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Architecture : Home & Garden
How to Design a Closet in a Home Office
A home office can end up being very cluttered unless you have a well-designed closet that can help you organize all the things you need to function properly in your home office. Many times a home office is a bedroom that has been converted into a home office. This usually means the closet was orig
How to Build a Wooden Cellar Door
The cellar in many homes is dark and damp and isn't the place for an expensive, ornate door. You can often recycle an old door for use in the cellar by trimming it to fit, but if you don't have one lying around the house, you can make your own from scrap 1-by-6-inch lumber. It won't be as thick as a
My Basement Is Smelly
Basements are no strangers to unpleasant smells that range from rotten eggs to musty mold. These smells do not merely stay in the basement area. They can drift up into the rest of your home and linger in the air for weeks. Fortunately, you can get rid of the most common causes of a smelly basement w
How to Wash Laminate Floors
Laminate flooring looks great and offers a lovely shine. It is designed for minimal cleaning and care. Even though laminate flooring is quite easy to care for, some cleaning is required. There are a variety of items that you can use to wash your laminate floors and keep them looking great.
How to Patch Floor Gaps & Holes
Gaps and holes in wood flooring are very unappealing not to mention annoying. The frustrating squeak that is all too familiar to most homeowners is caused by gaps between the wooden floor planks and the subfloor. You can deal with unsightly, damaged and creaking floors easily and quickly. When repla
Wall Framing Directions
Think of the frame of a wall like a skeleton: If the structure of it isn't right, everything that goes over it will look wrong, too. A basic, non-load-bearing wall frame consists of top and bottom plates that run horizontally, a second plate on the ceiling to attach the wall there, and studs every 1
How to Refinish a Tile Countertop
Countertop refinishing sounds like a major project. Most homeowners think that getting new countertops will involve a very expensive and messy process of ripping out the old ones and buying brand new counters. Luckily, there is another option. Epoxy paint sticks really well to tile and is tough enou
How to Remove Mortar Smears From Manufactured Stone
In ideal world, construction and remodeling would always go smoothly. Mortar would be brushed off when dried on manufactured stone. We would never give in to the temptation to wipe off that mortar while it's still wet, causing a smear. Ideal conditions do not usually exist. When you have given in to
Information on CertainTeed Architectural Shingles
CertainTeed architectural shingles, also known as laminated or dimensional shingles, are a high quality roofing material manufactured by CertainTeed. These shingles offer a three-dimensional appearance and are made to simulate slate, cedar wood shakes or specialty shingles.
How to Edge Carpet to Lineoleum
Many homeowners install a linoleum floor and then reach the doorway where the new flooring meets a carpet floor and they are uncertain how to solve the problem. Usually the two flooring types are joined by a transition piece, a length of metal strip designed to fit both flooring types. The linoleum
How to Calculate the Slope for Farm Drain Tile
But for a few decisive factors, calculating the slope of farm land for the installation of drainage tiling is very much like doing so for similar projects in an urban lot or suburban backyard. The divergence relates in part to the size of the project in terms of acreage, as well as the depth and spa
Where to Put Flashing on a Sloped Shed Roof
Roof flashing is sheet metal installed as a water barrier at edges and junctions in a roof. It's copper, aluminum or galvanized steel, used to prevent water from getting in through any gaps in the roof. Typically nailed in place and sealed with roofing cement or caulk, it's usually installed when a
How to Delaminate a Replacement Sheet Flooring Section
Sheet flooring is a common choice for durability and good looks. Like most other flooring, it will become necessary to replace sections of it. Get the job done easily, and delaminate a replacement sheet flooring section by following these steps.
How to Remove Inkjet Ink From a Carpet
The liquid inside an inkjet ink cartridge sometimes spills out when the plastic strip covering the ink head is removed before you install it in the printer. No matter how you spilled the ink onto your carpet, though, you might think it's impossible to remove, at least by yourself. Before you call in
How to Design Terra Cotta Kitchen Floors
Terra cotta floor tiles have be in use throughout the world for centuries. They are made of fired clay and, when sealed properly, are one of the most durable floor coverings available. Because they are easy to clean, resistant to stains and warm on bare feet, terra cotta tiles are most often used in
How to Convert Aluminum Gauge to Inches
While the gauge numbering system for aluminum sheet metal makes it easier for manufacturers to express the cost of a product in terms of its mass, it can be a minor hindrance to the engineer who needs to know the actual thickness in order to calculate the sheet's various stress limits. Unfortunately
An Alternative to Removing Slippery Ceramic Tile
Many kinds of tile, especially highly polished tile, can be very slippery when wet (or even dry). Slippery floors pose a serious falling hazard--and a fall on hard tile can be dangerous. One solution, of course, is to remove the tile. However, this is a time-consuming and labor-intensive job. In add
Do it Yourself: Basic Carpet Installation
Installing carpet is an effective way to refurbish a room with a soft flooring. However, if improperly installed, carpeting can bunch or its seams come apart. Also, carpets should be allowed to air out for at least 48 hours prior to installation to let any chemical odors in the carpet to dissipate,
When Tiling a Bathroom Floor Does the Tile Go Under the Vanity?
A bathroom floor is one place in the house where you are most likely to find tiles; tiles are resilient, stain-resistant and can withstand the moisture and temperature fluctuations characteristic of a bathroom. While installing your new bathroom floor tile, you will face the option of tiling under o
How do I Refinish Scarred Countertops?
A scarred countertop can be an eyesore in your kitchen or your bathroom. While you could purchase a new one or have a professional come in to fix it, the process could end up costing you hundreds of dollars. A less expensive alternative is to restore it yourself. All you need is the right supplies f