Hot Home & Garden Posts
How To: Sink nails, fill in holes & sand with Lowe's
This video describes how to improve one's skill when performing home based projects with wood which is a useful skill if one wants to build a table, chair or even a box. In this video one will learn how to sink a nail, cover the hole and leave a sanded finish. For example it is important to drive all nails 1/8 an inch into the surface of the wood so the filler can cover the hole properly and avoid leaving sharp edges or uneven surfaces. Overall this video is simple, easy to follow and useful ...
How To: Change oil in a lawnmower with Lowe's
Lowe's home improvement expert, Mike Kraft provides a step-by-step method for changing the oil on a walk-behind lawn mower. From assembling the proper tools and supplies you will need to complete the task, through disconnecting the motor for safety, through the proper drainage technique and finally refilling the crank case this video gives complete instructions for any mower maintenance. Changing the oil on your mower will extend its life. Following the steps in this guide will provide you wi...
How To: Make homemade cleaning wipes
Learn how to make your own homemade cleaning wipes and save money with this video tutorial. You will need a roll of paper, 2-3 cups of you favorite cleaner, and a storage container with a lid, a cutting board, and a knife. Cut the paper towel role in half using only one half now. Put the half paper towel roll in the container and soak with the cleaner. Remove the cardboard from the center of the roll and the cleaning wipes will be pulled out from the center of the roll.
How To: Scent your home
This video chronicles various ways to scent your home. First of all, you can use scented candles. However, if you do not wish to constantly burn your candles and would like to avoid the risk of fire, you can use a candle warmer to just warm your candle, which also is effective in spreading the scent. Oil warmers may also be used to heat up scented oils that will fill up and scent your room. Using the many different techniques outlined in this video, you should be sure to create a nice, pleasa...
How To: Install a tubular skylight
A tubular skylight is a fast and inexpensive way to bring natural light into your house. The tubular skylight has three parts a dome, reflective tubing, and a diffuser. First locate the ceiling joists in the area that you would like to install the skylight and mark them with tape. Make sure you stay in between the joints. Once you have the spot marked off with tape drill an exploratory hole through the ceiling into the attic. Shine a flash light through the hole up into the attic and onto the...
How To: Care for a lawn in drought conditions
Regardless of where you are, there will probably be a period when your lawn will turn brown and possibly go dormant when there is a drought. Contrary to popular belief, it is okay to use fertilizer on your lawn when there is a drought. Using a higher setting on your lawnmower will allow the grass blades to be longer, allowing them to retain more moisture. When you are finally able to water your lawn again, make sure to water it twice a day, hopefully in the early morning to avoid the heat of ...
How To: Construct your own headboard
Grace Bonney shows us an easy way to create an upholstered headboard for your bed. Using a low-end easy budget, you will be able to create a elegant looking headboard using wood, foam, batting, fabric, scissors, a utility knife, a staple gun, and flush mounts. After cutting out the shape of your headboard or starting with an existing headboard, cut out a piece of foam that is the same size. Pull batting over the foam to even out the surface, and then put the fabric onto the headboard. With th...
How To: Remove and replace a kitchen faucet
You can replace the kitchen faucet by yourself. If you decide to do it start by turning off both the hot and cold water using the valves under the sink. You'll need a basin wrench to get at and remove the pieces up under the sink. First you will loosen and remove the water lines and then the retainer nuts that hold the faucet in the sink. Pull the old faucet out. Put some plumbers putty on the sink and press the nylon gasket firmly in place. Thread the spray hose through the hole for the spra...
How To: Remove wallpaper quickly & easily
Getting that wallpaper down is not near as bad as people think it is. Here is a four step process for getting that old wallpaper off quickly and easily. Use a wallpaper perforating tool to make hundreds of holes in the wallpaper. Just roll the tool over the wall and it will make little holes in the wallpaper. Next put a gallon and a half of hot water in a garden sprayer and add to it an enzyme based wallpaper stripper. Spray on the wallpaper stripper starting at the top of the wall. Make sure...
How To: Create a UnaBox
This video shows the viewer how to make a UNA box from pieces of hardwood, and 2 pieces of dowel. The box is made by building the normal box from the wood. The lid is then secured using a large piece of dowel so that it can pivot. Additionally to the first large dowel another smaller piece of dowel is secretly added to stop the box opening this has to be removed for it to open so makes it harder for intruders to open. The box can then be sanded, painted and used to hide small objects!
How To: Tape drywall seams
This video shows the viewer how to use paper tape to cover the joint between panels on a dry wall. The creator of the video does this using a 6-inch dry wall knife and a curved trowel. He first applies standard compound to the joint using the trowel. The compound should be applied evenly and the thickness shown is said to be around 1/8 inch. After applying the compound he then gently presses the tape over the joint. He then smoothes the tape on the wall, using a dry wall knife. While doing th...
How To: Use a pressure washer on wood and other surfaces
The many uses of a pressure washer that can be fun and save time on the harder cleaning jobs around the house. Always use safety glasses when using power tools. The pressure washer easily attaches to a garden hose and multiplies the water pressure. It is good for removing dirt from wooden fences, sidewalks, decks and the side of your house. When you get used to the pressure washer and begin using its attachments, you will find more uses around the house and with your vehicles. It can be fun a...
How To: Drill a shank hole or clearance hole
Drywall screws were originally created specifically for drywall projects. But they have become increasing popular for woodworking projects because you can often screw them into a soft piece of wood without having to drill a pilot hole. But because they have threads all the way up to the head of the screw they will not pull two pieces of wood tightly together. So to get the drywall screw to hold two pieces of wood tightly together you have to drill a shank hole through the first piece of wood ...
How To: Install a simple garden retaining wall
Patti the Garden Girl shows her viewers how to install a retaining wall in her urban garden. Garden Soxx is a product that will allow you to make a retaining wall in your garden that will prevent and fix any erosion problem you may have in your yard. After making a small shelf on the eroding section of dirt, place the round Garden Soxx inside the hole, forming a wall against erosion. Create a second layer of the Garden Soxx that overlaps with the first for maximum protection again any soil er...
How To: Stain a concrete floor
Using acid stains on concrete floors can be cheaper and easier to maintain than laying down tile on your floor. Here, Gaye Goodman shows you how to make acid stains on your concrete floor, a nice, economical way to make beautiful floors. First, you should test on samples of your floor in order to decide which color to use and to determine how the acid stain will look. After covering the bottom of your walls with painter's tape to avoid splashing, mix about 1 cup of TSP to 4 gallons of water. ...
How To: Replace a wall switch with a dimmer
You can very easily replace your normal light switch on the wall with a dimmer switch. The first step is to turn the power off at the circuit breaker. To prevent anyone from accidentally turning the circuit on put a piece of tape over the fuse switch so that it is clear that it is to stay turned off. Remove the screws that hold the switch plate and use a tester to make sure that none of the wires are still live with electricity. Remove the two screws that are holding the switch itself in plac...
How To: Wash windows the easy way
Ron Hazelton shows you an easy an effective way to wash windows. In a warm bucket of water you add one tablespoon of dishwashing solution, a scrubber with sleeve is used to apply the solution to the window, and dried with a professional quality squeegee. Each step is shown and explained in full detail to ensure the best possible completed outcome. After watching this video and walking yourself through the steps a few times you can wash a good sized window in about a minute.
How To: Make a curved cut in ceramic tile
If you lay tile it is rare to do a job and not have to cut a curved piece of tile. If you do have to cut a curved piece there are two ways to do it. First, you have to draw outline of the cut that you need to make on the tile itself and mark the part you are going to remove with an X. The low tech method involves using a pair of tile nippers. You nip away pieces of the tile until you have nipped away the whole area until you have a circular cut out. For a more polished cut you can use a spira...
How To: Install under cabinet fluorescent lighting
It can be very difficult to see underneath wall cabinets. The cabinets and your body can cause a lot of shadows and make it very hard to see. Getting light under the cabinets is very easy. The answer is to install thin profile fluorescent lights that are made to go under the cabinets. Remove the diffuser and bulb from the lamp and you will expose the screw holes. Put the lamp up under the cabinet in the location that you want them to hang. You want to install them as far forward as possible. ...
How To: Sharpen a jack knife or wood carving knife
This video shows you how to sharpen a jack knife or wood-carving knife using coarse, medium, and fine stones and cooking oil. Use the coarse stone, applying oil to the stone first then pushing the knife down on the stone in each direction, matching the bevel to the stone. Next is the medium stone. Add oil before continuing the sharpening process. Apply cooking oil to the fine stone and finish the sharpening process. Using a leather strop will remove any burrs and polish the knife.
How To: Make a glue bottle holder
Use whole saws or drill bits larger than the necks of the glue bottle and about a ten inch 2x4 piece of wood. Drill holes for the amount of bottles you want to have. You can add feet to your rack if the necks on the bottles are too long for the rack by gluing a couple of small wood blocks underneath on both ends.
How To: Create a plate wall
To build your plate display you will need a plate collection, some plate hangers, and a hammer. A good part of hanging plates on the wall is you can use cracked and chipped plates in your display. To get the plates ready to hang all you have to do is make sure they are clean and measured correctly so that you can get the right hangers for the plates. When purchasing plate hangers go with the smaller size. If the plate is 10 inches buy the 7-10 inch hanger rather than the 10-14 inch hanger. Yo...
How To: Plant a 30 minute vegetable garden
You can have a garden in less than 30 minutes. The key is a product called garden socks. They are two cubic feet long and they have one cubic foot of compost inside of them. One thing that makes this product useful is that they are very light and easy to carry around and they provide a weed free garden. All you have to do is build your raised box and then fill it with these lightweight two-foot socks of compost. Next take the plants that you are going to plant and arrange them in the box in t...
How To: Paint screw heads without making a mess
If you need to paint the screw heads you can do it without making a mess. If you try to hold them in your fingers and paint them you will get paint all over your fingers. Now you don't have to do that. Take a plastic shopping bag and cut the bottom off of it. Take that bottom piece of bag and stretch it over a can like a drum. Tape the bag tightly to the can so that the bag is stretched tight. Take the screws and screw them into the plastic on top of the can so that they are standing up. Now ...
How To: Inspect a fireplace and chimney
To continue getting the enjoyment out of your fireplace you should inspect it regularly. Check the condition of the mortar in the firebox. If it is loose, missing, or crumbling it needs to be professionally repaired. Look for black deposits inside of the chimney or flue using a flashlight; presence of black deposits inside of the chimney or flue indicates the need for a licensed Chimney Sweep to clean the chimney in order to prevent a chimney fire. The chimney should be free of obstructions t...
How To: Install a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI)
Ron Hazelton shows how to install a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). First turn off the power to the electrical outlet at the circuit breaker or fuse box (check to make sure there's no power in the outlet!). Then remove the electric cover plate. Then gently remove the old outlet receptacle. Detach the wires from the old receptacle. Trim and re-strip the wires if necessary. Attach the wires to the GFCI receptacle per the instructions. Gently reassemble the receptacle and plate. Restore...
How To: Cut cement backer board
This video shows you how easy it is to cut and make holes in cement backer board. The first thing you want to have is safety glasses to protect your eyes. To make a punch out hole you have to draw an outline of the hole with a pencil or pen. Use a drill to make several holes inside your outline. A jigsaw will cut out your punch hole. Push the punch hole out. Make a straight cut by marking the front of the board with a pen and a straight edge and use the scoring knife along the straight edge t...
How To: Remove and replace a door latch
In this quick yet informational video, Ron Hazelton shows us how to replace an old or malfunctioning door latch in your home. After removing the doorknob itself, use a screwdriver to remove the ring around the base of the knob and then unscrew the backing that is holding the other side of the doorknob in place. Remove the old door latch and then replace it with the new one, putting in first the latch itself and one side of the doorknob. Use the screwdriver to hold this in place and then add t...
How To: How to plant with the "Three Sisters" method
To prepare for planting take a fork and poke it into the ground and loosen up the ground. Do this throughout the beds so that the ground is completely loosened up. After you finish loosening the soil take a shovel and dig to the bottom of the bed and turn the soil over. If there are leaves in the bed go ahead and turn the leaves over into the soil. It will provide extra compost for the soil. Add some rabbit manure to the soil to provide extra nutrients. Turn the manure into the soil so that i...
How To: Hide screw holes with wood plugs
There are a number of ways to deal with screw holes that are visible. You can buy some wood buttons and put them in the holes. You put a little wood glue in the hole and then tap the wood buttons into the holes using a hammer. This is a decorative solution to cover up screw holes. If you want to completely cover up the holes completely put a plug cutter on your drill and cut a plug out of a piece of wood that matches the wood that the hole is in. Take the plug put a little glue on it and tap ...
How To: Water Phalaenopsis orchids
This video shows the viewer how to correctly water Phalaenopsis orchids. According to the video these are the type of orchids that most people have in their homes. The instructions are to water your orchid with Luke-warm water once every 7-10 days, or as often as is needed. The creator, Dave Epstein, also suggests adding 1/4 strength plant food to the water. He also recommends checking the medium that the orchid is planted in to judge whether watering is necessary. For more information on how...
How To: Fill and repair holes in ceramic tile
Fixing holes in glazed ceramic tile can be very tricky. This is a solution that may not be perfect but it will provide a big improvement to your situation. You will need some polyester resin, which is often used to repair car bodies. Mix up some of the resin and apply it to the holes in the tile making sure that you overfill the holes. As it dries but while it is still rubbery take a razor blade and trim off the excess resin. Take some 600 grit sandpaper and sand the resin smooth. Wet the san...
How To: Organize your messy closet
A disorganized closet can slow down your mornings. Clean out your dirty storage space with the help of this instructional video. Follow along with such tips as tossing out unused clothing, and establishing a systematic wardrobe catalog.
How To: Install wainscotting (wod paneling)
Ron Hazelton brings you this video on wainscoting. Wainscoting is paneling that runs about a third of the way up a wall. Ron shows you how to use a chair to figure exactly where to place the chair rail. When installing around electrical outlets be sure to turn off the electricity. Next cut all the panel sections to length. When you attach them to the wall be sure to attach at top and bottom. Next attach the paneling, you can use a scarf joint to hide the seams. When installing the chair rail,...
How To: Paint interior trim and molding
Before you paint the walls it is important to paint the trim first. A painting pad is a very useful tool for painting along the edge where the ceiling meets the wall. It has guide wheels on it and will roll right along as you paint the trim. Next you will want to paint your woodwork including your baseboards and trim. When you go to roll the wall first take some painters tape and run it along the top of the baseboard to keep the specks that fly off the roller from getting on the baseboards. U...
How To: Install an eco-friendly lawn
Patti Moreno the Garden Girl shows how to grow an environmentally friendly, low maintenance, drought and insect resistant Eco-Lawn, a blend of 7 Fescue grasses for shady, rocky, and sandy soils. Prepare the bare ground by raking debris. Spread the seed, and then water the seed once a day for the first month. The grass sprouts in 7-14 days. Fill in patches with more seed. Remove leaves, but don't disturb soil and seeds. To convert to an Eco-Lawn, mow the old grass very low, and then spread new...
How To: Paint quicker and more evenly with a roller
To save time and get a more uniform result when painting with a roller pour your paint in a five gallon bucket rather than a roller pan. Put a painters screen down into the bucket and hook it over the edges of the bucket. Dip the roller into the bucket and roll the excess off of the roller by rolling it on the screen in the bucket. This allows you to have far less stops refilling the pan and if you keep the bucket near the wall you save time loading the roller with paint. When you are ready t...
How To: Clean and restore a weathered deck
Ron Hazelton shows how to restore a weathered and worn deck. Twisted boards can be straightened using a notched 2x4 as a lever, then secured with 5 inch screws. Remove popped nails, and replace with longer thicker nails. Use a punch to countersink slightly high nails. Clean the deck with wood soap and a long handle brush, using a pressure washer to rinse. Apply sealer to the dried wood and let it cure, then enjoy your reinvigorated deck.
How To: Solder copper pipes
This informational video from YouTube user curlmarx takes us through the step by step process of how to take on the intimidating process of soldering, or "sweating" copper pipes for the do it yourselfer at home. He illustrates the materials and tools you will need to successfully complete this type of plumbing project. Those of you who have never taken on a task like this will much appreciate the effort of this author to illustrate the complete process in a detailed and easy to follow informa...
How To: Make your own tortilla press
This step by step instructional video will show you how you are able to make your own tortilla press at home using simple everyday materials. Shows the best sizes of wood to make the tortilla press and what tools you will need to complete this project. Including tips and tricks to make sure that the tortilla press makes the tortillas well. After watching this quick and easy to follow how to video you can easily make your own tortillas at home.