Hot Home & Garden How-Tos

How To: Use Dap Foam sealant and 3.0 Weather seal caulk

In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to seal gaps in houses using DAP foam sealant DAP 3.0 Weather seal caulk. The DAP products are designed to meet the tough standards demanded for professional window & door installations while effectively sealing large cracks, gaps and voids. Users learn to use the foam sealant to seal in gaps from inside the house. The gaps found behind wall trims. The seal caulk is used outside around windows. This video will benefit those users who want to learn how...

How To: Create a suede finish on your walls with Home Depot

This is a video which shows how to create a suede finish on walls using paint. To do this the right tools are necessary. Use a special suede finish paint and a nine inch specialty roller. Arrow wood merant is used for the color. Tape the ceiling and base boards. Paint the corners with a two inch brush. Work top to bottom on the unfinished areas with the roller. It will appear uneven. But that is fine. It should be allowed to dry. Use a 3 inch latex brush and excess paint, start at the top and...

How To: Unclog a sink drain yourself

First of all put a bucket under the trap. Now use your hand to loosen the handle of the PVC type trap. Loosen both the two plastic nuts on the ends. Remove the nuts that are holding to the drain pipe. Now when you remove this trap from the drain pipe a little dirty water comes out of it which gets collected in the bucket. Now check the trap for some hair and other clogs. This you have to remove and clean it out completely. Also check the drain pipe outlet for removing any hair or other clog. ...

How To: Clean laminate floors safely

The basic idea of cleaning laminate floors is to use a dry or damp mop or cleaner for cleaning spills and as little moisture as possible. Laminate floors are resistant products and are made to last, but they also are sensible to moisture and thus it can produce damage. Also very important for defending against stains like tomato sauce and red wine is to be vigilant and clean them immediately. The longer a stain like that sits, the longer it is the probability of being permanent, so the best a...

How To: Use the antique distressed paint technique

Using an antique distressing paint finish technique on furniture is a good way to revive a piece of furniture that other wise might just be discarded. This video is part of a series of videos taking viewers through the process of distressing furniture and focuses on accent technique. You’ll want to accent the select parts of the furniture you want to accentuate that distressed look. Our expert recommends painting the edges of this table. You’ll want to pick a complimentary color and when you ...

How To: Arrange flowers at a dinner party

Lifestyle expert Clinton Kelly demonstrates how to throw a fabulous party. With great food, alcohol, and atmosphere you must also have fresh flowers to add ambiance. Big floral centerpieces overtake the room and have to be removed from the table when dining so that guests can see one another. Clinton recommends a low long floral arrangement that will not block guests. Staying in the same color family when choosing flowers is recommended. Start with small low container with room temperature wa...

How To: Unclutter your bedroom

In showing how to unclutter the bedroom, the information provided focused on jewelry rather than other areas of the room. Tarsa Mar, the host of the video had a huge jewelry collection and showed the various ways to store those items. One of the boxes she shows is a wall case. One of the features of this item is the fact that necklaces hang. This prevents them from becoming tangled with other necklaces. There was space for rings and bracelets but the main objective was keeping necklaces separ...

How To: Fell and sned a tree

Woodland areas provide a personal forest where you can ramble about and relax. This video tutorial teaches you how to chop down a tree in your woodland area and what to do with trunk afterwards. First, you'll need to have the tools and proper safety equipment. Next, thin the trees to allow more light and encourage growth. Then use your chainsaw to cut a gap on the side of the tree that you want the trunk to fall. Finally, sned the tree by cutting off branches and reducing it to manageable 2 m...

How To: Decorate a boy's room with lockers

In this video you will learn how to decorate your boy's room with lockers using cheap and fun ways. In order to do that you need to follow this steps and tips from the video: The first thing that you need to do is to get a large locker where you can deposit your kid's toys and athletic stuff. Another tip or step is to install timers to your kid's room. The timers will turn off the light and you won't have to worry because your electricity bill. This tips will help you organize your kid's room...

How To: Get a nice, even stain on wood

You will learn how to get a nice, even stain on wood in this Home and Garden video tutorial brought to you by TheSoapGuy. It’s really easy and simple to do. Get a finished piece of wood. You should work in a well ventilated area because wood stain generates a lot of fumes. Wood stain comes in aerosol spray and in cans. Mix the stain in the can by rolling the can. Don’t shake it, it will generate bubbles. Open the can and apply the wood stain with a brush evenly on the surface. The more coats ...

How To: Bend acrylics (like Plexiglas) with a hot air gun

Have you ever wanted to bend a small piece of acrylic? Well now you can with the help of a traditional hot air gun and this informative video. Make sure to wear safety glasses and gloves before trying this project. Clamp the acrylic to a work table, and proceed to turn the gun on and heat up the piece of acrylic, using a steady back-and-forth sweeping motion. As it heats up, you can use your fingers to gently bend the acrylic upward. Leave it at 90 degrees to cool down for a couple minutes, a...

How To: Unclog a drain without Drano

This video details the procedure for unclogging a drain without the use of drain clearing chemicals. This procedure is intended to be used in the event of a drain being clogged with hair. A tool for this task would be a wire hanger, modified to have the bottom removed, and two ends fashioned into hooks. For this example, a drain with an unscrew-able top-cover is used. To begin, unscrew the top cover to reveal the washer and the drain. Remove the rubber washer to fully reveal the drain. Once t...

How To: Paint any piece of wood furniture

In this Home and Garden video tutorial you will learn how to paint any piece of wood furniture. The video is from CR8everydaycrafts.com and is presented by Jen Grant. You will need yellow and red color general finishes paint, aging wax, sand paper, a piece of soft cloth and of course your furniture. First fine polish the raw wood furniture. Then paint two coats of yellow general finishes paint. Now paint two more coats of red paint. Allow the each coat to dry before painting the next coat. Af...

How To: Faux paint a rustic texture for a distressed look

Add a custom finish to a dresser or armoire by following the steps outlined in this video tutorial to add a faux finish and distressed technique. This a good way to add a finished to a piece of furniture that looks plain or undone. To begin, used a water-based primer that is tinted in a golden tone. Just paint a thin layer of the primer onto your piece of furniture with a roller or paint brush. You can leave the hardware on since the finish is very crude looking. This means it is okay if you ...

How To: Remove an acrylic scratch

To remove the scratch in acrylic you need to first use Silicon Carbide water proof paper of 600CW grade. Turn over the paper and rub the scratched area of acrylic in a circular motion. You will see the scratch disappears after few minutes. Thereafter use the Silicon Carbide water proof paper of 1200CW grade which is more fine. Again rub over the scratched area in circular motion. Then wipe off the area and you can see after some time of rubbing the scratch is completely disappeared. But it le...

How To: Make a bicycle rack out of repurposed closet racks

Danny Lipford and Joe demonstrate how to make a bicycle rack out of repurposed closet racks. Closet brackets can be used to store bicycles. Instead of hanging the bicycle on the ceiling for long term storage, fasten closet brackets to your garage wall to more practically easily access your bicycles on an everyday basis. First, drive drywall screws into the wall studs. Space the brackets about 16 inches apart. Hang the bike right on its crossbar from the brackets. This method only works with b...

How To: Stack cut lumber

In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to stack cut lumber. This process if very simple to do. It will save the worker a lot of time, instead of measuring and cutting each piece individually. The stack cut will cut a number of lumber into the same length. This can be used to cut a single stack or an entire unit. Begin by squaring up one end of the stack. Mark your measurement on top. When you cut, it will leave a mark on the next board. Continue to cut through all the lumber. This video wi...

How To: Install a glass tile backspash

This video is to show how to install a glass tile backsplash. Because installing glass is a little different then installing ceramic, knowing what to do is important. Use painter's tape to protect your surroundings wherever you are installing your glass and use only a white thin set mortar recommended from the glass manufacturer to adhere your tiles. Since the glass is see through, unlike ceramic tiles, you need to make sure there is no discoloration and smooth out the ridges on the mortar fo...

How To: Paint your front door to give your house a new look

In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to paint the front door of their house to give it a new look. Begin by removing any dirt, grime, mold and mildew off the door. Users are recommended to use TSP cleaner or any bleach solution. Then take off any hardware on the door (locks, door knob, windows). Users should use a paint roller to paint the door. Users are advised to begin coating the door with primer before painting the door. This video will benefit those viewers who would like to learn ...

How To: Iron a shirt quickly and easily

Ironing a shirt is simple and easy when you follow the suggestions outlined by Matt McGuire in this tutorial. You will need an iron, wrinkled shirt, and ironing board. Lay one end of the shirt on the board. Take the iron rubbing it from side to side, pressing out the wrinkles. It is a good idea to fill your iron with water prior to heating it up. This allows you to steam your clothes making it even easier to get a clean press. When done ironing this section, lay the other portion of the shirt...

How To: Remove the plunger rod when unclogging a sink

In this video you will see how to remove the plunger rod when unclogging a sink. To unclog a sink drain, remove the bent portion the drain and clear it out. Normally something or the other gets stuck inside it causing the clog. Also check out both ends of the other pipes. The plunger to your sink is attached by a little rod. Slide the little catch off the rod; remember which hole it is on so that you put it back correctly later on. Then take pliers and loosen the plastic nut gently and pull t...

How To: Build a fire when the electricity goes out

This video shows the viewer how to start a fire without sing matches or electricity. This is done by first selecting a fairly large dry log. The aim is to ‘chip’ or peel smaller pieces of wood off from this log. These pieces will burn more easily and as such will make it easier to start the fire – a small hatchet is a useful tool to use when breaking down the larger log. Once you have the kindling place it on an alcohol wipe. Then use a flint or a fire steel to ignite the alcohol wipe. Once t...

How To: Repair a chip in a procelain sink

You can buy a porcelain patch kit to fix chips in your porcelain sink. You used to have to take two steps to repair it starting with a filler followed by a glaze to make it shiny. The video teaches how to use patch kits that you paint on like nail polish. To apply the patch you want to put on several thin coats and let each coat dry. When you apply the coats the key is to get the patch level with the rest of the sink. Then you can sand it with 220 grit sandpaper. After you have sanded the are...

How To: Make a punch bag

This video demonstrates how to make a punch bag. You will need a large duffle bag and a foam yoga mat. First, take your yoga mat and roll it up tightly. Place it upright inside your duffle bag and let expand, forming a lining inside. Next, fill your duffle bag with rags, clothes or any other soft material that you can use as a filler. Make sure that you fill your duffle bag up to the very top, when you've completed this make sure to pull the drawstring tightly and tie it off so nothing falls ...

How To: Fix a crack or gouge in your hardwood floor

Start by putting tape around the area that you want to patch. This will keep the wood filler from getting all over the rest of the floor. If there is anything down in the floor like dog hair or crumbs make sure you get that stuff out before you put the wood filler in the area. Then take some wood filler in a plastic tube and put a line of filler in the hole. Use a putty knife to force it down into the area you are filling and then scrap the excess off. Do this until the hole is completely fil...

How To: Faux paint a crackle finish on furniture

In this Home and Garden video tutorial learn how to faux paint a crackle finish on furniture. When working on this type of project, it is best to work on a horizontal surface. However, if you have to work on a vertical surface, this video explains partially how you can faux paint the crackle finish. If you apply the glue to the surface lightly and while painting with a roller, you got to simply glide it over the surface. If you roll it back and forth, it will start to crackle again. But, if t...

How To: Remove popcorn and respray knockdown texture

In this Home & Garden video tutorial you will learn how to remove popcorn and re-spray knockdown texture. First of all you will need to cover the floor and any hangings from the ceiling like chandeliers with plastic covering. Then you need to scrape off the areas on the ceiling and the walls and remove the popcorn completely. After it is fully removed, paint with spray paint. You will need to paint the whole room as the shade of the new paint will not match with that of the old paint. After t...

How To: Lay ceramic tile with drywall spackle

Tree Climbing Man demonstrates how to lay ceramic tile with drywall spackle. You don't need to rip up your existing floor and put down plywood or a sub floor to lay down a new floor. You can put ceramic tile right over existing linoleum with less work, less heartache and less problems. First, spackle the back of each tile and lay it down. You can also use a stapler and tape to fix problem areas. You don't need to go crazy with the adhesive. Spend your money on quality tile. You can use clay f...

How To: Use a jig saw

In this video presenter Dominic shows you how to use a Jig Saw correctly. Dominic suggests that if you are going to make a tight turn then you should use a skinnier blade in order to avoid banging up the wood or breaking the jig saw blade. He adds that you should be patient and try not to go too fast. With the jig saw you first have to drill a hole in the wood and then put the jig saw through as the blade is flexible and cannot be pushed through by itself. He suggests trimming off the first p...

How To: Build a retaining wall to flatten a sloped lawn

In this video you will learn how to build a retaining wall to flatten a sloped lawn. He says that if someone wants to garden but their yard is sloped and they know they can't do it, they should know that this is a lot of work. So be prepared to dedicate a lot of time and effort. You start by getting a building permit. If you're looking to build a low retaining wall you start by digging a trench a little wider then the stones and a few inches deep (the higher the wall the deeper the trench). F...

How To: Organize a closet with a shelves and compartments

You can organize your closet with simple drawers and shelves or racks that you purchase at a discount store such as Target. Outside of your closet you can have drawer space (use transparent drawers) by labeling your own drawers with large labels that you have written the contents of the drawer on and placed this at the front where it will be visible. The drawers can be divided into short sleeved sweater tops, long sleeved sweater tops, tanks, vests, short sleeved tees, long sleeved regular to...

How To: Iron a men's button up shirt

This Home and Garden video tutorial shows how to iron a men's button up shirt. This video will show you how to iron a cotton shirt. Switch on your iron and set it to the hottest setting or cotton setting. Place the shirt on an ironing board and start with the collar. Iron both sides of the collar. Now get on to the sleeves; first iron both sides of the calf and then the whole sleeve. Repeat the other sleeve. Then iron the front of the shirt; pull the fabric slightly to even out the creases, i...