Home Improvement

Math formulas and multipliers to help you bend electrical conduit. Learn how to bend conduit to any configuration desired, not merely the common bends on a conduit bender.

Plumbing problems come in all shapes and sizes, from dripping faucets to sewer system backup to burst pipes. This article lists the most common issues, what causes them and suggests some easy fixes when appropriate.

Leaky outdoor spigots can be easy to fix for DIYers. If you don't like to spend money on something you can do yourself, check out these simple steps to replace your outside faucet.

Common recommended tools required when becoming an electrician. An electrician's hand tools are his life blood—it is imperative that every electrician own a good set of tools.

Learn about the benefits of humidifiers and tips on maintenance and humidity control settings. Also easy to follow step-by-step installation instructions with pictures and a list of required supplies.

Professional instructions for wiring both GFCI (GFI) and regular outlets by the DIY homeowner. Learning how to wire electric outlets is a simple task that nearly everyone can do themselves.

If you have an animal companion in your home, it can do wonders for the satisfaction of all concerned to allow free access to the outdoors. It can be easier (and less expensive) than you might think. Read how—and how not—to do it here!

This guide shows you how to wire a UK-style, standard 3-pin plug and select the correct fuse. These basic principles can be applied to wiring plugs from other countries, only the colours are different

Wainscoting is a great way to update your home, but hiring a professional to design and do the woodwork can add up. I've provided three DIY options as well as my experience with DIY wainscoting below!

Fix your own leaky faucets in your bathroom and save some serious money. Here are easy to follow step-by-step instructions.

How to finish drywall by applying tape and joint compound. Designed for the homeowner, this article gives useful tips for finishing drywall.

Many old French houses have issues with damp. Some of these issues relate to humidity in the home and can be easily dealt with, but rising damp is a serious underlying problem which needs addressing.

The theory and practice of door closer adjustment, with steps and detailed instructions to adjust the swing of your hydraulic door closer.

This is an easy to follow step-by-step guide to installing your new peel and stick vinyl tile flooring yourself, no matter what your skill level. I did it, and so can you!

Has your kitchen sink become clogged? Learn the different methods you can use to clear your drain and how you can prevent blockages like this from happening again in the future.

This information is to help understand the basic components of an HVAC system and their functions.

How to choose, buy, and install a thermostat for baseboard heaters or other electric heat source. Called line voltage heaters, the installation is well within the capabilities of most homeowners.

A friend's daughter whose wedding I sewed and organized a few years ago came over last night with her 'Hubby' saying that the deal on the house they had bid on had been accepted. They asked me to help with window treatments.

In general plumbing terms, a plumbing fixture is a device that is connected to a plumbing system and interacts with liquid(or gas)

This article covers common mistakes with cabinet painting and how to avoid them. My tips will help save you a lot of time and aggravation painting your kitchen cabinets.

Removing old seized screws from door hinges.

Painting a garage door is easy. This article explains how to prep and paint a garage door with an airless sprayer to get a nice smooth finish.

When drilling any type of material, it's vital to use the correct bit to ease drilling and also to prevent bit damage. Drill bits are available for metal, masonry, tiles, plastics, glass and wood.

Concrete is really easy to make and all you need is a shovel and some buckets. This is a comprehensive, step-by-step guide with pictures showing you how to make concrete by hand, with or without a mixer

Owning a home is an investment which carries a the responsibility of maintaining it and performing repairs when necessary. Many people avoid performing regular maintenance however doing so could cost you in the long run. Here are several reasons why it's important to maintain your home & property.

How do you keep warm in the winter without electricity? Can you keep cool without AC during a summer heat wave? What if your home loses power for more than a day? Here’s a strategy to help keep you warm in winter and cool in summer during emergencies.

Instructions on how to wire a 4-way switch, with wiring diagrams.

Detailed instructions on retrofitting existing fluorescent tubes to LED lamps. Benefit from energy savings, cold weather operation and long life by changing out your 4 foot fluorescent tubes to LED's

This is a guide on how to mix mortar using sand, cement, plasticiser, and water for the purpose of repointing brickwork and ridge tiles.

The best spray paint should be clean and have low VOC levels. A high-quality grade that can withstand extreme temperatures in your container home.

Detailed instructions on how to shingle a roof, including shingling both ridges and valleys.

A homeowner's guide for choosing and installing angle stop water valves. Includes the different types and installation methods.

Furnace filter comparisons, air quality tips, how often to replace your filter and more. Understanding your options will help you choose the best one for you.

How to wire 3-way light switches, with wiring diagrams for different methods of installing the wire between boxes. Step-by-step instructions and troubleshooting guides included.

A basic guide to pipe types, plumbing fittings, and thread sizes, and instructions for how to use fittings to connect copper, PVC, and PEX water pipes.

Air conditioning repairs are never cheap, but why do they seem higher now than ever? This may help you decide if it's better now to replace an old unit than to repair it.

A spigot (also known as a hose bib, bibcock or garden tap) leaks when the rubber washer inside wears away over time. Anyone with basic DIY skills can replace this. Only 2 tools are required.

Tips on how to lay self-adhesive vinyl floor tiles for a new flooring look. A simple job easily accomplished by the homeowner needing a new floor.

This guide shows ambitious DIYers how to replace and old sliding glass door with a new one.

Step-by-step instructions for covering over popcorn ceiling using joint compound, with tips, FAQ, and photos.

Hundreds of homes burn each year from electrical fires. Learn the common causes of house fires and how to protect your home.

Easy instructions for hand plastering walls to cover over wallpaper, hide damaged walls, or create a unique look.

With some simple tools, a little effort, and a few safety precautions, building a fieldstone fire pit is a weekend DIY project that your family and friends will enjoy for many years to come.

Clogged drains are a very common plumbing issue. This article looks at what causes pipes to become blocked and offers advice on how to fix and prevent clogs from happening.

Owner review of advantages and disadvantages of installing Saltillo tiles.

Need more plugs? Here's how to add a new outlet by wiring into an existing outlet. Complete instructions here, including tips on running the wire and actually wiring the circuit.

Are you thinking of painting your moldy bathroom? Don't paint over your moldy mildewed walls without reading my professional tips to prevent future problems.

"Hot" and "neutral" supply power to an appliance, so why the need for a "ground" wire? Basically, it's included for safety reasons. This article explains how it all works....

How to replace a whole-house water-sediment cartridge filter on your Culligan HF-150, 160, and 360 model housing units. A step-by-step pictorial lesson for water-filter replacement projects.

Smells originating from our furnace and duct work are not only unpleasant but can present health concerns as well. Learn more about what causes them and how to get rid of these unwelcome odors.

Most people will experience one or more plumbing emergencies. This article looks at how to react effectively.

Heating and cooling a room with vaulted or high ceilings as well as how to better cool and heat the second floor of our homes are very commonly asked questions about HVAC systems. Here are your options and a few tips to help you accomplish a more comfortable environment efficiently.

This is an easy-to-follow guide for replacing a kitchen sprayer nozzle. These three easy steps take very little time and save you loads of plumbing costs by doing it yourself.

This article is a full review of my new Titan 440 Impact sprayer, outlining its features and my experience using it for interior painting. The Impact is an airless sprayer, formerly known as the 440i.

Learn how to give your ceilings and walls the classic look of a knock down finish! This article talks about the tools and techniques you need to do the job.

A comprehensive guide showing how to use a multimeter or DMM. A multimeter is a useful instrument in a home toolkit for measuring voltage, current and resistance and also for tracing breaks in wires, testing diodes, capacitors and fuses.

Air tools compliment mains or battery powered tools and have several advantages over the latter. An air compressor and air tools are a useful addition to a home or commercial workshop

Cross ventilation can clean your home's air, save you money and is easy to create without spending money. Start breathing cleaner air and saving money today.

How much do led lights save per year? Today, LED light bulbs pay for themselves after only months. I compare LED vs. Incandescent, Halogen floodlights vs. LED floodlights, and CFL vs. LED.

A guide to different lighting types in the home and their pros and cons. Covering incandescent, halogen, fluorescent, CFL, sodium, metal halide and LED.

Instructions on how to bend both 3 point saddles and 4 point saddles in EMT electrical conduit.

Cleaner duct work equals cleaner air and less dusting. Learn how you can improve the quality of the air in your home for free without specialized tools.

One day, your sliding glass door will need repair as it gets harder and harder to open. In this article, you will find instructions on how to replace patio door rollers.

A conduit-bending guide for bending a 90-degree bend in electrical conduit. Possibly the most basic and common of bends, but there are several ways to bend a 90.

When choosing wallpaper or paint, you need to select the best choice for your room. We're providing the two options so you can decide which one you like better.

Are you looking for the perfect thermostat temperature so that you're not wasting electricity—and money? Cut your electric bill, help the planet, and find the right thermostat setting for winter, summer, and everything in-between.

How do you put up shelves, cupboards, brackets or coat hangers on a wall? This guide explains how to drill walls and outlines the tools, fixings and drill bits required.

I describe how I sanded and painted the metal railings and light poles in my yard and explain tools and techniques that worked and those that didn't.

Detailed instructions for wiring an outlet so that half of it can be turned on via a wall switch. All your questions will be answered by an expert electrician, with diagrams and a video to help you.

How to assess your security, know your enemy and secure the perimeter of your defenses.

A plate joiner, commonly called biscuit joiner, biscuit cutter, or biscuit jointer, is a power tool used to make very strong wood joints. Learn how to effectively use these amazing tools.

Have you got paint peeling in your home or office that you don't know how to address? Learn about why paint flakes and what you can do to fix it—and how to stop it from happening again.

Tile design ideas for countertops, floors, and showers. Pictures and design tips too.

If you have traditional wooden fascia boards on your eaves, then they will need maintenance at some time or another. It's not so terribly hard. Here are some tricks and traps, described and photographed.

How to choose, install and wire a thermostat for your home heating system. Digital programmable thermostats for heat pumps.

Here are the basics of how your plumbing works and how to re-plumb with CPVC to move water lines indoors.

Thinking of buying a power tool as a gift? Or maybe it's for yourself to make DIY easier. This guide for the absolute beginner outlines the various tools available, their capabilities and what to buy

An angle grinder is a useful power tool for cutting and grinding metal and other materials. Like any power tool, it can be dangerous if used incorrectly. This guide shows you how to reduce your risk of injury while using an angle grinder.

This articles goes over some of the best exterior door paint I've used from Sherwin Williams.

Check out these wall painting tips and tools to make your interior painting project easier.

Hardwood flooring installation for both engineered and regular hardwood flooring. Instructions for the homeowner on how to install hardwood flooring.

A conduit-bending guide with instructions on how to bend EMT conduit. Learn how to bend conduit easily and effectively with a hand bender.

Have an old house that has problems with drains? Me too. I give strategies to unclog stopped drains as well as tips on how to prevent them.

Check out these recommendations for the best masking tape for painting. We'll take a detailed look at FrogTape and ScotchBlue for all of your painting needs.

Stocking up on these HVAC tools and gadgets can make working on a furnace this winter much easier and efficient in many cases.

Building new water sources costs billions of dollars that most governments don't have, but reusing wastewater can help relieve that need. This article covers home greywater and blackwater systems.

Learn how to get rid of that standing water in your sink by snaking your drain. Liquid drain cleaners and plungers don't always work and it requires a bit more effort but knowing how you can do this yourself can save you big money.

Modern technology has afforded us many choices when it comes to residential plumbing. Each pipe material has some inherent advantages and disadvantages associated with it. This article describes and compares the characteristics and properties of these common pipe materials.

The numbers and letters on the head of your key always mean something. Here is a brief guide to the most common meanings of the numbers and codes.

DIY guide to changing your own locks, including an explanation of common lock types and the basics of how to replace cylinders and get new keys.

Are Graco airless sprayers better than Titan? In this article, I explain the differences between the two, including some comparisons between the models I own from both companies.

Easy instructions with photos show how I make paper bricks. Don't shred and soak newspaper when making paper logs for burning in your fire. My paper logs dry so quickly I can even burn them next day!

Tips to turn your bedroom into a peaceful, restful sanctuary.

See how we cleared a root clog from the main drainpipe using an old power auger. We saved hundreds of dollars by doing it ourselves and you can too!

Damp can be a serious problem in homes leading to mildew on walls, ceilings, curtains, and clothing. It has several causes but can often be remedied or reduced in severity.

Most DIY home repair enthusiasts can apply ceramic tile grout. It isn't as hard as many may think. If you are just learning how to grout or need a few tips to help you along, this article will give you grouting tips, tell you what you need to carry out the task and how to maintain your grout works.

When shopping for lighting, it is most important to understand the light source and the wattage that will be saved. As these are choices important to your wallet, the article explains the factors.

Instructions for how to fix a leaky or running toilet. Repairing a toilet that runs constantly is a quick, easy job that anyone can handle.

Sometimes you can save money by tracking down the source of a bad smell in your home and trying some DIY methods before you call a plumber. It's worth a try!

Accurate square and mitered cuts in wood are essential for construction work. However, properly cut timber looks better even if you are just doing basic DIY and making stuff around the home.