Building & Remodeling

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...

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...

You need to use anchor bolts when you are securing items to concrete or cement blocks. There is a wide variety of anchor bolts and each has a distinct function. The same requirements for drilling...

There are many reasons to finish a garage. Some car enthusiasts turn their garages into mini-showrooms to properly display their pride and joy. Others simply need a little more space for the kids...

Like most construction materials, concrete expands and contracts with temperature and moisture changes. These variables can damage and produce cracks in concrete when not properly controlled....

Hardi Shake is fiber-cement-reinforced shingles used in siding and roofing. Many builders and homeowners prefer Hardi Shake because it is durable and fire-resistant, saves wood and is easy to work...

Curing, done properly, ensures that your concrete and mortar grow as strong as possible. It occurs in two steps. First is the original hardening process, which is quick. Second, the concrete and...

A concrete curing compound is basically a liquid plastic that seals moisture into the cement until it can cure. There are two steps to the curing process. The first is when the concrete hardens,...

Concrete slabs provide a world of strength and practicality when it comes to function. But sometimes the homeowner wants to decorate or treat a concrete slab to make it aesthetically pleasing. The...

When casting or forming and pouring a concrete slab, there are a few things that you should keep in mind. First, the forms need to be solid and well attached in order to keep the concrete shaped...

Choosing an exterior design for a home can prove difficult. The material used to cover a house should be a long-term investment, so choosing wisely is important and requires research. Two siding...

If you're looking for a way to improve your home's value or give yourself more space, you may want to add a garage. Traditionally, people have used garages to park their cars in, but they also can...

Lime has a few very important uses in soil preparation. Because it promotes alkalinity through a chemical process, lime is used in gardening to balance soil for planting. Construction crews use...

Concrete polishing equipment can be expensive to own but is reasonable when rented. If you are planning on doing one concrete polishing project, you can rent the mechanical equipment and buy the...

A patio bar is a nice addition to any patio space, whether you entertain guests for cocktails or have simple, casual barbecues. A patio bar is even useful for providing an outdoor surface for...

Before laying concrete in a basement you have to install a layer of protection from the moisture that tends to collect in sub-ground areas, that would otherwise damage the surface of your basement...

A carport is a simple open structure design to protect a car from the elements, but it can be converted into a full fledge garage and office in a short time. The roof of a carport structure is...

Ensuring the use of effective quality control measures in concrete projects prevents the addition of concrete to the project that fails to meet the regular standards attributed to quality...

Painting a concrete floor can spruce up the entire area in an instant. Prior to painting, you must properly prepare the concrete floor. Cleaning and preparing concrete for painting is important,...

Chemical set, or epoxy anchors, use a two-part epoxy adhesive to hold the anchor bolt in the concrete. To ensure that an epoxy set anchor bolt is structurally sound, you must properly drill and...

Adding a basement to a new home can create space for rooms or a drive-under garage. A basement adds value to virtually any home. However, issues with an extremely steep or rock-filled lot can make...

Though never easy, pouring a concrete basement provides one of the strongest basement options known to the construction industry. Although installing a concrete basement requires much framing and...

A cement mixer is handy to have around when you have big amounts of cement to prepare. Instead of mixing the cement by hand with a mixing hoe, you can toss the dry mix in the cement mixer, which...

To secure an item to concrete with bolts, you need to make a secure mounting location for the bolt within the concrete. Concrete anchors create that secure mounting location for the bolt and...

How flat a concrete slab needs to be depends on the sheen of the tile finish, the size of the individual tiles and your personal standards. Filling an occasional low spot in a slab is a simple...

Concrete is among the most commonly used materials for paving driveways because of its durable and long lasting nature. However, most concrete driveways are installed on a budget and can lack a...

Adding a garage to your home can help increase its value as well as providing you with much needed extra space. While the traditional use for a garage has been as a place to park your car, people...

Attaching a ceiling fan to a concrete ceiling will take slightly longer than installing the fan to standard framing, due to the special concrete fasteners needed to hang the fan. The concrete...

The main construction material used for building a house--besides wood--is concrete blocks. If you want to build a house and you don't want to use wood, then you can use concrete block as an...

When affixing wood to concrete, one of the best, and easiest, methods is to glue the wood to the concrete with epoxy. One suggested glue is PL-400. It comes in a caulking tube and is sold at...

Keeping your concrete pool deck looking nice can be a full-time job. It is constantly becoming damp with pool water and being run on all the time and is occasionally exposed to your pool's...

Existing concrete floors, like those found in most basements, can be cold if the floor has not been covered with carpet or insulated. If you plan to finish your basement or just want to provide a...

Painting or staining a plain, dull and drab gray concrete patio is an excellent way to bring new life and ambiance to an outdoor space. It is far cheaper than replacing an old patio with new, but...

Not a bricklayer, neither am I. That's why I made my foundation wall out of stacked cinderblocks, or CMU's (concrete masonry units) covered with surface bonding cement.

Having a drain in a garage is important if you park your car in the garage and live in a place where there is a lot of precipitation the car may carry into the garage. If installed when the garage...

There is one thing that makes an already beautiful home even better--a freshly paved driveway. New driveways add a neat and orderly appearance and are fairly easy to maintain once they are...

One way to enhance both the value of a home and add to available living space is to finish off a basement room. The first step to turning a plain concrete basement into a warm useful room is to...

Concrete is a versatile building material that can be formed into just about any shape to serve almost any purpose, and it often finds its way into slabs to support structures or patios....

Silane is an essential component used in concrete to provide a coating over the concrete surface that both seals and protects the concrete. According to Concretemonthly.com, silane was the only...

Lightweight concrete, also known as EPScrete (expanded polystyrene concrete), is a material widely used in the building of environmentally "green" homes. The substance is often made using small...

The process of choosing the best anchor to fasten to concrete might appear simple, but the complex variables involved may quickly create complications. It is possible to review the variables in...

Concrete block walls are common components in most structures, and are typically built solid and strong. For a number of reasons, ranging from electrical to mechanical trafficking, holes may be...

Basements are often overlooked when it comes to floor finishing, as most seem to be simply used for storage and basic utility. While concrete is a generally durable material, sealing these floors...

Your project calls for grout and you wonder if there are any safety considerations. What things do you need to do to protect yourself, your family or pets and your home while you are doing...

Concrete is one of the most commonly used materials for floors in homes and apartments, and is often thought to be an impenetrable surface. Though it is true that concrete is a very strong and...

Basements must be constructed to withstand great forces, vertically and horizontally. They must also have the ability to withstand the forces of water that will forever weigh on the exterior of...

Now that you have a patio, you should consider building a patio cover. Patio covers keep your house cool because it will keep the sun from hitting your windows, keep you cool on hot afternoons,...

Patios can turn out really well when concrete is poured over sand. With the sand properly leveled, the patio will be relatively flat, a perfect space for chairs and a small table for entertaining.

Concrete has been around for some time now. Just recently it's being used in a artistic way. It takes skill and preparation to cast concrete in general, and attention to detail to cast a...

Concrete foundations are reinforced through T-shaped structures, graded edges and insulation. Every structure will be different, and the best foundation for the structure depends on its location,...