Home Improvement DIY

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.

A recliner can be the ultimate relaxation destination within one’s own home. Unlike a couch or a standard chair, which remains stationary, a recliner does just that: reclines. From time to time, however, the recliner footrest may stop working. Instead of tossing it away when it stops working, there is a fix that can be implemented. 

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?

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.

One effective way to help make your home stand out and look upgraded is to paint the front door. When painting the door, don’t simply add an extra coat of the same paint. Instead, paint it a bold color like red, a rich blue or black. This will add a focal point and some additional color and contrast.

A gift bow wreath is one of the easiest DIY wreaths you can make this holiday season. Simply find inexpensive and colorful bows you use to decorate gifts. Buying various sizes work best to fill in different gaps, so consider this when purchasing your bows.

Built-in lighting is excellent; it typically can provide an entire room with light, but what if it’s not enough? You could add plugin lamps, or you could add more built-ins.

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.

It’s important to realize that first and foremost, HGTV is a form of entertainment. The channel strives to develop appealing shows and content that entice. The finished products pull viewers in and keep them coming back for more.

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.

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?

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.

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. 

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.

One of the best and easiest ways to make your home look more like a beach house is to add seashells. There are tons of ways you can add seashells to your decor. Some people like to fill glass jars or bowls with shells.

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 found the perfect color paint but find it too thick to paint with, you might wonder how you can make it more workable. Or perhaps you have an old can of paint you need to use for touch ups, but find that over time, it has thickened up too much to use. Either way, this thick paint will have you wondering if you can add water to your paint, and if so, how much?

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?

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.

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

Christmas isn’t the only holiday made for cookie decorating. Easter comes in a close second when it comes to baking fun-shaped cookies and decorating them with all sorts of colors. You can have bunny, carrot, and even egg cookie shapes, and the whole family can show off their artistic skills once they cool.

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?

Mobile homes give people the chance to own a home without having to spend a fortune on a brick-and-mortar house. However, it can sometimes be hard to get some privacy, especially if you have big windows and lots of neighbors nearby. That’s why we assembled seven tips to enhance your mobile home privacy.

When you imagine Halloween and fall decorations, the first thought that likely pops into your head is a pumpkin. Pumpkins and fall gourds are synonymous with this time of year. Whether you are carving pumpkins with family and friends, or displaying unique gourds on your front steps, these fall vegetables make for the perfect decorations.

If you have ever run a generator, that frustrating feeling when it runs a few seconds and stops is not good. Whether it results in a ruined camping trip or reading by candlelight, it isn’t a fun experience. So what do you do when your generator does this?

Are you blessed with a closet and no clutter? If so, you end up with a world of possibilities. There are all sorts of creative, fun and practical things you can do with a spare closet.

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.

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.

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.

There are many aesthetic eyesores that most homeowners will do anything to avoid. One such eyesore is the sight of messy TV cords dangling freely around and beneath a nice TV. Understandably, many homeowners struggle with how to hide cords when mounting a TV.

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.

A new driveway is a costly home improvement. The average price of a brand-new driveway is around $5,000 on average, but it can cost as little as $2,000 to well over $10,000. There are all sorts of factors that impact the price of a new driveway. Driveway extensions cost less, but when done professionally, can still cost several thousand dollars.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

You are not alone if you are shocked and angry about rising energy costs. It seems like everything is costing more, and prices are hard to keep up with. While some of these costs are out of your control, there are ways to cut down on your energy usage. In fact, it is a good idea to conduct a DIY home energy audit once a year to make sure you are not spending money in areas where you shouldn’t have to.

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.

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.

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?

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.

Building a structure like a barn or shed doesn’t feel like as big of a deal as building a livable structure to many. However, Building Departments throughout the country value safety and expect you to comply when you build a barn. So, what happens if you build a barn without a permit?

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.

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.

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.

Your air conditioner is a real savior in the hottest months. One AC unit can turn a completely unbearable sunrise into a pleasant morning in bed under the covers. There is so much to be thankful for when it comes to having the modern convenience of temperature and humidity control. But sometimes air conditioners are very loud. In fact, an AC unit can get so loud, it is hard to concentrate on anything else. But how do you quiet a noisy air conditioner?

Are you creating a DIY lamp, repurposing an amazing flea market find, or needing to make adjustments to an existing lamp? If you’re fixing, making, or buying a lamp, the right size harp makes all the difference. The harp hides the things you don’t want to see, but how do you know what size to get for a lamp?

Skylights date back to ancient Rome, and they have helped increase natural light in countless homes and buildings since. Installing a skylight in your home requires a minor, inexpensive renovation that costs an average of $1,770. The cost varies based on the dimensions, materials, and labor fees.

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.

You use your shower to get clean, so if any part of it’s gross, it feels icky instead of relaxing, and you say, “eww” more than “aah.”. If the shower floor starts to get scummy or grimy, it boosts the ick factor because you feel like you’re standing in filth. So what’s the best way to clean the shower floor so you’re not cringing while you’re washing up?

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

One of the most common reasons why a window leaks cold air in the winter is because there is a crack or gap somewhere in the window treatment. These cracks and gaps can happen nearly anywhere.