Advice Ask the experts
Need help creating a restful bedroom or wondering how to fix uneven grouting? You ask – we find the answers.
Successful sleep
Jana van der Merwe of Bellville writes With the ‘new normal’ of working from home, I need to reclaim my bedroom as a no-work zone ‘after hours’. What can I do to make this space more relaxing and beneficial for good sleep?
Greg Smart, CEO of Vencasa, replies If you also use your bedroom to work from, start turning it back into your sleep sanctuary at sunset. Try these tips:
Reduce bright light Complete darkness throughout the night is recommended. Dim the lights and keep your room gadget-free at night. Reduce the time you spend in front of screens, or install an app that ‘filters’ the harmful blue light on your cell phone, tablet or laptop. Apps such as Night Shift, Twilight, Darker, Night Owl or Blue Light Filter will reduce the brightness of your screen; some devices already have an app like this pre-installed.
Temperature regulation Try splashing your face with water as this tells the body to release melatonin.
The water helps dissipate heat from the surface of the skin as it evaporates, thereby cooling the inner body core. The recommended room temperature is about 18°C. Alternatively, take a hot bath before bed. This will help you to relax and the drop in body temperature after getting out of the bath may help you feel sleepy.
Design your best night’s sleep ecosystem
This entails the correct selection of the following elements: a mattress, pillow, bed base and bed frame, linen, lighting, and temperature.
Vencasa recommends using an adjustable base as the benefits of elevating one’s shoulders and feet while resting are well established. The ability to adjust your bed with the touch of a button allows you to find the perfect sleep position; this relieves any strain on your body, including pressure on your heart, and improves circulation.
CONTACT vencasa.co.za
Water woes
Darelle McArthur of Newlands in Cape Town writes I’m retiling my shower and plan to use the existing shower base for the new tiles. How do I ensure that my shower never leaks again?
Celeste Margo le Roux of React24 replies Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that the shower will never leak, but prevention is better than cure. Minimise potential water ingress and leaks in your shower by ensuring the following: should be waterproofed prior to tiling; use a waterproofing catalyst agent mixed into the cement when plastering the shower walls. Once the waterproofed plastered cement walls have dried, another layer of liquid waterproofing can be applied. There are a number of products available; try Coprox or Sika.
2 Tiling When installing the wall and floor tiles, ensure that a waterproofing agent is used in the tile glue and ensure that the tiles set properly. When grouting the tile lines, you should also add a waterproofing agent such as a bonding liquid (try Alcolin Permabond) into the grout mix.
3 Shower base or floor The shower floor must be prepared correctly: lay down DPC (Damp Proof Course) or an equivalent industry insulation membrane on the raw substrate of the shower floor. When laying the shower floor topping with concrete, the entire area must be waterproofed. The floor should also have a decent drainage gradient of at least 300mm to the drainage point. Once the shower floor has dried, another application of bonding liquid is advised. Where possible, avoid PVC shower floors as they tend to be temperamental if not installed correctly.
CONTACT react24.co.za
Flawed floor tiles
Sina Mhinga of Giyani, Limpopo writes How do I even out grout joins so they become smooth and level with my porcelain floor tiles? The installation of the tiles was poorly executed and I don’t have the budget to replace them. I’d like to have a seamless finish since the entire floor is affected.
Nicole Russel of Italtile replies Re-grouting the floor won’t necessarily level the tiles. It may improve the overall look, but you’ll still have protruded edges if the tiles haven’t been installed correctly. Should you choose to re-grout, follow these steps:
1 Remove the top 3–4mm of grout with a grout-removing tool, not a grinder. 2 Once this top layer has been removed, clean the joins properly.
3 Apply new grout and ensure that it’s mixed to a smooth consistency. The tiler must follow the instructions on the bag of grout, or find tips on our website.
Unfortunately, the best way to achieve a seamless finish is to remove all the tiles and employ a qualified expert to retile the entire floor. CONTACT italtile.co.za