How To Install Stacked Stone Veneer On A Fireplace

Steps for Adding Stone Veneer to a Fireplace Make sure the stone for the hearth is cut to size.2. Measure the fireplace surround of where you’ll be putting the stone veneer and cut the wire lath to size. a. Mark added the wire mesh because he did not want to apply the mortar directly to paint. If the masonry surface you are adding the stone veneer to is unpainted/sealed, you can skip the wire mesh....

January 10, 2023 · 3 min · 527 words · Judith Kurtz

How To Keep Your Garbage Disposal Running Smoothly

How a Garbage Disposal Works Because few homeowners see past the rubber splash guard at the bottom of their sink, most don’t think about how a garbage disposal works. Beneath the splash guard, you’ll find the upper chamber where the food scraps accumulate. Inside this chamber are the shredding ring, flywheel, and impellers. These pieces grind up the waste, enabling it to pass into the lower chamber. Here, the smaller food particles mix with water before moving into the P-trap and down the drainpipe....

January 10, 2023 · 4 min · 700 words · Robert Morehead

How To Outfit Your Home To Help Your Kids Study Habits

Focus on Location, Location, Location Consider your kid’s age and learning style when deciding where to site a study space. The U.S. Department of Education recommends a quiet, well-lighted place that’s fully stocked with the necessary materials and supplies for your child’s grade level. Younger kids who need homework help and supervision, for example, might benefit from working in the kitchen, where rolling out a supply cart can indicate the start of study time, and you can do quiet chores or prepare dinner while they work....

January 10, 2023 · 5 min · 900 words · Phillip Lumpkin

How To Paint Easy Faux Wood Grain

Three hours later you’ll have a striking pattern with visible texture, thanks to ridges left behind in the glaze. “It’s great for painted pieces that could be made out of wood, like doors and hutches, but also on a wall,” says interior designer Ingrid Leess, who transformed the built-in shown. To give the bookcase some not-so-serious character, she reversed the grain, making a pattern of glossy white atop satin brown....

January 10, 2023 · 2 min · 376 words · Peggy Thomas

How To Paint Vinyl Siding

In this video, Mauro demonstrates how to do to prep and paint vinyl siding. He also shares some helpful information about choosing your paint. useful techniques, and the tools he uses. How to Clean Vinyl Siding Before You Begin: The most important part of painting vinyl is making sure it is very clean. You can clean it two ways: pressure wash prior to painting or scrub clean and rinse off....

January 10, 2023 · 2 min · 226 words · Gale Johnson

How To Remove Overgrown Foundation Shrubs

Ultimate Guide to Tree Pruning (2022) Tools

January 10, 2023 · 1 min · 7 words · Kenny Brown

How To Repair Aluminum Patio Chairs

But that doesn’t mean you have to toss the old aluminum patio chairs and buy new. For a fraction of the cost of replacement, you can tackle basic repairs yourself. “This is something homeowners can definitely do,” says Steven Gentino, owner of The Chair Care Co., an outdoor-furniture refinisher in New Haven, Connecticut. “It takes a little muscle and a couple of hours, tops.” Gentino’s company is one of many nationwide that can supply the necessary materials, fasteners, and even the touch-up paint....

January 10, 2023 · 6 min · 1210 words · Lucille Coyle

How To Replace A Leaky Skylight

How to Replace a Leaking Skylight Tools

January 10, 2023 · 1 min · 7 words · Shawn Shelton

How To Upgrade Front Door Hardware

To give the door more polish, we shopped around for a shiny brass replacement. But rather than get a set from a specialty hardware shop, where they can easily top $1,000, we chose a Baldwin one-piece handle and tubular lock set with a handsome escutcheon for $179 from the home center. Hardware manufacturers’ home-center lines, which range from $100 to $350, are also easier to retrofit because they’re designed for DIYers....

January 10, 2023 · 3 min · 633 words · John Patton

How Whole House Vacuums Work And The Pros And Cons

Klatt and her husband, Paul, toyed briefly with the idea of buying a vacuum for each floor of their Denver home, “but the idea of owning three machines seemed ridiculous.” So they decided to install a whole house vacuum. How Does a Whole House Vacuum Work? A whole house vacuum, or a central vacuum system, is an appliance that sucks dirt through hidden 2-inch pipes down to a 12-gallon canister in the basement....

January 10, 2023 · 5 min · 856 words · Darrell Allen

Is An Appliance Extended Warranty Worth It 2023 Guide

January 10, 2023 · 0 min · 0 words · Jeffery Meres

Maker Interview Jaime Costiglio

Jamie: Thanks for having me. Jenn: So Jamie is the maker builder behind jamiecostiglio.com. Can you tell us a little bit about your site? Jamie: So I started about nine years ago. I just started with basic projects out of necessity and I just kept building on that, building on that and figuring out that I could make all these things that I wanted for my house and for my family....

January 10, 2023 · 4 min · 770 words · Dana Carpentier

Mitsubishi Electric

January 10, 2023 · 0 min · 0 words · Peggy Keeton

Pellet Stoves A Smarter Way To Heat The Whole House

What convinced her was discovering that a pellet stove could heat her entire 3,000-square-foot ranch house for less than $120 a month. (She paid up to $200 with gas.) Skeptical at first, she set the thermostat for the furnace at 55 degrees, just in case the stove needed some extra help. The machinery never kicked on; it didn’t have to. Flick may be an extreme example, but a lot of homeowners share her enthusiasm....

January 10, 2023 · 4 min · 651 words · Barbara Mangum

Rain Barrels How To Collect Rainwater For Your Home

By collecting rain from a roof during wet months and storing it in a tank or cistern, homeowners can create an alternative supply that won’t tax the groundwater or jack up the water bill. And because rain doesn’t contain the minerals found n wells or the chlorine in municipal supplies, it’s ideal for watering the lawn, washing the car, doing the laundry, taking a shower—even drinking if it’s properly filtered....

January 10, 2023 · 8 min · 1529 words · Thomas Burton

S18 E13 Loose Railing Smart Thermostat Preview

Nathan tightens a railing; Mauro strips paint off hardware; Richard upgrades a thermostat.

January 10, 2023 · 1 min · 13 words · Kimberly Scinto

S18 E15 Indoor Garden Fireplace Hearth

In this episode: Jenn installs a unique kind of indoor garden for a homeowner who wants to grow vegetables year round. Richard demonstrates how and why frozen pipes burst, andTom explains the basics of using a hole saw. Then, Mark replaces a common terra cotta hearth with slate tile. How to Plant an Indoor Garden Jenn installs a unique kind of indoor garden for a homeowner who wants to grow vegetables year round....

January 10, 2023 · 2 min · 316 words · Jeffrey Henry

S18 E19 Ground Wire Fireplace Doors

In this episode: Kevin works with House One maker Jenn Largesse to demonstrate an interesting technique on a trim router. Heath explains the purpose of a ground wire and then grounds an outlet for a homeowner, while Mauro explains the different types of paint rollers and then demonstrates good rolling techniques. Mark replaces a pair of outdated, malfunctioning fireplace doors. How to Cut a Perfect Jig Circle Kevin works with maker Jenn Largesse to demonstrate an interesting technique on a trim router....

January 10, 2023 · 2 min · 391 words · Marcus Page

S19 E8 String Lights Christmas Trees Happy Holidays

In this episode: Kevin O’Connor, Richard Trethewey, Heath Eastman and Mark McCullough share some trades-related holiday nightmares from their own houses. Jenn Nawada discusses different Christmas fir tree species: Balsam, Frasier, Douglas and Concolor. Kevin explains how house fires spike in December and to use those decorations carefully because they can catch and burn quickly if candlesticks fall over. Richard explains what can and can’t go down a garbage disposal after big, holiday dinners; He also shows the difference between a 1-hp disposer and a 1/3-hp disposer....

January 10, 2023 · 4 min · 642 words · Sally Capellan

S43 E11 Smaller Is Better

In this episode: The roof has is framed, and Kevin O’Connor goes up to examine the different angles and new dormers on the addition. He then heads back inside to lend Tom Silva a hand installing one of many new skylights. The skylights are remote controlled with retractable side screens and dimmable lighting. Richard Trethewey and Charlie Silva meet with HVAC contractor James Bouchard to talk about the high-pressure, high-velocity mini-duct system going in the house....

January 10, 2023 · 2 min · 230 words · Judith Horvath