Nordic Design

While there are many people who will choose to paint – or even tile – over old, outdated or stained tiles, for a completely fresh start in a room, the old tiles will need to be removed.  The trick, of course, is to get the old tiles off without causing too much damage to the wall beneath them.

If there is visible edge to the section of tiles you want to remove, you should begin at that point using a bolster chisel and a small club hammer.  Set the chisel against the edge of a tile while keeping it as flush with the wall as possible.  Hit the chisel with the hammer, and the tile should come away from the wall.  If there are no noticeable edges you will have to begin by breaking a centre tile, which will allow you to get to the edges of the tiles around the broken tile and work your way outward. 

The ease with which the tiles come off will depend on whether they were fixed with cement mortar or adhesive; older tiles will usually have been fixed with cement mortar, while more recently placed tiles will be fixed with adhesive.  In either case, once all the tiles have been removed, you are likely to still find yourself with either adhesive or cement mortar on the wall, and every bit of it will have to come off.

For adhesive, you will want to use a sharp paint scraper, and it is likely your scraper will take out small pieces of plaster as well as the adhesive.  You will have to fill these scrapes and holes, and then sand the wall.  You will want to continue to use the bolster chisel and hammer to get rid of cement mortar.

If there is a large area to be done, you should prepare yourself for a time consuming task.  The cleaner the wall is, the easier it will be to successfully go on to the next stages.

Replacing a pane of glass is one of the most common of all DIY jobs, and is fairly easy to do in most cases.  Obviously, the first thing you will need to do is measure where the glass will fit and order the correct size pane.  The supplier can advise you about which thickness is suitable for the frame.

Before you start clearing glass from the frame, put a dustsheet on the ground on both sides of the window to collect the glass shards and fragments.  Always wear goggles and gloves when removing the broken glass from the frame.

Use a glass cutter to score around the frame as near to the putty as possible.  Try to knock out large pieces of the glass with a hammer, and then use a chisel to remove tacks, any remaining glass, old putty, and glazing sprigs.  Wipe off any dust and paint the frame with a coat of primer.  If you have to leave the space open overnight, cover the hole with a piece of cardboard or polythene.

You will need to choose the correct type of putty depending on the type of window frame; use metal casement or universal putty for a metal frame, and linseed oil or acrylic putty for a wooden frame.  Allow the putty to soften a bit in your hands, and then apply a thin bead of putty around the rebate and push it firmly into the corners.

Insert the new pane firmly into the putty by pressing on the edges of the glass without pushing on the middle of the pane.  Tap the tacks or sprigs into the frame with a small hammer; they must not be visible through the putty.  If the frame you are working on is metal, the clips can be bent to hold the glass. 

Another bead of putty should be run around the borders of the pane and pressed firmly in.  With a damp knife, bevel the putty to correspond with the other windows and using a punch tap the heads of the tacks beneath the surface.  Complete this DIY project by varnishing or painting the frame.