Hot Construction & Repair How-Tos

How To: Inflate a tubeless tire

If one of the tubeless tires on your hand truck or wheelbarrow has gone flat, sure, you could take it to a gas station and pay someone to fix it — or you could repair it yourself. For complete instructions on how to patch and inflate a flat tubeless tire, watch this free DIY guide.

How To: Soundproof a bedroom wall

In this video, professional remodeler Matt Risinger shows you how to soundproof a wall. In this particular lesson, Matt soundproofs a wall between a noisy living room and a quiet bedroom. Follow along and get some helpful hints on installing a similar wall in your own home.

How To: Make an insulated attic stairway box

Save some money on your energy bills by making an attic stairway box. For less than twenty five dollars, all you need is caulk, UL181 masking tape, insulated sheathing, and rubber foam sticky tape. Measure the width, the length, and the depth of the attic stairway opening. Lay the insulated sheathing down on the floor and get a straight edge. Take those measurements and create a rectangular box. Mark out six pieces to create the parts of the box – two large top pieces, and four shorter side p...

How To: Quickly cope inside baseboard corners

When installing baseboards, the inside corners are the trickiest part. In this tutorial, follow along with Bob Schmidt as he shows you how to cope with inside corners. This video will show you a shortcut that you can use next time you are installing baseboards or skirtboards or any other trim with flat area on it.

How To: Remove the air from your boiler or heater

If you hear a lot of banging coming from your boiler or heating system, you may need to perform a little repair. The banging could be the result of not enough water in your system, but it could also mean there is too much air in your expansion tank. And expansion tank is attached to your boiler and helps regulate the air to water ratio for optimum performance. If the air in your expansion tank expands too much, you may need to release some of the air in order to use your tanks properly and st...

How To: Caulk your bathroom floors

This video shows the viewer how to caulk a bathroom floor – this is where some type of sealant is used to fill the joint between the surface of the floor and the side of the bath. The first stage is to select a suitable sealant, the video recommends a sealant that can be painted as it is useful if you every need to redecorate. Squeeze a liberal amount of sealant into the crack. Then using a dampened finger press the sealant into the corner whilst simultaneously scraping the excess away. Final...

How To: Make a concrete countertop mold

In this Home & Garden video tutorial you will learn how to make a concrete counter top mold. Fu Tung Cheng from Concrete Network presents this video. For making different edges on your counter top, a compound called polyurethane is used for making the mold. It is a two part compound mixed together to form a rubbery substance. While using polyurethane follow the manufacturer’s recommended dosage, time, proportion and also use the recommended release agent. Take a piece of the molding wood and ...

How To: Caulk your home to save money on energy bills

All around your house there small cracks and spaces that are letting air out of the house. You can stop the air leaks through an inexpensive way saving money from being wasted, it's called caulk. You have to select the right one for what you need, there are many different types for different applications so be sure to pick the right one. Clean the area you want to apply the caulk in and then put the caulk in the device with which you're going to use it. Push the plunger until it stops and cut...

How To: Tape drywall and prep for painting

Taping drywall requires a spreader or a spatula, compound and drywall tape. Spread the compound over the nails and the seams smoothly to apply tape over later. Next, the tape is applied to the wet compound on the wall directly over where the seams were. Then, another layer of compound is placed on top of the tape. After it is dry, a second layer of compound is placed on top of this layer. This process will continue until all the seams are covered with the compound, taped over the seams on top...

How To: Install a bathtub and shower surround with tile

In this video, The Home Depot shows us how to tile the surrounding walls of a bath or shower. Since these walls stand up to a lot of wetness from daily showers, they need to be sound and waterproof. Ceramic tiles are a great way to go. In this demonstration, the tiles are attached to backer board. Protect your tub with a cardboard inlay before you begin. Then seal the edges of the tub with asphalt roofing cement. Then staple 15 pound felt to the studs, embedding the bottom layer to the asphal...

How To: Remove carpet to install concrete floors

Bob Harris of decorative concrete institute explains how you can remove your tiled or carpeted flooring for a concrete substitute. He suggests when your removing carpeting that it can be very heavy and advises you to hire someone who can lift and carry it out, or rent a dumpster for easy take away. He states that after the carpet is removed you'll need to remove the adhesive from the floor. You can do this by stripping or grinding, and at other times the use of harsh chemicals may be needed. ...

How To: Repair cut leather on your own

In this how-to video, you will learn how to make a repair in cut leather. This is useful if you have damaged leather you would like to repair yourself. Make a knife cut in the leather, and then cut and place a sew patch into the leather. Push it underneath the leather. Now, glue the sew patch in place with inexpensive craft glue. Rub it around the leather and edges of the cut. Wipe off excess glue with a damp cloth and wait until it dries. Place something heavy on it for a good amount of time...

How To: Caulk your shower with a mold inhibitor

To start caulking your shower please ensure that the shower is clean, dry and all caulk joints are also clean, dry and free of any old caulk. Start by taping the 'to be caulked' areas with blue painters tape, making sure you are following the contour of the shower and pressing firmly on the tape to prevent any caulk from getting under the tape. Once the taping is completed now you can start caulking. Start by using a caulking gun from one end of the shower to another, using small amounts of c...

How To: Repair spalled concrete

This video illustrates us how to repair spalled concrete. Here are the following steps:Step 1: First of all take cement and sand'Step 2: Mix it in the ratio 1:3 that is cement one part and sand three partsStep 3: Now add water and mix the mixture well.Step 4 : Now apply this mixture for filling the spalled concrete.Step 5: Polyurea can also be used to fill the crackStep 6: Let the repair work done dry.Step 7: After around 28 days apply a water proof primer on the repaired work to prevent furt...

How To: Install new windows in a new construction project

Steve with Eikenhout Educational Video Series and Paul Griggs with PGriggs Construction demonstrate how to install new windows during a new construction application. You will need a level, a utility knife, a caulk gun and a hammer to install the windows. First, cut the house wrap away from the area where the window will be placed. Next, properly flash the opening to protect it from water by starting at the window sill. Next, verify that the sill is level. Next, caulk around the window opening...

How To: Caulk a home window

This video demonstrates how to caulk windows. For this project, you will need the following: a tube caulk, a putty knife, scraper, a knife or scissors, paper towels, a long hanger or a nail, a caulk gun, a small plastic spoon or a popsicle stick.

How To: Build a mousetrap car

This five part series shows you everything you need to do build a mousetrap from beginning to end. An extensive, and thorough explanation on building this fun and classic toy. This is a great tutorial for the entire family to enjoy. It's also fun to build your own toy from you own hands on a budget and using things you can find right in your home.

How To: Install Timberline roofing shingles

GAF roofing has a four nail pattern. The shingles come in 2 sizes: English and metric. In this video we will be using English sizes. Place the shingles in a row by row pattern. You may move left to right or right to left but never move up the roof. You may have the shingle hanging over the roof by 1/4 in. Install the leak barrier in high wind areas. Place the second shingle next to the first. Five inches of the underlying shingle should be exposed. Use a whole shingle for the first course. Th...

How To: Caulk a crack in your home

In this video, we learn how to caulk a crack in your home. First, take your favorite type of non-silicon caulking tube. Then, take a knife and cut the tip off of the caulking tube at a 45 degree angle. Then, take a coat hanger and stick in the tip of the tube to break the seal that's inside. Next, take an open frame gun with a spring release lever and install the tube into it. Now position the gun in a 45 degree angle to the crack and slide it along the length of the crack. Wipe the tip of th...

How To: Build a simple beam bridge

Stuck on one side of a river or ditch? If you are stranded with no other way to get to your destination you will need to build a bridge! Without many supplies, your best bet is a beam bridge which can be made with just a single piece of wood. This video will show you how to get from one place to another.

How To: Install tile in your home

One way to update your living space is by installing new tiles. This video tutorial shows key strategies with tiling projects in your home. By planning material quantities you'll able to estimate the cost of your project. This instructional offers helpful tips on tile care, trimming and cutting, and how to safely use snap cutters and wet saws.

How To: Tile a kitchen floor with Home Depot

Whether updating your home design or protecting against mold and mildew, the installation of kitchen tiles is a simple process that any home crafter can do. This video tutorial shows how to install backer board and tile your kitchen floor. Once you've cleaned the area where your backer board will go, measure to make sure all materials will precisely fit into place. Before setting the tiles, plan the layout on a sheet of graph paper to figure out if you'll need to cut tiles. Finally, apply gro...

How To: Lay Straight Tile with a Crooked Wall

Tiling always looks so easy when you see it done on a straight wall! But how do you do it with a crooked wall? Use a Measureright Pro to get the angle right. So if you've tiled from a straight right angle and you're just reaching the 'odd' shaped spaces between your last row of tiles and your crooked wall, you can use the tool to mark your final row of tiles so that when you cut them, they will fit right into the irregular shaped spaces between your final row of tiles and the slanting wall. T...