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Want to know how to whitewash wood, allergy-proof carpets or get rid of troublesome termites? You ask – we find the answers.
Compiled by Kim Arendse
Carpets and allergies
Amanda Cupido of Milnerton in Cape Town writes My husband and I both suffer from allergies and we’ve just bought a home with carpets in all the bedrooms. They’re relatively new and in good condition, so we don’t want to get rid of them but having not had carpets before, we’re worried that they’re going to cause our allergies to flare up. How do we prevent this?
Johan Humphries of Sebo
Carpet Care Systems replies If you suffer from allergies and you have carpets in your house, you need a vacuum cleaner with a vibrating brush and good filtration system that can remove all the dust particles and any animal hair. I recommend the Sebo Automatic X4 (Anti Allergy; R8 000); Sebo offers free home demonstrations across South Africa.
CONTACT 0861 114 250, sebo.co.za
First sand the existing finish until you’re left with the raw wood. Then I recommend using Harlequin Paints Woodwash in Lime White to create the whitewash effect.
Use a paintbrush to paint two to three planks at a time and in a parallel direction to avoid the paint overlapping and creating unsightly marks. Once it has dried, seal with Harlequin Paints water-based Decorators Varnish.
Instead of buying premixed whitewash, you can also mix your own – it’s the perfect way to make use of leftover paint from another project! Here’s how: mix 1 part white acrylic paint, such as Dulux Acrylic PVA or Plascon Polvin, and 10 parts water. Test the solution to see if it’s white enough and add more paint if necessary; you might not get the smooth finish achieved with the Harlequin product, which boasts the properties of a glaze coat. Seal with a water-based non-yellowing varnish such as Woodoc Water-Borne Floor.
Alternatively, mix white acrylic paint with Plascon Waterbased Glazecoat (1 part paint to 10 parts glaze). Again, test the solution to see if it’s white enough and add more paint if needed. Once dry, apply another layer of Glazecoat.
You could also paint the wood in solid white, instead of the whitewash. To do this, lightly sand the wood, apply a primer and then two coats of white water-based enamel paint; a light grey or any other pastel colour would also look lovely!
CONTACT shellybergh@gmail.com >>