General Home Repair

Office furniture takes a lot of abuse from workers who slam drawers and cabinet doors, leave ink marks on wood surfaces, and spill beverages and food. You can often find used office furniture for...

A downspout drains water from a gutter to a lower level. Most gutters come with holes for downspouts already in place, but at times you may add an extra downspout to distribute the flow of the...

Add value to your home by properly replacing an existing garage door or installing a new one. A garage door that you swing open by hand, however, will date your home. The ideal garage-door system...

Choosing a circular saw blade to cut metal is just as important as choosing one for your woodworking projects. The right blade will give better quality cuts and last longer making them a better...

Rust specks often appear on metal items inside the home in humid climates and outdoors nearly everywhere that experiences rain. They are generally too small to sand off, but they must be dealt...

When building or remodeling a house, installing good windows can be an expensive investment. Many homeowners choose to do necessary periodic maintenance on their windows to avoid the cost and...

Rust forms when the iron in an iron alloy combines with oxygen in the air to form various iron oxides. You can remove rust by passing an electrical current through the rusty iron. This will break...

Welding is a great process for both creating and repairing metal objects. TIG welding in particular is very clean and precise, making it the best choice for exacting work. As with any welding...

Occasionally you may need to replace the drain basket/strainer in your sink. It may be showing signs of age, encrusted with lime scale or streaked with rust. Replacing one is a simple task...

Rust is composed of various compounds that contain iron and oxygen. You can prevent rust from accumulating on metal parts with a technique known as electrolysis. This process uses electricity to...

Remove metal scratches from ceramic tile, sinks and toilets.

Cleaning rust off of metal items can be a pain in the neck, especially if you live in a moist climate where rust shows up most often. However, there are a few easy ways to clean rust off of metal...

I love wrought iron garden furniture and I hate rust and the stains that it leaves on furniture, tools and other metal objects.

Self-tapping screws are versatile fasteners. They allow you to affix just about anything to any metal object by simply using a drill. The self-tapping screw does not need a pilot hole drilled in...

Trying to find a wall stud to hang shelves from can be a frustrating experience. Just knocking on the wall isn't good enough and you can spend hours punching holes in drywall without ever finding...

Spray painting offers a number of advantages over traditional paint or roller painting methods. It gives you the opportunity to get a very smooth finish, allows you to finish a project in a short...

Removing rust stains can be tough. Most natural rust removal methods (Baking soda, vinegar, lime) just don't do the trick. The majority of commercial rust remover products can also be just as bad....

The biggest threat that any piece of metal faces is rust. Rust is a corrosive condition that actually eats away at the metal, weakening its strength. If left undeterred, rust will continue...

Magnets have a scientific power of attraction, and they're used for many different purposes. They're found in electronics and machines, including televisions, computer hard drives and turbines....

Is your chain saw just not biting into the wood? Been there! The cutter edges loose their edge fairly quickly after which cutting down a tree is just painful.

Getting rust off metal is a project that has plenty of options and plenty of products requiring your money. Corrosion is caused by an electrochemical reaction when metal combines with oxygen and...

When iron (or its alloys), oxygen and moisture meet, rust is created. The air and moisture oxidize the metal, making it weaker. Rust is a result of the corrosion of the metal. If nothing is done...

Plasma cutting machines have made their way into the home hobbyist's price range. No longer are these metal cutting torches an industry-only machine. Newer plasma cutters are now stand-alone units...

Cleaning the rust off of tools is crucial, as using rusty tools is unwise--and potentially, dangerous. Well-cared for tools can last for years, and rust is no reason to throw them out. However, if...

When the paint or other exterior coating on a metal surface is damaged, the metal underneath is exposed to the elements and eventually, the metal will begin to rust. Rust can get worse more...

Silicone is used to caulk materials together. Metal tubs, sinks, and pipes may be caulked with silicone to neighboring materials to create a tight seal. However, silicone does not stick to wet...

Cleaning metal is a simple process, but you can damage the item you're cleaning if you don't use the right products and procedure on the surface. The type of metal determines how you do it, with...

Weather seals are strips of treated rubber or plastic designed to form a barrier against harsh weather, such as strong winds and rains, which could force water through the cracks in the doors of a...

File cabinet locks are usually low security locks that can be opened fairly easily if you've lost the key or bought a used cabinet that's locked and you don't have a key. It's possible to drill...

Metal roof flashing is a galvanized sheet metal that is bent at a 90 degree angle about 8 to 12 inches on each side of the angle. It comes in 10-foot lengths, or, for step flashing, 6-inch...

Also known as a transition or Z-bar, metal strips are used to fasten carpeting down and provide a smooth transition from one surface to another. These metal carpet strips also protect the edges of...

Of the many options for removing paint from metal surfaces, some are more labor intensive than others. Using the heat gun method may be the fastest option. It may be less expensive to use the...

WD-40 has several different functions, including cleaning, displacing water, penetrating metal, lubricating and protecting. Find out how WD-40 is used on metal that is rusting or squeaking with...

Remove hard water deposits from metal showerheads using vinegar and a toothbrush. Learn how to remove hard water deposits from metal showerheads using the home maintenance tips from the owner of a...

Metal stains can come in many forms and occur on many different media, such as concrete, wood paneling and even clothing and rocks. Depending on where the stain is located, you can use a variety...

One of the first and most versatile of the metal working power tools is the metal lathe. It works by spinning the work piece against the tools used to shape it to its final, destined form. From...

If you are a car restoration enthusiast or an auto body repair expert, removing spot welds is all part of the job. But what if you have another metal-working project to complete and you are...

A buildup of excess paint is an eyesore. Whether on a door hinge, heater or other metal surface, the appearance of caked-on paint adds an unappealing touch to any remodeling project. You can...

The first time homeowner is taking on quite a challenge when the keys to their newly purchased home are handed to them. Whether that lucky new homeowner is you or someone you know, the new...

A tape measure is a "must have" for any do-it-yourself repair. The tape measure is marked off in inches or centimeters and makes for accurate measurements while working. Everyone has seen at least...

In some cases with a wooden door, you can purchase a roll of weather stripping and nail it into the bottom of the door. Weather stripping can be purchased at stores where garage door parts are...

Using a plunger to remove the dent is a good method if you are short on cash or the dent is a small one. Simply place the plunger of the center of the dent and work it like you would a clogged...

You will learn how to install any vanity lights

Working with sheet metal can be a rewarding, albeit sometimes frustrating, experience. Sheet metal is used for car autobodies, building truck beds, and other odds and ends around the house/yard....

Using a hand rivet gun is an efficient way for joining two pieces of thin metal together. Selecting the proper rivets will depend on the thickness of the metal. The rivet gun generally comes with...

In order to fully clean your tools and repair all rust damage, you'll first need to clean them of any dirt or grit, along with any heavy outer layer of rust that may have accumulated over time....

All metals rust when exposed to water and air. While iron is the metal usually associated with rust, chrome, aluminum, copper and other metals rust as well. Chrome is the more common term for a...

TIG (tungsten inert gas) welding is just one of the many methods out there used for welding. It is an arc welding method that utilizes tungsten electrodes to create the weld. The area of the weld...

Soldering is a procedure that connects metal things together. It differs from brazing or welding, which are similar processes. Soldering uses filler metal that has a higher melting temperature...

"Hard water" is that which contains a high level of dissolved metal cations, or positively charged molecules. The most common cations in hard water are calcium and magnesium, though in some...