Building & Remodeling

If you know where air is infiltrating your house by blower door test ( refer to my other article) , or simply feeling drafts near certain parts of your house it is important to fix these leaks...

By installing or replacing your trim/molding yourself, you will upgrade your house’s appearance and save a good bit of cash.

Framing nailers, or framing nail guns, are among the larger of the nail gun types, and they shoot nails by using electromagnetism, explosive charge, flammable gas or pneumatic compressed air....

A custom frame accents any work of art, whether surrounding an original canvas, a piece of photography or your favorite finger paint masterpiece. But because professional framing can be expensive,...

If you like the look of hardwood floors, a floating engineered floor may be the answer for you. Boasting the appearance of hardwood but not the difficult installation, a floating floor is placed...

Homeowners have an important decision to make when considering what type of flooring to put in their home. Flooring needs to be durable and safe, as well as fit the home's visual theme.

Crown molding was introduced by the Romans and Greeks, but it wasn't until the 19th Century that woodworkers began using decorative molding in America. The moldings are generally made from resin,...

Based in St. Paul, Minnesota, 3M is a company best known for creating products that use adhesive, such as cellophane tape and Post-It notes. 3M also manufactures a product known as Adhesive Remover.

Rain gutters have become a staple in modern homes, as they help make homes last much longer by preventing damage. Gutters also help add to a home's value and accentuate its appearance.

Tile cutters don't actually "cut'' the tile, but rather break it to size, which is much easier. The cutter works by scoring the surface of the tile, then snapping it at the scored line. Cutting...

Matching grout color is an art, not a science. Age, use and cleaning products can discolor existing grout so much that using the original color to fill gaps or to add more tile to the same...

Measuring land slope is an essential ability for tasks from land surveying to measuring the grade of a mountain road. Although the real-world applications can be somewhat complicated, the...

Plastic is a common material that, just like wood, you may find a need to manipulate and change when working with it in a daily project. Like wood it can be cut and finished to look very clean and...

Pickle staining is a special kind of staining process that uses regular oil-based white paint mixed with paint thinner and applied as if it is regular stain.The effect is a thin white finish that...

The normal installation process for wood floors involves nailing or stapling the floor into place. But, if you're laying the floor over a surface that won't hold nails (like a cement slab or a...

Modern hardwood flooring systems fit together by tongue-and-groove milling on the sides of the floorboards. Pneumatic floor stapling systems secure those boards to the underlayment while pressing...

Travertine tumbled stone tiles are cut flat and square like other stone tiles, but their surface is pockmarked with craters and holes, the result of natural mineral activity in the stone. The...

Log cabins were once used by settlers who needed to make homes with the products they had on hand, but today these homes are becoming more popular because the wood is mass produced and easy to...

The combination of global warming and rising energy costs has renewed people's interest in renewable energy. Water and wind energy rely on using force to turn a turbine that generates electricity,...

Laying tile on a floor usually requires very rigid cement board and thinset mortar, but it's much simpler on a countertop because there won't be significant weight on it. Just about any solid,...

An inexpensive way to change the color of ceramic tile floors is the use of primer and paint. This type of renovation process should be considered a temporary application and not a permanent...

Installing a dryer vent through the roof is easier than many people think. While it is tricky and requires several unique tools, the process is simple. Venting a dryer through the roof is a great...

Concrete is one of the most commonly used building materials for homes today. Some flooring materials, most commonly hardwood floors, require the application of a plywood subfloor prior to...

In many bathrooms, the bathtub is either the largest or most prominent fixture in the room. Scratches or other damage to a bathtub quickly detracts from the look of a nice clean bathroom. Small...

Acid and acrylic stains provide visual interest, enhancing the appearance of dated concrete with colors, patterns, and textures. There are a variety of advantages and disadvantages, so be sure to...

Make your bathroom a comfortable and appealing room by using marble. Marble is an elegant natural stone that offers numerous coloring and veining appearances. Use marble for surfaces such as...

Steam showers are a quick way to add value to your home and provide an easy way to relax after work. These showers have doors that enclose the space and provide steam to clear out your pores and...

Ceramic floor tile is one of the most durable floor materials. Vinyl tile is also a good choice, but both require the same installation method when it comes to the door facing. It is much easier...

There are a few questions you will need to answer before you purchase solar panels for a small house. Now that they have become an affordable option for many homeowners, there are many reputable...

A floor sander is an important piece of equipment if you work around your house frequently. Renting one is a good choice for those who only need a sander once a year, but if you need one more...

Taking down a kitchen wall can often open up a tight or narrow kitchen to the rest of the living space. It is important to have your wall examined by an expert to make sure that the wall is not...

Stucco, or popcorn, ceilings were quite popular--in the 1970s. Today, they are outdated and do not look good in any room. Removing the stucco can be a difficult job to tackle, but it can be done....

A toilet's drain pipe is an essential piece of plumbing that carries the waste away from the home. Drain pipes are directly beneath the toilet, via the basement or crawl space, and they lead out...

Installing a kitchen floor covering can be intimidating to someone who has no experience doing so. This is simply putting a covering over the exsisting floor that is there. These floor coverings...

Using rough-cut lumber for a wooden storage bench can lend a unique and rustic look to the piece of furniture and allow it to survive many years of use, whether indoors or outdoors. When using...

Remodeling a bathroom is one of the best ways to update your home and increase its resale value. Many older homes have tiny, dated bathrooms that feel small, cramped, and worn out. Although adding...

Thin set mortar contains latex, which allows it to be more resilient to everyday wear and tear. These additives also make thin set mortar more flexible, which is important because changes in room...

Refacing kitchen cabinets means that the basic cabinet remains intact but the face, doors and sides of the cabinets are altered. Bead board cabinets are a style of cabinet that tends to make a...

When you need to disconnect the bathroom sink drain, there are a few steps you should follow and some strategies to keep in mind. Disconnecting the bathroom drainage system itself is not that...

Painting a floor can be a cheap and easy flooring alternative to carpeting, bare wood or tiling if the painting is done properly, and, if done with a decorating scheme in mind, can be pleasing to...

Architects and builders implement passive solar techniques to reduce heating costs for buildings. Unlike "active" solar techniques that involve transforming solar power into electricity, passive...

When you are planning to build a house, it often helps to see your house-to-be in 3-D. One effective way to do this is to create a model. Models created by architectural firms can be expensive, so...

DC is a goal-oriented current which runs directly from the positive pole to the negative pole, with no deviation. AC is completely different, flowing back and forth between the positive and...

Toklo laminate flooring is made with a core of moisture-resistant hardwood and laminated for durability. The pieces are connected without glue, mounting or other hardware and rely on Pergo's...

Soapstone is a non-porous, soft stone that is often used for countertops. It is gray in color with hints of dark green and lighter-colored veins shooting through it. Soapstone is resilient and is...

A pantry is usually found in the kitchen. Pantries provide great storage space for food, cookware, dishes, etc. A pantry unit that has a desk space is twice as functional. It's a great, functional...

There are several models of Kohler Greek Tubs available. The tubs are designed to be installed as a drop-in tub for a subfloor installation or in a raised-deck application. In either case the...

When you install drywall so that it butts up against wood paneling, there is a problem. You need to finish the rough edges of the drywall panels. You can't just paint over them. The uneven edges...

Brick and veneer are both very popular styles for a home. They often look the same but both have different advantages and disadvantages to them.

There are two different ways to finish wallboard seams. One is to use paper tape, which must be applied over joint compound and smoothed and sanded, and the other is to use adhesive backed mesh...