How To Clean Brick Stains
April 1, 2008
Q: There is a white powder-like substance on the brick of our new backyard patio. How can I remove this? A: That white substance is
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Q: There is a white powder-like substance on the brick of our new backyard patio. How can I remove this? A: That white substance is
The Gutter Spatula “I thought I’d share with your readers this little brainstorm I had while cleaning my gutters last weekend … I’ve discovered the
Q: I moved into a house with old aluminum siding. Can I paint it? A: As with any painting project, begin by prepping the surface.
Q: Help! I have loose siding panels (vinyl) from hurricane damage. How can I repair this? A: Vinyl siding panels interlock at their top and
Q: Our rear deck is a little too bouncy. Is there any way to stabilize this without a complete rebuild? A: A “bouncy” deck is
Q: My wife wants an in-ground water fountain in the front yard, and I have no experience installing one. Is this even a DIY project
Q: We recently installed a new roof, with new fiberglass insulation and two new wind turbines. Would I save money during the winter if I
Q: Is there a way to fix a loose metal handrail without replacing the whole thing? A: A wobbly metal rail is a common problem
Q: I have some ugly oil stains on the driveway from the car. Can you give me some tips on how to remove them? A:
Q: Several years ago I had vinyl siding installed on my house and under the eaves. No eave vents were installed and I’d like to
Extreme How-To Explores the various systems and benefits of radiant heat.
Q: I’m about to pour a new sidewalk. How long should I let the new concrete cure before walking on it? A: Generally speaking, concrete
Q: Two doors in my house have lousy hinges. The screws have stripped out of the casing and now the doors swing crooked. I have
Q: I tiled the kids’ bathroom and mixed my grout in the tub. The tub itself is made of fiberglass. I now have small dark
Improving sound and performance with a Magnaflow cat-back exhaust system.
Q: One of the burners on my oven range died. Should I replace it, or can it be fixed? A: If the burner is scorched
Q: Can you tell me how to re-glue a seam in a vinyl floor? I’d hate to call a handyman if it’s something simple that I
Q: I have a crack in the drywall of the living room ceiling. When it gets cold, the crack widens. When it’s warm, the crack
Q: I have a heat pump question. How much water should be coming out of my A/C unit? It is an 8-year-old system, and it
Q: I need to cut a piece of cement board into a 30-inch circle. What’s the best way to cut this material? A: You
Q: I have an old house that has lath and plaster walls. When taking off some wallpaper, a lot of plaster came off. Can I
Q: I’d like to install a glass block window in a bathroom. Is this a DIY project? A: Glass blocks can be used in
Q: The finish is worn on our bathtub and instead of ripping up the bathroom and replacing it, I was wondering if there are products
Q: I want new flooring in the dining room and I’m trying to decide between carpet and wood. I’m on a concrete slab and it’s
Beefing Up the Backdoor Against Break-ins
Q: Our upstairs hardwood floor squeaks in a few places. I can’t access the joists because of the finished ceiling of the first floor. Can
Q: Our shower won’t spray water the way it used to. Can I repair this or do I have to replace the head? A: For
Q: I’m considering replacing my old water heater with a tankless version. Are these things all they’re cracked up to be? A: Tankless water heaters
Q: I’m having a terrible time trying to remove melted candle wax from the carpet. Any advice? A: First, carefully scrape any loose wax
Q: Is there a quick fix for a squeaky door hinge? A: Here’s one method that sometimes works: petroleum jelly. Start by loosening the
Q: I’m about to wallpaper a bedroom but dread the mess of soaking the pre-pasted paper. Is there any way around this? A: The soaking
Spray Polyurethane Foam is Raising the Bar in Building Insulation
Rust, it’s the bane of anyone doing restoration work. Concern about the destructive effects of corrosion to iron-based materials has been around as long
How to make a mantel—or an awesome shelf—from Fypon’s new Southwest Collection urethane moldings.
New materials, smart building practices save money on energy bills.
Buried Treasure: Discovering and Recovering Hardwood Floors
The latest trend is increased power in a compact package.
Boost your curb appeal and add value to your home.
Q: Our upstairs hardwood floor squeaks in a few places. I can’t access the joists because of the finished ceiling of the first floor. Can
Tips and Tools to Get the Job Done Right
Push-starting our ’74 Super Beetle wasn’t that big of a deal (unless you ask my lovely young bride, who once had to interrupt her
Replace old windows to reduce energy costs and add value to your home.
Q: Help! When I had my back turned, my three-year-old grandson found a loose loop of carpet and gave it a yank. Now I have
Q: Several spots in our plumbing system began to leak over the last year, so we had to replace some of the galvanized pipe. Last
Q: We plan to lay a new kitchen floor in our lake house. We purchased peel-and-stick tile, hoping we can lay them right over the
Q: I’d like to add an arched entryway between the living room and kitchen. Can you tell me how to bend drywall for the arch?
Q: My neighbor has a faux finish in her family room that she calls “stippling.” It gives the walls a nice textured look. Her walls
Q: I’m planning to do my own roofing job. Is it possible to do one side of the roof at a time, finish one part
Q: When I turn on my air conditioner I smell a very bad odor, like sulfur or rotten eggs. The smell only lasts about 10
Q: I always hear about the importance of insulating the attic, but rarely hear much talk about insulation between the floor joists of crawlspaces? Is
Q: I had a mahogany deck installed last year and the boards were put too close together, resulting in puddling when it rains or snows.
Q: What product do you recommend for regular cleaning of hardwood floors? A: Many pros swear by using nothing more than a mixture
Q: A few months ago, I hired a contractor to install laminate tongue-and-groove flooring over concrete. It was installed with glue. Now I hear pops
Q: Help! My three-year-old son flushed a bar of soap down the toilet. I’ve tried using a plunger plus a lot of Drano, and it
Q: I am installing quarter-round on my new baseboards, what do you use to attach the joints with? Should I use Liquid Nails to glue
Q: Which is better; cobalt, titanium or black oxide for drill bits? By better I mean will stay sharp longer when drilling wood, metal studs,
Q: We just had our fireplace cleaned and the cracks sealed, but still sometimes have a backdraft problem where the smoke doesn’t go up. There’s
Phil Smith of Decatur, Indiana, submitted the following helpful home tip to the EHT staff: “While refinishing my basement, I was putting the final touches
Q: When hanging drywall, do you place the bottom of the sheets on the subfloor or are they raised up to allow for expansion? A:
Q: Is textured paint easier to use than creating texture with joint compound? A: Using pre-textured paint can be easier because it saves you the
Q: I was interested in becoming a residential contractor, and I thought Extreme How-To may have some information on pointing me in the right direction.
Q: Should I use pressure-treated lumber for the inside of a shed I’m building? A: Using pressure-treated lumber certainly wouldn’t harm anything, and it will
Q: When you’re laying sheathing on the roof, which way does it need to go, vertical or horizontal? We have it going horizontal and have
Q: I’m interested in buying a framing nail gun and wondered what the pros and cons were for Clipped-Head vs. Round-Head. I’ll be framing a
Phil Smith of Decatur, Indiana, submitted the following helpful home tip to the EHT staff: While refinishing my basement, I was putting the final
Q: How to Build a Header for a Door? A: A header is doubled 2-by material above the door to distribute the weight of the
Q: Hi, I’m 12 years old and I need to get a stripped screw out of my electric guitar. The needle-nose pliers won’t grip it
Q: I would like to cover a block wall of my home to look like an old adobe. Do I need to cover the brick
Q: Any advice on installing crown molding solo? I’m remodeling my house but I live alone and don’t usually have an extra pair of hands
Q: I recently finished adding a deck to my house. I’ve noticed part of my handrail is warping. I used treated wood, 2-by-4 and spindles
Q. I’d like to build a backyard concrete patio to replace a rotting deck. The patio would be about 18 by 10 feet. How do
Q: Can I install plastic laminate over a countertop that’s already covered with existing laminate material? A: Yes, but the existing surface must be
Q: Is it possible to paint vinyl siding? Or do I have to replace the siding if I want a new color? A: Fortunately, several
Q: I can do a decent job at taping and mudding the flat seams of drywall, but still have a little trouble at the inside
Q: My home has about 6 inches of fiberglass insulation in the attic, and I’m planning to add more. Should I use faced insulation? A:
Q: For a countertop, what are the advantages/disadvantages of 2-centimeter granite versus 3-centimeter granite? The 2-centimeter is cheaper, but I know you usually get what
Q: A thunderstorm blew a few shingles off my roof. The roof is about 12 years old. I would like to replace the missing shingles
Q: There’s a lot of loud banging in our plumbing. Any advice on how to stop this? A: You’re probably talking about “water hammer.” Water
Q: Is there a standard height for base molding? And do you have any tips for installation on a new floor? A: You want to
Q: I’m remodeling my kitchen, which will feature white cabinets, white crown molding and white baseboard trim throughout. For a sink backsplash, I thought the
Q: My daughter and her husband just moved into their first house. They’ve got some work to do, and I thought a toolbox would make
Q: I’m building a room in the top of my garage and need to hang the ceiling joists. In this case, the joists will hang
Here’s how to build two types of benches; one “classic” piece of outdoor furniture, as well as a rustic bench made from a log slab.
For people tired of dragging around a lawn sprinkler, we have found a simple solution…
A classic workbench can help make your next woodworking project a rousing success.
Different tools for different jobs … EHT looks at the ins and outs of buying a nailer or stapler.
The Ins and Outs of Installing an Exterior Door
Pro builder and radio personality shares tips on building the best deck.
Knee-deep in books? Get organized by constructing your own home library.
“While I’ve sanded floors before, I learned some things on this one that can save a few headaches.” –MC
Create a classic door style for cabinets or furniture.
Majority Feel Renovations Will Boost Value at Resale
These deck posts integrate with joists and decking to make a safe, sweet-looking handrail.
Waterproofing the ledger board is a critical step in preventing moisture damage and ensuring the structural integrity of a deck over time. To fully protect this essential component, the makers of Trex® Seal™ Ledger Tape have introduced a new butyl tape engineered specifically for use beneath the ledger board. Measuring 22 inches wide, Trex® Seal™ […]
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