Home Improvement DIY

Electrical work may be confusing even to an experienced DIYer, especially when it comes to wire gauge. Wire gauge is the thickness of a wire and it can affect how much of an electrical load it can handle. So, what size wire should you run to a shed?

If you can’t seem to stop a cold draft from entering through tiny cracks around your window, you might feel compelled to do something about it then and there.

Humidity can ruin a great day outdoors, but nothing is worse than excessive humidity in your home. It’s hard to get comfortable when you breathe moist air, and it can be dangerous if you have respiratory problems. Luckily, there are several simple ways to lower humidity in your home.

Window glass is usually pretty durable, but it only takes one unfortunate event to cause a crack.

Samsung dishwashers are affordable, efficient, and reliable. That doesn’t mean they aren’t without their problems. For example, performance issues and error codes often appear and confuse homeowners. What do the Samsung dishwasher Smart Auto and Heavy blinking error codes mean?

Whether you ran out of paint while painting your walls, or you don’t want to get two separate cans of paint, you might be wondering if you can just use your ceiling paint on your walls.

Nails and screws are a mainstay in many construction projects. You would be hard-pressed to tackle any home improvement task that doesn’t call for one or the other. But how do you know when to use nails or screws for your project?

The only time having a mouse in your house is okay is in a Dr. Seuss book (unless you keep one as a pet). Otherwise, it’s safe to say you don’t want mice in your home. But what if you start to see some of the little critters hanging around your abode? Certain smells repel mice; for example, mice hate lavender.

People have their own reasons for why they don’t want to use designated products for a project, such as outdoor paint for an outdoor paint job. Maybe they have too much extra indoor paint, or they don’t want to spend the extra money.

Painting your home yourself is a great DIY project to help you save some money. But even when you take all the precautions, it is still possible to get paint on places where you don’t want it. In many cases, paint is easy to wipe up without leaving a trace. But when you notice paint on your laminate floor that won’t come out, you will want to find an easy way to make the paint disappear.

Have you ever noticed moisture between the window panes of your house? If so, then you know how annoying it can be. Since it is a hard-to-reach place, it can be tricky to get rid of this condensation.

When moving into a new home, one of the first things most people do is change the locks. You want to feel secure in your new home and changing the locks helps with that. This is the time when a lot of people make a common mistake.

Constant noise and movement can stop you from getting comfortable in your duplex. This is especially annoying if you’re a renter and can’t renovate your duplex to fortify the walls. Many people struggle with how to reduce noise in a duplex.

Slowly and quietly, a new trend in smart homes is starting to take root among the ultra-techy. People are now making their own open-source programs for their smart home hubs. But when comparing the OpenHAB vs Home Assistant programs, which is better for your home?

If you live in a windy area, it is not easy to keep warm water. Your pilot light is one that suffers from consequences. So, how do you stop a pilot light from blowing out on your water heater?

If you are building a structure that requires some support beams and additional safety measures, you might have purchased some joist hangers. Joist hangers are very strong pieces of hardware that offer additional weight support and security for weight bearing structures. They are much stronger than just using nails or screws alone. As you prepare to install your joist hangers, you might wonder if you can use screws instead of nails to install them.

It can throw you for a loop when you get a particularly high electric bill. That is truer now than ever before, since the cost of living has increased so much in the past few years. So you may ask yourself, why is my electric bill so high?

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.

Le Creuset cookware is not only one of the best performing brands on the market, but it also looks amazing. Even if you aren’t known to cook gourmet meals in dutch ovens all that often, you might still want to own a Le Creuset simply for its shiny and colorful enamel.

It is all too easy to misplace an old skeleton key. Even if you have your skeleton key on hand, it may not be able to unlock a vintage lock. Because of that, many homeowners are left with their hands in the air wondering how they can pick a skeleton key lock.

Ceiling fans are great for providing comforting and efficient cooling. They are especially useful in smaller homes since they don’t have to take up additional space near the floor. Add a ceiling fan to your home and it can be a useful fixture for years to come.

When installing a mounting block on vinyl siding, there are plenty of ways things can go wrong. You may ask if your vinyl siding can handle this depending upon the weight. You may not know where to begin.

Toilets are in every home, but they are hardly talked about until something goes wrong. Toilet issues, however, are more common than you might think. In fact, one survey suggests that 28 million Americans have a toilet that clogs every month. This begs the question – what can be done when you have a toilet that swirls but won’t flush?

The last thing you want to do is run up massive energy bills all winter. It’s tempting to turn up the furnace every time it gets cold, but that will quickly become quite expensive. So, what are the cheapest ways to heat your house in the winter?

If you love bespoke home accessories, making scented candles at home might be a DIY activity you want to add to your wheelhouse.

Some home improvement projects require the help of a professional. In some cases, the project is just too big for one person. In others, the project involves dangerous circumstances that require a licensed individual. Or maybe you just don’t have the expensive machinery necessary to perform the job.

Purchasing a TV mount and the necessary screws can be an exciting decision. But getting your mount without screws can be an annoying discovery!

Metal roofing is perfect for sheds because of its low cost and how easy it is to install. Still, many home improvement enthusiasts and building-owners have not installed metal roofing on a shed before and want to know how it can be done properly. So, how exactly do you do it?

There are many reasons that people have for cutting glass. Reshaping mirrors and windowpanes, cutting bottles for craft projects, and etching designs into bottles, are just a few of the many reasons people have for cutting glass. No matter what reason you have to cut glass, there is one tool that can certainly help: a Dremel.

Having an automatic garage door does not mean much if the opener will not work. For some reason, the Sears Craftsman garage door opener remotes just stop working after a while. This means you have to buy a new remote. Or does it?

It can take years and even decades to build a sizable tool collection that you are proud of. There are just so many essential tools, it can take years to save up for them all. Power tools, in particular, are quite expensive, but necessary for anyone who wants to do lots of DIY projects. But once you finally do have a full tool collection and lots of power tools, you might find that organizing and storing your power tools is a whole new challenge you need to overcome.

With the right layout and design, your backyard can be a personal oasis, entertainment space, or extension of your living area. A popular addition to the landscape is a gazebo, whether for a dining or seating area or a secret getaway. But where should you put a gazebo in your backyard?

Home remodeling or renovation can be an expensive endeavor. You could end up spending somewhere in the neighborhood of $40,000 to have your home remodeled. Saving money whenever possible would be ideal.

Finding the right material for your shower walls can be tricky. Remodeling a shower can cost thousands of dollars, and it’s hard to commit to a material when you aren’t even sure what you want. Because of that, many homeowners will look for any alternative that gets the job done without breaking the bank. So, can you use peel-and-stick tile in a shower?

Do the pictures hanging on your wall make you do a double-take when you pass by them? Do you find yourself wondering if it’s you or the picture that’s not quite level? If this sounds familiar, it’s time to learn how to stop pictures from tilting on the wall.

If you’re purchasing a new home or planning to refinance, then you’ll need to get a home appraisal. Your lender requires a home appraisal to ensure they aren’t lending you more money than the house is worth. You want the number to be accurate and not too low, so how do you prepare for a home appraisal?

Faucet supply lines are often composed of a single line from your wall supply to your faucet. These lines are composed of several possible materials, and there are several ways to join them. Sometimes, you may find a single line is a wrong length or shape, and you need a second line.  So, which method should you choose?

There’s nothing like a hot shower until someone barges in to use the bathroom, or your toddler rushes in to ask a question. Suddenly, your beautiful glass-door shower seems a little too…revealing.

No matter how hectic and stressful life gets, you should always be able to count on your home to offer some peace. But if your house adds to your stress instead of taking it away, then it’s time to reassess your home, not-so-sweet home.

When spray foam insulation gets wet, it is easy to get worried over what may happen. You may wonder if you have to throw the whole thing out. Thankfully, damp spray foam insulation is not the end of the world.

Porcelain tiles can be an excellent addition to your home. They provide a classic look without sacrificing the durability required of materials in kitchens and bathrooms.

Whether you’re installing a ceiling fan to cool you down in the summer or help circulate heat in the winter, there are countless benefits to adding one to your home. Increase comfortability and save money on your energy bills by installing a ceiling fan. However, what happens if you want to install one in a room that does not have an already existing fixture? Although the project is much simpler with the existence of a fixture, it can still be done without the necessary wiring in place.

After a long, stressful day a good soak in the tub can be a relaxing way to unwind. However, this experience is highly dependent on a working stopper keeping the water from escaping down the drain. If your bathtub doesn’t have a functioning stopper or plug, there are ways to block the drain without them.

Grout is an integral part of any tiling job. It helps keep tiles straight, prevents moisture from gathering behind the tiles, and adds to the overall appeal of a room. However, if your grout lines are uneven, they’re more likely to be an eyesore than an aesthetic anchor. 

Noise pollution can make life incredibly difficult. If unwanted noises are reducing your quality of life, you may want to consider soundproofing. Whether it’s a noisy neighbor, busy main thoroughfare, or simply obtrusive sounds traveling between rooms, you can soundproof a room to help decrease the amount of sound disturbance.

Not too long ago, the essential oil craze took hold in suburban America. This craze offered up a lot of benefits, including the fact that people started to look into natural health options more frequently. Unfortunately, this eco-friendly trend did have some kind of casualty here: furniture and clothing.

No matter your climate, one of the most important things is having a well-insulated home. This will help to keep your place warm in the winter and cool in the summertime.

Wood stain is a great way to freshen up a drab piece of wood furniture by bringing it new vigor and added protection. Unfortunately, while wood stain might be a miracle worker when applied to wood, it is more of a nightmare when it spills on concrete.

If you recently purchased a home and have fallen in love with the DIY world, you probably have tools on your mind. There is a tool for pretty much everything you can think of, and even for things you don’t even know exist. 

If you’re a handy homeowner, your garage probably isn’t just a place that you park your car. It’s actually a place where you park everything from seasonal storage, gardening gear, tools, kids’ toys, and wood saws. Without space-saving shelves to help contain all of these supplies and tools, your beautiful garage can end up looking like a disorganized mess.

Repairing or installing water lines within your home typically requires that you use crimpers, adhesives, or solder. However, adhesives can smell awful and be a very messy undertaking. Also, crimpers are pricey, can be challenging to install in smaller areas, and solder requires that you use an open flame to heat the pipes.

When the bitter cold of winter sets in, it is particularly difficult to stay motivated. The freezing temperatures, combined with short days, make even the most proactive person lethargic. While outdoor options might seem limited, the winter months allow you lots of free time to accomplish many home projects that you find yourself too busy to tackle in the spring and summer months.

Microwave ovens are a modern luxury we often take for granted. You can easily heat leftover meals without creating a pile of dishes. They are also amazing at heating and cooking meals, making a dinner that is hot and ready in five minutes. While microwave ovens are amazing, sometimes the sounds they make are anything but. If you have a particularly loud microwave oven that is prone to constant beeping, you have probably wondered if there is a way to silence it.

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.

Have you purchased bar stools that are too short, or want to use your old bar stools in a new, higher location? Fortunately, you won’t need to purchase expensive new stools or return the ones you picked out.

Dirty burner caps don’t just make your stove look bad, but they can throw off the vibe in your kitchen. It’s hard to keep burner caps clean when you cook several days a week. However, it’s best to clean them as much as possible before stains form and it becomes harder to remove them. Many homeowners struggle with how to clean gas stove burner caps.

When removing tile underlayment, it can be a pretty extensive process. It goes double for tile underlayment connected to concrete, which we will address with this guide. So, how do you remove tile underlayment?

It costs between $200 and $3,000 to set up a basic podcast studio at home. Your setup will be cheap if you already have a computer. Of course, you can spend more once you expand, especially if you add a video element to your podcast. The cheapest route is to simply use a USB microphone that plugs into a laptop.

A garage door is more complicated than just your average front door. This huge metal contraption probably weighs more than you do. However, with a flick of your hand, or the press of a button it opens like magic.

It’s the day you’ve been waiting for — move-in day. You finally closed on your new place, have the keys in hand, and become a homeowner. However, you’re starting to notice a few minor issues that might give you second thoughts. These are the little frustrations and inconveniences that many refer to as beige flags.