Home Improvement

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.

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?

If you’re preparing to undergo a DIY tile job, one of the items on your shopping list is likely mortar. However, should you get modified or unmodified thinset? The type you choose will depend on your project and how much strength and flexibility you will need.

A water hammer occurs when there is a sudden increase in a pipe’s water pressure when the water is suddenly forced to stop. This occurrence often creates a loud banging sound. Water hammers do more than create an annoying level of noise. These abrupt changes can severely damage a piping system.

If your interior door has never closed easily or at all, then there is a good chance it was not properly aligned when it was installed. If your door is not aligned correctly, several problems can occur. 

Caulking is a plumbing project that typically requires a professional (or at least a DIY perfectionist). It’s necessary for a bathtub spout, but do you need to caulk around the bathroom sink faucet too?

The swimming pool that serves as the centerpiece of your yard should be a constant source of fun for your family. Unfortunately, accidents can happen near the pool and the people involved can get seriously hurt. You must keep that area safe at all times and building a new pool fence will help with that goal.

Doing your own electrician work means that you will have to make sure that the wires you’re installing have continuity. This isn’t always easy to do. A non-continuous wire is usually the cause of a non-functioning circuit, a sudden power outage, or other problems in your grid. With short lines, it’s a cinch. Long lines? Not so much…

Whether used in a tub surround or as a kitchen backsplash, subway tile is a popular choice. Its classic, yet modern look is pleasing to the eye and helps it blend well with a variety of styles. It’s even started making more of an appearance on feature walls and on floors.

There are numerous options available whether you’re thinking about installing shower doors in a new construction or upgrading your bathroom. Shower doors enhance the beauty of your home, whether you prefer a contemporary or classic style. Check to see if adding shower doors increases the value of your house as well.

Family needs have changed, and many older homes place the washer and dryer where they no longer fit our lifestyles. Many homes have washer and dryer connections in out-of-the-way locations like basements. Many homeowners wonder what it costs to relocate washer and dryer hookups to more convenient locations.

Have you ever wondered if you could live comfortably in less than 600 square feet? When tiny houses became popular, many people started on a path of shedding clutter and living a more minimalist life. Although technically, a tiny house is typically less than 500 sqft, 576 sqft is still a small living arrangement.

The garage door is tasked with consistently keeping your cars and that part of your home shielded from the elements. If your garage door is damaged, you will see it right away as debris and moisture will infiltrate that space. Hopefully, you aren’t keeping any of your expensive power tools in your garage because they will likely end up damaged as well.

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.

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.

Your garage door can do more than just improve security and protect some of your valued possessions. It can also be a decorative element that elevates the look of your property. Glass garage doors, in particular, introduce an element of styling that you simply don’t get from the other available options.

Handscraped hardwood flooring is a favorite in many homes, offering a warm and distinctive look to a room. Hand scraping can provide you with unique-looking floors–at a price. But, for a more affordable version, engineered hardwood also offers styles with a hand-scraped look.

Low-flow toilets save you money and help the environment, but they lack flushing power. However, they have also become the standard and a fixture in almost every home. With that said, how do you convert a low-flow toilet to a high-flow toilet?

Have you noticed that the water in your toilet takes a while to fill after you’ve flushed? You’re not alone. In fact, this is a common issue among homeowners and there are several reasons why this problem can occur. The time that it takes for a toilet tank to fill will vary based on the design and size of the tank, which may be from 1.6 to over 7 gallons.

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?

Exterior paint is known to be both strong and durable. But, is it appropriate for indoor use? It may seem like a great idea to use exterior paint on interior walls; however, this option has serious downfalls. One has to beware of the dangers of exterior paint when it’s used indoors.

If you want to add more circuits to your home but don’t have room in your pane box, a subpanel makes expansion possible. It’s a common problem, especially in older houses, not to have enough spaces in your breaker box. If you choose to add a subpanel to your home, it’s important to know your limitations.

When painting anything on the interior of your home, you need to use primer as an undercoat. The number of coats of primer you need can vary, depending on your desired end result.

Shingling a roof can be far more complicated than you may have realized. Because of the various materials involved, there are certain specifications that must be met to ensure that the roof and shingles are properly installed.

In new homes, if you open up your outlet, you will usually see two wires. One entering and providing power to the outlet, the other exiting and providing power to outlets downstream. There may sometimes be a third wire to ground the outlet, or to provide power to a downstream line in another direction.

Concrete slabs are necessary for a variety of different projects. Maybe you need a concrete patio for your summer night parties- or a foundation to build your shed. Perhaps, you have another project in mind.

Dealing with wiring can be very intimidating. We all know the risks that come with handling wires, but it is necessary from time to time. Still, minimizing risk is possible as long as you abide by established safety guidelines.

Perhaps the best way to tie a design together is with the flooring. Distressed hardwood flooring is the perfect complement to the ever-popular country-chic aesthetic. For a rustic and authentically antique look, distressed floors are a must.

From time to time, you may notice that your toilet’s flush game is not looking as strong as it once did. While a weak flush may not seem like a big deal, it can definitely be an issue. Weaker flushes mean more flushes and also a greater likelihood of stains sticking to the bowl, creating more work when it comes time to clean.

There is nothing like a nice new coat of paint to get a room, piece of furniture or even your home’s exterior looking shiny and new. Painting your walls is a great way to reinvigorate them without having to start from scratch. But sometimes our best intentions end in disaster, like when a freshly painted wall starts peeling. But if you just completed this job recently, you are likely wondering why your fresh paint is peeling off the walls.

Most homes have at least one concrete floor that looks rather unsightly. Whether it’s in the garage or the basement, or even throughout the home, concrete floors can make an otherwise fabulous home look a bit drab.

The most common causes of  electrical surges come from internal sources within your home, which can send hundreds of thousands of volts through your system at once. When the voltage goes up throughout your house at this velocity, all sorts of things can happen- including fires from overheated wires to tripped breakers and short-circuiting outlets.

You’re getting ready to enjoy your new jacuzzi tub. You’ve poured yourself a glass of wine, lit some candles, have some Epsom salts and your favorite bath bomb on hand, and begun filling the tub with hot water. However, your bathtub only gets about halfway full before you’re fresh out of hot water. This is a common occurrence when your water heater isn’t big enough to accommodate your jacuzzi tub.

One easy way to help reduce street noise in your home is to add carpeting or rugs. Carpets and rugs act as insulators and sound absorbers. They are particularly effective in older homes with wood flooring. These homes tend to have small gaps in the floors, which allow sound to travel more freely.

Gutters serve the important function of directing water away from your house, and they are a fixture of every house. Every builder-owner knows the importance of good gutters and the trouble that having them can save.

Mounted wall cabinets are perfect for those who are looking to maximize storage and wall space. They can add a level of depth and sophistication to a kitchen. Wall cabinets can also help you keep a garage or laundry room clean. But that last thing you want is to spend all the time and money to mount the cabinets, only to watch them fall to the ground due to poor installation.

When it comes to pre-finishing wood flooring, there are essentially two different methods that stem from taking two different approaches to wood – oil finishing vs. urethane finishing. While oil finish penetrates the wood to fortify and seal each individual fiber, urethane protects the wood by forming a plastic-like barrier over the wood.

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.

If you’re planning on selling your house soon or want to finish your basement just because, you’re probably wondering if its a must to get a permit. Well, if you’re thinking about skipping this process, don’t.

If your slippery floor problem seems to have developed out of nowhere, then your cleaning products may be to blame. Some cleaning products claim to be universal, but when it comes to cleaning floors, there are specific products you should and should not use.

Unless you’re in a rustic cabin in the woods or similar setup, your residence no doubt has a bathroom. In fact, more than likely, you have at least two bathrooms if you’re in a typical home. Some homes have three, four, or more bathrooms, but there’s usually a mix of half-baths, full-baths, and those in between. 

When you first start woodworking, you’re probably using 2 by 4s. They’re easy to attach to one another, not to mention to other wood measurements. When you need something sturdier, a 4×4 is what you’re going to grab. Attaching two of these to each other, though, can be a little bit tricky. So, how can you do it?

If you spent time in your grandpa’s garage, you probably noticed all those cans lining the shelf above his workbench. Those old often dented cans had labels like mineral spirits, acetone, polyurethane, lacquer thinner, spar urethane, latex, and oil-based. The list of painting products is endless.

Choosing the right tile for your shower can be quite difficult. The tile that you choose ultimately determines how your shower will look and how easy it will be to clean and maintain. So, what kind of tile is best for shower walls?

Flush toilets have been in use for centuries, first being introduced back in 1598 by Sir John Harington. They operate by using water to flush waste through a drainpipe to another designated disposal location. Over the centuries, the efficiency, design, and flushing systems of these toilets have drastically improved to yield the modern toilets available today.

Have you lost your keys before? We all know we need to be careful with our house and car keys, but it’s so easy to lose them. You may not even be aware that you’ve lost your keys until the time comes for you to unlock your front door.

If your light switch is hot to the touch, it could be related to a few different reasons. But the biggest thing to note is a hot light switch is a fire waiting to happen. As soon as you notice the temperature is warmer than warm, call a professional right away.

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.

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?

Grout is an important part of taking care of your shower. It fills the gaps in your tiles, which prevents dirt, food, and other substances from falling between them.

Colorado is one of the premier vacation destinations in the United States. As people visit, many are deciding that Colorado is the place to live as well. Colorado is rapidly becoming a favored relocation area for many families. Learn about building in Colorado and how much your new home may cost in this article.

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.

LED floodlights are some of the brightest lights on the market right now. A properly functioning LED floodlight will illuminate a significantly wide area, and this is why these lights have “flood” in their name. They essentially flood a space with light, as opposed to spotlights and downlights that usually only illuminate a small area.

Are you planning to build or renovate your home shower? In that case, you may be looking for some suggestions regarding what to put in there. Perhaps you’re wondering about which tiles to use.

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

One great way to keep your porch warm in the wintertime is to add an outdoor fireplace. Some outdoor fireplaces are quite expensive, but if you do most of the work yourself, and source free and cheap materials, you can build an outdoor fireplace on a budget.

Many homeowners have learned to live with bathrooms that are perpetually coated with moisture. You should avoid following their example because excessively moist bathrooms become breeding grounds for mold and they also pose maintenance difficulties. Thankfully, you can effectively reduce the amount of moisture accumulating in your bathroom by installing an exhaust fan.

If there is one single room in every home that tends to be prone to mold, it’s the basement. Basements are dark, cold, and often have leaks from the outside. This leads to a lot of issues, primarily mold. We’ve all been in basements that had that telltale musty, moldy smell. Sometimes, you might even see the mold growing up a wall. Did you ever wonder what you can do to get rid of that mold?

Often times, when builder-owners plan to rewire a house, it is to protect the drywall from fire hazards. Things get slightly complicated, however, when builder-owners are faced with the thought that they may have to remove drywall. You don’t need to worry, because you can rewire a house without removing drywall, and it’s easier than it sounds.