YOUR RENO & DECOR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

We answer your renovation and decorating questions with help from industry experts. E-mail questions to maghomedecor@sph.com.sg.

The parquet flooring in my bedroom is old and some of the blocks have started coming loose due to water damage. Can I just glue them back, and will they come loose again?

According to Kelvin Tan of Maywell Lifestyles, properly maintained parquet floors can last up to 50 years. Parquet strips are laid in the tongue-and-groove method, which means one links to the next. “If one comes out, the rest will follow,” he says.

Having worked in wood repair and restoration for over 20 years, the most common reason for popping parquet is water damage. The majority of such instances occur just outside the master bathroom doorway. He puts it down to the accumulative effect of post-shower wet feet (use a bathmat, please!).

“When I look below the loose parquet, I usually find rotting plywood, which is the base layer parquet is installed on,” he shares.

Most contractors prefer to remove the entire flooring and install new parquet, which can be costly. But if the damage is limited to a small area (about 3sqf), Kelvin prefers to take the effort to saw off the damaged pieces and plywood, and replace the subfloor with marine plywood. Though the material is the most expensive, marine ply resists rotting, warping and shrinking, and repels moisture.

To ensure colour and grain matching, he reuses the old parquet and refinishes the floor.

I am renovating my HDB flat and plan to install a rainshower, however, I’m worried that the water pressure will not be strong enough as I live on a high floor. What do you suggest?

Start by engaging a certified plumber to measure the water pressure in each bathroom. Wear and tear, air locked in pipes, choking and a malfunctioning booster pump all affect water pressure.

The responsibility of maintaining water pipes leading to your unit is divided among the Town Council, PUB, and the flat owner. Visit www. tinyurl.com/HDBpipes for details.

A Hansgrohe spokesman says: “The optimal water pressure differs for different shower products, so it is important to share information about your site condition with the sales representatives, so that they can advise accordingly. As a general guideline, it is not recommended to have shower products with large shower faces or shower products with multi functions for site situations with weaker water pressure – shower products with smaller nozzles would be better in such situations. It is still necessary to check the existing water pressure for us to recommend the most suitable products.”

The kind of water heater you install also plays a part, as handshowers that require high water pressure are not suitable with instant water heaters.

For gas heaters, Hansgrohe recommends that you seek the advice of the supplier on the flow rate of the heater to determine which shower to pick.

I’ve had white and beige walls for as long as I can remember and would like to try more colour, but I’m not sure how. Any advice?

The first thing to do is not to use a paint chart – though it seems like the logical thing to do! Are you keeping any existing furniture, curtains, or cushions? The colour you select has to be viewed against the pieces you are retaining.

If you are going for a total revamp, then start with what inspires you and look for images (not just of interiors – it could be an image that evokes a certain mood or ambience). Use these images as the base of a moodboard and add the other elements of the room: Furniture, lights, soft furnishings, art and accessories.

Don’t ignore your floor colour as it is the second largest surface to the walls. Wood or wood-look floors have a shade, whether it’s yellowish in bamboo, grey in limed or distressed wood, or reddish in teak parquet.

Certain colours are associated with particular moods. Hues commonly found in nature (like blues and greens) are calming and suitable for most rooms, while yellow and orange are energetic and a good option for the kitchen.

Now you can arm yourself with a paint chart and pick some good contenders. Buy a sample portion of paint, because a paint chart or paint chip isn’t going to give you a good idea of how a whole wall or room will look. Instead of painting directly on the wall, paint an A4-size cardboard and hold it up against the wall. This way, you can try out hues without the hassle of covering up later. Look at it at in daylight and under lighting.

What can I do if I want to change my flooring to carpet? Do I have to remove what’s underneath?

Wall-to-wall carpeting is not common in Singapore homes, notes Melvyn Khong of The Rug Maker and, when done, is usually in home theatres for its sound insulation properties. In this case, an underlay is a must.

He recommends removing your parquet, laminate or tiles first, but as this can be costly, carpet can also be installed over an existing floor with or without an underlay. “However, when this is done, you would most likely have to shave your doors to ensure clearance to open them. If you glue down carpets that are about 4mm to 6mm in thickness, you should not face any problems with the door. However, carpets at such thicknesses are usually for commercial spaces and provide very little comfort for the feet. Of course, there will be some damage to the existing floor, regardless of which installation method,” he says.

Proper installation is the key to carpeting that keeps it shape over the years. There are two methods: Underlay with gripper rods and the glue-down technique.

One of the steps in the first method is to stretch and cut the carpet to fit the room. “You’ll need to stretch the carpet to a good tension to prevent any warping over time with foot traffic. If the carpet is not stretched well, the edges may flip up and some areas of the carpeted area might bubble up,” he explains.

With glue, the floor has to be clean and relatively dust-free before the glue is applied to the entire floor area. “This is to ensure that the carpet does not warp and form bubbles over time.”