By Mark and Theresa Clement Every Deck has its Day. Steps for Rebuilding your Backyard Deck. The beloved backyard deck, in historical terms, is a
Who doesn’t love a new way to break stuff? Instead of
By Charlie Self Cultivating Garlic in a Raised Bed Garlic bulbs are available everywhere, but the pleasure of growing your own is great. It is
I spent the weekend at an arts and crafts festival at the Tannehill Ironworks State Park
By Matt Weber I started my first backyard garden last year, having for decades watched my dad and grandfather tend large gardens of their own.
By Clint C. Thomas, Esq. Photography by Zoe Thomas Making the most of a Backyard Garden America’s doctrine of westward expansion, known as Manifest Destiny,
Professional painters take note: The Scrammer is on its way. The multipurpose Scrammer
By Clint C. Thomas, Esq. Photographs by Zoe Thomas Trim Paint with Perfection.
By Matt Weber Gear up for summer with new equipment for your outdoor improvements. Black & Decker 36V Tiller For the 2012 spring
It’s time to give your lawn its back-to-school haircut.
Now you can have both the soft, warm comfort of a sweatshirt along with protection from the cold and wind with the Wolverine Regulator Full
By Matt Weber Cabinet veneer gives the appearance of solid hardwood at a fraction of the cost.
By Tim Walton It’s easy to feel torn when trying to decide what kind of mods you’d like to do
By Rob Robillard Create a beautiful water feature with some simple materials and a little ingenuity.
The cleaning and staining of the deck was way past due (for probably 3-4 years). Six years ago I wrote this article (http://extremehowto.com/deck-makeover/) describing the
By Michael Springer A Guide to Glues and Adhesives used in Home Improvement. There is a dizzying array of glue and adhesive products in the
Here’s an example one of those unexpected chores that seem to come up on every remodeling job … In this case, I had to
By Matt Weber Refinish a deck to renew the look and protect it from the elements. For decades genuine wood has remained America’s most
I noticed that our friend Marc from HomeFixated.com — a very cool home-improvement and tool review blog — showed Extreme How-To some love with his
By Larry Walton Under the Hood — Install an oven range hood to upgrade your kitchen’s exhaust system. When the Vendettis decided to upgrade their
(photo courtesy Liquid Nails) Trim Work: When it comes to installing exterior molding and trim, a simple way to save time and money is to
How’s this for an interesting business model: Textbook Painting. No, the company doesn’t paint your textbook. It’s an entrepreneurial painting service that serves two purposes:
By Larry Walton Photos by Larry and Tim Walton Step by Step instructions for reconfiguring your kitchen cabinets to install a dishwasher. Lacey Melton, my
By Matt Weber New Concrete Coating Converts a Dull Slab into a Colorful Canvas. The natural color of concrete has all the flair and fashion
We recently demonstrated a variety of tile-cutting tools for an upcoming EHT article. Check out our October issue for coverage on everything from old standards
By Mark and Theresa Clement Installing a synthetic slate roof: How to cool down—and amp up—the house’s hot spot. A roof is one of the
By Mark and Theresa Clement On the set of the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition playground project in Joplin, MO. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is such
Winning. For DIY’ers, choosing the right paint sheen for the right application can be a confusing ordeal. To help clear things up, Debbie Zimmer, paint
By Matt Weber How to Build a Sectional Entertainment Center with Pocket-hole Joinery.
“Be prepared.” That’s the Boy Scout motto, and wise words for DIY’ers in this era of face-eaters and doomsday-preppers. And, while we don’t generally blog
Installing a squeak-free floor should be the goal of any professional flooring installer–and the hope of any homeowner. To accomplish this requires diligent floor prep,
Major work on a house usually requires a building permit and an inspection by a city official to make sure all remodeling is done in
I knew a lot of homes had asphalt shingles–but 85% of the homes in America? … Wow. If you’ve got 2-1/2 minutes then you can
By Matt Weber Over the course of many years and many flooring jobs, the EHT staff has developed a list of favorite flooring tools that
Q. What is expansive cement? A. Concrete is generally mixed with more water than is needed to hydrate the cement, and when it evaporates it
Q. What is the purpose of the recirculate setting in an automobile? A. The recirculate button can help your vehicle HVAC system run more efficiently.
Q. What type of grass do I need for a “no mow” lawn? A. Certain grasses that are native to western regions of the U.S.
Q. What makes “ground contact” PT lumber more durable than lumber specified for “above ground” use? A. Pressure-treated lumber has been immersed in a liquid
Q. Does thinning paint have any adverse effects on the paint? A. Most paint products are ready to go right out of the can with
Q. I have a rectangular hallway pass-through in my home that has no door. I’d like to change the top of the pass-through into an
Q. What type of underlayment is required to install laminate flooring? A. Laminate floors should always be installed over a moisture-proof membrane, such as polyethylene
Q. What type of herbicide is best to kill the weeds that are sprouting up all over my lawn? A. Post-emergent herbicides — the type you’ll need now
Q. I have a two-handle faucet with a dripping shower head. How can I stop the leak? A. If a compression faucet drips from the
Q. After building my deck, how long should I wait before I stain it? A. The pressure treatment of lumber with waterborne preservatives leaves moisture
Any builder or renovation expert has made this statement many times, now it’s official. Having ripped and demolished structures since childhood, I have seen the
Stain or seal in half the time™ Minneapolis, Minn. – June 11, 2012 – Wagner SprayTech Corp. today introduced the new DeckJet® deck finishing tool
Q. Last week a loud screech started coming from beneath the hood of my car. Any idea what causes this? A. It’s possible that a
Q. How far away from the house should water be diverted with a downspout? A. Today’s building codes generally recommend that water should be diverted
Q. How large should grout joints be in tile? A. There’s not a specific standard for the size of a grout joint, but there are
Q. How does manufactured stone compare with real stone veneer? A. Manufactured stone, sold under brand names such as Cultured Stone, Coronado Stone, etc., is
Q. I have an older deck and fence that has grayed out and is somewhat stained. How can I restore old wood to its original
Q. How do I remove old bathroom caulk? A. A good tool combination for this job is a putty knife, a dental pick and a
Q. How do I give a copper fire pit an artificial green patina? A. The tarnish that develops on copper over time is what makes
Q. How do I shorten an interior door to clear a floor register? A. Lay a sheet of cardboard or plywood on the floor that
Q. How do I install a peephole in a fiberglass door? A. Fiberglass doors are built with two fiberglass panels with wood blocking and insulation
Q. How do I calculate the pitch of a roof? A. Roof pitch is a numerical measure of the steepness of a roof. The roof’s
Q. I have a couple of minor leaks in my roof where sheathing nails have popped up through the asphalt shingles. How do I repair
Q. The nails that hold the gutter on my house are pulling away from the fascia. What’s the easiest way to fix this? A. The
By Mark and Theresa Clement A P-Ar-GaDe-O-La. The mission of this project is to battle the blandness of the all-too-often overlooked side-yard of so many
By Matt Weber Border Security—A Painting Technique to Brighten a Room Nesting. It’s what birds do, and wasps, too. As I’ve learned, expectant human
By: Hal Jones First off, I don’t hear anyone begging to return the days of anything goes when it comes to manufacturing safe products. But
Werner 16-ft ladder collapses to Six feet when Folded The Werner three section Aluminum Extension Ladder is a 16-ft. extension ladder that collapses to an
Classic Architectural molding can add elegance and value to your home. Our multi part series based on Kuiken Brothers Whitepaper is informational not only for professional designers, but homeowners also.
By Hal Jones Xtreme Access Sockets and Ratchets, Swiss Knife Utility Comes to Socket Sets
If you’re the kind of tool hound who buys really obscure items just in case you might possibly one day have a use for them,
By Clint C. Thomas, Esq., Photographs By Zoe Thomas From material selection to installation techniques, here’s how to finish the job with success, when working
By Charlie Self Don’t brush your way into a corner. Use these easy tips for choosing the right paint brush to get the finish you’re
By Larry Walton How to prepare for and spray a new paint job on an old house by using an airless sprayer.
By Matt Weber Using Soap and Water to Locate Leaks in your Tire; The Bubbles Never Lie.
A rotten sill plate is a common occurrence in old houses—and a big problem. The sill is the piece of wood closest to the ground,
By Matt Weber Careful planning, labor-saving products and elbow grease are the keys to success for a DIY bathroom remodel. Bathroom upgrades rank among the
By: Hal Jones A few years ago I was testing a GTH 26 Garden Tractor by Husqvarna. One of the biggest surprises was its speed
By: Hal Jones Starting Plant Seeds Indoors Compared to Starting Seeds In the Garden It started off as what I thought would be a life
Wow, Spring is already here and I think someone is feeding steroids to my grass it has to be cut so frequently. Gardens are being
By Matt Weber How to Match the Air Supply to Your Air Tools
By Charlie Self Everyone Wants a Table Saw: Exploring Hybrid and Job Site Saws for the DIY Homeowner.
Editor’s Note: EHT editorial sampled these in Milwaukee and both Matt and I came away thinking this tool is going to really make an impact
By Mark Clement How to replace a roof on an old house—once and for good. This old house remodeling challenge is to replace a roof
By: Hal Jones The soreness in my right shoulder wasn’t there yesterday. Today though it pains me to even do the simplest task such as
By Clint C. Thomas, Esq., Photography by Shellye Thomas Save money and resources with a little DIY carpentry. I recently completed the renovation of a
By: Hal Jones It seems like every few years I find myself on a ladder painting a house exterior. Years ago in college I would
Tools & Materials for the Outdoor Retreat Spring will be here before we know it, making late winter an ideal time to get a head
With steady growth, our Extreme How-To Blog surpassed 2000 registered users this past weekend. Thank you to all of our loyal readers and users alike.
By: Hal Jones When we first got the HSA 65 to review I was interested in the 36 volt platform Stihl had just introduced. First
Several weeks ago, we began our annual preparations for our vegetable garden. One of the cost saving tasks we do, is to begin some of
By: Hal Jones A few years ago I walked into my teenage stepson’s bathroom he was working on and saw that he was using one
By: Hal Jones In the world of tool testing, I subject tools to what obviously are tasks outside of intended uses. In order to simulate
By Matt Weber A ladder is a must-have tool for professionals and serious DIY’ers alike. They’re
As temperatures continue to drop it’s time to start giving soil some tender, loving, care. During the fall and winter seasons, soil is naturally composed
By Mark and Theresa Clement Make a Splash It may not seem so, but a great backsplash can be the difference between a kitchen and
By Matt Weber I’m tough on a truck. To me, a pickup truck isn’t meant to be coddled like a
Congratulations to the January Winner of the Wagner PaintEater System. These are really neat tools and I loved mine until it was stolen a few
Editor’s Note:Any car owner who has fought shaping issues when restoring his car’s body, will appreciate body materials that are easy to work with. Eastwood
Extreme How-To in partnership with Skil Power Tools and Wagner Paint Products gave away a Skil Flooring Saw and a Wagner Power Painter Max with
By: Hal Jones If you find vertical wooden balusters to be commonplace and dreary, consider building your next handrail with a horizontal metal cable system.
WiseBond’s new Epoxy Garage Floor Kit is turning heads because it delivers a full 100% flake broadcast and a durable polyaspartic top coat at an average of just $2.75 per sq. ft. That’s a legit upgrade for anyone wanting a bold, high‑performance garage floor without complexity. The system includes the SkipGrind no‑grind primer, a high‑solids […]
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