Is there anything more luxurious than a granite shower? Few materials scream “elegant” and “high-class” the way that granite does. A granite shower can even add thousands to your home’s resale value! But is granite really a good choice for shower walls?

Shower pans are an important component of your home’s bathroom. They collect water from the shower drain before moving it down the drain. With continuous use, shower pans are subject to wear and tear and hence leaks. When the shower pan starts to leak, a timely replacement is necessary to prevent water damage to your home.

Basements can be used for so many “extras”—extra storage space, extra living space, extra office space. They are one of those added bonuses in a house.

It takes hard work to stop a driveway from flooding, but it’s a worthy investment. Most methods involve excavation, which is best done by contractors. The best ways to prevent driveway flooding include:

Replacing an existing standard bathtub with a walk-in shower has become a popular remodeling project for many homes. While these replacements are usually straightforward installations, there can be some unforeseen issues. Bathtubs usually have a 1-1/2 inch drainpipe. Can you use the standard 1-1/2 inch drainpipe with a shower?

If you have an uninsulated detached garage, it’s probably sweltering in the summer and freezing in the winter. Merely stepping inside of the room to grab some supplies can be unbearable! Insulating your detached garage will make the temperature inside much more comfortable and turn your detached garage into a habitable space for you and your family. 

The winter isn’t the ideal season to accomplish your outdoor projects. Landscaping, gardening, and exterior work are often scheduled for the spring and fall months when the weather is more suitable. But sometimes work needs to be done in a given time frame, which means you need to accomplish projects like painting your home’s exterior in the middle of the coldest season. But is it a good idea to paint the outside of your home in the winter?

The foundation of a building is important for a lot of reasons. Without it, the house cannot safely remain upright, especially in the face of severe weather or slight shifts in the ground. That is why having a solid foundation in place is so imperative.

Proper ventilation is important not just for your HVAC system. It also matters for all the exhaust fans you have installed that take moist air from one place to the next. For instance, the air coming from your bathroom exhaust fan needs to come out somewhere.

When I first moved into my current place, we had a door that had a major gap. This gap was so large, leaves would blow in from the outside, and any type of air conditioning would eventually get blown out of our apartment. I knew I had to fix the gap in order to save on my bills and also prevent wildlife from crawling in, I had to get it fixed. Thankfully, this was a relatively easy project to work with.

It’s a no-brainer as a homeowner to know that things will need to be replaced and upgraded over time. While people know to get new appliances or furniture, they often forget about things like an electrical panel. 

The exterior cladding that you choose for your home serves as the protective barrier against dramatic changes in temperature and inclement weather conditions. Though, depending on the type that you choose, it can also impact the value of your home. Choosing a siding for your home is an important decision that requires careful consideration, as it’s going to last for many years.

Your subfloor provides an excellent, level foundation for the flooring of your home. However, many subfloors might not be the ideal surface on which to lay your finished floors. Therefore, adding an extra layer of flooring on top of your subfloor can help create the floor of your dreams!

Wood paneling was a popular option for homes in the 1970s and 1980s, but today is a dated look. Many homeowners prefer the appearance of smooth drywall compared to wood grain paneling. Updating your interior space can not only make you happier at home, but it can increase the value of your home. Unfortunately, removing wood paneling can be extremely time-consuming and expensive.

Like anything else in life, there will come a time where our driveway can become worn down, cracked, and generally look very poor. When this happens, it is time to repave the driveway to make it structurally sound and aesthetically pleasing.

Moen is a very popular appliance brand. In fact, if you have multiple bathrooms, the odds are pretty high you have some sort of Moen appliance in there. The company is known for its variety, especially when it comes to its faucets. And while these faucets usually function properly, you may need to tighten them from time to time. But what size Allen wrench do you need for a Moen faucet?

One way to create an oasis in one’s home is a bathroom that evokes peace and tranquillity. This could simply be from the choice of paint color to keeping the space neat and tidy. An essential factor is also ensuring that everything works and is in tiptop shape. 

Accidents happen, and your bathroom suffers some damage. Or you notice the bathroom sink looks old and dated. The next step is to find a new bathroom sink and have it installed. Finding and purchasing a sink is only half the job. Installing the sink is the other half. How much does it cost to install a bathroom sink?

We use our driveways on an almost daily basis, but can you even remember what kind you have? You should know which materials went into the construction of your driveway. Those materials can have a discernible impact on the quality and longevity of your driveway so making the right choice is crucial.

When doing a bathroom renovation, there are a lot of things to consider, particularly in terms of your shower placement. Different style showers require specific locations within the room. They also require the proper amount of space. It’s important that you understand the amount of space you have to work with before deciding on a shower base style.

I’ll be honest. I had no idea that crawlspace encapsulation was a thing until my early 30s. However, it’s a major procedure that helps reduce heating costs, reduces the chances of mold, and can even help ensure that you have a mosquito-free summer. But, does it actually add value to a home or is it more of a subtle perk?

So, you live in Illinois, and you are updating or remodeling your home. As you begin the demolition, you immediately find that all the electrical wiring inside the walls is metallic conduit.

Interior walls do a great job of defining the space you have available. You can use them to create defined areas and introduce more harmony into your home. Those interior walls can also be used to provide support and a decorative flourish, assuming that you’ve framed them properly.

Paper towels are just like toilet paper, right? Wrong. Though the two products seem similar at a glance, the composition of each is completely different, which means they react in water differently, too.

Slippery floors are hazards, but they have nothing on slippery stairs. One wrong step on a slippery staircase can land you in the emergency room. You need to watch out for those slick stairs and save yourself from potential injury. If you have laminate flooring over your staircase, you may have dealt with grip-related issues in the past. Addressing that should be your priority as a homeowner.

You finally have the time to fix your driveway. Concrete is the ideal material, but it’s also expensive. As you look for ways to stretch your budget, bagged concrete may come to mind. Will it work?

In the winter, your basement is cool and dry, and you don’t even have to think about water damage. But once the summer months come around, it becomes damp and humid in your cool basement. Why does this happen, and what can you do to prevent it?

At least once in everyone’s life, they have flushed something down the toilet on accident. The head to a Clorox Toilet Wand is tricky and easy to detach while cleaning the toilet bowl. All it takes is the slip of the hand to hit the trigger release, and down it goes.

With the increase in vinyl siding’s popularity, people are increasingly focused on finding ways to ensure that their siding can last longer than ever. That’s why people put house wrap underneath their vinyl siding. Of course, the wrap is known for being expensive. Is it really worth it? Do you even need it?

You may find a situation where you need an electrical outlet under the sink cabinet in your kitchen. The most obvious reason would be the installation of garbage disposal in a sink that was not previously equipped. If a dishwasher is installed, you may also need an outlet under the sink to provide power to the dishwasher. From the standpoint of electrical codes, is it legal to put an electrical outlet under a sink?

Stuck faucet handles are just part of the normal wear and tear a house will experience. Regardless of whether you have Moen, Delta, Kohler, or Pfister appliances on your sink, all faucets will deteriorate with time and use. Faucets are subject to faulty cartridges, mineral deposit build-up from the water, and natural reactions such as corrosion and oxidation. Knowing how to remove a stuck faucet handle will finally come in handy.

Many homes across the country have a basement. The basement can be finished or unfinished but usually, at a minimum, has some plumbing infrastructure. Unfortunately, sometimes the basement can develop a sewer smell that can be hard to diagnose and even trickier to fix. The first step to eliminating a sewer smell in your basement is to learn where the odor is coming from.

Building your dream home can be exciting and stressful at the same time. It can be exciting because you are finally building the home you’ve wanted for years. However, it can be stressful because there’s so much to account for, regardless if you’re planning on building it with your own hands or hiring a contractor. One of the things that stress new home builders out the most is ensuring they build a house according to code.

No, we aren’t speaking a foreign language here. We reference two of the newest and most popular systems for construction custom shower and bath surround designs. The products meld technology with ease of use to make projects faster, easier, and less costly. What we want to know is which is better, Wedi or Kerdi?

There has always been a considerable debate on how to keep your home warm through the colder months of the year. Two of the most popular options tend to be a gas fireplace or a central heating system. While each has its unique uses and every individual has their preferences, it’s essential to consider a few factors.

Let’s be honest. No one wants to have to use a yellow toilet seat. And as a homeowner, you don’t want your guests looking at one in your house. While you may immediately think a yellowing toilet seat means it’s dirty, but this isn’t necessarily true.

If you are working on a project that involves drilling screws into a hard surface like a hardwood or even metal, you probably need a drill bit. You don’t want to drill the screw right into the hard material, as there are all sorts of bad things that can happen. Drilling pilot holes is an important and simple process. It does, however, involve some planning and research. So, when you plan on using #8 screws you need to find the perfect size drill bit to make pilot holes.

If you’re planning to use concrete slabs in an upcoming project, it’s important to do your research when it comes to the cost. No matter what you’re building—whether it’s a back patio designed for cool hangouts or a smooth, new driveway—you’ll need to be aware of the potential price of materials and labor.

Maple hardwood flooring has been around since Colonial times. As a part of the all-American aesthetic, maple flooring remains popular throughout the United States. Of course, part of the reason it’s so common is that maple was one of the only hardwoods Colonial folk had available to them. However, things have changed. So, is it worth getting your flooring done in this wood style anymore?

Remodeling bathrooms can be tricky. But installing a new toilet shouldn’t be the most challenging part. So, can you put a toilet on top of a floating floor? Or do you need to take extra steps to install it correctly?

 Many homeowners have asked themselves at one point or another: “Can I build a wall myself?” People consider it for many reasons – whether they are renovating a new home, preparing to sell, or trying to create more space for their growing family.

Metal roofs have been used to top barns, country-style homes, and buildings across the U.S. since the 1700s. However, the metal roofs of today are nothing like the familiar tin roof of years past.

While most of the electric ovens that we are familiar with simply plug into the wall, not all electric units are created equally. From time to time, you may notice that a unit has the capability to be hardwired into place.

Everyone wants a home that gives them a quiet place to relax and unwind. But if your house isn’t quite the peaceful retreat of your dreams, what can you do? Whether you’re dealing with a small space, a busy street, or a house that echoes like the Grand Canyon, you can make your house quieter.

What kind of look are you aiming to bring to life in your yard? You can go for something casual or modern by adding the right fixtures and pieces of furniture. If your goal is to build a backyard with a beautiful natural aesthetic, you will need to introduce some landscaping elements.

If you have recently relocated an outlet in your home, you may be left with an empty or dead outlet on the wall. While the dead outlet is certainly not harming anything, it can be unsightly if the outlet is no longer used. Hiding or covering the outlet can be tempting, especially to make your home look nicer without an ugly outlet on the wall.

Facial tissues like Kleenex and similar products can be found in most households in at least some capacity. This can be especially true when cold and flu season rolls around. These products look and feel a lot like toilet paper, so it would make sense that they are flushable, too. However, this is simply not true.

For years, contractors, home improvement enthusiasts, and hobbyists alike have used polymeric sand for paving. Polymeric sand is essentially a sand that when combined with water and something such as silica forms a tight bond. However, not everyone wants to use polymeric sand, and many homeowners opt for an alternative.

Searching for the best lighting to fit an unfinished basement can be a challenge. Their barren concrete walls feel sterile and do not do well with reflecting light, and exposed floor joists can create odd shadows. Additionally, the process of mounting a lighting fixture in an unfinished basement is very different from installing them on a finished ceiling.

A new screen for your porch can cost anywhere from $700 to over $5,000 depending on where you live, the size of your porch, and the type of project. Replacing the screens on your porch is not cheap, and therefore you will want to wait as long as possible to complete this project. In general, you should wait between eight and fifteen years before you need to replace your porch screens.

Water dripping into your bathroom from anywhere there isn’t supposed to be water is cause for concern.  This concern is especially true of bathroom vents, which typically lead through the roof to the outside.  A leak from a bathroom vent when it rains should be investigated and repaired as soon as possible.

While one lot conventionally holds one house, what’s to say it’s not capable of sustaining more? Multifamily housing allows for more than one group of residents to inhabit a single piece of land. Architects can split that property up any number of ways, with a maximum of four units per plot.

When it comes to kitchen design, very few things will make as much an impact as the color scheme you choose as well as the wood finish you choose for your cabinets. Some wood finishes, like birch, can be matched with a wide range of different paint schemes. Cherry cabinets, on the other hand, can be pretty hard to pair with paint. Want to avoid hackneyed color pairings? You do have some interesting choices you can make…

For the do-it-yourselfers out there, building a new roof can be a way to save thousands upon thousands of dollars. Whether it is for your home or a new structure going up, a roof can be an expensive proposition.

Electrical wiring is not only for the main areas of the house anymore. Modern homes may see electrical wiring throughout the property, running into sheds, garages, and even patios or decks. It only makes sense with the prevalence of flat-screen televisions as they can be placed just about anywhere with a simple electrical connection.

When building or renovating a home, the support joists are a critical part of the process. It can be challenging for some owner-builders to choose between engineered floor joists and 2x10s, which are both great options. However, how do you know which one you should use? Is one better than the other?

If you’re familiar with framing, then you’ve probably worked with birdsmouth cuts. These styles of cuts allow roof joists to connect to the wall plate of a structure. Other than asking a store to cut your wood, there are some other alternatives! What are some other options for the birdsmouth cut?

For many people, nothing says elegance and quality like marble. For centuries, marble has been the choice of building material to symbolize wealth and power. Marble has been used to adorn some of the most well-known palaces in the world. It is no wonder that many homeowners want to evoke the same feelings in their bathrooms but wonder about the cost.

If you are running an underground 200 amp service, then you may be wondering what size wire to use in your installation. We’re going to answer that question for you, however, keep in mind that you may need a permit and that a professional should do the installation.

Choosing between wood finishing products is not as easy as it seems. It doesn’t help the matter that there are so many great options out there to choose from. Between Varathane and Minwax alone, there are countless options to choose from to stain just about any kind of wood style or color in your home. But, which one is best for wood finishing?