Home Repair & Maintenance

Mold may not be just on the surface of a wall. If the material is porous, such as drywall or sheetrock, the mold may go all the way in or even be coming from the inside of the wall, especially if...

Green mold is a general term used to describe mold that is green in color or that has green spores. It is particularly prevalent among the Penicillium and Aspergillus mold species. Green mold...

A typical homeowner may think that replacing a HVAC thermostat is a complicated project that only qualified heating and cooling specialists can perform, but this is far from the truth. Most HVAC...

Scratches, dings, and spills are just a few reasons why you may have a blemish on your painted wall. If the damaged area is large, repainting that one wall with a matching paint is the best option...

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....

While your wood burning stove can be a romantic focal point on a winter's Eve, it also performs a vital function in heating your living area. Proper installation of the stove is critical to both...

Laminate hardwood is a good choice for flooring because it is more durable than real wood and it's also a lot easier to install. This type of flooring is also called a floating floor because it is...

A pocket organizer (often called wall pockets) is a useful device to help put papers and items in an easy-to-find and easy-to-reach place, and yet, out of the way enough to remove large amounts of...

Fixing a leaky foundation is hard work that requires dedication. You can't be afraid to get dirty with this task. Nonetheless, digging around the home should be avoided if at all possible. For...

Wood paneling makes for a beautiful decorative addition to any home. And while paneling is a fairly durable wall covering, it does occasionally need to be repaired. Small holes and gouges are...

If you have a small bathroom, you may be searching for ways to squeeze every inch of available space out of the room. As long as you can forgo the storage space, a wall-hung sink can be a perfect...

Plumbing access panels used to be regularly included in home design. They were often unattractive, hinged doors that jutted out from the walls of bedrooms, living rooms and even dining rooms....

When you want to redecorate a wallpapered surface it is best to first remove the wallpaper. It is important to strip the wallpaper so that you have a smooth wall to decorate. Hanging new paper or...

All of us have had it happen. Maybe you banged your wall when installing that last new bed frame. Or maybe an over-assertive new puppy had helped to "redecorate" your walls with a few,...

HVAC thermostats are wonderful devices that make climate control in your home easy. There comes a time when you might have to replace the thermostat. One reason for replacement could be that it...

Heating your garage in the winter will help to keep your vehicles warm and defrosted and allow you to continue working on projects without hesitation. For a garage without a vent, an energy...

Hanging heavy decorative objects, like a wall mirror with a wooden frame, can be a challenge. The safest way to hang a wooden-framed wall mirror is to locate the wall studs to support the weight...

Vapor barriers are one the best ways to protect your home from unwanted moisture. Installed on either the exterior of the home during construction or on the walls of a basement, the added...

Brick is elegant and timeless, but at times it seems like a magnet for dirt and dust. Weather, fireplace soot, mold and water stains can leave a red brick wall looking less than its best, but...

Over time, wall covering has a tendency to dry out and tear. Wall covering can also rip over time as the glue dries out or from just daily wear and tear. You can fix everything from air bubbles,...

Baseboard heaters are a popular, easy to use and relatively inexpensive home heating option. They allow for greater home efficiency than some other heating types by making it possible to control...

For the most part, a light switch is a simple, yet durable controller that is built to withstand thousands of toggles. But even the most expensive light switches will eventually wear down. Knowing...

Laminate flooring is a popular choice for many home owners. Some of the reasons to choose laminate flooring include the fact that it can be made to resemble everything from wood to marble. It also...

Holes in plaster can be patched using a piece of drywall. This type of plaster repair is easy to perform but it is challenging to obtain the look of the surrounding plaster walls. Plaster walls...

If your thermostat is an older model, it might be time to change to a more modern style. Having an older unit causes wild temperature swings in your home. This can cost you money by increasing the...

Fishing electrical wire is a technique for routing power wires in confined spaces, typically behind walls, for safety and aesthetic reasons. The wire can be guided behind a wall with a fish tape;...

If you want to enhance the exterior of your home, you can install an exterior wall sconce. You can add flair to your décor and improve access to your home with the additional outdoor...

Mounting screws are typically a Phillips driver based screw used to hang items on a wall, most notably cabinets. Because the screws are in charge of holding up extremely heavy objects, the screws...

Mirror clips are used to hold mirrors to a wall. They are used alone, or sometimes with mirror adhesive to ensure that the mirror cannot fall off of the wall. Removing the clips is a very easy...

Remove and reuse existing interior wood trim for a number of reasons. Reusing the wood trim, instead of buying it new, shaves a lot of money off the budget for the entire project. Retaining the...

Fiber cement siding is made from cement and fiber mixed together to form 8- or 12-inch-wide strips that are 10 feet long and 1/4 to 3/8 inch thick. When preparing to install fiber cement siding,...

In this article we will cover the steps needed to repair most cracks in concrete walls. It is very important to repair cracks in basements. If you are selling your house cracks can scare potential...

Depending on the size and location of the hole, you can repair it by filling it with enamel paint that matches the tile or covering the hole with a small ceramic piece used for decoration....

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...

Grout is a kind of cement that goes between your tiles, bridging the gap and helping protect the wall behind the tiles. Though the grout lines look tough and solid, they are actually the most...

Nothing spells architectural elegance more than a stucco façade. From Mexican haciendas, to Hollywood mansions, to Mediterranean villas, stucco is beautiful, enduring, and functional. Stucco...

The reasons are numerous for installing new interior doors. For starters, hanging new interior doors is a great way to change the look of a home and make a home more modern. In addition, interior...

Screws are incredibly versatile construction tools. No matter what your project is or what material is being used, there is a screw made specifically for it. If you need to attach an object to a...

Whether you have an unwanted screw or simply need to make changes to your wall, removing screws from drywall is very easy. If performed carefully, there will be little additional damage to the...

Door molding provides a decorative frame to a door and conceals the join between the door and the wall, according to "Collins Complete DIY Manual" (Reference 1). Moldings have no load bearing...

If you want to add an outlet to a room, you need to know how the electric runs in the walls. Punching holes in your drywall until you locate the conduit will work, but it will leave you with a...

If the grout between your ceramic wall tiles has become discolored, cracked and crumbly, it will make the whole wall look bad no matter how good the tiles themselves are still holding up. Worse, a...

Clothes dryer vents mount to exterior surfaces of the home and exhaust the heat, moisture and lint the dryers produce. You generally install a vent on an exterior wall, but in some cases direct it...

With air conditioners becoming more and more common, it just makes sense to incorporate both your heating and air conditioning controls into one thermostat. Newer thermostats offer many more...

During a remodeling effort, you might remove old molding, paneling or cabinets that leave a line of caulk still attached to a painted wall. Pulling the caulk from the wall is likely to lift the...

Painting over drywall repairs is the final step in finishing off the project. Do it right, and nobody will ever know a repair was made. While not difficult, you'll need to take your time to ensure...

Crawl spaces are dark and often have poor ventilation. With the addition of moisture, they become the ideal place for mold to grow. If you have a lot of standing water in a crawl space, you will...

Though it may seem intimidating, removing a door frame from a brick building is relatively easy. The frame is connected to the wall on either side with anchors or fasteners. These anchors are then...

Mold may appear on the outside of your home's walls if they are consistently damp due to rain, excessive shade or high humidity. Green mold may be indicative of Cladosporium, Aspergillus or...

Depending on the structural requirements for an addition that you are attaching to an existing foundation, you may need to thicken the concrete wall before either continuing on to build your new...