Hot Construction & Repair How-Tos

How To: Install a glass vessel sink or countertop

This video tutorial shows you how to install a glass vessel sink or countertop. First you need to make sure that the glass vessel sink or countertop has all of the pieces needed and that none of the pieces are scratched or broken. You then need to place the mouthing ring on the countertop where the sink is going to go. Make sure that the rubber side is facing down. Then carefully set the sink on the mouthing ring. You must then take off the tail piece of the pop up drain. Take off the ridge a...

How To: Find a stud inside a wall with a magnet

Buying expensive stud finders maybe the easiest route for most handymen to take, but it is costly. There are easier and cheaper ways to find a stud inside a wall, but you need patience. This handy video tutorial will show you how to find a stud with a magnet in a studded wall partition. But what if your stud aren't aluminum or steel? That's okay, the magnet searches for the metal screws inside the wood studs. You find a spot that sticks, then go up or down in a vertical direction to see if th...

How To: Restore rusty ceiling grid systems

Update your nasty, ugly ceiling grid in your home or office. With this video tutorial, see how to restore rusty ceiling grid systems. Ceiling Armor Grid Cover will update rusty and discolored ceiling grid systems for a fraction of the cost of replacement. This unique cover snaps on to a standard grid system without any special preparation. This washable solid vinyl cover is suitable for standard ceiling grids in kitchens, restaurants, bakeries, pools, rest rooms and outdoor ceiling locations.

How To: Restore water stained ceiling tiles

Are there dastardly, ugly chilling tiles in your home or business that have been rind by water damage? It happens sometimes, and the ceiling tiles will look awful, either needing replaced or fixed. Well, this video will show you how to restore water stained ceiling tiles. Hide those ugly stains instead of buying a whole new tile! Save a trip to the home repair shop.

How To: Build a box with plastic

Knowing how to build a box out of plastic is a highly useful skill. In this video, the folks at Tap Plastics show us how to do it. The example they use is how to make an organizer for your cutlery drawer, when organizers from the store won't fit. But there are many other possible applications for plastic boxes.

How To: Caulk a shower stall

If you're planning to re-caulk a shower stall, there are things you shield know before you dive into the project. For one thing, it's essential to remove all of the old caulk, since caulk will stick to almost everything except itself. Mark Donovan of HomeAdditionPlus.com talks you through somber info you'll have to know before you caulk your shower.

How To: Adjust sliding glass doors

Glass doors are both stylish and practical… Until they jam up and stop sliding, at which point they become a big pain in the neck. But getting them sliding in their tracks again isn't a really complicated process. In this video, Mark Donovan of HomeAdditionPlus.com shows us how to keep our sliding glass doors sliding.

How To: Stain wood

Staining wood can give it a really dazzling effect. In this video, Mark Donovan of HomeAdditionPlus.com shows us how to revitalize old wood and make new wood look better with staining. Before you stain, it's important to know what you're doing. After all, if you stain something badly, it can be tricky to clean it up.

How To: Install foam sealant insulation

Need to install some foam sealant insulation? In this tutorial, Mark Donovan of HomeAdditionPlus.com shows you how to install foam sealant installation between window and door jams. Traditionally most contractors would stuff batting insulation into jams by hand, a process that takes a lot of time. Here, we learn a better way.

How To: Fix a squeaky door in seconds

Is a squeaky door in your house bringing you down, and making the house seem haunted? Well, it's a simple solution to fix. As Phillips Woodworking shows us, it's merely a matter of greasing the hinges. Once you get some WD-40 and apply it correctly, your door will make no more noises.

How To: Mix and use sanded floor grout

Before you grout a floor, take the time to be sure that you really know what you're doing. Mistakes you make now can come back to haunt you later. A lot of people try to use wall grout, for instance, which doesn't work well and eventually cracks. What you really want top use is sanded grout. In this 4-part tutorial series, Tim Carter, of Ask the Builder, demonstrates how to mix up and use sanded grout when you're putting down a tile floor.

How To: Use thinset for ceramic tile floors

Many people use mastic when applying ceramic floor tiles, not realizing that mastic will never completely set and is thus vulnerable to cracks if you put a lot of weight on it. Thinset is actually a much better product for a job like this. In this video, Tim Carter, of Ask the Builder, will show you how to use thinnest to apply floor tiles.

How To: Repair stucco cracks

Stucco cracks aren't just unsightly. They can also create structural problems for your home. In this tutorial, you'll learn a few of the different ways to repair exterior stucco cracks. Doing a small repair now can save you a whole lot of trouble later.

How To: Do a knockdown repair

No, despite how it sounds, a knockdown repair doesn't involve repairing things that have been knocked down. A knockdown in this case refers to a knockdown wall texture. In this simple video tutorial, you'll learn how to repair a knockdown texture that's been damaged.

How To: Apply stucco

Using stucco, you can completely transform the look of your indoor or outdoor space. The process can look intimidating at first, but it' really pretty simple once you know what you're doing. In this short video from the DIY Network, Rock Solid hosts Dean Marsico and Derek Stearns explain how to apply stucco.