe asks: I want to extend an internal wall into a room for 1200 mm for decorative reasons. A friend has told me I should just nail or coach bolt the bottom horizontal length of framing straight onto the carpet in order to not have to restretch and refix the carpet edges afterwards which I would have to do if I cut the carpet to fit the framing. I am worried about the carpet shrinking or desintegrating over time and causing the join between the new wall and the existing wall to crack. Is it common to do what my friend has suggested? What should I do? Thanks very much
Because the wall is for decorative purposes and not load bearing it will be fine to fix direct over the carpets. It can then be removed at a later date if necessary. If it is not removed the carpet can be suitably cut at time of replacement. Ensure timber is very dry and bolt down as hard as possible to compress the carpet.
Robyn asks: Gas v electricity? We have to move an outside gas hot water cylinder and are considering dumping the gas altogether as the monthly line charge renders any savings of gas hot water v electric hot water of no effect. Are there any savings to be had with retaining gas hot water? What about instant hot water? Cheaper than heating with electric?
Take a look at this website. Smarter Homes It should answer your queries.
R.Reedy asks: I need to turn off hot water cylinder but there is no turn off valve. There is a header tank in roof but when I turned off valve hot water still ran out off tap. Do i have to run the hotwater out before I can fix washer in Kitchen taps.
The water can be turned off from the main water meter and run the water from the hot water tap till it stops.
Alison Ross asks: I have a tiled hall way with marble tiles in the centre surrounded by a pink tile. I want to change the pink tiles and have heard it's possible to have them painted rather than removed and retiled. Can you direct me to a company who does this. Regards Alison
We do not recommend for natural marble tiles to be “painted”, particularly in heavy traffic areas such as hallways. However rather than removing, you may be able to tile directly over the top of these particular tiles with the correct adhesive selection. Please call or contact your nearest Tile Warehouse showroom for more information.
Carla Thompson asks: My mother owns a very old home with high ceillings 10ft and all native trims. It has scrim and mess lining. We are in the process of insulating and gibbing 1 room at a time. How do we take the skirting, architraves, door frames and window framing off without spliting them as they are all native timber and very brittle.
Your best option to remove the skirting and architraves is to try push them out nearest the nails. As these nails may have been rusted by now they can be hard to remove. Don’t rush.
Liz asks: Help! Never have I seen a Lockwood Home renovation in and mag or online and I need some help - please! We moved into our 1980's Lockwood Home which is warm, dry, cosy and we love it. However with that it is very dark due to the wood on every wall and ceiling. It is stained a honey colour. We would love to renovate this and were thinking of gibbing but some people have said this would ruin the Lockwood look. We want to keep the wooden, cosy feel but modernise it all too. We had thought about sanding but this I think would drive us insane as it would be a huge job. Plus in the kids room they want to put their own mark with their own colours. We went down to Rotorua and saw the new eco showhome which has whitewashed wooden walls which we adore but think this would be impossible. Please if you have any tips or advise we would really really appreciate it! Thanks and great website by the way! Liz and John.
There is no easy fix in this case. You're only option to lighten it up is to paint it. Even a feature wall or two would brighten it up some. Why not get in touch with Dulux and find out the process of painting over the walls. You might be pleasantly suprised.
Leeanne Phillips asks: Our house was built in the early 60's and still has the original fire place with brick surround but has a big old gas heater sitting in it. Would it be feasible to remove the current heater, brickwork and mantlepiece then break through the wall into the chimney space to make a niche with shelving for electronics?
Yes, this can be done provided the structural stability of the wall is not affected.
MR asks: We've looked at a house we may purchase that has gorgeous woodend floor, however, someone has painted ducks on the wooden floor (a border) about the kitchen perimeter. Is there a way to safely remove the painted on ducks without sanding down the floor and redoing it? They are bright pink and blue ducks in an otherwise updated and fantastic kitchen.
It depends on what paint was used to paint the ducks on. If it was artist paint methylated spirits and a bear-tex scouring pad may remove it but will take a lot of rubbing and may take the gloss of the floor and still leave some colouration on the floor. Best to take the price of sanding and redoing the floor into the buy price.
Kate asks: Hi, We are currently in the process of redecorating and putting up new wallpaper, of which we will get a decorator to do for us. He advised us to remove all the wallpaper back to the original lining. The top layer came off brilliantly but the second layer as been put up on unsealed paperfaced board. Do you know an easy way to remove it? We have already removed some so am presuming that we had better remove it all. It's a nightmare!! Thanks, Kate
Hire a wallpaper steamer from a hire place or Bunnings, ask how to use it - this is the only way to remove very suborned wallpapers. Take your time and do it bit by bit. If the wallpaper is painted it will stop the steam getting through to the soften the glue, if so you will need a paper tiger - little hand tool from paint and paper store , hardware store may have them - you run this all over the wallpaper and it makes holes for the steam to get through and so soften the glue.
Angela asks: We currently have hallway that is approx 132cm wide. We are looking at buidling a cupboard along a wall in the hallway. What do recommend should be the maximum depth of the cupboard ? How can i ensure that the hallway doesn't look tiny and dark afterwards ? thanks heaps angela
The width of the hallway is already narrow so you don't really want to be taking any more space for the cupboard. Another option would be to cut an opening and take space from one of the rooms around the hallway. To lighten it up you can use a sola tube to extract the natural light from sky. Take a look at Solamate from HRV
Mattie Ryan asks: Our floor is covered with old style lino which is almost impossible to lift off the wooden floor. I assume is was laid years ago with some kind of adhesive. Is there any solvent or trick you can advise on to help remove. Currently it is only coming off inch by inch painstakeingly.
This is a real pain with no easy answer sorry. Try using a heat gun and scrape it back when the glue loosens off. Good luck!
John Graham asks: We are intending to build a home and are interested in using one of your exterior weatherboards, for example Colonial profile, internally on some walls of the rooms. The style would suit our desired effect. What do you think? thanks, John.
That is a great idea. We have had our exterior products used internally in the past to create feature walls and points of difference. The installation would be as per normal in a dry area, in wet areas careful consideration should be made when the product is installed. When you get to this stage please contact our technical team for more advice on 0800 808 868.
Kellie Beaumont asks: Hi, I really like the storage system you have used in the laundry of the featured renovation. Can you tell me where I could get it from in West Auckland?
These are available from your local HomePlus store. See the HomePlus website. They can come to you to do a free measure and quote.
Opura Takatainga asks: Hi. Do i need to consult with a architect or designer if i want to take a wall out or could just consult with a builder?
We strongly recommend you to talk to a designer/engineer regarding removing the wall before undertaking any works.
Louisa & Ron Allwood asks: Our 30 year old home has a hutch separating the kitchen and dining room, can we open up the hutch and extend it by cutting out to the upright supports which are about 200 mm away from the hutch? without planning permission. We would be leaving the height the same, but lowering the bottom of the hutch to the top of the kitchen workbench. We need to get a new bench, we want to know what is the cheapest material we could use? Thank you Luisa & Ron
This separation between the kitchen and dining room maybe supporting the roof. You need to check it with the council first. If it is not providing any structural support to the house then it is easy to remove it. The cheapest material for the bench top is laminated MDF boards.
siobhan asks: we are looking at reno a 1942 brick house. how do you get the building paper on when you take the plaster board off pls?
I assume you are asking about how to remove the building paper from the plaster board.? The paper can be removed by using a specific steaming tool. You should contact the tool shop or hire shop for this.
Anna Scott asks: We are purchasing a 1950's property to run our office from, it is a serious do up! Like everyone, we have limited funds for this. I have renovated before but have never tackled wallpaper. I would appreciate tips on how to remove very old wallpaper and preperation tips for new. I would prefer to paint, but think it would cost too much to get the walls to paint standard.
Use a scouring tool to puncture the wallpaper. Then wet walls down with wallpaper remover, Shelly’s Liquid soap or similar. Use a broad knife or similar to scrap back wallpaper. Preparation is key. Fill any cracks or imperfections and sand with 100 grit sandpaper. Ensure you have smooth, clean, dry and well sized walls to ensure wallpaper adhesion.
Warren asks: I want to put an internal stairwell to the basement. Would I need a permit?
This is not something that we can answer for you unfortunately. It is dependant on too many things. The best thing to do is call your local council.
siobhan asks: If you remove plasterboard and want to put batts in, you do not push them up against bricks. You push them towards the building paper which keeps the batts off the bricks so they insulate and do not transmit the cold from the bricks into the house. How do you get the building paper (or wrap) in a 1942 house which never had it without pulling all the bricks off.
You cannot use a building paper, but you can easily insert a tight fit insulation in the wall framing by keeping the cavity between the brick and frame open.
Helen Monti asks: We have a huge project at our very ugly house; everything needs renovating! My boyfriend is a builder, so we've got the 'bones' work sorted, but where do I start with choosing decor? I have heaps of ideas, but I want everything to tie together; not just a mish mash of rooms. Also, how do I choose drapes? Pleats? Blinds? Nets? Etc? It's SO expensive, and must work with everything else! Eeeeeek! Helen :-D
An interior designer is worth their weight in gold. In the long run they can actually help you save money. Making the right choices first up and saving on costly mistakes. This option allows you have your decor plan from the outset and then you can purchase when money comes available. Try Sonya Cotter from In-situ Design. sonya@insitudesign.co.nz
Camille asks: We have an open plan living room but would like to put in a foyer or at least an entrance of some sort to separate when people come in from the rest of the living room. What do you suggest?
Speak to the professionals. Get someone around who can look at your property and make an informed decision. You can get a designer from www.adnz.co.nz.
mike parkee asks: I want to remove a cupboard with platerboard walls. Is it just a case of cutting through the plasterboard at the junction of wall, ceiling and floorboards. Or is it more complicated than that?
It depends where you're cutting. If you are close to a junction, it is better to cut to the joint and fix a new board. It is not that complicated. The end finish of the job depends upon the skill level.
Irene Newbold asks: We are looking at a property to buy that is high set with the ground floor being a one bed self contained flat. The flooring is chip board with carpet, the problem being that when walking across part of the upstairs floor you can hear squeeking and thumping from footsteps.
You can stop squeaking by using screws to fix the floor boards. Use thicker underlay under the carpet. This should help in reducing the thumping noise. See www.cavbrem.co.nz for more information.
Pam asks: I have a cedar townhouse built in the 70's which is on an elevated site. I am currently repainting the interior as there cracks in the gib. Having cleared and replastered with crack areas then repainted it looked great for about six months but the cracks are starting to reappear. I accept that there is a degree of ground movement with the different seasons which is presumably causing movement within the house but is there anything that can be done to remedy this problem?
There is possibly a movement being created either by thermal expansion of cedar or wind pressures etc. or it could be the way it was plastered? Check with plasterboard supplier regarding plastering.
Robo asks: What type of covering can I apply to the wall of a house in a conservatory? The present wall is like a dense hardboard weatherboard made by Pinex many years ago.
You can either use pre-finished wall linings like Horizon Lining or HardieGlaze Lining or use Villaboard Lining provides a substrate for tiles or painted finish.
Karen asks: Hi, I've just purchased a1920's bungalow and would like to choose a carpet to go with the kauri floors and half tea walls we have 2 kids so it can't be too light and 2 cats so want cut pile what would you suggest please? Also were can I find info on styles of the 1920's please. thanks, Karen
Try Cavalier Bremworth. Their newly released Picotage range might be just what you need – it is a cut pile with a unique salt and pepper effect which gives more interest on the floor and has what we would term great ‘soil hiding’ properties because it’s not a flat colour. The link below will show you the product and its full colour range and you can now order samples direct through their website or get these from one of their warranted dealers. Angus Tweed is a heathered yarn cut pile that may also work for you. Simply visit www.cavbrem.co.nz and use the product finder to the right to view these or their ‘browse catalogue’ function to flip through the entire range. In relation to styles from the 1920s, at that point highly patterned woven carpets and rugs were the vogue. I think Google will definitely be your best reference point to source images from that era.
Adrienne asks: Hi. We have a 1940's bungalow. Many of the walls are still sarking and scrim. We have installed under floor "Expol" and now we want to insulate two bedroom walls before winter. Can you please tell me the best way to go about this, in order to achieve maximum warmth? We don't want to go to minimum effort and inject a foam in if we compromise the level of insulation we end up with Should we be removing the scrim and the sarking and insulating with batts? Will we need to also install building paper if once everything is removed we are just left with the weatherboards? Any help would be much appreciated as the more I read online the more confused I become about what is the best solution! Thank you
You can install the insulation by removing the lining, in case you dont want to use to remove the cladding and recladd. A hydrophobic (which doesn't absorb water) type insulation can be used in this case. Try www.Pinkbatts.co.nz for more information.
Rachel asks: Hi, A section of my wallpaper is coming away at the seam and when I press on it it caves in. I am loathe to press any harder in case it makes a hole! Other sections of the wallpaper in the room are ok but only this particular part. Do you know what might be causing this? The room nextdoor is a neighbour's bedroom. It was professionall wallpaperd at least 4 years ago and it is a 70's townhouse. Any assistance you can offer would be appreciated.
It appears that the board under the wall paper is damaged. It should be looked at by a plasterer.
Tina Mitchell asks: We have a 1970s modulock house (like lockwood but with vertical panels). What can we use to line the walls on top of the wood panels? Ideally we want something thin so that the skirting boards and carpet are not affected too much. Any suggestions would be great!
You should use 6mm Villaboard Lining to line the walls.
Keri Steventon asks: Hi We are currently removing our existing concrete fire hearth, which was poured straight on timber floor(supported underneath with piles). We require to know which hardie product is ideal to lay on existing timber floor, prior to new cement pad to be laid. Hope you can help. Regards
You can use Hardipanel compressed sheet 18mm under a free standing fire place. It should be covered with ceramic tiles or hearth board.
Angela Prosser asks: I am currently painting 2 internal doors. I spent a good amount of time sanding and preparing them both in the same way. Now that I have begun painting, one is looking great, but the other one has patches on one side where the paint is cracking, so ot looks like 'crazy paving'. What caused this? And what do I do about it??!
This is quite a specific request and we really need to know a bit more - are the doors bear timber or painted surface? What paint is being used oil or water based? How old are the doors? With out this info hard to give a correct answer of what would cause this as there could be a number of reasons; Could be wax or silicone from furniture polish. If the doors have just been sanded and not stripped then there could be silicone from furniture polish still present which could make the paint give a crazy paving effect, not smooth. Or if there is still a old coating on the doors the solvent in the paint they are applying may soften it and cause it to move a bit giving a crazy paving look. Or could be if using oil based paint, that they have applied a second coat of paint before the first coat has dried enough, (which can happen inside with not much air movement) and the solvent in the paint they are applying has soften the first coat in parts causing it to wrinkle a bit giving a crazy paving look. All cases the paint will stay wrinkled, will need to remove it and make sure there is a clean sound surface for repainting. If you would like a more specific response please contact Dulux bevan.tutty@dulux.co.nz.
Vicki asks: We are wanting to convert internal garage to rumpus/gym room containing a shower and toilet and changing garage door to glass sliders. How do we go about the design etc.
If you're looking for someone to take the job from design to completion, we recommend contacting Smith and Sons. You can visit them at www.smithandsons.co.nz or phone them on 0800 764842. If you're just wanting a designer for now, we recommend looking at ADNZ. They list their designers at www.adnz.co.nz.
Jude Catley asks: In your bathroom renovation, what price were the laundry doors?
These came from HomePlus and were approximately $1,000. HomePlus come to your home to do a free measure and quote.
Jeff asks: Can you help me select a suitable adhesive for James Hardie's Ezi-Grid Tile Underlay please. Substrate being existing T&G timber floor boards.
EziGrid Tile Underlay is no longer manufactured by James Hardie. They do supply another flooring product, Tile and Slate Underlay in two sizes. 1800 x 1200 and 1800 x 600. A solvent based adhesive like Max Bond, No More Nails, Sika 11 FC etc can be used. When fixing over solid timber like T&G using adhesive in conjunction with annular grooved nails is optional.
Phil Watson asks: What is the best way to lift ceramic tiles from concrete floor. thanks
Unfortunately there is no easy way. First of all take the grout out. Then it’s the chisel or a spade and a lot of hard work. Most of the tiles will break so don’t expect to be able to save them. If you’re putting tiles back down, you’ll need to grind back the concrete so you have a good surface for the next lot of tiles to adhere to.
Brigitte McIntosh asks: We are a couple approaching 50, and recently brought our first home. The home was well maintained by previous owners but the interior colors and kitchen are rather dated. We have large open plan living/kitchen area separated by the usual island bar (this we dont mind - it defines the two areas nicely). However the kitchen section of wall is divided by 'picture rail', wall paper above and wallboard below, the wall board is the type that was often used in bathrooms and on counter tops! We want to live in the house for a couple of years first before renovating the kitchen. But we want to freshen what we have with paint. Can this type of board be painted? Is there some sort of preparation/product that can be used that will allow us to paint it? . We would also like to paint the kitchen cupboards and drawers, they are a thin board with a faux wood grain, similar to formica. Many thanks for any suggestions you might have.
Clean the area with Selleys Sugar Soap to remove all surface dirt, then undercoat with Dulux Primerlock (this is a primer made to stick to hard to stick surfaces similar to formica) then top coat with Dulux Wash & Wear, and cupboards and drawers with Dulux Aquanamel.
Marlene asks: We have a leaking cold water tap over our bath and want to change the washer. We have a header tank. My question is, do we have to climb into the ceiling to turn off header tank as well as at the mains? Dumb question , I guess but don't fancy climbing into the ceiling, really!
If the bath tap is connected to the header tank, than yes you will have to turn it off at the tank, it could be that the cold water to the cylinder is gravity fed so that will mean the hot water to all the outlets is possibly from the header tank, the cold water how ever could be mains supplied and this will have to be turned off at the street. The way to check if your hot water cylinder is gravity fed is to check under the hot water cylinder and if there are reducing valves under there then it is low pressure if there is not then it is gravity. Check the pressure at a hose tap on the outside and compare it to the bath tap it could be mains or equal low pressure.
Kylie Ward asks: Hi I live in Totara Heights in Manukau and am painting - I am looking for a color consultant to help choose paint colors and get a good opinion - can you recommend a good person thanks kylie
Hi Kylie, You can book a Dulux colour consultant here
John Jamieson asks: How do I remove a strip of no more nails adhesive
The best option is to use turpentine.
Kam Kamath asks: We have a early 80s brick & tile house with million dollar sea views. We plan on retrofitting this house into a modern house. Don't know where to start.
Firstly, take a look at our Getting Started section of this website. Start collecting ideas you like from magazines. You can talk to builders to get ideas. Smith and Sons are renovation experts and do free quotes. Click on Get a Quote on this website and we can get someone out to you to help.
Desiree De Courcy asks: Hi. I have just discovered your website which looks great as we are about to start renovating our bungalow. We have an idea of the design we want to achieve but are not sure if we need an architect or if we only need an architectural designer. My question is do you have any architects or architectural designers that you would recommend in Auckland for a traditional bungalow? Thanks
We would recommend contacting NZIA or ADNZ. For an explaination of these organisations visit Getting Started section of this website.
Roni Martin asks: I am trying to work out a colour scheme for my new build house. How do I do this without employing the services of an expensive interior designer?
Try a Dulux Colour Consultant. They're a cost effective option. Book one here.
