6 Restoration Jobs You Can DIY
As a restoration company we’ve seen every type of home restoration job from roof repair to drying carpet to peeling paint. When it comes to your home there’s nothing we won’t take extreme care to restore to perfect conditions! But that doesn’t mean every job requires the help of a full restoration team. There are a few small household repair jobs you can DIY, which can save you money, time, and might even teach you a valuable new skill!
So without further ado, check out these six common household restoration jobs you can DIY.
1 – Cat Scratches on Leather Furniture
As cute as our little furry friends are, they can sometimes be a pain. Not to mention they can harm or even ruin your furniture! Rather than dealing with a scratched, torn, and peeling leather couch or chair, try this DIY and maybe even prevent any new damage!
You Will Need:
- Leather wipes/cleaner
- Sandpaper
- Leather binder
- Leather conditioner or colorant
- Sewing or small scissors
- Leather filler
- Protective top coat
How to Repair Cat-Scratched Leather
Follow these steps to get your couch looking like new again!
- Clean the area using your wipes.
- Using the scissors cut as much of the peeled pieces of leather off the couch as you can.
- Sandpaper the area to really smooth it out.
- Apply the leather binder using a damp towel.
- Sand the area again.
- Apply the leather filler to fill in the holes.
- Apply the leather conditioner or colorant (colorant will help to cover in the holes and hide the scratches)
- Apply the protective top coat.
You can also follow this video if you’d like to watch the whole process before trying it out!
Now that you’ve got your couch looking like new again, it’s time to prevent future damage! You can buy these handy couch covers here, and as an additional precaution we suggest buying a cat scratching post and placing it next to the couch as an alternative for your cat or cats!
2 – Age-Worn Dining Table
Have you ever been in love with a beautiful vintage dining table at a garage sale or used furniture store, but hated how old and worn it looked? You can do this simple repair in no time! This is also a good option for dining tables that have been used by your family to the point of looking vintage without actually being vintage. Follow this quick guide and get your dining table shining the way it’s supposed to again!
You Will Need:
- Sandpaper/sanding machine
- WD-40
- Wood stain
- Wood glue
- Polyutherane
- Paint brushes
- Towels
- Hammer
- Hack Saw
How to Refinish and Restore an Old Worn Table
Because this is a more detailed and in-depth restoration DIY, we’ll give you a high-level overview of what this process looks like. Please watch the video afterward to get a better sense and a visual representation of what to do!
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- Sand the entire table removing all stain or paint from the top, bottom, legs, and don’t forget the edges!
- Take extra care to sand any dings or scratches. You can fill in the gaps with wood filler.
- Remove all sanding dust with a tacky towel.
- Apply stain with a large paint brush, following the wood’s natural grain.
- Apply polyurethane according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Allow the final coat of polyurethane to dry for at least 24 hours before using the table. (Make sure you do this step outside or in a garage).
Don’t buy a new table when the one you have gets too old – just refinish it!
3 – Peeling Paint
Paint in your home can peel for any number of reasons. It might have been poorly done, it might be too thickly painted, it could have water underneath it, or it could just be old! Whatever the reason, you shouldn’t have to deal with ugly peeling paint, so try this DIY fix.
You Will Need:
- Sandpaper
- Metal spatula/paint scraper
- Paint tape
- Patching compound
- Putty knife
- Paint primer
- Paint
How To Repair Peeling or Bubbled Paint
This entire process shouldn’t take you more than a few hours depending on the size of the affected area.
- Prep your area by placing tarp down, wearing safety gear, and taping any areas you don’t want damaged or painted.
- Scrape off the peeling paint with your metal spatula.
- Sand the area and fill in any holes with the putty knife and patching compound.
- Clean the area with a damp tacky cloth.
- Apply the paint primer.
- After the primer is dry, paint over the area with the new color!
Peeling paint can certainly look very ugly, but considering how easy it is to repair this shouldn’t be a big deal for any homeowner! Plus it gives you an excuse to paint your walls!
4 – Drafty Window
The middle of winter is never the time to realize you might need to replace your windows. A common sign that they aren’t properly sealing shut could be an abnormally high heating bill, or you might even be able to feel a draft when near your windows. Prepare for the coming fall and winter by doing this quick DIY window sealant!
You Will Need:
- Caulk & caulk gun
- Caulk softener
- Metal spatula
- Window glaze
How to Seal Your Windows
It’s best to perform this DIY at the end of summer when it’s not too hot for the caulk or window glaze to melt, but warm enough that you won’t freeze while doing it!
- Apply caulk softener to the old caulk on your windows.
- Let it sit for at least 2 hours.
- Scrape off the caulk with the metal spatula. Wear gloves and use a pan to catch excess caulk.
- Apply new caulk with a caulk gun.
- Allow to dry.
Check out this video and follow along:
Hopefully your windows are nice and sealed! This can also help seal windows from high winds during storms!
5 – Stained Carpet
If you’ve ever had a pet or a child you know that your carpet isn’t going to stay clean for very long. Besides even adults can spill drinks, food, or anything else. There are a lot of different ways to get stains out of carpet, it just depends on what type of stain you have. So instead of listing them all here, we found the best video thanks to Martha Stewart Living for you to reference when dealing with most major types of carpet stains!
6 – Small Roof Leak
We often say that for something like a roof leak it will always be safer and easier to call a restoration company to help you. However, if you find a small leak and take the proper precautions you can still repair this problem yourself. Follow these steps carefully when patching a small roof leak.
You Will Need:
- Roof cement
- Caulk
- Metal spatula
- Shingle(s) (if necessary)
- Hammer and nails
How to Repair a Small Roof Leak
- Locate the leak on your roof. Be extra careful to wear shoes with excellent tread, and walk slowly.
- Determine if you will need to replace any shingles.
- Pull up the shingle where the leak is.
- Using the metal spatula spread an appropriate amount of roofing cement over the leak.
- Once dry, use the caulk to “glue” the shingle back in place.
- Only use the hammer and nail if you feel it is necessary to nail the shingle in place.
You can visit WikiHow to learn a few other ways to repair your roof if you have a material other than shingle.
How Kelmann Restoration Can Help
All elements within your home will age with time. There is a time and place for a complete renovation or replacement, but for smaller jobs like the above we are confident you can do them yourself! We are restoration and remodel professionals, and we are happy to help with bigger renovations like taking out walls and building new rooms. Otherwise, if you feel your home is in need of a larger repair you can always call Kelmann Restoration to help you get the job done! Good luck DIY-ers!