Home Improvement

Mahogany is one of those woods that oozes class, sophistication, and old-world British flair. Having cabinetry that’s done up in a rich mahogany stain doesn’t just add a beautiful touch of burgundy red to your home. It also is a subtle way of saying, “I’m totally loaded, dude.” But, what kind of flooring works with mahogany cabinets?

Working with toilets and other plumbing fixtures can be intimidating, difficult, and messy. This is especially true when it comes time to remove the lid from your toilet tank remove any component. With that said, how do you remove the plastic nut from a toilet tank?

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. 

Are you planning a DIY project to remove linoleum flooring and glue from a concrete subfloor? If you are, is the issue of extracting stubborn glue buildup making you procrastinate? You can actually forget your worries and complete this task with confidence by using some simple steps for glue removal.

Insulation is an important part of every home. It keeps your house warm during the winter and cool during the summer.  But insulation also reduces noise, thus increasing privacy.

Many people install barn doors in their houses to save space. No matter the door’s width, these flush against the wall taking up zero space in a room. You can install them anywhere in the house without worrying about opening and closing them. However, barn doors do have a problem. They usually end up with gaps between the door and the baseboard, as these doors need to slide over the board.

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.

Bathroom maintenance can be a chore. Due to their susceptibility to water, bathrooms attract bacteria like a moth to a flame. Moisture can accumulate in the nooks and corners of tiles, bathtubs, and cubicles of your bathroom and attract mildew spores, dirt, and soap.

Light switch covers are wall plates that cover the switch mechanism and electrical wiring that operate the installed electrical fixtures. Their primary function is to protect the wiring and prevent electrocution, and most have a plain design that blends in. However, there are lots of different designs, types, and combinations that combine form, function, and even fashion.

Concrete is the most commonly used material on earth for building and other projects. It is made of three things: cement, water, and aggregates. Whether you are building a structure, a driveway, or filling in a hole, concrete works for all these things. But did you know there are different methods of using concrete depending on when the water is introduced to the mix?

If you need to have wood waterproofed, then chances are you’ve applied Thompson’s Water Seal to it. This waterproofing stain is known for being one of the best in the home improvement world when it comes to keeping your materials looking great. Of course, many of us want to make our projects look even better with a fresh coat of paint. But, is this actually doable?

The walls that line the perimeter of your home present you with opportunities to indulge your sense of style. Treat them as blank canvases that you can beautify in any way you prefer. To beautify those elements of your home, you can consider installing some wainscoting.

Textured walls had a moment of popularity not too long ago. The method of swirling highly textured paint onto the drywall was an alternative to wallpaper and a departure from the smooth wall. It is, after all, a great way to hide imperfections in the wall.

Concrete is a remarkably durable material, but it’s still not immune to different types of damage. Over time, the concrete you installed may start to look worn down and its outermost layer may become uneven as well. Demolishing and replacing that old concrete may seem like your only option, but it’s worth noting that you can resurface it.

In this modern world with so many advances in home design, functionality, and technology, there seems to be an endless number of ways to improve your home. Whether it’s turning it into a smart home or making your house as energy efficient as possible, there are lots of ways to make your home better. Some of these improvements are personal preferences, while others can drastically increase the value of a home. Take installing an EV charger in your home for example. Is this simply a personal preference, or can installing an EV charging station increase the value of your home?

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?

If you take a look at most suburban homes, vinyl siding is the classic go-to. It’s everywhere! Though vinyl is going to be one of the most common siding types you may see, cedar shake is still fairly popular in upscale neighborhoods. They tend to get a good rep. If you’re ready to upgrade your home’s exterior, then you might be wondering what you should choose. Honestly, it’s a rough debate.

The crawlspace often winds up as an underutilized part of the home mainly because it isn’t comfortable. If you want to make that crawlspace more functional, you should consider converting it into a basement. Before embarking on this big project, you should know the cost to convert a crawlspace to a basement is very expensive.

You come home at the end of a long, tough day, looking forward to taking a hot shower. You climb in and find out that your shower has either stopped distributing water completely or with the painstakingly low-pressured flow.

It’s fair to say that any standard home you visit in the US will have at least one bathroom. Likewise, it’s safe to assume that you’d find a sink in the bathroom. However, as far as the size and style of the bathroom sink, there are tons of options.

It is crucial to ensure that wiring is appropriately sized for the amperage rating of the circuit. Whenever you need to extend a circuit, rewire it, or install a new one, using the correct gauge wire is essential. So, that being said, what gauge of wire would you use for a 50 amp 220v?

One of the easiest ways to make shoveling less difficult and uncomfortable is to dress appropriately. It isn’t easy to dress for shoveling. After all, you need to consider the cold temperatures, wet ground, often harsh winds, and lastly your warm body.

Push fittings tend to be known by the popular brand SharkBite. They are sold in just about any major hardware store and through retailers across the web. You might see them in a variety of other names as well, but SharkBite is often the preferred brand.

It can be difficult to know which basement type to go for with your new home. Whether it be a crawlspace, cellar, full or partial basement, they all differ in cost and functionality. You’ve probably heard of a full basement but might be wondering: what is a partial basement?

Choosing the right finish can ultimately determine how good a particular surface looks. A finish can make floors, cabinets, and crafts look better than before, but only if you choose the right one. So, what is the difference between polycrylic and polyurethane?

Towel bars are a necessity if you want your towels to stay fresh and dry properly without smelling like mildew. However, sometimes you can grow tired of your current towel bar and need to replace it or remove it entirely. It can seem like a daunting task, but it’s quite simple, so, how exactly do you remove a towel bar?

A swimming pool can be a terrific investment due to the value it adds and just how useful it is. If you have a swimming pool at home, you can use it for exercising or cooling down during the summer. Unfortunately, there’s also a chance that your swimming pool may largely go unused.

It might seem like an unnecessary hassle, but taking everything out of your bathroom is a great way to start organizing it. Not only do you get a clearer picture of what you have and your available space, but you also get to deep clean without any obstacles.

Much like an air conditioner or furnace, your home sauna may not heat if the thermostat malfunctions. You can tell the thermostat is faulty if you check a few key things. First, try to lower or raise the heat and see if it does anything. 

Baseboards are underappreciated elements of your home décor. We all know they’re used to create aesthetic harmony between your floors and walls, but that’s not all. They also serve the purpose of shielding applied plaster from the effects of wear and tear.

When you hire someone to do a roofing job for you, you hope it will turn out well. Unfortunately, you cannot always count on things going so smoothly. Over time, many homeowners have been dissatisfied with their roofing job and left wondering what to do. So, what exactly could they do in these situations?

When you’re laying out a nice, new layer of porcelain tile, there are certain things you expect. For example, you expect your tiling to stay put. The problem is, using the wrong bonding agent can make it hard to keep your tiles in place. That’s why there’s an ongoing debate between using Versabond versus using Flexbond thinset mortars when you’re laying out tiling. So, what’s the difference between the two? Is one better than the other?

Having glass shower doors is great, but it can be a pain too. Sometimes, that glass is accidentally broken, not only causing a huge mess but also a problem. You are going to have to replace that glass. But, is this even possible?

Quarter round molding is utilized in a wide variety of trim projects and can be a lovely finishing touch to most rooms. Essentially quarter round includes two sides forming a 90-degree angle and the third side is a curve equal to one-quarter of an entire circle. It’s a long trim consisting of very flexible lengths typically made of oak, wood, hemlock, MDF, pine and sometimes polystyrene.

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.

It’s stressful when a strong storm carrying heavy rains and flash flooding passes through, especially when you are a homeowner. The significant wind and rainfall has a tendency of highlighting all the vulnerabilities of your home’s exterior.

When it comes to designing or renovating a bathroom shower, most homeowners place a strong emphasis on appearance rather than function. However, because you likely don’t want to shower while standing in dirty water, the drain is one of the most important components of your shower. There are many different types of shower drains, some of which are the only application for specific situations.

Are you remodeling your shower and looking for a beautiful and functional product? Kohler and Swan are both reputable brands with sleek and durable shower wall kits. Both of their proprietary products would be great additions to your bathroom. To help you choose, we have completed an in-depth comparison of the two options.

Whether it be your basement or bedroom, indoor humidity is often due to air leaks. The difference in temperature between the indoor air and air coming from outside increases humidity. This can make your home uncomfortable and even strain your HVAC system. 

Are you laying out new tiling in your home? Flooring installation can be costly, time consuming, and downright overwhelming. There are so many materials, colors, and styles to choose from. If you’ve decided to use wood look tile for your home, you’ll want to make it strong and looking seamless. This is where grout comes in. 

If you are doing a bathroom remodel, one of the biggest parts of the project can be removing the old bathroom vanity. Removing the old vanity can involve electrical work, plumbing work, demolition work, and cleanup of the space. As you plan your bathroom remodel, it is important to understand the cost of removing your old bathroom vanity.

You’re probably pretty familiar with plywood, an engineered wood product used for many different projects. But when it comes to the underlayment, things are a little more complex. Is underlayment plywood the same as the subfloor, and when should it be used?

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.

Your circuit breaker is a crucial part of your electrical panel that functions as a safety precaution should too much power pass through the wires. Rather than letting the power surge through the wire, it will temporarily shut off to protect the breaker and the electrical panel.

When installing a bathroom fan, it is always easier to have access through the attic. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. And while it may be easier to install the bathroom fan with attic access, it also isn’t the only way. So, if you don’t have access, how do you install the bathroom fan?

Having a power generator is a wise investment to keep your house powered in the event of a power outage. Many homeowners believe that simply powering their portable generator with a standard home outlet is sufficient, but this can create a dangerous situation for you, your neighbors, and your electrical utility crew.

Installing a new light fixture looks to be a simple operation. Two wires to connect and hang the new light fixture. Then you take down the old light fixture and find a mass of white, black, and red wires. There is an instant flash of panic as you try and figure out how to wire the new light fixture. Which of the black, white, and red wires do you use?

A ballast is a passive electrical component used to limit the amount of current in an electrical circuit. Ballasts are used in industrial fluorescent lighting and typically last upwards of twenty years. However, cold environments and bad light bulbs can reduce their lifespan.

Typically the place where you live, shop, and work are all separate locations. However, mixed-use buildings are becoming more popular in which everything you need is under one roof. These buildings have started a catalyst into creating neighborhoods and town centers that create more efficiency for everyday living. 

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.

You use your toilet every day, and it’s normal to want it not only to be hygienic, but look like it is, too. One of the most common eyesores that occur inside a toilet bowl is rust. Though stubborn, you actually can get rid of rust stains, so don’t be tempted to simply paint over them or leave them alone.

While pulling into your garage one day, you may notice that something’s off. After stepping out of your car to get a closer look, you’ve discovered that your garage is crooked. Your garage is leaning to one side and now you’re trying to figure out what to do.

The dryer is an underappreciated appliance in just about every household. Instead of waiting around for hours for your clothes to dry, your dryer can get them ready for storage relatively quickly. You always need a functioning dryer in your household and the vent attached to it must be in good shape too.

Installing a roof is not as simple as assembling a pyramid of boards and dropping it on your house frame. There are things to consider as far as time constraints, cost, and aesthetics when drafting plans for a new build. Unless you’re using a single layer flat roof, two construction frame options are available to you: rafters or trusses.

After some time, the old deck attached to your home may start to look worn down. Time and harsh outdoor elements tend to have that effect on wooden materials and your deck is no exception. Thankfully, there are ways to restore the appearance of your deck and staining is one such option.

The roof of a home is perhaps the most important thing. Doing all that we can to provide proper maintenance can mean the difference between a roof that works appropriately and requires costly repairs. This is why it’s essential to have a drip edge. Except, how exactly do you install a drip edge on a roof that already exists?

It’s easy for things to slip your mind after you take a nice, hot shower. Taking a shower is quite relaxing before or after a long day, but they aren’t necessarily harmless. Hot showers can lead to mold, mildew, and stains in your bathroom if you aren’t careful. Many homeowners understandably struggle with how long to leave a bathroom fan on after a shower.

Installing insulation isn’t the most exciting home improvement project, but it is a necessary one. As you probably already know, using insulation in your home is essential for improving efficiency and comfort. But how do you decide what kind of insulation is the best choice for your home? One of the most common questions homeowners ask is: what is the difference between R13 and R15 insulation?

Flagstone is a common flat stone, usually cut into square or rectangular shapes to be used in landscaping. The material is incredibly adaptable and often used for patios, walkways, flooring, fences, small retaining walls and even some roofing. The flagstone is split into layers to create the stones for landscaping.

Showers should be a place of relaxation and cleanliness. If your shower isn’t helping you relax or is constantly dirty, then you’ve got to make a change! Whether installing a new shower into your current home or selecting one for your new home, you’ve still got extensive choices to make.