Home Improvement

Laminate flooring is stunning and designed to have a long lifespan, but it cannot stand up to water. Whether your sink sprung a leak, or you were a victim of a flood, when your laminate floor gets wet, it can become ruined quickly.

A neutral and ground refer to wires that are part of an electrical system.

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.

With the new focus on water conservation sweeping the nation, people are trying to find new ways to make sure that they enjoy a nice bath while keeping water bills low. Steam showers are becoming popular among elite designers. Touted as one of the new solutions to conservation, steam showers are hot-button items in brand new luxury homes. But, are they really worth that #hype?

If you have a one-story home, accessing your roof will be a much simpler task whenever you need to get work done. However, it will still require supplies to make the job easier. Specifically, you’ll need a ladder. That means, you’ll need to determine the correct size to safely and easily reach the top of your roof.

Have you ever been in a room that was too bright, and you wished that you could tone down the brightness of the room’s light? If so, then you would need a dimmer switch to do that. Dimmer switches are a commodity that doesn’t come as standard procedure on most houses. They’re a specialty item that costs more than normal light switches.

When you hire a contractor to work on your home, the hope is that they will work hard until the job is successfully finished. Unfortunately, sometimes contractors can stretch a job out and leave it unfinished while you still pay them for their services.

Toilet clogs are a nuisance, especially when you only have one toilet in your home! You use Drano on your sinks and bathtubs, so you should be able to use it in your toilet, right? After all, it’s designed to eat through clogs. Or, are we wrong?

When I most recently went to parts of the Jersey Shore that were seriously ravaged by Superstorm Sandy, I noticed that something was a little different from how things used to be. The homes started to look a bit…different? Yeah, that’s the word. Apparently, island basements became part of the building code in many towns. But, what did that even mean?!

Who doesn’t love the unique rusty look of knotty pine cabinets? However, there are times when these cabinets may look worn out and old rather than rustic and chic. What do you do when your cabinets do not go with the interior theme of your home? You paint them.

Many homeowners choose to add a garage to their home after it’s already been built. Doing so is an excellent way to add value to your home and give yourself some extra space for storage and parking.

It is tempting for any homeowner to maximize sunlight and keep pests away. The two most common ways for a homeowner to allow natural light into the house are with screen doors and storm doors. So, let’s settle a common debate amongst homeowners: screen door vs. storm door.

Mirror size and placement relating to your vanity can make or break your room’s aesthetic. That’s why it’s so important to get the right fit for your space. If you have a 36-inch vanity that needs a mirror to accompany it, you’re in the right place.

Whether you’re a professional builder or a DIY enthusiast, details matter. Everything from the screws in your home to the drywall you put up has to be installed properly. 

Corian has been around since 1964 and was first used for countertops and sinks. It’s been taking the design world by storm over the last couple of decades. Its clean, no-fuss style adds a touch of class without going overboard.

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.

The back door is not usually given a second thought. Most people think of it as strictly a means to the outdoor or back yard. And rarely is it considered a design component of a room.

Knowing how to measure a home, is important in many situations. You may need those numbers, to estimate materials for renovations, tax purposes, and also for buying and selling a home.

A failed sump pump can be a nightmare situation. Ankle deep standing water in a basement after a sump pump fails is no picnic. But what if that standing water is energized and capable of delivering a lethal shock?  Shouldn’t sump pumps be on a GFCI protected outlet?

Leaks are never fun. However, it’s important that you deal with them quickly. Fail to do so and you could end up with costly repairs, skyrocketing water bills, and other negative consequences of your inaction.

Vinyl plank floors in homes are a cost-effective, attractive, and low-maintenance option that has recently grown in popularity.  The floors in your house make a huge impact on the design, so you want to make sure you make the right choices regarding installation. Therefore, in addition to choosing the best color and pattern, you also need to know which direction to lay vinyl plank flooring. 

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?

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?

The average size of a home has grown about 24% larger over the last ten years. However, the average lot size has decreased by 10%. If you want to build your dream without breaking the bank, use this as a guide to utilize a shallow lot.

Do you have a home improvement project coming up? Are you thinking about doing up the exteriors of your home? Then it is imperative that you zero in on the right exterior house paint. Your choice of materials for the job will determine whether you are making a sound and sensible investment or just increasing your costs.

Laminate flooring is composed of particleboard, resin, and a print on top that mimics wood. It’s popular among homeowners for its ability to resist scratches, fading, stains, and other cosmetic imperfections.

Adding a shed to your property is an excellent investment. You may need it for storing tools, building a workshop, or extra storage for seasonal decorations. Whatever the reason, you must investigate the cost, in time and money, of building a shed on your own versus buying one and having it installed professionally. 

When you purchase a new home you don’t expect to have any fundamental problems with it for many years. Cracked and sinking basement floors is often an image you associate with an old unkempt home. Sinking basement floors can actually occur at the inception of a house’s lifespan. It is important to know how much sinking is normal, and what is not.

Investing in an apartment building is one fantastic way to build up your financial portfolio.  You can live in one of the units, manage the property yourself, and collect rent to pay off the mortgage.  Depending on your resources, you could decide to invest in a duplex, a triplex, or even a 6-unit building.

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?

In most modern buildings, trusses are used for the roofs. This in place of the rafters that would have been common in roofing technology of the past. The biggest reason for this is cost since you can use smaller lumber components than you would need for rafters.

We are fortunate in the US to have one of the most stable and dependable electrical systems in the world.  Most of us don’t give a thought to coming into a dark room and flipping an almost silent switch to bring light to the darkness. However, it can become disconcerting when a simple light switch starts to buzz.

Radiant barriers are classically located in attics and are excellent at reducing the amount of heat and reducing cooling costs. While it may not be as typical, you can also install radiant barriers in stud walls. With this short guide, you will be well on your way to understanding how to go through this installation.

Some people call it paradise. Others see it as Eden in the Pacific. Whatever your views, you will probably admit that Hawaii is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Many people dream of living in Hawaii but wonder how much it costs to build a home in Hawaii?

Container homes, once a curious oddity in the realm of home building, have grown significantly in popularity over the years. They are common for everything from vacation rentals to guest suites, and are even used in building large geometric dream homes in desirable areas.

Making it through the fall and winter seasons without your furnace can be a downright impossible task. You need the heating it provides to comfortably sleep through those cold nights. If you don’t have a furnace just yet, it’s probably near the top of your shopping list already.

Planning a major home improvement project is exciting, but it is also stressful and expensive. There are lots of moving parts to consider, which is why it is so important to hire a great and trustworthy contractor. Once you find a good contractor, you are hopefully a little less stressed. But when this contractor asks you for a whopping 30% up front, you might start second-guessing your decision.

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.

If you have a light switch that you hardly use, it might be more beneficial to convert it into an outlet. But can that even be done? The answer is a resounding yes!

Most new electrical boxes and configurations will come with the needed electrical screws in the package. If you are simply replacing an electrical box or have lost the original screws, you may need to purchase new screws to attach your electrical box safely. Determining the correct size and type of electrical screw can be difficult, though, especially with so many screw options available on the market.

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.

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?

If you are someone who handwashes clothing at home, then a dehumidifier might be a great asset. Drying clothes on an outdoor clothesline is ideal, but it isn’t always possible. If you don’t have a yard, or the weather isn’t conducive to drying, then you need to dry clothes indoors.

When you need something sturdy to serve as a long-term structural fixture on your property, you can turn to cinder blocks. Cinder blocks are prized mainly for their strength, but they are also eco-friendly options. If you want to build a strong supporting wall or erect one outdoors, using cinder blocks makes a lot of sense.

The chimney serves a vital role in your home as it provides an exit for the harmful gases produced during combustion. Instead of those gases lingering inside your home and potentially causing problems, they are just carried out by the chimney. Your chimney has an important job to do and you need to keep it protected.

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.

Wear and tear will affect every element of your home at some point. One day, you may pull into your driveway and be greeted by a garage door that’s in rough shape. You cannot be surprised since even a sturdy garage door is susceptible to the elements.

Few home remodeling projects have the same impact or significance as those that involve the home’s outside. When visitors come into your driveway, the exterior is the first thing they see, and it’s also the first line of defense from the weather. Siding replacements are one of the most common home improvement jobs in the United States for these reasons.

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.

A 4-inch backsplash that matches the granite surface was included with my bathroom vanity. Since the backsplash isn’t really exciting to look at, I questioned if I even needed it and whether it would be good to remove it.

Making the switch to solar is one of the biggest decisions in a homeowner’s life. Whether you want to save money on your electricity or get completely off the grid, there are options for you.

Idaho runs neck and neck with Texas as the current most popular state for relocation. Low population densities, low costs of living, beautiful landscapes, and many other positives make Idaho a haven for many people. In addition, the cost of building a home in Idaho is a favorable factor.

So you own a home, and you’ve noticed a few differences around the house. Maybe it’s a lasting scent of musk. Or, perhaps you’ve seen the floor gives away in certain areas. These are the telltale signs of subfloor damage. Furthermore, the damage to your subfloor can extend to under your wall. What do you do then?

Bathroom closets are often catch-alls for anything and everything remotely related to self-care. We store towels, medicine, toiletry supplies, first-aid gear, massage devices, facial steamers, spare bed sheets; you name it. If you’re unsure how to organize a bathroom closet, it quickly becomes a chaotic mess, adding a snowball of stress to your day.

Hardwood flooring has been a popular choice for homeowners for quite some time. No matter what your style, hardwood flooring creates a timeless look. It also increases your home’s resale value!

Building a sandbox yourself is the best way to keep costs down. In addition to doing the labor yourself, you should also look for cheap materials. There are many types of sandboxes and sandbox alternatives you can create. You can look online for old tractor tires (a popular sandbox frame), or search for inexpensive treated wood. There are many places where you can find cheap or free building materials. Below is a list of great places to look for this kind of building materials for your DIY sandbox.

Electricity is everywhere in our lives. It powers our lights, our workplaces, and our world. So that means that we should all be very familiar with all things electricity, right? Wrong. Unfortunately, as useful and as necessary as electricity in our lives, most of us only have a novice understanding of electricity at best. And that means if you are working with electrical wiring, it is good to know some ground rules (pun intended), like  when to use conduit for electrical wiring.

One of the most alarming and frightening noises that your plumbing can make is a high-pitched squeal. It sounds similar to a shrieking tea kettle and it usually happens while you’re taking a shower. If your shower sounds like a tea kettle, then there are several different things that could be happening.

Switches are used for operating lights, fans, garbage disposal, and even large electrical mechanisms. However, not all switches are the same. Planning out which switches and sockets to have in your home bears many questions.

Gutters are the most commonly used system to divert rain away from your home. They are inexpensive, can be installed quickly by professionals, and exceedingly effective. Gutters not only collect and channel water, but they also keep your home free of mud-spatter and help to prevent any water damage from occurring near your foundation.