Category: Do It Yourself

Do it yourself inspiration and home improvement.

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Decking Do It Yourself

Revamp Your Outdoor Space with Build it Gansbaai: Exploring Patio and Decking Materials

Revamp Your Outdoor Space with Build it Gansbaai Exploring Patio and Decking Materials

Revamping your outdoor space has never been more exciting! At Build it Gansbaai, we understand the importance of creating a beautiful and functional outdoor area that reflects your style and enhances your lifestyle. Whether you’re looking to relax, entertain, or simply enjoy the fresh air, choosing the right patio and decking materials is crucial. In this article, we will explore different materials suitable for patios and decking, discussing their benefits, maintenance requirements, and design ideas.

Wood Decking

Wood decking is a popular choice for its natural beauty and timeless appeal. At Build it Gansbaai, we offer a wide range of hardwood options, including teak, cedar, and redwood. These hardwoods are known for their durability and resistance to rot and decay, ensuring long-lasting outdoor flooring. With regular maintenance such as sealing and staining, our high-quality wood decking can withstand the elements and provide a warm and inviting atmosphere for your outdoor space.

Composite Decking

If you prefer a low-maintenance option without compromising on aesthetics, our composite decking materials are an excellent choice. Build it Gansbaai offers composite decking options that mimic the look of real wood while providing superior durability and resistance to fading, staining, and mold growth. With composite decking, you can enjoy the beauty of a wood-like finish without the need for regular sealing or staining. It’s the perfect solution for busy homeowners who want to spend more time enjoying their outdoor space.

Concrete Pavers

Build it Gansbaai offers a wide selection of concrete pavers, allowing you to create a stunning patio or deck that suits your style. Concrete pavers are durable, versatile, and cost-effective. With various shapes, sizes, and textures available, you can unleash your creativity and design a unique outdoor space. Concrete pavers are known for their ability to withstand harsh weather conditions, making them a practical choice for coastal areas like Gansbaai. With proper maintenance, your concrete paver patio or deck will provide years of enjoyment.

Natural Stone

For those seeking a touch of luxury and elegance, natural stone is an excellent option. At Build it Gansbaai, we offer a selection of high-quality natural stone materials such as limestone, slate, and travertine. Natural stone adds a unique charm to your outdoor space, creating a sophisticated and inviting atmosphere. With proper sealing and maintenance, natural stone patios and decks can withstand the elements and retain their beauty for years to come.

Now, let’s explore some design ideas to inspire your outdoor space transformation with Build it Gansbaai:

  • Create a cozy retreat with a wood deck adorned with comfortable outdoor furniture, a built-in fire pit, and soft lighting for warm evenings under the stars.
  • Opt for composite decking in a modern gray tone, complemented by sleek outdoor furnishings and vibrant planters to create a contemporary and stylish outdoor living area.
  • Design a beautiful patio using concrete pavers in various sizes and patterns, accentuated with a pergola, comfortable seating, and decorative elements to establish a welcoming and relaxing ambiance.
  • Achieve an elegant and luxurious atmosphere with a natural stone patio, featuring a cozy lounge area, a water feature, and lush greenery for a tranquil outdoor sanctuary.

At Build it Gansbaai, we are committed to providing high-quality patio and decking materials to revamp your outdoor space. Visit our store today and let our knowledgeable team assist you in choosing the perfect materials to create your dream outdoor oasis.

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Do It Yourself Natural Stone

The Timeless Beauty of Natural Stone: Travertine and Porcelain

Build it Gansbaai Natural Stone
Build it Gansbaai Natural Stone

There is nothing that speaks, timeless elegance, quite like natural stone. Each slab of stone has its own unique fingerprint, each piece is different, in pattern and colour. For this reason, a person who wishes to make a statement in stone, would personally select the slabs from which the tiles would be cut to size.

With slabs cut from the same block of rock, you can keep the pattern consistent, throughout your home. This is an impressive achievement, usually found in the home of someone, with a passion for art.

Travertine Tiles

Travertine Tiles one of the most popular stones used for building materials, it will look fantastic wherever you install it. Travertine creates a classic, fresh and functional atmosphere while still feeling warm and welcoming, it is known for its marble-like texture and attractive earthy tones.

Our trusted supplier ensures that we can select the very best affordable quality travertine products, purchased from a Travertine Quarry in Turkey.  

Travertine Tiles come in two forms:

Unfilled Travertine Tiles: Travertine in its porous state with naturally occurring holes, popular for outdoor use. Filled Travertine Tiles: Most commonly, the porous holes in travertine are filled with a mixture of hardener and dust by-products, from the cutting and honing process, for a perfect colour match.

Travertine Finishes

Honed Travertine Tiles: Honed is a flat, satin smooth, low shine, matte finish. Over the years, Honed travertine has proven to be the finish of choice, for the majority homeowners. Polished Travertine Tiles: The travertine is smoothened and polished to a shiny, reflective surface like marble. This finish is most preferred in commercial applications.

Brushed Travertine Tiles: Brushed is a rough surface texture with a matte finish. It has an antique feel and is less slippery compared to a honed or polished finish, while being gentle on the feet.

Tumbled Travertine Tiles: Tumbled is the most natural finish, highly textured finish, with no shine and edges, rounded with a worn appearance that resembles ancient stone. 

You will most often find Tumbled travertine in outdoor applications. Travertine colours range from soft ivory and pale creamy-white to rich golden shell shades of walnut and honey, silvery greens, rustic reds, deep mocha, and coffee shades. Travertine products available include tiles, cladding, and mosaics. (Basins and Slabs available on request).

Porcelain Tiles

Porcelain tiles are a manufactured product, created to mimic the look and feel of natural stone. To the untrained eye, some high-quality porcelain tiles, can look like natural stone, but an expert would immediately be able to detect the difference.

Build it Gansbaai Natural Porcelain Tiles Stone
Build it Gansbaai Natural Porcelain Tiles Stone

Porcelain tiles are not individually unique, as marble and granite are, in variation. These tiles come highly recommended for interior floors and walls that endure heavy traffic, known for being strong, resistant to chipping this includes hallways, kitchen floors, and commercial applications.

Porcelain paving slabs are always a safe option for outdoor tiling, of the non-synthetic floor tiles available, porcelain pavers are the most slip resistant. The manufacturing process utilizes a very dense clay and granite which is non-porous, as a result, water does not soak into the concrete bed easily and evaporates from its surface. 

This isn’t the case with most other stone tiles.Please feel free to ask any of our experienced salespeople for assistance or advise when purchasing a product, we are here to make your shopping experience as memorable as possible.

Build it Gansbaai offers local delivery, supplying the greater Overberg area with building materials, do-it-yourself home improvement tools, and expert advice.

Please follow us on social media to stay up to date with our latest sizzling specials and promotional offers! Or log on to our Build it online store and shop from the comfort of your home: www.buildit-store.co.za

Build it Gansbaai offers added value services in respect of hardware retailing; embracing all activity within the building materials industry, focusing specifically on the building of; urban, township, rural housing as well as all home improvements and do it yourself.

Build it is a division of the SPAR Group Limited South Africa. A voluntary trading group of individually owned retail stores with more than 10 000 employees across the group, we currently have stores in South Africa, Namibia, Swaziland, Lesotho and Mozambique with plans to expand into Botswana and Zambia in the near future. We view ourselves not only as a supplier of materials, but as a partner to our valued customers in accomplishing their building or renovating projects.

Categories
Do It Yourself

How to Build an Easy DIY Desk for Children.

Build It Gansbaai
Build It Gansbaai Building Materials and Building Supplies.

We will show you step by step how to build a wall mounted desk for your child in less than a day.

Step 1

With this easy to follow project, we will have you feeling like a DIY professional in no time!

To get started, simply choose an empty wall in your child’s room where they will be doing their homework and follow these easy steps.

Below you will find a list of tools and materials required to complete this project. 

Tools Required

  1. Carpenter’s pencil
  2. Clean cloths
  3. Electric sander
  4. Level
  5. Paint brush
  6. Power drill
  7. Protective gloves
  8. Tape measure

Materials Required

  1. 180-grit sandpaper
  2. 19-1/2-in. metal shelf brackets (2)
  3. 60cm x 1 Meter pre-cut wood board (1)
  4. 5cm wood screws (6)
  5. 5/8-in. wood screws (6)
  6. 80-grit sandpaper
  7. Wood conditioner
  8. Wood stain

Step 2

Mark the Desk Height

The desk hight should be about 65cm for a young child but keep in mind that children grow so we have set the desk hight at 75cm.

Measure the height of the desk against the wall and mark the spot with a pencil.

You will need about 25cm between the top of the chair and the bottom of the desk for comfort.

Step 3

Attach Brackets

Use a level to make sure that your brackets are straight, then hold the bracket in place to secure.

Using your power drill and 5cm wood screws, attach the bracket to the wall.

So easy! 

Now let’s do the second bracket!

Step 4

Sanding the Desktop 

The objective of sanding wood is to remove mill marks, and other flaws that could have been introduced at the factory or in handling.

Sanding makes the surface of the wood smooth, improving the appearance and bringing out the natural beauty of the wood. 

Prepare your 60cm x 1meter board which is to become the desktop.

Now sand the wood in the direction of the wood grain, which helps camouflage any scratches, with 80-grit sandpaper.  

Then go over the wood again with 180-grit sandpaper;

Wipe the dust away with a dry clean cloth and rub your hand over the wood.

Is the wood perfectly smooth? 

Great! Let’s continue.

Step 5

Conditioning the Desktop

The reason we treat the surface of the wood with Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner is that it helps prevent streaks and blotches by evening out the absorption of oil-based stains. 

Wood conditioner can be applied on any wood for an even finish but is especially necessary when working with soft or porous woods like pine, alder, birch, and maple.

With your protective gloves on, apply wood conditioner to the Desktop with a clean cloth.

Leave to dry for a few minutes and you can move on to the next step.

Step 6

Staining the Desktop

What is the purpose of wood stain and how does it work?  

Wood stain is a type of paint that is used to colour wood by soaking pigment into wood fibers with a solvent and then having it set and bind to the wood. Stain works by saturating colour into the wood itself, rather than applying a layer of colour over the surface of wood.

Perhaps the most common reason to use stain as protection is against ultraviolet light. Many stains help reflect UV light, which prevents wood surfaces from fading and losing their colour.  

Using a clean cloth, apply the colour of wood stain you have chosen.

Always apply the stain in the direction of the wood grain for an even finish.

Let the stain dry for a few hours then repeat on the other side.

Step 7

Attach the Desktop to the Brackets

And now for our final step!

Once you have placed your board on top of the wall brackets, attach the board from underneath the desk by using 3 of your 8/5-in. wood screws.

Almost done, now let’s do the other side.

Good Job!

The only thing left to do is pull up a chair and decorate!

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