The foundation, walls, roof – all these are key components of a private house, without which the building simply will not stand on the ground. However, after solving the basic issues, you need to think about finishing the interior of the country house. The atmosphere in which people will live depends on the correctness of the finishing work. Below you can learn about the basic rules that must be followed when arranging the interior design, and what mistakes should not be made.
Features of selection of building materials for finishing
When choosing building materials for finishing, remember the following recommendations:
1. If you live in the house all year round, it is not recommended to buy MDF panels and plastic materials. Despite the high class of such building materials in current production, they are not fire-resistant or environmentally friendly.
2. Do not use exterior finishing materials inside buildings.
3. For buildings made of foam blocks, the best option would be plasterboard finishing.
4. Under certain conditions, it is possible to finish the floor, ceiling and wall surfaces with the same building material. It is important to remember that the best option is slatted materials. They can be used for wall and ceiling finishing. Tiles, for example, for the floor and walls should have different densities and be resistant to abrasion.
5. Thermal insulation, treatment against fungus, moisture and mold formations are done before finishing the walls located inside the building.
6. Wallpaper, tile materials, paint are used if the wall surfaces are carefully prepared and leveled. If there is no such possibility, it is necessary to pay attention to sheet building materials.
7. When choosing a putty, consider how long it will take to dry. You need to consider the drying time of all the required layers.
8. For rooms that are used daily and are associated with mechanical contamination (kitchen, hallway), it is recommended to think in advance how you will additionally clean the surfaces. It is not recommended to buy patterned, corrugated finishing materials. They will probably look beautiful, but they are difficult to clean.
9. Wood coverings are used in places with a fixed level of humidity and stable temperature indicators.
In wet rooms, different materials must be used than those used in living rooms. Such building materials are subject to much higher requirements.
Rules for finishing works in a private house
After the rough finishing (preparation of all surfaces for final finishing) is completed, the finishing stage begins. The main rule is to never start finishing before all work that creates dirt and moisture is completed. It is also useful to remember the following recommendations:
1. Always try to buy finishing building materials in one batch. This applies to tile, wood, clinker, and other finishing materials. Even building materials from different batches purchased in one store and equal in color, according to the documentation, may differ in insignificant changes in color and pigmentation. This is especially true if natural building materials are used. In some cases, this may only be noticeable after you, for example, glue the wallpaper and look at it under the light.
2. Strive for strict adherence to the entire work algorithm.
3. Always buy finishing materials in small quantities. If there are extra materials, you can always save them or simply throw them away.
Stages of finishing works inside the house
The order of work inside the house during construction is no less important than its quality. With the maximum generalization of the entire complex of works, it will be possible to distinguish the following stages:
1. Closing the contour. This is usually where interior work begins. Closing the contour involves installing all door units and window structures in accordance with the project documents. If you ignore this rule, you risk damaging the wallpaper and other finishing materials when installing door units and window structures. In addition, you risk significantly contaminating them. If you intend to install expensive doors or windows with luxurious decoration, you can purchase temporary structures of the required size for the duration of construction. You can buy them at a nearby construction market for 2,000-3,000 rubles. However, the savings can be much more significant.
2. Installation of electrical wiring. Installation is usually carried out using construction drilling machines. They drill through walls and partitions for wiring and socket boxes. Certain drilling technologies, for example, dry drilling, make it possible to do without excess moisture and dirt. However, this is still one of the “dirtiest” types of work. If you carry out such work after finishing, then you almost certainly spoil the building material for finishing. Installation is usually carried out in 3 stages. First of all, electrical wiring is installed. After that, complex “crowning” work is carried out – drilling is carried out with crowns of the appropriate dimensions. After that, sockets are installed, antennas are laid.
3. Plastering work. Plastering is done on all walls and partitions. Sand-cement plaster or gypsum plaster is used. The latter is more expensive and works only at temperatures up to +5 degrees. If you do not intend to move in within the next year or do not want to heat the house in winter (for example, you plan to leave the house for the entire winter season), it is recommended to use sand-cement plaster.
4. Connecting the heating. It is recommended to perform such work after plastering. This will allow you to place all radiator installations at the same distance from the wall, at a strictly defined distance from each other. In addition, this will save you from having to install plaster behind an already installed radiator.
5. Finishing screed for leveling. The screed is made to give the floor and wall surfaces perfect evenness. In addition, the screed smooths out defects, burrs, rough areas that arose or were not corrected during rough work. Only after this can the walls be considered ready for painting, wallpapering or decorative panels.
6. Laying the floors. This is one of the few stages that allows for a certain amount of variability. You can lay the floor either before or after finishing the walls. It is recommended to install the door units after the floor covering has been installed.
7. Wallpapering the walls, installing decorative panels.
Most mistakes in interior work concern the wrong order of interior finishing. For this reason, the above-described sequence must be followed during construction.
Common mistakes
Any interior work during the construction of a country house is unique, as are the mistakes made during its execution. Several common mistakes encountered by owners of country houses can be identified. Such inaccuracies are especially common if the interior decoration of a country house is done by an inexperienced person with his own hands.
1. The door opening is formed incorrectly. This also includes the incorrect choice of the door itself for the opening dimensions. It is important to remember that the opening should be at least 100 mm wider than the door you intend to buy. If there are no thresholds, the opening should be 50 mm wider.
2. The doors are installed before the finishing is complete. This may cause deformation of the doors, their contamination, and damage to the finishing.
3. The threshold installation line is incorrectly selected when installing the floor covering. When installing a door, the threshold can be placed either in front or behind the door leaf, but not at the same level.
4. The fittings are poorly cut in. This may cause damage to the door leaf, which will necessitate a complete replacement or cosmetic work. To cut in the fittings, you need to use a special tool. It is recommended to entrust the work to professionals.
5. There are no special fasteners, and a laser level is not used when installing the door frame in the opening.
6. The cut of the door frame does not match the door design. This error is essentially of an external nature and does not affect the functionality of the door. However, it must be taken into account when selecting the door frame.
7. Finishing materials were purchased from different batches. If this happens, stick materials from different batches in different rooms. You can also stick them on different walls where the lighting will be different. This will prevent your guest from immediately noticing the differences.
8. You bought wallpaper that is too dark. This mistake is often caused by the store’s characteristics. The places where wallpaper is sold are usually quite light, unlike the rooms where the material will be pasted. To avoid this mistake, ask for a wallpaper sample to check it in the room. If this is not possible, simply buy wallpaper that is 1-2 tones lighter than you want to see in the room.
9. Wallpaper is stored incorrectly. It would seem obvious, but many people place wallpaper vertically, not horizontally. This causes the canvas to wrinkle, creating folds that are almost impossible to remove.
10. The wrong adhesive for the base. Vinyl wallpaper on a non-woven base always requires the same adhesive. If you choose the wrong adhesive, you may have to spend a lot of time peeling off the wallpaper.
11. Incorrect mixing of glue. If you first pour water (especially hot water) and only then add glue, the adhesive will clump, making it impossible to use. First, pour cold water into a bucket or other container, run an electric drill with a mixer attachment at low speed. When a funnel appears in the liquid, add glue. This will ensure uniformity of the composition.
12. The walls were poorly prepared before installing finishing materials. There may be depressions, bubbles, and chips on the walls. You can check this with a spotlight. It should be brought close to the wall surface and illuminated from below. This way you will notice all the uneven areas. You can remove protruding and lumpy areas with a grater and sandpaper. Depressions are eliminated with putty.
13. Not vacuuming the walls before wallpapering. While there are usually no problems with the floor, many people forget to vacuum the walls. Dust and sand particles inevitably appear when applying putty. This will prevent the wallpaper from gluing evenly.
14. The craftsman had dirty hands when wallpapering the walls. In this case, the wallpaper will be permanently dirty, and the dirt can only be removed with chemicals. Always wash your hands well before starting to work with wallpaper. Don’t forget to dry them with a towel.
Interior finishing works are one of the final stages of building a country house. However, it is during their implementation that you can encounter the most serious mistakes that are easy to prevent. To avoid mistakes, always contact only professionals. It is best if the developer performs a full construction cycle, starting with soil surveys and foundation installation and ending with interior finishing works, delivery of housing “turnkey”.