Home & Garden: Page 67

You can choose, when you're pruning, which direction you want the growth to go. By looking at the branches, and looking to see which way the growth is going, if you prune out, the growth will continue in the same direction. With this video tutorial, you'll learn how to force growth in a desired direction. For more, or to get started shaping your own shrubs with directional pruning, watch this landscaping how-to.

Zippo not lighting up anymore? Unlike other lighters, you don't need to throw it away; just refill it. Add some butane fuel, and it will start working again. Watch this how-to video and learn how to refill a Zippo lighter.

Hand planes are the epitome of fine woodworking. Extreme woodworkers use them, and serious collectors collect them. Planes come in a wide variety of sizes, styles and designs for specific woodworking purposes. Planes are available made entirely of metal, or made of wood with metal blades and parts. In fact, you can buy the blades and make your own planes, as the old-timers often did. Planes can range in price from about $25 for new, economical models to planes that cost several hundred dollars....

While mantel shelves provide a big visual impact, their installation is very low impact. The first piece of information you need before you can begin laying out the pieces and parts for a mantel (or "mantle" as it's sometimes misspelled) is to know exactly where you want the finished shelf to go: left, right, up and down—and what its proportions are. If it's working as a mantel, you'll want the shelf and corbels to extend proportionally past the left and right sides of your hearth. As a rule of...

Concrete is one of mankind's greatest inventions. Very durable, it can also be aesthetically pleasing. Concrete is also often a major building material in and around homes. Over time, however, concrete can deteriorate. Patching and repairing concrete can be easy or difficult, depending on the project and the amount of deterioration. Most repair projects are fairly simple using some of the specially formulated patch and repair products available these days. Watch this DIY video tutorial for...

Installing wall tile is basically the same procedure as installing floor tile. And it offers the same advantages: flexibility of design; a wide range of colors, materials and patterns; and if installed correctly, years of durability. Ceramic or porcelain tile makes an attractive backsplash behind sinks and stoves, or encasing a bathroom or shower. It's a strong and easy-to-clean material that offers great decorative advantages for areas exposed to water, while resisting moisture intrusion and...

Building a swing arbor is a fun weekend project that can really spruce up the landscape without requiring a lot of out-of-pocket expense. Plus, the project is fairly easy to build, requiring only basic carpentry skills, and can provide years of outdoor enjoyment. The materials for the swing cost about $100, and you can complete the project over the course of two afternoons. For more information, or to get started building your own swing arbor, watch this DIY video tutorial.

he age-old "shtick" about a rake handle smacking you in the face when you step on the teeth isn't funny. It's happened to me more than once. One of the problems is improperly storing rakes, hoes, shovels and other long-handled tools. They can be hung up in a garage or garden shed, but usually end up right at the door, where they fall down, and again become a dangerous problem. The garden tool shed shown solves the problem of long-handled tool storage and at the same time provides a separate...

Cabinets are usually the most prominent feature of a kitchen and greatly determine the room's overall décor. Peeling paint, nicks and scratches, or a dull, dirty finish can plague older cabinets and really sap the pizzazz out of the living space. On the other hand, a fresh coat of paint can do wonders for cabinets and breathe new life into the kitchen. A repainting project can also save tons of money when compared to full cabinet replacement, which can easily total several thousands of dollars....

To install a sliding patio or deck door, first decide a practical, aesthetically logical and structurally sound location for the entranceway. Do not locate a patio door closer than 4 feet from any corner, otherwise the solid-wood sheathing or metal bracing at the corners could be compromised. Also, plan ahead. We chose the door's location in part because it allowed the option of later adding a bathroom at the corner of the adjacent wall. For a step-by-step at the installation process, take a...

Why pay a contractor to do projects that, with a little effort and perseverance, you can do yourself? In this video tutorial, you'll learn how install crown molding in a rectangular room by coping your inside corners. For a step-by-step look at the crown molding installation process for a rectangular room, take a look at this DIY how-to.

Plants propagate themselves through the structures we know as flowers. At the base of the flower, one finds developing seed. The plant will eventually shed flowers and the seed with be propagated on its own. Or we can harvest the seed, dry them down, and germinate them. For more information on the propagation process, watch this green video tutorial.

Lately, there's been a lot of building work going on around Dancing Rabbit. So for this episode of Dancing Rabbit TV, they're taking the opportunity to provide a one-two how-to natural DIY building lesson, an in-depth video about earthen plastering techniques and application. Tamar will guide you every step of the the build process, showing how easy it is to make natural plaster from just a few simple ingredients, both making and mixing the plaster, and then applying it to a natural home wall....

In this gardening tutorial, you'll find instructions for building an aeroponic fogger, or mister, for a hydroponic growing system. Nutrified fog is accepted by the roots at a much faster rate than nutrients from spray or soak system. So I modified my Aerospray system to have both nutrifog and timed sprays. To learn more about this method for constructing an aeroponic fogger, take a look!

In this sixth part in the series on building your deck, you will be installing the structure that will support the joists and flooring of your deck. It is critical that these parts are sturdy and solid. Before you begin framing your deck, you should have the ledger installed along the house and the concrete pads poured and dried thoroughly. These create the various supporting elements for your deck. Next to the house, the deck joists will be attached directly to the ledger. Meanwhile, the...

Deck railings are important to both the safety and the aesthetic appearance of your deck. In other words, a railing is the perfect blend of "strength and beauty."

Sometimes it comes time to tear down the old and build up the new -- especially in kitchens! People seem to be especially enamored of redoing kitchens to follow design trends, family resizing, or simple updating to keep the house current, livable, and sellable. One way to achieve a different look in the kitchen is by changing the countertop.

Installing a deadbolt is a relatively quick and simple do-it-yourself project. You can make your home much safer – and less attractive to thieves --- with a little effort and a few simple tools.

Roof ventilation principles are very straightforward -- a cool attic is a happy attic! You need to create a flow of air that enters the overhang of your roof through soffit vents, then flows straight up through the rafters and out through a ridge vent. To help facilitate airflow, it may be necessary to install a thermostat-controlled exhaust fan.

No matter how hot it gets in your home this summer, you can bet that it's even hotter in your attic. All that heat in your attic gets transferred to the ceiling below, which will in turn heat the interior of your house.