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Q: Woodpeckers recently swooped in on my property and did a number on my cedar tree, siding, and roof. How do I plug ...
Q: I just noticed a crack in my ceiling, but I’m not sure how long it’s been there. Is it a normal symptom of an agin...
Drywall taping has always been a notoriously messy, imprecise undertaking. In the past, no matter the size of the job...
The zipper is a staple in daily life, keeping everything from jeans and jackets to duffel bags and lunch boxes closed...
An old and corroded shower head not only looks unattractive to shower underneath, but the outdated model can be costi...
Q: Recently, my mower started billowing smoke when I powered it up, so I shut it off immediately. Why is my lawn mowe...
Q: I've just turned on the air conditioner for the summer, but have yet to get comfortable. The appliance circulates ...
Concrete is one of the most durable construction materials around, but faulty installation, everyday wear and tear, e...
Do you have a flaking eyesore of a fence that plagues the perimeter of your property? While there are no shortcuts to...
You don’t have to spend a lot of time and effort to keep your house in top condition. Some of the best improvement projects don’t require pulling permits or hirin...
The bathroom may well be the wet spot in any home, but water pooling around the base of the commode doesn't fall in t...
In the above photo, you're seeing what used to be a playroom for my two daughters. For years, the space contained the...
Some people hate their floors and long for a new look. Others love theirs but can't abide their minor imperfections: a scratch, dent, or loose tile. Whatever your...
The handiest people advocate keeping a pocket knife within reach (if not actually in a pocket) at all times. Its fold...
If you’re reluctant to rearrange the pictures on your walls because you dread dealing with the nail holes left behind...
Q: Help! Just as I was leaving the bathroom, I heard the unmistakable, undesirable sound of water hitting the floor. ...
Carpet is a costly investment that should last at least 10 years, but discoloration—thanks to spills, pet mishaps, an...
Q: When the water reaches the fill level in my washing machine and the agitation cycle starts, I always hear a loud s...
Caulk comes to the rescue in myriad projects around the house, from outdoor maintenance to indoor decorating. What makes this humble material so good at what it d...
Clogs, squeaks, leaks, and other minor disasters strike even the most well-maintained homes. But you don’t necessarily need a professional handyman to cure what a...
Q: I went to transfer a load of laundry to the dryer, and to my chagrin the clothes were sopping wet! Why didn’t the ...
No matter how quietly you traipse through your home late at night, a squeaky floor will always trip you up and announ...
Key rings can get crowded (and heavy!) fast, when you consider all that you load up on them: keys for your car, front...
Q. Lately, when I take a shower, more water drips and runs out from behind the shower head faceplate than comes out t...
It’s a law of nature and of home-owning: whatever can go wrong, eventually will. With a bit of preparedness and forethought, though, damage from household mishaps...
Q. After dinner, I rinsed off the dishes in the sink like I always do, and then I flipped on the garbage disposal swi...
Drywall anchors certainly come in handy when you want to safely hang something heavy on a hollow wall or a spot witho...
Q: Even though my shower was perfectly toasty when I hopped in, it quickly chilled until there was no hot water left ...
From sinks to appliances, counters to cabinet hardware, stainless steel remains a popular kitchen trend, favored for ...
In theory, metal bolts—headed fasteners with external threads that fit into suitable non-tapered nuts—can be removed ...
Q. Help! I went to the basement to do some laundry but found water on the floor instead! How do I rescue my flooded b...
Your home’s roof is its first line of defense against storms and extreme weather, be it a foot or more of snow droppi...
Concrete is tough stuff but over time, environmental exposure and wear-and-tear almost inevitably lead to cracks and ...
It’s been one of those days. You caught every red light on your way home from work, your laundry wasn’t ready at the ...
From a casual analysis of popular search terms, we can draw a few conclusions about people's feelings toward their bathrooms: They’re too small, there’s too much ...
The next time you're making a grocery list, be sure to add cleaners to your must-buys. Only on this trip to the store, you'll never have to set foot in the commer...
As one of the strongest, most durable, and longest-lasting construction materials, it's no wonder why concrete is the...
Nothing interferes with a refreshing shower like a slow-draining bathtub. And that inch or two of water that sneaks u...
Over the course of millennia, builders have used everything from animal horns to whiskey in the making of stucco—an a...
Q: Help! I woke up after last night’s storm to find a discoloration on the kitchen ceiling and a puddle underneath. W...
The do-it-yourself ethos is one we heartily applaud. Most services provided by home maintenance pros aren't cheap, so taking care of small fixes on your own can s...
An essential at job sites, in workshops, and on garage shelves for more than 60 years, WD-40® Multi-Use Product has e...
Q: Help! My toilet won’t flush. The handle moves freely, but nothing happens when I press down. Can I fix it without ...
Plenty of DIYers find themselves eager to start a project only to come to a full stop when confronting rivets. The fa...
Even in the age of central air, ceiling fans still have their lofty place. The welcome breeze they provide evaporates...
For construction professionals and homeowners alike, concrete offers many appealing qualities, but there may be none ...
When furniture fixes fall apart, it's usually because the tools and supplies weren't right for the job. Always rememb...
The lazy days of summer come with a catch. You want nothing more than to lounge around the yard. But having been drawn outdoors by sunny skies, you notice all the...
Even the nicest wall-to-wall carpeting can start to buckle, ripple, or wrinkle over time when it loosens and lifts fr...
Q: My central air conditioning system is leaking water. Any way I can DIY the repair and avoid an expensive repair bi...
Maybe there was a mishap while moving a major appliance. Or perhaps someone hung some pictures the old-fashioned way ...
Here’s an unpleasant thought: Our household drains see all sorts of horrors on a daily basis—hair, dirt, grime, and f...
Q: Parts of my concrete driveway are flaky, cracked, and pitted. How do I halt the deterioration and return the surfa...
When it comes to basic home improvement projects, the key concerns for many homeowners are time and budget. Well, here are 10 simple repairs that keep both effort...
We think of a doorknob as ubiquitous and mundane, yet a closer inspection can sometimes prove puzzling, leaving you t...
If your house could talk, it would tell you that spending a little money now on small repairs could save you big bucks down the road. We’ve put together 15 of the...
Walls take a beating. Overzealous furniture movers, rowdy kids, and constant doorknob bangs can leave dents, cracks, and holes that mar your walls' once-smooth su...
It’s easy to take doors for granted. Until they start sticking or binding, that is—or you install a new floor and sud...
Q: I’ve noticed that my freezer isn’t working as well as it used to. Is there any possibility of a quick fix instead ...
Drywall is tough, but it’s not indestructible. Over time, gypsum-board walls can sustain ugly cracks or holes. Fortun...
Whether you’re rewiring an old lamp, installing a new doorbell, or adding another outlet to a wall, the first step to...
Common knowledge, neighborly advice, old wives’ tales, and “the way my parents did it” all share one important characteristic: Sometimes they're just plain wrong....
Q: Help! My toilet is leaking all over the bathroom floor, and I haven’t yet located the source. How can I find and f...
Garage doors sometimes seem to have a mind of their own, often deciding when—and how far—they want to open or close. ...
It’s unfortunate but true: Over time tub drains clog and sometimes even corrode. After all, your bathtub is put to th...
Despite its reputation as one of the most rugged building materials ever conceived, even concrete has a sensitive sid...
Q: I jumped in my shower this morning and, holy cow, was it cold! After a quick inspection, I discovered my water hea...
Homeowners are accustomed to dealing with all types of uncertainties, but there are at least two things you can consi...
From clearing clogged drains to filling nail holes, maintaining your home can seem like a MacGyver-esque challenge—but it doesn't have to be this way. Make light ...
Whether in the form of a windowpane, shower wall, or tabletop, glass serves as a durable and glamorous surface almost...
Here’s a cold-weather tidbit: Did you know that in many old homes, as much as a quarter of the heat generated by the ...
Drywall—commonly known as sheet rock—is one of the most popular construction materials used in finishing interior wal...
Duct tape is an extremely durable and versatile product that can be used to mend, patch, hem, and more. Here are 12 ways that you can put a roll of this ubiquitou...
The beginning of the new year is the perfect opportunity to start fresh. Here are 10 projects to keep your home in top condition, and kick off your year.
If your toilet’s overflowing or your sink’s stopped up, it’s time to take the plunge! About 90 percent of the time, a...
Of all the challenges encountered in a severe winter, a frozen pipe may be the one that strikes the most fear into th...
Ding, dong! Your guests have arrived for dinner and drinks. But if your doorbell stops working, you could leave your ...
Wind, rain, snow, hail and falling tree branches can wreak havoc on your rain gutters. After an especially severe sto...
You know that little knob on top of the bathtub spout? It's tiny but not insignificant, as it performs the vital role...
The sign of an old box spring is a bed that just won’t stop squeaking when all you’re trying to do is catch a bit of shut-eye. Instead of rushing out to buy a new...
Everyone has reached for the Krazy Glue at least once when fixing a broken object. Its sheer versatility makes this accidental invention one of the most ubiquitou...
Maybe you’re a new homeowner, still unsure about what tools and supplies you need to own. Perhaps you've just downsized to a tiny house or apartment, and you’re l...
It's a cruel fact: Those factors that make home exterior siding so crucial are the same ones that undermine its performance over the long term. In other words, in...
Stucco is a wonderfully versatile wall treatment—durable, weather-resistant, and attractive. It's been used in countl...
While drywall is highly durable, it’s not indestructible. Over the years, interior walls take a beating, speckled wi...
All good things must come to an end, and that goes for summer too. On a blistering August afternoon, cold weather may seem like an almost inconceivably remote pro...
A house full of creaks, squeaks, buzzing, and bumps can keep you up at night and make you crazy all day. Check this list of quick fixes that will restore peace an...
If your vinyl flooring (or linoleum) has developed a tear, don't despair! There's an easy—and yes, rather unexpected ...
Look at any flat roof and, along the edges, you're likely to see a special type of flashing—the drip edge. Though not...
Does the water coming out of your faucet look a bit like the Mississippi River after a rainstorm? There are at least ...
There's no disagreement here: Concrete ranks among the most durable, longest-lasting of all building materials. That ...
Other than wood, concrete may be the most favored residential building material in the country, because builders and ...
A special type of cement, similar to mortar and easy to use, hydraulic cement is handy for preventing water from seep...
Perhaps you swung the door open with a bit too much force. Or maybe the movers took a wrong turn with the dresser. W...
Does your concrete walkway or driveway need patching? That’s an easy fix! Here’s how to do it. mp3 fileListen to BOB ...
The joys of homeownership are many—as are the little everyday challenges. The occasional leak or break is bound to happen, but there's no reason why these minor ...
Need to patch a hole in drywall? While you can resolve smaller problems with spackling paste, larger jobs call for a ...
If a few of the pavers in your patio or driveway have begun to sag, don't fret—there’s an easy, DIY-friendly fix. Her...
Let's face it: There are some home maintenance and repair issues that, given a choice, most property owners are likely to procrastinate, whether because they take...
Replacing a screen on a wooden window frame? It's a straightforward job. To get it done right, and with a minimum of ...
Though caulk often lasts for years, it doesn't stick around forever. If yours has become discolored, has developed cr...
Vintage rattan furniture is getting harder to come by, so if you happen to run across a nice piece at a garage sale, ...
If you've ever tried to remove paint from brick, you know that it can be a painstaking process. Depending on the scop...
Is a slamming door driving you nuts? Have you had noise complaints from neighbors? Here are a few simple and inexpens...
Carpeting inevitably undergoes wear and tear, whether from foot traffic or the accidents of everyday life. If those f...
Do you Sugru? If you have not yet experimented with this endlessly versatile product, you may be missing out on one of the most useful and fun-to-use tools now av...
Home maintenance is a constant reality for homeowners and renters alike, but it doesn’t have to be painful. If you keep the right products on hand, you can fix ju...
Ceiling fans are great—until they get wobbly. What causes that to happen, and how can you go about fixing a wobbly ce...
Do you need a quick and easy way to fasten a patch onto sheet metal? Pop rivets make it pretty easy to do so. They co...
Are you stumped by the fact that your dryer seems to take forever these days? If your clothes dryer needs more time t...
Chances are that, somewhere along the line, you've had to deal with a clog in your kitchen drain. Even if you make a ...
Has a pint-sized baseball player in your neighborhood recently hit a home run through your bedroom window? Here are s...
The toughest part of fixing a roof leak is often to figure out where the water is getting in. It's not uncommon for w...
If there have been nationwide polls conducted to determine what drives homeowners the most crazy, I would bet that be...
If you've got a broken shingle or two on your roof, it's easy to repair the problem yourself. Most home centers sell ...
Garbage disposals are handy household tools, but if you're not careful, they can get jammed or clogged. To keep this ...
Nothing kills the mood of a refreshing bath after a long day (or for that matter, an energizing shower to start one) faster than the sight of mold. Or a delay in ...
The hardest part of fixing a roof leak? A lot of times, it's simply locating the problem. Sure, it's easy enough to s...
There's a simple reason why builders relied on steam radiators for decades and decades—they work! But every technolog...
Steam-heat radiators may be good at keeping you warm, but their banging and clanking can also sometimes keep you up a...
Let's be clear: It's no fun to remove vinyl flooring. Peeling up the material itself is no picnic, but the real trial...
Installations of concrete can last hundreds of years, but sooner of later, most end up developing small cracks and ga...
Please help. My yard stays wet when it rains. I live in a subdivision with flat terrain. Is there a solution that doe...
Sure, you love your old wooden double-hung windows. But sometimes—after raising and lowering them—do you feel like yo...
It can be a real chore to deal with all of your home's trouble spots and "quirks," especially after you've learned to live with them. Sometimes it's out of pure p...
Wood furniture is beautiful, but it's not impervious to the wear and tear of everyday life. To retain their looks, ne...
In my house, several of our wood doors keep sticking. I've tried candle wax and have made sure all the screws in the ...
If your refrigerator door doesn't open and close as it should—or if it doesn’t seal as tightly as it's supposed to—th...
People go weeks, months, and even years without giving the toilet a second thought. The instant it clogs, however, th...
Ever hear a banging noise when you shut off faucets in the house? The problem could be what plumbers call "water hamm...
Sooner or later, most of us need to patch drywall, whether for purely cosmetic reasons—filling nail holes, for exampl...
I’ve removed some carpet and want to refinish the hardwood floors below. What should I use to fill the holes left by ...
Ever notice how pesky bugs manage to find their way through even the tiniest holes in your screens?Listen to BOB VILA...
Scarred flooring, rotted window frames, chipped furniture—common problems like these can be time-consuming and expens...
It's only a matter of time: Sooner or later, your chairs with upholstered seats are going to get worn, dirty, or date...
My wife and I recently moved into a rental house, and we cannot seem to open the double-hung windows in the bedroom. ...
For a significant chunk of the 20th century, from the 1950s through the '80s, the ceilings in many new homes—particul...
Let’s be honest. Drywall repair is not something most people look forward to. Although it’s relatively straightforwar...
My house is 55 years old and still has the original stucco. On one exterior wall, there's a fine crack with paint pee...
There’s something so crisp and clean about a kitchen with a traditional, white porcelain enamel stove. But sometimes ...
The source of your home’s power is the breaker box, also known as the electrical panel or circuit breaker box. Whatev...
Not every home's a fixer-upper, but all houses need occasional repairs and maintenance. You'll be able to handle those jobs like a pro if you make sure you have t...
There are some maintenance and repair issues that homeowners just hate to deal with—either because they take time, or...
Many of the drywall seams on my 40-year-old house are bulging. It doesn't appear as if the joint tape is pulling away...
I have various scratches on my wood floors. Some add character, but some are just too big and need to go away. What i...
If you want to avoid frustration and preserve your holiday spirit, I don't recommend that you spend time figuring out...
If you have an old house with holes in the plaster, here's a quick way to patch them. Apply your base coat (or brown...
When you're renovating, save and recycle old hardwood floorboards for patching and repairing. Using a pry bar at each...
Aluminum siding first became popular in the wake of World War II, when this metal, which had been so crucial to the w...
Here's how to re-glaze those old, broken window panes. First, remove the old glazing compound with a propane torch an...
I've got to remove some drywall in a room so I can nail studs behind the wall for anchoring purposes. What is the bes...
Here's how to stop squeaks in an old house with original floors you'd rather not replace. Preservationists use an acr...
If your garden hose has seen better days, don’t just send it to the landfill. There are some simple, inexpensive ways...
Here's a way to save time and energy when repairing floorboards. Instead of drilling and chiseling damaged floorboard...
Here's how to remove old plaster when starting a remodeling project. Have professionals remove any old electrical co...
It can be easy to patch cracks in an old wood floor or grout a new wood block floor. Here's how. First, make a mixtur...
Stop—don't panic! You, too, can unclog that drain with these easy steps for banishing the backed-up sink and toilet.
Don't throw out that rusty garden furniture. Restoring it can be a great weekend project. Use a wire brush or sandpap...
Here's a way to replace damaged ceramic tile. Remove the grout with a grout saw. Crack the tile with a hammer and co...
Here's how to restore the missing brass hardware from an antique door. The "ghost" image of original brass hardware ...
Low water pressure can be a real annoyance—the shower subsides to a trickle, the washing machine takes eons to fill, ...
Brick houses are hard to damage. Anyone familiar with The Three Little Pigs knows that. Inevitably, however, there co...
Making good decisions is the key to minimizing near- and long-term costs related to any home improvement. This is esp...
When choosing outdoor furniture for a garden room, outdoor kitchen, or multi-level deck, some consumers prefer qualit...
Can You Tackle Mold Removal on Your Own?Mold problems are present in about 4 out of 10 American homes. With the often...
Nowadays, we don’t give much thought to our toilets, but there was a time when answering nature's call involved such ...
The faucet—whether it's in the kitchen, bathroom, or behind the bar—acts like a mini dam, holding back a pressurized ...
My wife and I recently reorganized our bedroom closet and added several new accessories, including a double rod hange...
Many older houses incorporate construction materials that contain asbestos. Usually its presence is uncovered during ...
You’re in the middle of a party, enteraining a houseful of guests, and the toilet acts up. Are you ready to spring in...
Your kitchen gets a lot of use. So it doesn't take long to begin seeing signs of wear and tear on wood cabinets. Soon...
Walls, normally thought of as interior design elements, are useful in landscaping, too. A landscaping wall can be fre...
Drywall has been the wall finishing material of choice for most of a century, because it’s so easy to install and fin...
A squeaky floor is easier to fix if it’s a floor that you can access from below. Listen to BOB VILA ON SQUEAKY FLOORS...
Water spots on ceilings and walls aren’t just unsightly--they can be a symptom of a much bigger problem that needs at...
Despite what the three little pigs might say, even the hardiest of brick buildings will require repair and restoratio...
We all know that life would be very different without that wonder of modern science: the toilet. But when it acts up,...
What Causes the Clanging?Water hammer is a common cause of banging pipes. In plumbing where water pressure is high, s...
Of all the siding materials you could use on your home, cedar shingles are one of the most attractive and long lastin...
Grace tweets, “The bathroom sink in my 1890s Victorian is draining really slowly. What’s the best way to get things f...
Be Gentle on Old Drains A partial clog can be cleared by cleaning out the drainpipe. Older plumbing can be damaged by...
A basement water problem can be as obvious as there being several inches of floodwater standing at the base of the st...
The cost of re-roofing is something no one wants to think about, but every roof—at some point—will need to be repaire...
It's a complete mystery to me how this could have happened to my roof in Florida. There are no palm trees around to d...
Some friends of mine moved into a new house and had a couple of issues with their bathroom. The sink drain was a litt...
Put the phone down! There's no need to call the plumber. In only six simple steps, you can unclog a drain that no longer flows as freely as it once did.
Finishing a new wall or room with plaster or joint compound takes practice. If you have no experience with plaster or...
[bobsays_inset]Asphalt shingles are the most popular roofing material for homes today, accounting for nearly 70% of d...
The Virtues of Drywall Drywall has been the wall finishing material of choice for most of a century because it’s so e...
The door closer on my front porch—that mechanical cylindrical device that keeps the door from flying open too far and...
Architect Mary Kennedy and Bob tour her Georgian Colonial family home in Westchester County, NY. After a flood ruined the house, the challenge was to salvage and ...
Bob works with contractor Bob Ryley and carpenter Chris Clark installing new wood-shingle siding.
Bob meets with Ed and Lisa Zywusko, a husband-and-wife masonry team, and sees how they are going to refurbish the old brick chimney.
Carpenters Bob Ryley and Danny Ruffini and copper-work specialist Fred Mitchell install custom fabricated copper-lined wood gutters on Bob's home.
Tile is installed in the master bathroom’s shower area. A flashback reviews the waterproofing work that was done to prevent leaks.
Carpenters replace a rotted deck, and a rotted porch column is reconstructed with concrete.
Bob meets with the installer of the new HVAC system to discuss how it filters air and reduces energy costs.
Bob reviews the work done on the existing plumbing in the basement and the replacement of obsolete brass water pipes.
Basement drainage systems are installed to control moisture and humidity and to eliminate rot and mildew.
Bob meets with a local real estate broker and with homeowner Sarah Monzon, whose basement will be finished to create additional family space.
Bob discusses the installation of a plastic subfloor to prevent water damage and the selection of a basement dehumidifier.
Damaged sill is replaced, the house is protected against insects and rot, and sliding doors with custom trim molding are installed.
Bob meets with FLASH—Federal Alliance for Safe Housing and FEMA—Federal Emergency Management Agency, to learn how homeowners can protect their homes from damaging...
Bob visits the Bethesda Terrace in Central Park with Doug Blonsky of the Central Park Conservancy.
Bob and Professor Tom Visser (UVM) visit the Burtch-Udall house in Quechee, VT, and the nearby Sumner Mansion-- suitable locales for a running discussion on prope...
Chris Borovka (from US Gypsum) joins Bob to explain about patching with plaster.
Bob meets with Beth Judge (of Clemson University) to review hazard-resistant building techniques at a demonstration house used to teach builders and architects in...
Bob meets with preservationist Fred Ecker to go over the process of making repairs to the floors.
Bob tours the finished house, the fifth in the Elmwood neighborhood project. Better grading and gutters have been added to prevent future water damage.
As part of a Miami kitchen renovation, Bob frames a partition wall made to resemble a banana leaf. He also pours concrete to patch a floor.
Bob examines the exterior of the home, where several layers of paint are removed, and contractor Cortney Lofton explains the techniques and tools used to restore ...
Bob and homeowner Gavin repair and refinish a 75-year-old oak floor. Because the new patch floor panels have a different thickness from the original, a belt sande...
Bob surveys the plaster cornice in the project home. Water damage has ruined a large section and much of the remaining plaster needs repair. Bob and restoration c...
Bob observers the expert plasterer add detail to the cornice, which is under reconstruction due to water damage.
Bob joins the plumber as he installs a shower stall in the kids' bathroom. After drilling the drain hole, the plumber demonstrates how to properly attach a metal ...
Bob and the architect survey the problem areas of the home and eventually focus on the decaying deck.
Bob has finished wiring the Colonial-style light fixture in the entryway and, back in the kitchen, the refrigerator ice maker is hooked up.
Bob helps general contractor Ron Gan demonstrate how to repair a broken window pane the old-fashioned way.
The tour of the project house continues up into the attic and down into the basement. Bob and general contractor Ron Gan discuss the necessary repairs and desired...
The roofing crew strips several ancient layers of old roofing off the project house, leaving a section open for the installation of the new dormer.
Ryan Pirro (from RestorationWindows.com) discusses refurbishing old windows with solid-bronze sash chains, new parting beads, and spring-bronze weather stripping ...