On The Surface - Interiors

Interior Services

WALL AND CEILING MATERIALS
Most modern walls and ceilings are made of drywall. Essentially this is a hard gypsum material within a paper sheath. It is usually installed in large boards or sheets measuring 4 feet by 12 feet. Glue is applied to the wood framing members and then the boards are either nailed or screwed to them. As the wood dries and shrinks, the nail points tend to stay fixed in the board as the sheet is drawn inward with the shrinking wood surfaces. This causes the heads of the nails to appear to “pop” outward leaving a convex dimple on the surface of the material or actually breaking through the surface to expose a nail head covered with spackle. The nails only serve to hold the sheets or boards in place long enough for the glue to set. If the drywall has in fact been glued, nails that have popped can be pulled out and the area spackled over.

However, if the drywall is secured only by the nails, then the popped nails should be pulled out, replaced with nails driven in at an angle and then spackled over. Then joints where the sheets of drywall are “taped” by applying a perforated paper tape along the length of the joint and then pressing drywall compound through the tape and over its surface. This joint is allowed to dry and then two more successive coatings of drywall compound are applied to feather it wider and smoother. It is then sanded or sponged smooth and prime painted. After the primer dries, it is touched up by spackling low areas and sanding high areas. After the touch up work, it is ready for paint. Sometimes taped joints will lift, and sometimes they will split, if framing members beneath warp or move with drying of the building. These things are easily repaired.

BATHROOMS
The tile around your bath fixtures is impervious to water but the grouting between the pieces isn’t. This is why you should be careful to mop up any water, which gets out on the floor when you use the shower. If it stands there long enough it will work its way through the grout or it will leak through tiny separations near the tub, walls, or water closets.

When houses are new, tile setters will often use grout to close the joint between the tub and the bottom of the tile work. This joint is best closed with tub and tile caulking. After the wood framing in the house dries and shrinks, the gap between the tub and the tile will probably widen. Every homeowner comes to know that tub and tile caulking around the bathroom is a necessity at regular intervals. Caulking is needed between the tub and the bottom of the tile, around the tub base at the floor, around the water closet, behind the escutcheon covers around the hardware penetrations through the tile, and around the tracks for the shower doors and over the screws holding the tracks.

One clever method of ensuring a quality caulking job is to first remove any old grout or tile and then weight the tub by filling it with water and standing in it. This will widen the gap between the wall tile and the tub to its maximum. When the caulking is pressed in place and the tub is unweighted by draining it, the gap closes a bit and pinches the tub and tile caulking tight. This helps get a more durable job.

Mildew is a fungus that spreads through the air in microscopic spores. They love moist damp places and feed on surfaces or dirt. In showers, they look like dirt. Cleaning and maintaining this is the homeowners responsibility. You can do this with solutions that remove mildew. Use precautions such as protective eyewear or rubber gloves while using these chemicals. You can keep your tile and any glass shower surrounds clean of soap scum and mildew buildup by toweling them off after each shower and by routinely using bathroom exhaust fans.

The toilet itself will sometimes loosen on its flange beneath the floor when wood members dry and shrink. If you can rock it back and forth or lift it slightly away from the floor, tighten it more securely by tightening the nuts on each side of the bowl flange.

KITCHENS
Most kitchen cabinets need only regular surface cleaning to remain fresh looking and maintain their good condition. The cabinets that seem to get the most abuse are the well cabinet above the cooking equipment and the sink base cabinet. A light cleaning after each use will keep the appearance of these cabinets matching the rest of the kitchen. Try to avoid overloading certain cabinets. Some people stock heavy canned goods two and three high to fill a cabinet. Such a group of cans can weigh more than 100 pounds. Spread out heavy loads so that shelving and cabinet fasteners are not subjected to unreasonable stress.

Use child protection devices to keep children from reaching cleansers and other potentially harmful products stored under the kitchen sink. Ordinary kitchen basins can act as storage bins under sinks and can help avoid problems which occur from leaks, spills and wet sink helpers. Children hanging or swinging on drawers or doors will usually break them. Never cut things on Formica or similar laminate countertop material. Small cuts or scratches will appear and dirt will get trapped there creating a “dingy” appearance. Use a cutting board for cutting things. Never set hot pots or cooking utensils down directly on laminate countertops because they can burn. It is a relatively easy matter to install a cutting board or a ceramic piece in a cutout portion of a laminate countertop to accommodate hot pots or cutting knives. Clean per manufacturer's instructions.

Ceramic tile tops will get dirty, especially in the grout lines. Sealers are available to protect against this, but you must make sure the tile and the seal are compatible. Check with the tile supplier.

Rubber drain mats can trap moisture beneath them, causing the laminated plastic to warp and blister. Dry the surface as needed.

Separation of countertops from walls, backsplash and around sinks results from normal, shrinkage of materials, but should be caulked immediately to prevent water infiltration.

SINKS
Porcelain covered cast iron sinks can stain so be careful to keep them clean. Do not leave carbon steel utensils in sinks or wet on countertops where they can rust and stain. Check to make sure of the materials used in all your utensils and use common sense about their “rust factor” and likelihood of damage. Keep the sink lip/countertop gap securely caulked with clear silicone caulking. Make sure the back of the sink next to the backsplash is well caulked as water will often trap there and damage the countertop.

RESILIANT FLOORS
Wipe up spills and vacuum crumbs instead of washing resilient floors frequently with water. Limit mopping or washing with clear water; excessive amounts of water will seep through the seams and dampen edges causing flooring material to lift and curl. Moving furniture across resilient floor cover will cause dents and tears. Use protective coasters on furniture. Extra pieces of flooring materials are left in event that patching is necessary. Call a professional for any kind of repair work to floor. Use products from specific manufacturer for cleaning.

HARDWOOD FLOORS
Hardwood flooring in new houses are pre-finished. The custom installations and finishes utilize flooring that butts tightly together at the edges. The pre-finished flooring has a bevel on the upper edges so slight differences in height will go unnoticed. The custom finished flooring will tend to be installed very tightly together and then the gaps between boards will widen a bit as the material dries. This is to be expected.

Wood flooring is normally cleaned every six months or so. Flooring which has been coated with polyurethane is best. Never wet mop a hard wood floor, this may cause wood to expand and damage floor. Use products from specific manufacturer for cleaning.

Wood floors respond noticeably to changes in humidity in your home, especially during winter months. The individual planks, they expand and contract as water content in them increases and decreases. A humidifier helps but does not eliminate this reaction. Expect some shrinkage around heat vents and any heat-producing appliances. Please maintain humidity level as recommended by manufacturer.

Heavy objects dropped on rigid flooring pieces can crack them. These pieces can be scratched so put pads on the flooring if furniture or equipment will be moved across it. If sealers are used over such materials, they will eventually wear off or be scratched.

Other damages to hardwood floors comes from traffic, which dulls the finish and sun. Exposure to direct sunlight can cause irreparable damage to your hardwood floor. Install window coverings on windows in these areas.

Resilient flooring materials are generally applied in squares or in sheet goods. More require very little maintenance though they are relatively soft on the surface and can scratch or tear, seams are known to open up and adhesives injected beneath the edges with syringe type glue drivers are the usual remedies. After the glue is injected beneath the loose portions, a heavy weight is applied to hold the flooring tight to the substrate. While most resilient flooring materials advertise themselves as “no wax” finishes, it is often prudent to apply asurface coating of wax. After several waxings, it is best to remove all of the wax with a commercial stripper and start fresh. A waxed “no wax” floor will last longer.

No matter what the carpeting material, it is almost impossible to vacuum too much. Dirt in carpeting acts as an abrasive against the fibers and will wear it out more quickly. If seams of carpeting open up, they can be held together either with a double-faced tape applied to the flooring beneath or with monofilament stitching.

MILLWORK
Wood working shops make up such useful and decorative wood pieces as newel posts, balustrades and mantles. They fit the pieces carefully and assemble them. Sometimes they come with nail or staple holes left. They are meant to be filled on site. These pieces will often come with pegs that fit in holes drilled to accommodate screws. This is common with stair work. If you find the stair work loosening simply remove the pegs and tighten the screws. When splits or separations occur in stained millwork, putty is the usual remedy. Splits and holes in painted millwork are usually filled with putty or glazing compound.

Locks on doors should be lubricated with graphite or other waterproof lubricant. Avoid oil, as it will gum up as it ages, exterior wood will develop minor cracks and raised grain. Much of this will occur during the first year. Raised grain permits moisture to get under the paint and can result in peeling. This is not a defect in the material; paint maintenance of wood trim and gutters is homeowners’ responsibility. Paint touch ups are visible under certain lighting conditions; it is best to make repairs when planning to repaint entire surface. On stained surface, color variations will result when stain is applied to good quality wood; this is normal and does not need repair. With today’s water-based paint, often wood grain becomes visible through painted trim; this is up to the homeowner to repaint. The builder does not provide corrections for this condition.