Buzz
Taking on home remodeling or renovation yourself can be both cost-effective and incredibly rewarding. You’ll gain hands-on skills, enhance your living space on a budget, and experience a profound sense of achievement. However, you might also find yourself questioning your sanity as you uncover the reasons professionals are often hired. Renovation demands significant effort and expertise. As the project stretches on, fatigue and frustration can lead to mounting errors. There may come a time when redoing a section isn’t feasible, and you’ll start rationalizing: Is that uneven tile really so noticeable?
While some renovation errors require complete removal, others can be cleverly disguised with a bit of ingenuity and effort. Here are some strategies to camouflage common DIY renovation mishaps.
Gaps around light switches
Creating a precise hole for a light switch in tile or drywall is meticulous work that might make you nostalgic for your high school geometry lessons—until you cut the hole too big and realize your wall plates won’t fully conceal the gap.
The fix is straightforward: switch to oversized wall plates. These larger plates can effectively hide your mistakes, and if used uniformly throughout the room, they’ll go unnoticed. Be sure to check local building codes for allowable gaps around electrical fixtures to ensure compliance before inspections.
Outlets and switches set too deep
First-time DIYers often overlook wall depth during tiling projects, particularly when tiling over existing tile or using thicker drywall. This can result in outlets and switches being recessed too far, making it difficult to attach wall plates.
You don’t need to remove the tile to fix this—simply use an outlet spacer extender. These plastic accessories come in various designs but serve the same purpose: they push outlets and switches forward, allowing you to easily attach wall plates.
Gaps around shower fixtures
Cutting precise holes in tile for plumbing rough-ins is challenging, and it’s common to end up with holes too large for the trim kit included with your showerhead and faucet. This not only looks unattractive but also allows water to seep behind the tile, potentially leading to more significant issues over time.
If you’re dealing with unsightly gaps around the shower flange, escutcheon, or tub spout, consider these solutions:
Grout or caulk: For small, even gaps, apply grout or color-matched caulk. Most grout brands offer matching caulk colors, making it easy to find a suitable option.
Oversized escutcheons and flange plates: Check if your manufacturer provides larger trim kits. If not, explore other brands for similar styles in bigger sizes.
DIY solution: If you’re handy, create a custom plastic disc, cut it to size, and drill a hole for the flange, handle, or tub spout. Use metallic spray paint to match the finish.
Gaps at the base of drywall
Installing drywall is a tedious task. After hanging, mudding, and taping the walls, discovering a noticeable gap between the floor and the wall during flooring installation can be disheartening. This issue often arises when ceiling heights slightly exceed eight feet—even professionals sometimes leave floor-level gaps, assuming baseboards will conceal them.
Baseboards can indeed solve the problem—opt for wider ones if needed to cover more space. However, simply placing baseboards over gaps can lead to future issues. A better approach is to attach drywall strips behind the baseboards. Instead of using screws, which can damage the drywall, glue the strips to the wall for stability and a smoother finish.
Spaces between baseboards and walls
Every DIY remodeler eventually learns that perfectly straight lines don’t exist. Even in new homes, walls often have subtle curves or uneven angles. This becomes evident during the final stages of remodeling, when installing baseboards reveals gaps caused by slightly bowed walls.
Here are two potential solutions to address this issue:
Fill and seal: For larger gaps, pack the space behind the baseboard with a neutral filler—some use toilet paper, but any compressible material will do. Use a narrow tool to press it in, providing support for the baseboard. Then, apply caulk along the gap; the filler will prevent the caulk from sinking into the void.
Smooth it out: Another option is to level the wall. Tape off the baseboard, then use a 12-inch joint knife or straight edge to identify where the wall bows. Apply joint compound upward to that point, blending it to create an even surface. Fill the gap at the baseboard with compound, smooth it out, and finish as usual (remove the tape before it dries to avoid cracks).
Uneven floor transitions
Room renovations can refresh your home, but installing new floors may result in uneven heights, creating a tripping hazard. This often occurs in bathrooms with floor-warming mats or cement board for tile installations, and it’s usually noticed late in the process. While bullnose or trim can hide rough edges, they won’t prevent nighttime stumbles.
The ideal fix is a tapered transition. Measure the height difference and choose a reducer that matches the required slope. For wood, stain and finish it to blend with your floor. Stone options are also available for certain flooring types. This solution ensures a polished look and eliminates tripping risks.
Ceiling damage
Here’s a common situation: During DIY renovations, a water line mishap causes ceiling damage below. When finishing your remodel, you face the choice of tackling the massive job of replacing the ceiling or attempting a patch job that rarely turns out flawless (it usually doesn’t).
To conceal the damage (after addressing the issue and ensuring no mold is present), consider adding wood paneling or surface-mount adhesive tiles (if the ceiling remains level). This quick and easy solution hides the damage while adding a stylish architectural feature to the room.
Crown molding gaps
Crown molding is beloved, but its installation is notoriously frustrating. Achieving precise miter cuts demands immense patience and craftsmanship, especially when you discover no angle in your home is truly square. If small gaps appear after installation, they can be easily disguised.
For gaps between the ceiling and molding (caused by slight ceiling bowing), paintable caulk is the solution. Apply a thin, neat line and clean it up carefully. When painting the molding, tape beyond the caulk line to ensure it blends seamlessly. For corner gaps, use spackle instead of caulk. Spread it thinly with your finger, then sand it smoothly with a fine-grit sponge, even around decorative molding details.
