Home Improvement

If you’re looking for your mobile home to count as real property, you may be required to have a permanent foundation. Having a permanent foundation will broaden your financing options and make selling your home a whole lot easier.

For amateur craftsmen, learning is part of the process. That means running into terminology or materials that you are unfamiliar with. One such term that you may have heard of before is a furring strip.

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.

There are many reasons that you might need to cut a concrete slab but doing so can seem like a daunting task to many. If that describes you, fear not! We are here to help. Whether you are planning to cut a trench in a concrete slab in your basement, your patio, or anywhere else on your property, the process is relatively similar in every case.

There are a lot of variables that go into determining whether a 10-gauge wire can handle 40 amps. The higher the amperage rating of the circuit, the larger the wires must be. This helps avoid fire by cutting down on excess heat that melts the wires.

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?

Numerous home improvement projects involve working with a hammer and nails. They are among the most ubiquitous tools across worksites and learning how to use them properly is essential.

If you’ve ever spent time checking out your basement floor, you may have noticed that it has a drain hole. You might assume that this drain hole has something to do with draining excess water. But do you know exactly what the drain is, how it works, and what system it connects to?

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?

In the not too distant past, satellite dishes were incredibly large. If you happen to have a large old satellite dish still, you are probably wondering what you can do with it. With this guide, we hope to answer that question.

Home is where the heart is and that’s a statement that resonates with just about everyone. There is simply no substitute for your home because that’s the place where you can feel most comfortable. To create that comfortable home environment, you need to insulate it properly.

Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters, or GFCIs, are a necessary safety measure in modern times. They can prevent harmful ground faults that can cause dangerous and expensive electrical problems. So, why does my GFCI trip when I turn on the light switch?

The purpose of light switches and dimmers is to open and close electrical circuits, which control the light fixture. Before installing or replacing a light switch, it’s important to ensure that the switch you choose matches the amperage rating and voltage of where it’s going to be mounted. For this reason, you may find yourself asking: What amp light switch do I need?

It’s funny – most people, no matter how familiar they are with home improvement, never really think about how they should finish the tile edgings when they meet the wall until they’re actually at that point. Then they begin asking all the questions: Should they just stop? Grout the spot? Add a metal profile or commercial edging? What would be the costs?

Adding a swimming pool to your home can be beneficial in a variety of ways. For instance, having a swimming pool is just a lot of fun because you can take a dip whenever. You can even use the swimming pool to stay in shape and it also increases your home’s resale value.

Outdoor lighting really adds glamor to your home’s facade if you design it right. But just as with lighting the inside of your home, exterior lighting is a bit complicated, and there are many ways you can go astray. When it comes to flood lights, for example, there are definite do’s and don’ts to consider when installing and positioning them.

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.

Owning a home can be fun and exciting, especially when it comes to styling the outside as an expression of your character. However, this can be done in more than one way. Instead of painting the house or trim, what if you change your garage door colors to add some pizazz? Some people even choose to have black garage doors, but is this a bad idea?

Tamper-resistant outlets are the new standard when it comes to outlet safety in homes and businesses. Modern building codes require that you install tamper-resistant outlets because of how much safer they are than standard outlets. With that said, it can be difficult to plug an electrical device into a tamper-resistant outlet, and that can be frustrating.

Wiring your home is a tricky business. There are all sorts of factors to take into account when you start planning an electrical project that involves re-wiring. There are the safety considerations, the locations and the appliances themselves. You even need to take special care when choosing all your electrical wire to make sure it can withstand the electrical demands. So when you are choosing the wire for a 30 amp 240 volt circuit, what gauge should you select?

Nothing is more frustrating than toilet and plumbing problems, especially when you don’t know the cause. Toilet flush power can vary, but you should always be able to count on your toilet draining properly. That’s not always the case, however, so why is your toilet filling up with water and draining slowly?

Jack and Jill bathrooms are often popular choices for multi-kid households, with two separate bedrooms sharing one bath. They even get their name from the popular kid’s nursery rhyme, Jack and Jill. They also enable household members to have a private entrance without having to double up on the number of bathrooms. 

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.

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.

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.

Building things with your own two hands is the best feeling in the world. But anything you are building should be done safely and solidly, or your plans (and your project) could fail. Although end nailing may be easier and faster, it is not usually the best choice when building.

Whether you are aware or not, backflow can be a major problem that threatens the health and safety of you and all the members of your household. Because of this, it’s recommended that a backflow test be performed annually by a certified plumbing company. During the test, valves will be opened and closed to detect any irregularities in the prevention system. Then, a form is submitted to the local city to ensure there are no code violations and the preventer meets the proper standards.

A leaking toilet can be a real pain, causing a wet, smelly, unhealthy mess in your bathroom. Plus, once your toilet’s leaking, it’s pretty much unusable till you fix the issue. A common cause for a toilet leaking around the base is a worn-out or damaged wax ring. 

Sliding glass doors are preferred by homeowners who enjoy picturesque views. They’re great for many more reasons, but a downside is that they can sometimes have water intrusion problems.

Toilet problems can be some of the most frustrating issues for homeowners. When the canister flush valve drops too quickly, it can cause a poor toilet flush. Before you contact a plumber, try to troubleshoot the canister valve first. 

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.

Spending hours cleaning your bathroom only to have it still smell like urine? Even the most meticulous of cleaners can fall victim to this eternal battle with urine smell in the bathroom. So, where does it come from, and how do you get rid of it?

Space is often limited in many households as building out can be a very expensive undertaking. You will have to pay a substantial amount of money if you want to build on new land. It’s not even a given that the land you’re looking to use for your home addition will be listed on the market.

Bathroom remodels are one of the most popular upgrades homeowners choose for their property. One consideration that any anticipated bathroom remodel should include is a conversion to a wet room bathroom. Often, the advantages of converting your traditional bathroom to a wet room bathroom far outweigh the major disadvantage, cost.

When trying to hang up decorations, TVs, shelving, or even lights on a wall, you have to take into consideration the wall studs throughout your home. So, the main question you have to ask yourself is: how much weight can a stud hold? We’re here to answer that for you right now.

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?

Shower curbs are such a fixture of the average full bathroom that it’s easy to ignore them even as you step over one. However, it is important to consider every aspect of a shower curb when you install or renovate a shower. So, what is the ideal shower curb height?

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?

In America today, the average home is roughly 2,600 sqft., compared to an average household size of 2.6. About three people living in 2,600 sqft might seem rather comfortable, yet many people opt for much larger homes. It could be they need the space, or it could be they want to show off a lavish home.

Curbless showers are a lavish home improvement that many people can acquire within their homes. But with every luxury come a few drawbacks. Showering is something that we all have to do, but enjoying it is often the goal. Fortunately, there are great alternatives to the traditional bathing style, which enhances experience and comfort.

Many different components make up your toilet, all of which work together to ensure it functions properly without fail. One of these crucial parts is the toilet chain. When it does what it is supposed to do, you will be able to flush your toilet in a normal fashion. It will also stop running when the tank refills again.

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.

The air conditioner is crucial to maintaining comfort for many households. A malfunctioning air conditioner could make dealing with the sweltering summer heat next to impossible. If one of the coils inside your air conditioner breaks, you need to replace it as soon as possible.

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.

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.

The question is less about pivot vs. hinged shower doors and more about the preference of each type of shower door hinge. Those preferences are also going to be determined by considerations such as the shower layout, the shower design, and other practical and aesthetic aspects.

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.

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?

Faucets are among the most important fixtures in a home. Whether you’re looking to install a faucet for the first time or want to replace an existing one, it’s best to learn about the different options you have. Undeniably, deck mount faucets will be among your top considerations. But, what exactly is a deck mount faucet?

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?

It can be pretty annoying when you take a shower and the water starts puddling around your feet. If it won’t go down, you probably thought it was clogged with hair or something. But after cleaning it and finding nothing, you probably realized that it is just that the drain stopper is stuck in the closed position.

That combination light, heater, and fan in your bathroom has finally gotten so noisy that you can’t stand it anymore.  Working with electrical circuits in your home is usually a job for a trained and licensed electrician.  However, if you are replacing an existing unit, this project is well within most homeowner’s abilities.

Hanging drywall in a home is a big moment. It is when the shape and feel of a house really takes form and the construction site suddenly becomes a home. The drywall phase is a real turning point in home construction, and it involves some careful considerations. After all, you need to decide the type, amount and size of drywall that you need. You even need to decide whether you should hang it vertically or horizontally. 

Maybe you know exactly how you want your house to look, but can’t find what you need when you go searching for it in stores. For example, I can usually find a variety of cabinet options in the kitchen section, but when I start looking for bathroom cabinets, the selection seems to be much more limited. So, if I find kitchen cabinets that I love, can I put these in the bathroom, or is that a no-go?

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.

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.

Reusing old, cordless power tool cases is a sustainable way to reorganize your home. These cases are durable and convenient. They can be easily reused for other tools, appliances, or small bits and pieces. While they’re convenient, there are a few steps to take to make them optimal for reusing.

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?

Dealing with a tree that falls on your property is a nightmare. Not only is it a major inconvenience, but it can also be expensive to remove if you don’t get any help. So, does homeowner insurance cover tree removal?

The decision to subdivide land usually comes as the result of one of two different circumstances. Typically, landowners are looking to either sell a portion of the land off for profit or distribute the property amongst family members. Most commonly, real estate investors subdivide the land to increase the overall value of the property.