Hot Home & Garden How-Tos
How To: Install the moisture barrier over concrete subfloor
This video describes the process of installing a moisture barrier over a concrete subfloor. The presenter is using 6 mil thick poly barrier. The barrier comes in rolls about twenty-four inches wide. When rolling out the moisture barrier you want to go from wall to wall and cover the entire floor. For optimal moisture control you will want to overlap the poly barrier by at least six inches. The barrier plastic does not need to be taped or secured to the floor at all, it simply lays on top of t...
How To: Clean cut using a table saw, mitre saw or power saw
This short video tutorial Bob Schmidt will show you how to make clean cuts in wood. The blade rotation of any pretty much dictates the best way to run your material through. To get the cleanest cut possible remember these tips: Whenever you run wood through a Table saw, always make sure that your finished side is up. Do the exact opposite when you are using your Power saw. The finished side of your wood must be at the bottom. When you use a Mitre saw, make sure the finished side of the wood i...
How To: Remove blood stains with Martha Stewart's REAL SIMPLE
Blood stains can be tough. These tips will help you remove the toughest blood stains. Learn how to remove blood stains with the folks from Martha Stewart's REAL SIMPLE. Ideally, you'll tackle blood stains while they're still wet, which makes them easier to get out. But they're definitely a challenge. Here's the best way to treat them.
How To: Identify the switched live wire in a lighting circuit
Before undertaking any electrical project, it is imperative that you know precisely what it is you're doing and to keep in mind that electricity can kill. With that said, this electrical tutorial presents a guide to identifying the switched live wire on a lighting circuit and also explains how to rewire a ceiling rose. For detailed, step-by-step instructions on completing this home project, take a look.
How To: Cut Perspex or acrylic sheet with a circular or jigsaw
Wondering how to cut Perspex (or acrylic glass) easily? When cutting Perspex at home, you're more or less limited to using circular saws and jigsaws. For cutting straight lines, the circular law works best; for curvy lines, you'll want to use your jigsaw. For more information, including step-by-step instructions on cutting your own acrylic sheet, watch this DIY home tutorial.
How To: Build a rolling tool cabinet
So many bench-top style tools are available today it's easy to accumulate several, including table saws, jointers, sanders, scroll saws, planers and others. With either purchased or shop-made individual stands, the tools can take up a lot of room. In this video tutorial, you'll learn to build a roll-around tool cabinet that can easily be rolled out for access to a variety of tools placed on top. It features a large bench top with locking rollers, and a huge storage cabinet beneath, which prov...
How To: Tie up your ornamental grasses for the winter
Dave explains how to tie up ornamental grasses to prepare them for winter and ensure they add interest to the winter garden. Make your ornamental grasses the focal point of your winter garden with the tips from this video.
How To: Make a cutting disc for a Dremel rotary tool
Get a little use out of those empty tin cans you are going to throw away. Recycle them into a cutting disc. So, check out this video tutorial to see how to make a cutting disc for a Dremel rotary tool. These Dremel cutting disks are pretty easy to make. Just get a can opener, take off the lid of one of your junk aluminum cans, and begin to disc away. You'll need a Dremel sanding disc for a stencil reference. These are less dangerous than normal sharp cutting disks, not to mention cheap.
How To: Build an Outfeed Table for a Table Saw
An outfeed table is a device to catch the workpiece after it's been machined. This how to video shows you how you can build an outfeed table for your tablesaw.
How To: Tie a string line
Are you trying to construct your dream house with your own two hands? Learn the tricks of the trade and watch this video tutorial on how to tie a string line.
How To: Remove crayon stains
Martha Stewart shows how to remove crayon stains from clothing. You will need mineral spirits (artist-grade and odorless), clear liquid dishwashing detergent, isopropyl alcohol, applicator bottle, cheesecloth or tamper, hairdryer, optional, plastic spoon or bone scraper and white towels. Remove crayon stains.
How To: Properly load a dishwasher
Dishwashers are amazing at cutting down kitchen clean-up time and providing dishes, cookware, and cutlery that are spotless and free of germs. Although the machine does do most of the work for you, using it properly will ensure that you get the best results. This video is going to show you how to properly load a dishwasher.
How To: Bleed Trapped Air from Baseboard Heater
This video will show you how to bleed trapped air from a baseboard heater. If your baseboard heat is cold with the heat turned on, this might work for you.
How To: Repair an Old Wooden Chair
Unscrew chair and knock apart gently with a rubber mallet. To fix a broken stretch, use quick dry polyurethane glue, using plenty (better to have too much than too little)
How To: 10 Reasons Why Your Freezer Is Perfect for Doing Laundry
Your freezer is no one-trick pony. While it does excel at keeping your food fresh for as long as possible, it has a few secret talents it doesn't want you to know about. Like making soda slushies and pyro-friendly smoke mix, as well as reviving dead hard drives. Even better—it can help you do laundry.
How To: Make a Floating Shelf (Awesome Pallet Wood Project)
This rustic floating shelf project is one of the easiest pallet jobs that l have ever done. Floating shelves look great as there aren't any shelving brackets visible, which makes the whole look very streamlined. My floating bookshelf also has the added feature of movable bookends with a handmade wooden nut!
How To: Properly Use Eco Friendly Gas Can with Green Twist Lock Spout
If you having a hard time using your Eco friendly gas can with a green twist lock or locking spout, when used incorrectly gas can spill all over your hands.
How To: Fix the Lawn Mower Wheel Deck Height Adjuster Lever Tabs
This video will show you how to fix the worn adjusting levers on the wheels of your lawn mower that adjust the lawn mower deck height.
How To: Get Rid of Spiders Naturally
Spiders are common pests that typically prefer to live outdoors. However, insects and warmth will eventually attract them into our houses. They like to spin their webs in corners, crevices and unused areas of your house. Most species are harmless and even act as a natural repellent for getting rid of other insects. However, in some cases, spiders can be very dangerous. Whichever the case may be, they are scary and people are always looking for natural ways to get rid of them.
How To: The Secret to Washing Your "Dry Clean" Clothes—Without Going to the Dry Cleaner
Unless your work clothes require dry cleaning, you probably only go to the cleaner a few times a year. And for those few items in your closet for which you do, you have to then find the time and extra budget to make a trip all the way to the cleaners and back again. In the end, it can be quite the hassle.
How to Build a Shed, Part 15: Installing Exterior Wood Trim
In this video Henry shows you how to finish all the exterior trim on the shed. This video includes lot of tips to make the finish carpentry in this video easy and accurate.
How To: Replace the Dryer's High Limit Thermostat
The high limit thermostat can be found in gas and electric dryers and serves as a safety feature that helps to prevent the dryer from becoming too hot when it’s running. The thermostat is designed to shut off power to the dryer’s heater when the dryer vent is blocked or clogged. The high limit thermostat on your dryer is something that does need to be replaced from time to time. Fortunately, it is a job that you can do on your own with basic tools.
How To: Make & Install a Concrete Post
How to Concrete in a Post: Step 1:
How To: Get Rid of Plant-Eating Pests Using 100% Natural Solutions from Your Home and Garden
Navigating through row after row of plants, my tiny fingers would reach into the leaves to pluck all the vile little creatures from their homes and deposit them into a can of gasoline. Potato bug duty, my least favorite gardening chore. Growing up, my family had a small garden every year. And every year, I was recruited to help plant, maintain, and eventually harvest the vegetables from it. There were some tasks I didn't mind, but the ones I hated most usually involved bugs (have you ever see...
How To: Replace a Dryer Control Knob
If your dryer Knob shaft is cracked and you can no longer turn the switch, you will probably have to replace your dryer control knob. You can follow the steps in this video to help you do this easy repair.
How To: Replace a Dryer Timer Knob
If your dryer shaft is damaged and you can not turn the timer anymore, you will probably have to replace your dryer timer knob. You can follow the steps in this video to help you do this easy repair.
How To: Replace an Oven Block Wiring Harness
If you get no power or intermittent power to your oven element, you will probably have to replace the oven block wiring harness. You can follow the steps in this video to help you do this easy repair.
How To: Replace an Oven Light Socket
If your oven light will not come on, you will probably have to replace the oven light socket. You can follow the steps in this video to help you do this easy repair.
How To: Replace an Oven Rack
If your oven rack is missing or damaged, you will probably have to replace it. You can follow the steps in this video to help you do this easy repair.
How To: Replace a Whirlpool Washer Agitator Repair Kit, Medium Cam
If the upper half of the agitator is not working, maybe it is loose and wobbles around, you may need to install this kit. This kit contains the agitator dogs and everything that you should need to rebuild the upper agitator. You can follow the steps in this video to help you do the repair.
How To: Turn an Old Washing Machine Drum into an Awesome Outdoor Fire Pit
If you want to put a fire pit in your backyard, but don't want to spend a lot of time or money on it, this $10 DIY Upcycled Fire Pit designed by Sarah and Joe over on House & Fig is the perfect weekend project. It's simple, looks great, and shouldn't take much more than an hour to put together. You can pick up a washing machine drum from a used appliance store, and you'll also need a few pieces of steel for the legs and a can of high-heat paint.
How To: Build a Passive Solar Garage Door and Keep Your Garage Warm During Winter
I hate being cold. That's why I live in Los Angeles. But, there are plenty of folks who are experiencing some pretty chilly temperatures this year, despite global warming, and one of the worst places affected is the garage. C'mon, who has a freakin' heater in their garage?
How To: Unlock A Privacy Door Handle
When owning a home one type of lever set you may have in your home is a privacy lever. In a privacy lever set, the main feature is that the door can only be locked from the inside. Sometimes a kid might get locked in or someone may accidentally lock the door behind them. It's really easy to unlock it in an emergency.
How To: Make an All-Natural Insect Repellent with Cacao Leaves
Science investigatory projects suck, or at least seem to at first. But you shouldn't let school drag you down. Instead, use your homework assignment as an opportunity to solve a problem you've always been interested in. And it doesn't hurt if the end result is eco-friendly, either.
How To: Open a supra combination lock box
The supra combination lock box has been one of the most trusted door locks for the past forty years, and is commonly used by real estate agents for protecting their houses. Generally a supra combination lock operates with a four-digit password.
How To: Install a piano hinge on a side door
A piano hinge is also called a continuous hinge, and is a popular hinge to use on side doors and other small doors. This tutorial shows you the proper method of installing a piano hinge on your current project. Besides the door and the hinge, you will also need some basic hardware: a drill and some screws, as well as a chisel to carve out an inset for the hinge to rest. Make sure you always measure carefully before cutting anything!
How To: Take a BIC lighter apart for recycling
For on-the-go lighting of birthday candles (those surprise birthday parties really get you), homemade explosives (because making stuff explode is fun), and cigarettes, a cheapo BIC lighter is a totally awesome fix. But most BIC lighters run out pretty quickly and get tossed without second thought.
How To: Install a Sliding Glass Cabinet Door
Cabinets that open straight out and shut to close make so much ruckus, especially when you've got someone who's angry in the house. Sliding doors, meanwhile, are super chic, classy, and easily draw open and close without a fuss. Not to mention that most sliding cabinet doors are made of glass, which means you can show off your newest Wedgewood dinnerware set and Rosenthal cups.
How To: Install or move a shower valve
This two part video show you how to remove an old shower valve, preparation and installation of a new shower valve. Also, you'll see how to clean, cut and connect copper plumbing pipes. Don't forget to watch part two and always make sure to shut off the water main first!
How To: Install Laminate Flooring on Stairs
Installing Laminate Flooring on Stairs Laminate flooring can be installed on a flight of stairs, and this process can also be used when installing laminate on a floor and having to drop down a step to a sunken room.