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One of my marble tiles cracked and chipped after a sharp object fell on it. How do I patch it up? Also, my parquet floor makes a strange popping sound. What is wrong?
If the chip came off cleanly, try to glue it back in place and seal any gaps with filler. You can buy ready-mixed fillers at Home-Fix The D.I.Y. Store.
If the cracks are serious and all you are left with are tiny bits, the whole tile has to be replaced. Be prepared to replace a few of the surrounding tiles as well. Floor specialists say it is impossible to replace just one tile without damaging some adjoining tiles.
Popping sounds from parquet are common. As wooden floors settle, they do shift a little. Wood also expands and contracts with temperature changes.
If the sounds are loud and constant, it can mean the parquet was not kiln-dried properly or laid with enough tolerance for expansion. If so, some strips may warp and pop up over time. But these can easily be replaced by a parquet specialist.
My intermediate terrace house feels gloomy as little natural light reaches its centre. How can I fix this?
Bad ventilation and little natural light are perpetual problems for terrace homes. There are some very creative architectural solutions, but be prepared to do a major renovation.
Consider 'pulling away' from the party walls that hem in your home. Some architects have come up with floor plans that set back the house a little - 1m is enough - from the party walls so that narrow lightwells and airwells are created on one or both sides.
You lose a little floor space but you get a lot more sunlight. You should work with a professional engineer, and not just a contractor, for a major renovation like this.
In this design by Park Associates, the architect went for this solution and also added a strip of tempered glass in the floor of the second level so sunlight can reach the ground floor.
If you want to minimise demolition work, try installing a jack roof (a higher section of roof with ventilation slits), so light illuminates this normally dim area.
I want an open-concept kitchen with a bar counter next to the living room. But guests will be able to see my appliances on the counter. How do I make the area look neat?
The key to a neat, clean look is to make sure you provide storage everywhere - at counter level, above and below.
Island counters generally come in two heights. A table-height counter is great for cooking and food preparation. You can provide lots of under-counter storage here for pots and utensils.
If what you want is a breakfast bar instead of a kitchen workspace, then ask for a higher island (just nice to rest your elbows on) with a two-level countertop. This gives you a breakfast counter and a smaller workspace under it where you can keep the everyday stuff such as a juicer under the upper counter, hidden from the living area.
This breakfast bar by MD.MA Design Consultants at the Huit Terraces showhouse has a wood veneer front. Tableware can be kept behind. White wrap-around counters with drawers and cupboards make this an efficient workspace.
Sophie Kho is the editor of Home & Decor, published by SPH Magazines.
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