By T.J. Schwartzel
Does the inside of your home need an update? This winter, spice up your ho-hum floors and walls with budget-sparing DIY ideas that add warmth, texture, and visual appeal.
Hit the floor
Fix nicks and cracks in hardwood floors with wood markers. You can blend and mix shades to conceal marks. Fill in small gouges with specialized color putty. Try a total refresh without the effort or cost of refinishing floors. Use a hardwood floor reviver and easy-to-use gloss that revitalizes worn-looking planks.
Give a worn-out floor a new lease on life with popular, peel-and-stick luxury vinyl tile (LVT). These tiles offer a fresh look without a high price tag. This isn’t your grandparents’ linoleum. Today’s vinyl comes in patterns that resemble stone, hardwood, or metal. It’s versatile, long-lasting, and perfect for busy kitchens and bathrooms. LVT is easy to clean and maintain, so it’s an excellent choice for homes with kids and pets. Plus, it can often be installed over existing ceramic tiles.
Quick-laying carpet squares add a boost of warmth to an unfinished room, and it’s easy to peel up and replace a single stained square. Use them to fancy up a garage that doubles as extra living space or to make it feel safer underfoot. Prep the floor with a concrete cleaner and degreaser to remove old gas and oil stains.
If temporary and moveable is more your style, Mohawk area rugs warm up hardwood spaces or hide unsightly carpeting stains. Advanced machine-woven technology creates intricate ornamental designs, rich tile-inspired patterns, or floral and earth tones. Try a variety of sizes to jazz up any space. If placing a rug on hardwood, consider adding a nonslip pad underneath.
Deck the walls
Decorative wall panels come in quite a diverse array of textures, patterns, and colors. Unlike paneling from decades ago, today’s panels and trendy shiplap offer fresh, modern, and classic designs perfect for any room. A seamless, visually appealing alternative to traditional drywall and paint, decorative panels provide warmth and visual textures that transform any space. Enhance your closets by installing aromatic cedar shiplap planks that naturally protect against moths, pests, and mildew.
Versatile and built tough, pegboard and hardboard offer a flawless foundation for any project. They’re a go-to for DIY enthusiasts and organizers in garages, craft rooms, kitchens, and beyond. Plus, they’re easy to cut, route, coat, laminate, and install as a weekend project.
T.J. Schwartzel is the manager of Flooring Express, a division of Henry Poor Lumber Co. in Lafayette, a Do it Best member. Do it Best is a Fort Wayne-based home improvement cooperative supporting thousands of hardware stores, home centers, and lumberyards throughout the U.S. and worldwide. Visit your local Do it Best store or doitbest.com for thousands of the best home improvement products.
(This article is for informational purposes only. Indiana Connection and Do it Best assume no liability for the accuracy or completeness of the information contained herein, or for injuries, property damage, or the outcome of any project.)
