Wall Decorating Secrets and Tricks

Recommendation points

• Plastering works
• Tricks for tile
• How to make even holes in tiles without chips
• How to make a hole in a tile without a drill
• Tricks in working with GCR
• How to patch a hole in the ceiling
• How to patch a hole in a drywall wall
• How to create an even corner for putty without using a perforated corner
• What is the fastest way to level the walls of the gypsum board

In this article, we will tell you about the tricks and secrets from the masters, which you can resort to when there is a shortage of hands or time. You will find tips for decorating walls with tiles, plasterboard, plaster and putty. Thanks to these techniques, repair work will become easier and faster..

Working during repairs or on a construction site always takes a lot of energy, is traumatic and requires endurance. To maintain strength, health and order at the facility, there are many tricks that experienced craftsmen resort to..

Plastering works

We will describe several proven agents that affect the quality characteristics of the raw solution..

1. If you have to work in a cold period, it is necessary to keep moisture in the solution so that the reaction passes before freezing. This requires special formulations, you can add ordinary table salt 1 kg per 50 kg of cement. Another way is to mix it with liquid soap or shampoo (2-3 liters per 0.1 cubic meters). This will help the solution retain its plasticity for a sufficient time..
2. With a thin layer of plaster, the mortar lays down “reluctantly”, the quality is very rough. A small amount of plaster putty will correct the situation. The solution will become plastic and will lay down much easier. The optimal proportion is 100 g of putty per 5 kg of mortar. This method is applicable only for interior work.

Attention! Increasing the percentage of gypsum content can lead to cracking and shrinkage.

3. Before working with mortars and concrete, moisten the inventory (wheelbarrows, troughs, buckets) with water – the solution will not stick and make it heavier. Rinse the inventory periodically, then using this water for the solution. To speed up and simplify the dismantling of the formwork, lubricate its sides from the contact side with any type of oil or oil liquid (even diesel fuel is suitable). But make sure that no liquid gets on the fittings..
4. Sugar added to the cement-sand mortar (1/10) makes it much harder after curing. The plaster layer is petrified. This method is cost effective on small volumes of work.

Tricks for tile

How to make even holes in tiles without chips

This question arises quite often – the tile is a very popular and widespread material, and the holes in it are an obligatory stage of finishing work, because in bathrooms and kitchens there are always outlets of water supply and sewerage pipes. In most cases, a hole with a diameter of 25-60 mm is required.

Method 1.In order not to purchase expensive sets of crowns (price from $ 50), use a regular hacksaw for metal with a diamond string instead of a blade. With such a tool, you can cut not only holes, but in general any smooth shapes without developed skills. Before working on the tiles, stick the tape.

Hole in a tile with a hacksaw, video

Method 2.Mark the hole and drill it around the circumference. You can do this with a concrete drill (without perforation). On the reverse side of the tile, gently break off the “partitions” between the holes with a chisel or pliers. Wrap sandpaper (grain 60-80) on a handle or round bar and grind the edges of the circle, bringing them to an even state.

Smooth hole in tiles without special tools. Step-by-step video instruction

How to make a hole in a tile without a drill

In the case when you need to hang something light, such as a towel hook, which does not require a secure dowel, you can use the following method. Instead of a drill on a tile, use a 3.5×9.5 drill-point self-tapping screw, which is popularly called a “flea” (they fasten the profile for the gypsum board). Having 2-3 such screws, you can make a 4 mm hole in the tile for a wooden chopik, which will be enough to hold towels.

How to drill a tile without a drill – watch the video

Tricks in working with GCR

How to patch a hole in the ceiling

If the hole size does not exceed 50 mm, you can cover it with a layer of mortar or putty. To do this, you need to drill a hole in a small (should go through the hole) plate and thread a cord through it or tie it to a rod. Install the board in the hole so that the cord hangs freely.

In another plank (larger than the hole), drill a hole for the cord and thread it. Then put tile adhesive or mortar on the board, stretch the cord and connect the board with the mortar and the hole. Fix the cord with clothespins. You can remove the board and cut the cord after 12 hours.

A hole in the ceiling, how to patch up – video

How to patch a hole in a drywall wall

If the hole is 40 to 150 mm in size, it can be repaired by replacing the damaged area with a piece of gypsum board. To do this, we trim the edges of the hole to an even state and do the joining of the edges. We pass a piece of a profile or a rail into it and, holding it with pliers or with a hand, fix the profile with self-tapping screws through the drywall. Then we cut out a piece in the shape of a hole from the spare sheet so that it fits freely and there are at least 10 mm gaps. Install the “patch” on the profile with self-tapping screws. Spatula using mesh.

How to create an even corner for putty without using a perforated corner

Here, a method that has long been known to professional finishers will come to the rescue. If you putty the walls, then you have at your disposal a rule or at least a section of a 2.5–3 m profile. This will be a guide in which you need to drill mounting holes with a step of 300–500 mm. We expose and attach the guide to the corner as a beacon.

Remember to remove the guide before the putty starts to dry..

What is the fastest way to level the walls of the gypsum board

If you need to quickly level the walls in a small room, you can fix the sheets on mounting foam. Also, this method is good when performing decorative volumetric planes, for example, highlighting portals or framing arches..

Drywall foam, video

Another way to quickly install drywall:

Video: installing drywall with glue

Of course, there are many more building tricks – there are as many as there are masters, and each has its own secrets. All the tricks are suggested by life itself and make the usual operations easier, materials are more durable, and the tool is more reliable.