Building & Remodeling

The intent of a vapor barrier is to impede water permeation of a structure. Although it may not be considered the most important moisture control method used in your home, the installation of a...

Laminate floors today are generally installed as "floating'' floors. This means the boards are not actually attached to anything except each other. The floor trim around the perimeter of the room...

Closed-cell insulation is one of the best types of insulation because it has a high R value per inch and helps to seal air leaks. Other types of insulation can leave gaps that allow drafts that...

Whether your countertop is tile, wood, laminate, or some other material, a tile backsplash is always appropriate. The backsplash serves two purposes: dressing up the area behind the countertop and...

Of all the rooms in your house, the bedroom is the most personal. For many do-it-yourself decorators, this means that the bedroom should be painted in a creative fashion that reflects one's...

Cutting a hole in your cubicle wall doesn't have to be an act of workplace sabotage. It can be a way of re-routing cables, connecting electronics to outlets or saying hello to your neighbor....

Shop lights are an important part of shop safety. When working on delicate projects with sharp tools, you want to be able to see your subject as clearly as possible, even if your shop is in a...

A wall workbench provides several advantages over traditional four-legged workbench models. The lack of the two front facing workbench legs makes the wall workbench easier to move around, and...

Many people enjoy the look of built-in wall bookcases; however, installing such a bookcase in an existing wall is often quite a chore. The shallow depth of 6 inches or less for most interior walls...

Whether for aesthetic reasons, wall clearance or just personal preference, a bathtub can be installed flush to the wall without a tiling flange. Although not commonly done, it can be accomplished...

A good home improvement job for the moderately skilled do-it-yourselfer is replacing tile in the shower. This will not only improve the look of your bathroom, but it can also help stop water leaks...

Wall-to-wall carpet can be dyed to cover stains, wear and tear or to update a room's color scheme. Change wall-to-wall carpet in a single room or throughout a whole home. Rebuild a faded carpet's...

Calculating the cost of finishing the drywall in your home is simple. You need to know how to do basic math, and if you are not good with math, a calculator is extremely helpful. Many things are...

Wood walls form the core framework that gives a home its shape and structure. Attempting a project that involves such a fundamental part of a building may seem intimidating, but framing a wood...

A variety of garage wall storage systems can be purchased for different prices, ranging from containers to actual sections of wall on which you can hang things. You can also construct your own...

Plantation shutters can give your room a classic look and provide shade and privacy from the outside. Since shutters have moving pieces, they may become damaged through repeated use. When this...

Unfortunately, some projects have to be done in cold weather even though warmer weather would allow the normal procedures to be accomplished much more easily. Many professionals living in colder...

Do you need to know the area of your wall? You might be improving your wall with wallpaper, a new coat of paint, or maybe installing new curtains, whatever the reason, here is a quick way to...

Hardwood flooring is installed in courses, starting at one wall and moving across the room to the other wall. You don't want to get most of the flooring installed, then discover at the opposite...

With several design options available, pine paneling can be an attractive and easy-to-install wall treatment. Instead of hiring the work done, this type of home project can be done on your own and...

Internal corners are the most common obstacle when tiling, quite simply because every room has them. If tile is being laid on more than one wall in a room, you will eventually have to deal with...

Provide extra structural strength and insulation for a home by covering exterior wall frames with wood sheathing. In general, plywood sheathing does not insulate as well as foam board, but it is...

When you install outdoor wall lights, you need to seal the light from moisture intrusion. If moisture penetrates the wall light, the light will short out and become a fire hazard or the...

Adding a natural stone interior wall to a home can make a room look and feel unique. Natural stone is similar to tile in many ways. As with small mosaic tiles, you can buy natural stone pebble...

A wall tile that's loose, cracked or broken can ruin the look of an otherwise nice tiled wall. It can also literally ruin the wall, if moisture gets under it and migrates beneath the other tiles,...

Even if you don't have a shower head over your bath tub, the walls around the tub are especially vulnerable to moisture and damage because of rising steam and splashing water. Tile is one of the...

Applying stucco to a masonry wall can seem a pretty daunting task. While challenging, however, it is not impossible for the homeowner to accomplish. The job demands a certain amount of patience as...

Properly mounted bath fixtures and accessories add both style and functionality to any bathroom. Towel bars, soap dishes, towel rings, and many other useful and decorative items are available. One...

Siding acts as a skin and first line of defense against the elements for a house. With seemingly endless types of siding materials, costs can vary greatly depending on variables ranging from...

Attaching self-adhesive tiles to a wall is a quick process compared to the more traditional mortar and tile placement. The self-adhesive tiles are made to simplify the tiling process. They install...

Most cabinets have a protective layer of backing material that seals the rear of the cabinet from insects and other creatures. However, in some areas of the house, this kind of backing is unnecessary.

The key components of a metal framed wall are the runners and the metal studs. Each component needs to be secured to the ceiling and floor joists to support the weight of the drywall that will...

When tiling a wall it is very important that you have enough tile to complete the job before starting. If you run out in the middle of the project, you will have to stop to get more tile and you...

Laminate flooring can add beauty to any room in your home. You can achieve the look of real hardwood floors at a lesser price and enjoy the flooring for years to come. Laminate flooring comes in...

Have you ever put a hole in the wall? How about your kids? Some time in your home owning life it's bound to happen. Holes happen and wouldn't you love to know how to fix it yourself so that you...

Many kitchens, particularly in older homes, were built without enough cabinetry for the modern cook. Installing additional cabinets in your kitchen can help improve the functionality of your space...

Wall tiles provide a solid, classic look to a room, while also protecting the wall from moisture and damage. Porcelain (pressed clay dust) is one of the oldest and most popular forms of wall tile....

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.

Successfully building a curved glass block walk in shower wall can be tough. Although they look great, and are more cost effective than curved tempered glass walls, a winning project requires the...

Cinder blocks can be used for exterior structures or even basement or foundation walls. These types of walls may need to be insulated to retain heat during the winter. Insulating a cinder block...

Homeowners use nails to hang pictures and other wall décor and to attach molding to the walls in their homes. When remodeling or redecorating a room, it is often necessary to remove nails...

Mirrors that adhere straight to drywall with glue are a hassle to remove. Although you can remove mirrors affixed to drywall, you must do some repairs to the drywall. The amount of repairs depends...

Quite often the wall or fence which separates your yard from your neighbor's is too low for privacy. Building codes won't allow you to add height to the wall, so what can you do? By using vine...

Because of their strength and durability, steel door frames are often used in masonry walls in place of traditional wooden frames. Metal frames are typically installed before the brick or block is...

There is a compromise between a leeds certified house and one build to minimum standards. The way I've built my houses is a cost effective alternate that is not much more than standard framing.

If you have many magazine subscriptions, or you have a long-time subscription to a single magazine, you will eventually find yourself hard-pressed to find a place to put the magazines. While there...

Installing a cabinet on plaster walls can prove to be difficult, depending on the makeup of the structure beneath the plaster. The plaster wall itself is not strong enough to support the weight of...

The benefit of a flat-panel plasma television is that its slim design allows it to become a piece of art hanging on the wall. Many people design their homes around a fireplace. What better place...

Hardwood flooring is ideally laid over plywood subfloor, which allows you to secure it with nails and flooring staples. But some subfloors are covered with particle board, which is basically...

Trim molding is used in new home construction or remodeling projects to cover the gap between ceiling and walls, the gap between walls and floors, around doors and windows, and in decorative wall...