BUILD
PAINT
CLEAN
MAINTAIN
USE
DESIGN
INSTALL
CHOOSE
GROW
How To: Get Clean, Chip-Free Cuts in Melamine and Veneer
Melamine-coated particleboard is a great material for storage, basement, garage, home office, and kid's room projects. It's less expensive than plywood and has a much cleaner finished look than painted MDF or fib...
How To: Keep a Christmas Tree Fresh
It’s the time of year when Christmas tree lots start appearing around your community, bringing with them a difficult decision–will bringing home your evergreen so early in the season mean having a Charlie Brown-s...
Top 10 Ways to Deal with Bees
Bob Vila recently contacted me because he had a bee infestation in his attic. I've made several visits to his house since then, removing insulation to get to the bee hive, removing the hive, and then cleaning up ...
How To: Use a Saw Properly
PreparationPreparation is the most important ingredient for making clean, accurate, safe cuts. To properly prepare for a cut, you must follow a strict regimen of steps: Determine and set up the saw and blade bes...
How To: Determine If Your Carpenter's Square Is True
To determine whether a carpenter's square is true, all you need is a straight line. Sound too simple? First you lay the square to be tested flat, its blade tight to the line. Then draw a second line along the ton...
How To: Save Money and Electricity with Fluorescent Light
Give Fluorescent Lighting Another ChanceWe all know that switching to fluorescent lighting saves energy and money. But if it’s such a good deal, why aren’t we all doing it? One reason is the bad rap that fluoresc...
Project Guide: Refinishing Hardwood Floors
Few do-it-yourself projects deliver the "wow" factor as potently as refinishing hardwood floors.
Engineered vs. Solid: Selecting Wood Flooring
There are a lot of decisions to make when constructing a new home. Having a large production builder as our contractor, the task was made somewhat easier with an all-day “selections appointment,” where samples of...
How To: Distress New Beams for an Century-Old Look
Creating hundred-year-old beams is an art form that Juan Santos of Emilios' Woodworking has perfected. In the Malibu series from Home Again's third season, Juan shared some of his technique with Bob, taking a new...
How To: Protect Your Home from Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants damage wood by hollowing it out for nesting. Unlike termites, wood damaged by carpenter ants does not contain mud-like debris. Instead, carpenter ant nests have a smooth, sandpapered appearance. Ca...
