Q: How Do I Fix a Leaky Garbage Disposal? A: First step when working on a garbage disposal is to safely disconnect the electrical power
Q: How is polyacrylic different from polyurethane for a woodworking finish? A: Polyurethane is a widely used oil-based finish that creates a durable protective shell
Q: I’d like to move a backyard shed about thirty feet to make room for a new deck. Is there a way to move it
Q: I have a metal handrail that has some rust spots, including an area at the bottom of the hollow post where the metal has
Q: What’s the best way to match a popcorn-textured ceiling when making a repair? A: Home centers will usually carry a Popcorn Texture Patch product
Q: I’m planning to build a deck attached to the rear of the house. It will be about 2 feet high. Is it necessary to
Q: The fan to my furnace/AC system stays on after the furnace has finished its heating cycle. This causes it to blow unheated air non-stop,
Q: I’d like to add a ceiling fan in my bedroom, but the center of the room (where I’d like to locate it) falls right
Q: I replaced the floor tile in a bathroom. The new tile isn’t nearly as thick as the old tile, and now my toilet sits
Q: What is the best type of screen material for a screened porch? A: Fiberglass and aluminum are the two main choices for a screen
Q: Is there any easier method of extracting a broken fence post than digging up the entire concrete base? A: After removing the fence rails
Q: I saw a photo online of what looked like interior wooden curtains that slid together on an overhead track to cover a window. How
Q: Will plastic sheeting be an okay moisture barrier to use beneath hardwood flooring? A: Avoid plastic sheeting on wood subfloors because it only serves
Q: I inherited a house from a cigarette smoker. How can I remove the residual odor? A: Cigarette smoke can leave a smelly film over
Q: What’s the best way to fix a sagging car headliner? A: Those annoying cloth headliners always seem to eventually detach from the foam backing
Q: What is the difference between face brick and brick veneer? A: Face brick is exposed brick on a home’s exterior or interior. Brick veneers
Q: What’s a more durable wood finish, shellac or varnish? A: All wood finishes fall into one of two categories: evaporative or reactive. Evaporative finishes
Q: How do I get bats out of the attic? A: This is a timely question for our October issue. Bats can be annoying, leave
Q: What’s the most reliable method for attaching a treehouse to a tree? A: Consider using a Treehouse Attachment Bolt, also called a TAB. This
Q: What is domino joinery in woodworking? A: Similar in application to biscuit joinery, Festool’s Domino Joiner tool cuts mortises into the edges of wood
Q: What is the best way to prevent knots from leading to rot in a wood deck surface? A: We recommend sealing knots with stainable,
Q: I want to install a new faucet that has a hidden hose for the spout to double as a spray nozzle. My old two-handle
Q: I’ve heard of a Japanese method of preserving outdoor wood that involves charring the surface. How is this done? A: “Shou Sugi Ban” is
Q: The dishwasher leaked at my mother’s house and damaged the flooring. She has adhesive vinyl floor tile, and I can’t find a match. Is
Q: I read about the wonders of rubber-based sealant as an alternative to silicone, but are there applications where this type of product would not
Q: How do I cut a quartz backsplash? A: Currently popular for countertops, quartz is an attractive but very hard material. Its density and durability
Q: How do I patch an aluminum gutter? I had to relocate a downspout, and now there’s a hole where it used to be. A:
Q: What’s the easiest way to adjust a garden’s soil pH? A: If your garden soil pH level is below 6, the soil is too
Q: How do I remove a laminate kitchen countertop and backsplash? I want to replace it, but the existing countertop is stuck in place, even
Q: Can a DIY’er install a granite countertop? A: For a small end table or island, a couple of DIY’ers strong enough to lift the
Q: I’d like to add a garden of ferns and flowers on the roof of my chicken coop, to provide some decoration and provide insulation
Q: What’s the best roofing material to use for a flat roof? A: For a flat or low-slope roof you’ll need a built-up roof, rubber
Q: Do you have any tips for removing a stripped screw? A: Start by placing a thick rubber band over the screw and then slowly
Q: The electrical fuse in my house keeps blowing. Should I use a bigger fuse? A: Fuses must always match a specific wire size. No.
Q: A woodpecker keeps drilling a hole into the siding beneath the eaves of my house. How can I
Q: What bit should I use to drill a hole in glass? A: You’ll need a diamond-coated or carbide-tipped glass bit. The glass will have
Q: What are the advantages of stone veneer? A: Rather than thick, heavy stones that require additional structural support and mortar between the joints, stone
Q: I’d like to get an early start on my garden this year. What plants are appropriate to sow in April? A: Unless you experience
Q: What is shapeable concrete? A: A new product from Sakrete, called Shapecrete, is an easy-to-use, high performance, shape-able concrete mix that can be rolled,
Q: What are the advantages of marine plywood? A: Marine plywood is manufactured from durable veneers and wood plies with minimal defects so it performs
Q: The plastic nuts that hold the seat onto our toilet keep breaking. I’m worried that if I use metal nuts and washers, the porcelain
Q: How do I Fix a Leaky Outdoor Faucet? A: First, try tightening the handle. If the faucet leaks from the handle, tighten the packing
Q: My child has asthma. Is carpet a bad idea for flooring in our house? A: Significant scientific and medical research demonstrates carpet is a
Q: Can I install an Energy Star-approved appliance myself and still qualify for the U.S. Federal tax credit? A: Yes, you can install the eligible
Q: Can composite decking be stained? A: Yes, you can stain worn composite decking, but since it doesn’t have genuine wood grain you’ll need to
Q: How do I install railing in a concrete sidewalk? A: You can mount the railing with Anchoring Cement, which is a pourable cement that
Q: What is kickout flashing? A: On a roof, kickout flash-ing is installed where a lower roofline intersects a vertical wall. This angled piece of
Q: Do you have a spot-removal suggestion to use on carpet? A: A good standby is to mix 1/4 teaspoon of clear, non-bleach, non-lanolin, non-optical
Q: How do I install an outlet box in a finished wall? A: When running wire through finished walls and you can’t access a stud
Q: I’ve always jumped a car battery by connecting jumper cables directly from the positive and negative terminals on the good battery to the corresponding
Q: Should I use plastic sheeting as a moisture barrier before installing solid wood floors on the first floor of my home? A: You should
Q: I’d like to install tile in a room at the rear of my house, but my neighbor thinks the floor is not stable enough
Q: A valve near the top of my water heater is leaking into a drain line. When I flip the trigger I can open the
Q: The trap beneath our kitchen sink is leaking, and I can’t get the fitting to tighten. Is there a way to repair the leak
Q: I’ve picked up a couple of furniture pieces at yard sales. Their finish is intact, but pretty dull at this point. Is there a
Q: Can I remove a popcorn ceiling with water after it’s been painted? A: The fact that the popcorn finish has been painted means that
Q: How do I cut glass to repair a broken window pane? A: Generally speaking, picture-framing stores and certain hardware stores, such as Lowe’s, will
Q: My water bill has been on steady incline the last few months. The water department says I must have a leaking plumbing fixture, but
Q: When hanging drywall, how far apart should I space the drywall fasteners? A: Fastener spacing for installing gypsum panels depends on the particular drywall
Q: After installing a 2-by-2-foot drywall patch into a ceiling, I realized the piece was too thin and has a “pushed in” look, compared to
Q: How do I mount a screw-mounted fixture onto a tile wall? A: Installing a fixture in tile first requires pre-drilling a pilot hole through
Q: Thieves stole our bicycles by unscrewing the toggle bolt of the bike rack, and stealing the entire rack to which the bikes were chained.
Q. I’ve picked up a couple of furniture pieces at yard sales. Their finish is intact, but pretty dull at this point. Is there a
Q. Can I remove a popcorn ceiling with water after it’s been painted? A. The fact that the popcorn finish has been painted means that
Q. How do I cut glass to repair a broken window pane? A. Generally speaking, picture-framing stores and certain hardware stores, such as Lowe’s, will
Q. My water bill has been on steady incline the last few months. The water department says I must have a plumbing fixture, but I
Q: Can I mount a screw in a hollow core door? A: Since there’s not much solid wood in a hollow-core interior door, screws will
Q: The top of my kitchen island doubles as a butcher-block cutting board. What is a sanitary way to clean the cutting surface? A: Scrub
Q: How do I know what type of polish to use on my wood floors? A: Most wood floors installed over the last 30 years
Q: Is there an easy way to remove old glazing from a window? I’m afraid I’ll break the glass if I chip away at the
Q: I’d like to replace a 2-prong receptacle with a 3-prong receptacle but was told I could only do this if the outlet box was
Q: Why are some saw blades “carbide-tipped”? A: Carbide (specifically tungsten carbide and titanium carbide) is a common material used for cutting tools such as
Q: What is the advantage of a wireless light switch? A: These battery-powered switches control the new home lighting options that are controlled by radio
Q: We installed a new tile floor in the bathroom, but the toilet drain is now too low for the toilet flange. How can we
Q: Should I use concrete to set a fence post? A: Concrete will certainly work to set a fence post, but you should rest the
Q: Is it okay to use treated wood inside? A: Many pressure-treated wood products do not emit any vapors and are safe for interior use,
Q: How do I clean artificial stone in my house? A: First, protect the areas around the stone with a drop cloth. Fill two buckets
Q: Does copper kill bacteria? A: Antimicrobial copper alloys are the only solid metal “touch surface” materials registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to
Q: I’m installing additional loose-fill insulation in my attic. How far away from light fixtures should it be kept? A: Electrical codes generally require that
Q: Does track lighting require multiple electrical wires for all the individual lights? A:Track lighting requires only the standard wiring necessary to power a single
Q: How do I install crown molding when the nails won’t reach the ceiling joists? A: Due to the direction of the ceiling joists, two
Q: What’s the easiest way to run electrical lines through a finished wall for a new outlet? A: If you’re running the wire up from
Q: Our bikes where chained to a bike rack that was mounted to the wall of our back porch. Thieves still stole the bikes by
Q: My mailbox has fallen victim to a game of “mailbox baseball.” I’d like the next one to be encased in brick. How are brick
Q: While visiting a restaurant I noticed the walls had a faux finish with vertical straitions like wood grain or the texture of certain plant
Q: Why do building codes vary from location to location? A: In general, building codes are developed by industry associations to provide minimum safety standards
Q: How should I paint interior brick? A: First step is to scrub the surface clean using a firm synthetic-bristle brush and a TSP (trisodium
Q: When installing insulation, on which side of the wall should a vapor barrier be applied, the inside or outside? A: Most insulation requires a
Q: How should I transition new wallpaper around an arched doorway? A: Since the wallpaper won’t fold neatly around a curve, and it can be
Q: How are clinch nails used? A: Clinch nails are made of soft metal or are cut so the pointed end may be bent over
Q: I’ve seen composite decking for sell as solid boards as well as boards with arched voids on the underside. Is there an advantage to
Q: What’s the best way to deodorize a refrigerator? A: Placing an open box of baking soda in the fridge is an old standby method
Q: How Do I Replace a Circuit Breaker? A: If you’ve already tripped the circuit breaker and the circuit did not reactivate, then you likely
Q: I need to replace a dimmer switch. Are the switches universal? A: Dimmer switches are rated to handle a specific maximum wattage. For example,
Q: Is there a right and wrong way to use wood shims? A: The best method for using wood shims is to insert them in
Q: When replacing a door and transom, do the replacements come as a single unit or separate pieces? A: You should consult with your door
Q: I have new stained wood kitchen cabinets. What’s the best way to care for them? A: Wood cabinets and furniture of all types require
Q: Should I use sanded or unsanded grout for bathroom tile? A: The sand in sanded grout makes it stronger than the unsanded variety so
Q: Why are nails designated in “penny” sizes? A: “Penny” sizes originally referred to the price for a hundred nails in England in the 15th
Armstrong-Clark’s deck and siding wood stain has nondrying conditioning oils that separate from the drying side of the formula. These oils penetrate deep into the deck or siding wood fiber where the wood’s natural oils used to be. This process rejuvenates the wood. The drying oils stay at the surface, lock in the conditioning oils […]
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