Home Repair & Maintenance

Removing paint from concrete prior to staining is an important step in the staining process. If unwanted paint is left on the concrete, it may show through the stain. Also, paint on concrete will...

People take pride in the condition of their homes, inside and out. It is common for debris to blow onto your sidewalk or driveway. You dutifully break out the push broom and remove it. However, if...

Cinder blocks are often used to build exterior walls and foundations in residential buildings. These blocks are extremely strong and durable, and will last for decades with little maintenance....

Efflorescence is salts and minerals that rise from the inside of concrete to its surface and appear as a powdery white coating. The substance can also appear as a hazy film or streaks of white...

Plumbing stub outs are used to extend pipe installed below slabs or inside walls out of the structure and into the room so that you can return later and connect the rest of your plumbing to the...

A leaning wooden deck is often more than an eyesore. It can also be a safety hazard. It is best to repair the problem as soon as possible to prevent any accidents or further damage to the deck....

If your concrete sidewalk has seen better days and you are considering replacing it, another option might be to pour a new layer of concrete over the old slab. This is a fairly simple process that...

A wooden garage must always be built with longevity in mind. Putting extra care into the process will ensure that your project will last as long as you do. Spend extra time on the foundation and...

Mailmaster mailboxes are mounted by securing them to a wooden post. The post is buried in the ground to secure it, and the mailbox slides over the top. Two wood screws anchor the mailbox to the...

Whether you only drilled holes into your concrete walls to install a wine rack, or the workmen left a huge mess behind, cleaning concrete dust from floors is just a matter of sweeping and mopping...

Driveways see a lot of wear and tear. Not only are they constantly exposed to the weather elements, but they see a lot of foot and car traffic as well. It's no wonder that, over time, cement...

Repairing cracks in your concrete slab before laying down ceramic tile is important because you want the slab to be strong and level. Repairing cracks is a matter of mixing up some concrete ready...

For many homeowners, the garage is simply an extension of the home's living space. For those who want to improve the look and function of the garage, floor epoxy provides a finished look with...

For a garage floor to be painted with an epoxy covering, the floor needs to be level, clean and as smooth as possible. If these things are not done, the epoxy will likely not properly adhere to...

Staining concrete floors is an innovative and attractive way to add appeal to most any décor. Some precautions are advised before applying stain to concrete floors, to achieve maximum appeal....

Earthen floors are not just about "building green" and using natural materials in your home, they are a means of bringing a natural beauty into your home that also has some amazing heating and...

There are several methods of anchoring, or bedding a fence post into the ground. The method you choose should take into account the type of fencing, posts and environment; as well as the budget...

Cleaning concrete with a pressure washer is one of the easiest types of work you can do with a pressures washer. Almost invariably the work is below you at your feet, which is much easier than...

Over time the ground on which a house is built will begin to settle. The house will shift, and the foundation can begin to crack. Poor rebar reinforcement and construction can also lead to...

Working on plumbing that runs beneath a concrete slab is a challenging job, whether you need to access the plumbing for testing or repair, or to add a fitting for a new line. Plumbing is rarely...

Concrete provides an ideal subfloor over which to install tile. One of the first steps to installing tile is to thoroughly clean the concrete slab to remove any dust, dirt, oil or wax from the...

Plumbing is never installed horizontally through a concrete slab-on-grade--a slab that is on the ground. All plumbing lines are run beneath the slab at varying depths and pitches in the soil. The...

Whether you want to add a concrete extension for a room addition or for a patio, you can join a new concrete slab to an existing one. It's just a matter of preparing the site, mixing the concrete...

Garage floors, or slabs, are one of the easiest projects to form. You can make cement forms out of wood planks and have the whole thing ready in half a day for your concrete. As long as you have...

All concrete slabs are porous. The breathable surface allows moisture and air to penetrate and exit the slab. Sealing the concrete can only be done after the slab has fully cured. Depending on...

Concrete and stucco are no-fuss construction complements that can be prepared and built at the same time, or created as separate additions later. Concrete and stucco also serve well together in...

As far as building construction goes, nothing beats concrete blocks for flexibility in function and design. Concrete blocks come in a variety of sizes and shapes and can also be cut to suit. They...

Tile board, also known as backer board, PermaBase and Durock, is a necessary component to the application of tile. Tile board is not actually a board, nor is it made out of wood. Tile board can be...

Concrete foundations are made of a single slab of concrete. There are three types of concrete foundations: T-shaped, slab-on-grade and frost-protected. Each foundation is ideal for a different...

Driveways are subject to a lot of wear and tear. Cars drive on and off them, the weather pounds down on them constantly. Even with durable materials like concrete, some cracking is virtually...

Concrete is the most common building material for foundations. It is beneficial because of its strength and resistance to the elements, but it can encounter leaking and cracking problems.

In many instances a concrete slab may be connected to a concrete footer rather than the slab "floating" on top of the footer. Construction where free movement of the slab is not desired (for...

If your concrete patio, walkway or driveway is looking a little worse for wear, adding a coat of paint can make it look brand new. Painting concrete is much cheaper than replacing it, and you can...

Whether you are renovating or repairing, you may be faced with the need to remove an existing concrete slab. Cured concrete is incredibly strong, this is why it is the material of choice to...

Concrete walls may begin to crack over time, due to natural expansion of the concrete or water seepage. It is important to fix cracked concrete when the crack is still small because the crack will...

Cement is a porous material that absorbs water. Over time, cracks may form in the cement due to water penetrating the surface, then freezing and thawing. These cracks may be small hairline cracks...

Your electrical has to be installed in concrete walls before they are poured. Otherwise you will be bolting boxes and conduit to the surface and then explaining to the architect why the wall...

Concrete cracks are an unpleasant fact. Expansion and contraction, freezes and thaws, settling and weight overload are all contributors to cracking. Left alone, the concrete will only get worse...

Concrete walls or slabs may have to be poured in sections for a variety of reasons: not enough concrete available for delivery; small finishing crew (cannot finish a larger pour); or the contents...

Soil settling is a primary cause of cracks in a concrete slab. Soil compaction increases the density of the soil, making it less prone to moisture and settling. To compact soil correctly for a...

Stone is one of the most popular materials for patio floors; however, the installation process can prove to be a messy one. It is common for stray amounts of concrete to find their way to the...

Before you commit to pouring concrete in your slab forms, you need to make sure that the slab is in "square." Being "in square" means that all corners are at 90-degree angles. No matter what shape...

Once your concrete slab is poured, you are ready to stud the concrete. Studding the concrete is a cool way of saying "attach the sill plate for your walls." Sill plates are the bottom run of wood...

Climbing snow-covered steps can be awkward at best, dangerous at worst. Snow obscures the steps and makes for slippery footing. If left in place, it can turn to ice, creating even more of a...

Ice is one of the biggest slip hazards of winter, and when it coats your concrete steps it's even more dangerous. If you don't have any ice-melting chemicals on hand or haven't time to let the...

Concrete is the ultimate versatile media. No matter if your concrete floor is marred, gouged or cracked, new concrete can be poured right over it to level it out, giving it added strength and...

Cement is a good construction material that offers a lot of design versatility. But most people find concrete walls too stark for a living space, even when it's in a basement or garage. To make it...

Concrete basement floors inherently wick moisture from the ground into the home. This moisture, which is not always obvious, harms flooring of any type installed directly on the concrete. Carpets...

Concrete surfaces are very durable if they are protected properly. Concrete is a porous material, which allows moisture and other substances to penetrate deep into it if it is not sealed. Sealing...

Replacing uneven flooring does not have to mean calling a contractor and saying good-bye to the better part of your remodeling budget. Whether you are working with concrete, wood or tile, there...