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There are many ways to invite problems when you lay ceramic tile. Avoid such problems and a tile floor can last for decades—crack-free. Ignore these problems and your floor tiles and grout lines can begin cracking shortly after the job is complete. Here are nine pro tips to bear in mind when performing installation.
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My wife and I have a very small bathroom. The tub, toilet, and sink are lined up shoulder to shoulder along one wall. An in-swinging door assaults anyone foolish enough to linger in front of the mirror.
And this particular bathroom is the smallest in a long line of small bathrooms I’ve owned. For that reason, it may be that I’m the world’s leading expert on finding ways to increase bathroom storage.
Here are my top ways to find storage in a small bathroom:
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Walls, normally thought of as interior design elements, are useful in landscaping, too. A landscaping wall can be freestanding to define an area, to provide a garden backdrop, or to create privacy. Or a landscaping wall can be used to retain earth after an excavation, such as for a driveway or patio. In the latter case, they’re called retaining walls.
Retaining walls have to work a lot harder than freestanding walls. In addition to supporting their own weight, they must resist lateral forces due to the soil being retained. Sometimes that soil is saturated with water, which can build tremendous force, especially with slow-to-drain, expansive clay soils.
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It’s not something you really want to acknowledge. You tell yourself it’s an optical illusion, or clutch to the consoling thought that, hey, the tower in Pisa has leaned for centuries.
But a tilting chimney is a serious home problem that should be dealt with as soon as possible. The bricks could fall on someone’s head or crash on your roof. Water and bugs could get in the gap where the chimney has pulled away from the siding. The chimney liner may even be cracked, leaking combustible gases into the home. And since the chimney is probably connected to the foundation, there could be problems there, too.
The good news is that with today’s foundation repair methods, it may be possible to move your chimney into its original plumb position without incurring the high cost and disruption of demolition and rebuilding.
You’re probably thinking I’m about to list my all-star tool picks. Nope. My five must-haves for a basement workshop have more to do with comfort, health, and safety. If you want to enjoy spending time in your shop—and protect your investment in tools—I think these items are truly essential.
1. Dust collection
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A porch is simply a deck with a roof on it, right? Not quite. While some porches may be as simple as that, many are more similar to an indoor room that is missing windows and walls.
To stain or paint? That is the question. Photo: DIYchatroom.com
Having expensive cabinets hanging on your kitchen walls doesn’t mean much if you don’t like the color. That’s why many homeowners consider refinishing cabinets with a stain color of their own choosing. It is a big job, but there is a big payoff. Before you begin, however, it’s best to do a little detective work.
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Looking to learn how to paint trim? It’s not so different from painting other surfaces in a home. Your method will vary depending on whether or not the trim is already installed.
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Building a cabinet looks easy. After all, it’s just a box with a door. It only becomes difficult if you want it to look like fine furniture. Or carry heavy loads. Or include drawers, pull-outs, and Lazy Susans. Or if it needs to be finished to withstand a daily onslaught of moisture, spills, sticky fingers and cleansers. Building a cabinet looks easy, but the truth is that it isn’t.
First and foremost you’ll need to know something about cabinetmaking materials. There are a number of hardwoods from which to choose—ash, birch, maple, and oak among them. Each has characteristics that may or may not make your job easier. There are also many grades of plywood and fiberboard. Sheet goods are what the cabinet’s “carcass” or body is made of (and sometimes its doors as well).
Everyone agrees that you should change your HVAC filter on a regular basis, but not everyone agrees on the type of filter you should use. Next time you go shopping for a furnace (or AC) filter, here are a few things to keep in mind. These tips can save you a bundle and perhaps even prevent you from inadvertently damaging your HVAC equipment.
Close-up of washable filter
