Hot Construction & Repair Posts
How To: Install Baseboards / Skirting Boards. SECRET REVEALED!
Video: . Installing baseboard / skirting board: How to cut and install skirting boards / baseboards for a perfect internal corner. Where baseboards meet at an inside / internal corner, a coped joint is used.
How To: Cut a Straight Line with a Power Saw.
How to cut a straight line every time, like a pro, using a circular saw. Another renovating tip from Uncle Knackers.
How To: Roll Up an Extension Cord. Good One!
How to roll up an extension cord. Rolling up an extension cord. Extension cord. It sounds like a basic skill but it's amazing just how many people just don't know how to roll up an extension cord. For the DIY'er and tradesman alike there are probably two main methods. There's my way of doing it (which l show in this video titled how to roll up an extension cord) and the other is similar to the method used by skydivers to roll up their parachute cords. They are both good and you could use eith...
How To: Frame a Wall. What You Need to Know.
Wall framing. How to frame a wall. Whether you're re-sheeting an old wall or building a new timber frame wall, before you install the plasterboard or drywall, take the opportunity to have a really good think about what services or insulation qualities you might want to have in that space. There are issues to consider like electrical, plumbing, noggins for wall fixtures and insulation.
How To: Drill a Hole in a Ceramic Tile. Nifty Little Trick.
How to drill a hole in a ceramic wall tile. How to tile.Wall tiling. Bathroom wall tiling.
How To: Unlock a Bathroom Door
How to unlock a bathroom / bedroom door that has a privacy door handle set installed. Have you ever been in that situation where you have accidently locked yourself out of your bathroom or bedroom, or your toddler has accidently locked themselves in the bathroom / bedroom and you can't get them out! The first thing to do is not panic! Don't call the locksmith and don't reach for the closest sledge hammer and commence smashing the door in. it really is easy to open the door when you know how.I...
How To: Install Drywall Anchors
Wall Anchors. Drywall Wall Anchors. Plasterboard Wall Anchors. I discovered these plasterboard (drywall) anchors / plugs a few years ago and think they are fantastic. They are ridiculously easy to use and are extremely effective in attaching fixtures to walls. One of the main things to be aware of (as with all things that have fixtures hanging from them) is the recommended maximum weight loading of each size of anchor. What ever the packet says, adhere to it.
How To: Remove a Door
How to Remove a Door. How to Remove Hinge Pins. Todays video we will look at how to remove a door by taking out the hinge pin, followed by planing off the bottom of the door so that once the door has been re-installed, the door won't rub on the carpet. In a nut shell you will learn how to:
How To: Adjust a Sliding Door
How to adjust a sliding door. Sliding doors are great when they are sliding but can be a real pain in the bum when they don't. Today's video will concentrate on adjusting the wheels to help alleviate some of these annoying issues. It doesn't matter if it's a robe sliding door, a closet sliding door, a glass sliding door or a patio sliding door, the principle is still the same. Obviously there can be other factors like the sliding door track or the sliding door wheels being in a state of disre...
How To: Change a Tap Washer.
How to replace a tap washer. Dripping Tap. Dripping Faucet. Replacing a tap / facuet washer is quite an easy process as long as you follow the 6 steps in my video. Basically all you need to do is this:
How To: Consistently Locate Hidden Wall Studs in Your Home
Wall studs are both critical for maintaining the structure of your home and supporting items of weight and function on the interior walls (e.g. cabinets, shelves, plasma TVs, etc.). With wall studs playing such a critical role, consistently being able to find them is important. The problem with finding them is that drywall and wallboard isn't exactly see-through.
How To: Build Two Different Underwater Viewers with ABS and Lexan
I have just finished making this 20 minute detailed video that shows you exactly how to build two different sized underwater viewers. One is 12" x 3" and the other is 24" x 4", but you can make them any size you like. These are ideal for gold prospecting, fishing (seeing what the fish are up to) and just for fun—kids love them. IMPORTANT NOTE:
How To: Build an Outdoor Brick Fireplace
This is a how-to video on how to build an outdoor brick fireplace. It has 5 parts and is a total of about 45 minutes long. It covers laying brick, acid washing, installing firebrick, installing flue tubes, and installing a stainless steel grill. It also covers brick string guides and cutting bricks.
How To: Lay Masonry Blocks and Bricks
Build a concrete "footer".
News: Bat Cave in San Francisco
What do you do when you desperately need to put a parking garage into the bottom floor of your Victorian apartment building, but the city's Department of Planning says "No". The simple and expensive answer: Create an elaborate secret garage door. If you own a pretty building, it is well within the jurisdiction of the Landmark Commission to inform you that even though you own the piece of property, you cannot remodel it any way you want. Seems un-American. But in San Francisco, specifically th...
How To: Install a new over-the-range Panasonic NN-SD277WR microwave oven
If you are looking to replace your old microwave with a new one, or making your first foray into the world of microwave cookery, this video can be your guide to installing you microwave in the wall. The Panasonic NN-SD277WR is used as an example.
How To: Combine Two NYC Penthouses into One
Here's a rich man's problem for you: two NYC East Village penthouse condos and the need for one combined living space. What do you do? Simply add a helical slide! When the homeowners came up with this fun idea for combining their two condos, they contracted architecture firm TCA to design and construct two separate options to descend and ascend between the two living spaces— an Italian-made "Rintal" stair (an open spiral staircase), or the much speedier and much livelier option: a stainless s...
How To: Build an outdoor rabbit run
Run rabbit run! Well, your rabbit can't run unless you build it a place TO run! Check out this video and see how-to make a space in your backyard for your bunny to get its hop on. You'll need some tools, including a saw, screw gun, or hammer and nails and a skill saw. The dimensions are 80L x 43W x 36H. (measured in inches) This project takes about 4.5 hrs to build. Get building and give your fluffy little pet some outdoor love. Know what? He'll return it in leaps and bounds. And hops.
Shortcut: Fix a Scratched Window with Toothpaste
ApartmentTherapy reminds us of a fine fix for scratches on glassy surfaces like mirrors and windows—toothpaste!
How To: Add a door In an exterior brick wall
If you've got a brick house and are looking to install a door in the brick, this how to will get you there. Be prepared, it's a big job and you'll need to be comfortable wielding several power tools. Are you ready to take the challenge?
How To: Install patio doors in a brick wall
If you've got a brick wall and you're thinking of installing a door, you may have thought you were out of luck. Not so! This helpful how-to walks you through the steps so you can see how it's done. First off, know that this is not a simple task, so be prepared to wield a brick cutter, which is a serious tool in itself. After that you'll be framing out the door, shimming it up, and installing the door. Go for it!
How To: De-Ice Your Gutters (The Secrets of Ice Dam Removal)
I feel sorry for all of you homeowners stuck in snow right now. The snowy, blizzard conditions effecting most of the country is causing some serious headaches across our nation. And it's not just the cold weather I'm talking about. I'm talking about ice dams— something that more suitably should have been called ice damns, because they pretty much damn your roof to hell.
How To: Install engineered wood siding on your home
Your home's siding will only last so long, so when it's time to replace it, what will you do? Well, calling a professional will cost you thousands, but this home video from Buildipedia will walk you through the steps to replace your home's siding yourself.
How To: Install a ceramic tile backsplash
Installing a ceramic tile backsplash in your kitchen or bathroom can not only add a great new look, it can help prevent your walls from crumbling due to excess exposure to water. This simple little vid from buildipedia will walk you through the process.
How To: Refinish, maintain and waterproof a wood deck
Wood decks can be a wonderful thing, however they do require cleaning and maintainence. This DIY video gives you the info you'll need to clean, repair and refinish your wood deck, ensuring it's looking great when it's time for that backyard blow out.
How To: Install door casement trim
A little trim can really add a nice look in your house or apartment. This DIY from Buildipedia gives you clear, easy instructions on this task that any home DIYer can do with a few tools. Give it a look and give it a try!
HowTo: Build Your Own Anti-Slip Ice Claws
Ever experience a devastatingly embarrassing fall on the ice? Perhaps as a child in front of, say, an entire school bus of your peers? (Let's just say I haven't tread lightly on icy sidewalks since the age of 12.) If you've been battling icy terrain this winter, you may want to avoid such embarrassment and consider building a pair of cheap ice cleats. All you need is a couple screws, two metal plates, and some mesh straps, and you'll be prepared for the slipperiest of situations.
How To: Sand cut and polish Perspex for a high-gloss finish
Need a smooth, polished, and glossy surfaced piece of acrylic for your next project? Then check out this video for a handy guide on how to sand, cut, and polish Perspex, a type of acrylic, for a high-gloss finish. Perspex is thick and difficult to work with, but this video will give you tips for a professional look.
How To: Repair Cracks in Your Asphalt Driveway
Weather - there's no escaping it! Mother Nature can be hard on asphalt: if you live in an area where there are extreme weather changes from season to season then your asphalt will eventually become damaged. As the ground freezes and thaws there is movement that flexes the asphalt. Repeated flexing can cause weakness to occur. In many cases the first damage you will see will be cracks forming in your asphalt driveway.
HowTo: Build an Air-Powered Star Trek Sliding Door
Live in the future (à la Star Trek, circa 1966) with uiproductions' pneumatic air-powered sliding door:
HowTo: Make Your Own Privacy Glass for Dirt Cheap
Privacy glass is pretty pricey, and if you're living in a rental, your landlord likely won't appreciate you painting glaze on the windows. So, if you're a privacy hound, here's a simple, cheap hack that will prevent peeping toms.
How To: Move A Safe
Moving a 2000 pound safe isn't easy... I was working as manager for a construction company that was performing an up fit on a century old building in downtown Concord, N.C. The owners wanted us to move a two thousand pound (that's a ton!) safe up to the second story so that it could be displayed in their new office. The safe was located between the first and second floors in a small office that was used for accounting purposes in the old days when said building had been a hardware store.
How To: Install a copper snow apron on the eaves of your house
Fend off the worst that Snowpocalypse has to deal! Prevent leakage caused by ice and snow by installing a snow apron on the eaves of your house. This is an easy thing to do, and a must for any homeowner in a snowy area.
How To: Plan bathroom renovations on a budget
Times are tight, but no one deserves to stare at an old, fugly bathroom day after day. If you simply can't stand the hot pink paint the previous owners left on the walls anymore or your linoleum floor is falling apart, check out this video to learn how to plan bathroom renovations wisely and on a budget.
How To: Remove extra sticky labels easily using Label Remover
We understand why companies affix sticky labels to their products. We just don't understand why they manufacture these labels with unyielding, Godzilla strength glue. Who wants to open up a new microwave only to end up with partially peeled labels and glue stains?
How To: Replace an electrical socket step by step
Electrical sockets are often taken for granted. It's not until one of them breaks or stops working and our laptops won't turn on that we truly have a crisis (mostly over lost internet time).
How To: Install a door viewer for home safety
Just because a person is cordial enough to knock at your door doesn't mean that he isn't a conman or burglar out to knock you out and steal all your belongings. So you can probably understand the usefulness of a spy hole, or a door viewer.
How To: Properly install a dog door for your canine with tips from Lowe's
Your precious dog can't be a dog without its freedom, and the number one way to make a dog feel its freedom is by giving it unrestricted access to your landscape, meaning— a doggy door. Granted, your pet can't go roaming all across the county, but a dog door is a surefire way to make your canine feel at home.
How To: Replace the time clock on a Ferroli Falcon combination boiler
Timing your cooking is everything. And if you happen to be a mom who works full time and then flies back home to prepare dinner for your family, then making sure you hard boil your eggs for five minutes while you bake your pie for half an hour can easily turn into a burnt mess if you're not careful.
How To: Change a broken lightbulb using a water bottle
Removing lightbulbs that have gone out is easy enough: Unscrew the broken lightbulb and then pop in a new one. But what if your lightbulb happens to be broken with sharp edges?