Hot Home & Garden How-Tos
How To: Pay your contractor
Ilyce Glink with ExpertRealEstateTips tells us about how often home owners ask her "How much should I pay a contractor before he or she starts the job?". The one who will be answering this question is Line Epstein, Vice President of Baker Construction Group. "You should never pay your contractor in full before the entire job is completed" -he says. "Not that he's going to run off with your money, but you want to keep some incentive to get the job done right. You should give a deposit of 5 to ...
How To: Build a garden retaining wall
This video describes the easy process of building a garden retaining wall. First you will need to map out your area for your wall with strings and dig your trench for your stones. You will be filling the trench with gravel to hold your stones in place. Make sure to pack to gravel securely into the ground. You should have a leveling tool to ensure your base is very level. After you make sure that first level is secure and in place you will stack your next level of stone. Once the homeowner has...
How To: Understand how a basement sump pump works
This video is from AskMeDIY and covers how basement sump pumps work to keep your basement dry. The sump pump fits underneath the basement below the concrete slab. The sump pump in the video pumps 2,000 gallons per hour. The presenter turns the pump off to demonstrate how quickly the water would fill in with the pump off. He contends that the basement would be flooded in only three minutes if the pump would malfunction. The pump is plugged into a GFI protected outlet and the pump outlet flows ...
How To: Weather strip your house
The hosts, Robin Burke and David Musial, show how to install weather stripping to keep the heat in your home and the cold out. David demonstrates how to remove old, worn weather stripping. He shows the new weather stripping and makes a cut, demonstrating what to do if a new piece of stripping doesn't fit your door. Robin then shows us how to install weather stripping on windows, demonstrating how easy it is to attach the material. Using these techniques, you can further insulate your home fro...
How To: Fix garbage disposal jams without a plumber
In this video you are shown how to fix garbage disposal jams. Jams or electrical surges in your garbage disposal may make it appear that it is no longer working which is in fact not the case. Many people buy whole new units when that is unnecessary. If your garbage disposal jams, you can take a jam buster, which is basically an Allen wrench, and insert it into the small hole in the center of the bottom of your disposal. Twist until the jam, or whatever is obstructing your disposal, is broken....
How To: Install snap tile for your bathroom floor
This is a video which shows how to install snap tile on a bathroom floor. The snam tile has plastic tabs that interlock. First he measures the lengths. Then he takes the tiles outside to be able to use the saw to cut lengths. Next a mark is drawn. The square is used to make straight lines. Make sure to measure twice and cut once. Use the guard on the wet saw so that water doesn't splash. Use the saw gently so as not to damage the tile. After the floor has been snapped into place, the grout is...
How To: Make a simple jig to hang picture frames
Danny Lipford shows us how to create a simple jig to hang picture frames. He believes that all the complicated gadgets many people use-including lasers and special levels-are unnecessary for successfully hanging a picture frame. All you really need is a strip of wood and a single nail. He shows us a single lath with a roofing nail in it, which he prefers for its broad head. Simply slip the nail onto the wire on the picture's backside. Then set the picture wherever you would like it to be. Sim...
How To: Organize and renovate your closet
Frank, with Home Depot's Trend and Design Department, and Chatelaine demonstrate how to organize and renovate your closet. If you want to make your closet as functional as possible without a lot of wasted space, introduce a fun wallpaper as an accent and install a basic Rubbermaid closet organizer system. Use a centralized bar for support and put in rails two feet apart from each other to allow for flexibility in shelving. Additional accessory pieces include sliding baskets for shoes and an a...
How To: Repair a wash machine lid switch
This Home and Garden video tutorial shows how to repair a wash machine lid switch. This video is on a GE Prodigy machine. Looking inside the machine under the switch, she finds that two wires are broken. Take a screwdriver and press down the clip of the switch from underneath. One end will come out. Then, pull out the switch. After that it is very simple. Cut off a bit of the plastic coating from the ends of the wires, connect them to the switch and put some electrical tape around them. Now y...
How To: Cut floor joists to length quickly and accurately
Fine Homebuilding with Jim Anderson demonstrates how to cut floor joists to length. Inspect the rim line to know where to set the joists. Set the joists to the layout on the rim line using a two man team. Tap a nail into the joist to keep it from moving around. Instead of standing the joists up to square them, cut them on both ends. Line the chalk line up with the rim line and snap the line across the joists to mark them. This will simultaneously measure and square them. Finally, line the joi...
How To: Make a humane mouse trap from a paper towel tube
How to Make Anything demonstrates how to make a humane mouse trap from a paper towel tube. If you have a pesky mouse that you would like to catch alive, make a tube mouse trap in a few easy steps. First, put something delicious in the end of the tube. Then, balance the tube on the edge of the counter top. Below the tube, place a mouse catching receptacle like a trash can. The mouse will crawl into the tube to get the treat, tip the tube off the counter and be caught in the trash can. You can ...
How To: Paint furniture with a faux antique distressed look
In this video we are show how you can make old furniture look softer. It looks really easy but dirty so old clothes and cloves would be advisable. First of all take your glazing color and mix it with a white. Then take mix and mix it with a glazing medium 1 part color and 3 parts glazing medium. After it is mixed well take a brush wipe on a thin layer of the paint/glazing mix. Wiped directly after with a sponge. What will give your old furniture a softer look. But you don't have to stop there...
How To: Make a worm farm
To make a worm farm, you will need mud, water, a fruit or vegetable and a big container. First, fill a big container full of mud. Add water to it. Then, cut up your fruits or vegetables. Add your fruits or vegetables to the container full of mud and water. Next, put on some work gloves, grab a spade and collect worms from the outside dirt. You can also purchase them, if you'd prefer. Add the worms to the big container. After about two weeks the worms will start to reproduce. After about four ...
How To: Repair common problems with garbage disposals
Harry shows ways to fix common garbage disposal problems. First he shows if it hums use a crowbar to break free what is stuck. If you flip the switch and nothing happens it may be the red reset button on the bottom has popped out. He enplanes it may even be a bad wall switch or a bad breaker. He then shows you how to replace the disposal if that is what needs to be done. He shows you what to do if your new pipe is too short, how to properly wire your new one, and how to hook the drain for you...
How To: Design a small old fashion flower arrangement for home
The video comes from theflowergod.com and in it the instructor advised us how to make a 'Roundy mound' as he calls it, or a small old fashioned flower arrangement. Following are his instructions:
How To: Use wood stain
In this video we are shown the proper way to stain wood. For the demonstration in this video our host uses oak cabinets. Wearing rubber gloves, use a rag to apply the coat of stain. You will want to apply two coats of stain followed by a coat of polyurethane to protect your stain and the wood itself. A rag will ensure an even finish, as opposed to a brush that doesn't always get into the cracks and does not get the coverage that a rag does. With a brush you will have to worry about the bristl...
How To: Build storage shelves
Nine inch storage shelves are spaced and constructed in a practical way. It shows the right screws. This requires a drill some wood. The viewer is shown how to make a good back brace for the shelves. It shows how to make the shelving unit level. You learn the screw head must be flat. You are also shown how to put in a good support for underneath the shelves. It shows the center support being constructed. He shows how to set the shelves up so there is support from all sides and to make the she...
How To: Unclutter your CD & DVD collection
With the CDs and DVDs you want to do less purging and more organizing. A good way to unclutter your DVDs is to dedicate a bookshelf to your collection. Put the adult movies on top and alphabetize them so that they are up away from the kids reach. Put the movies for the family and kids down lower so that they can get to their movies and watch them. For the CDs a binder will hold a lot of them and allow you to get rid of all the hard plastic cases. You can put hundreds in just one binder. A gre...
How To: Unclog your garbage disposal
In this video from thingstoknow we learn how to unclog your garbage disposal and sink. If your sink is clogged and you have a garbage disposal, turn on the disposal first, then turn on the water, and hold the plug down. This will force the water into the line and you'll feel the water backing up against the plug. This force will clear the clog within the line. When it clears pull the drain plug and you have successfully cleared your clog. It is important to not turn on the disposal switch whi...
How To: Top or stop dahlias by the Dahlia Guy
In return, this allows the it to become more fuller and have more blossoms. This is done due to the fact that dahlias tend to grow in only one branch. One can top or stop dahlias by cutting the main stem just a couple of inches from the top. One can also use there fingers to snip off the top of the branch. Topping or stopping dahlias can be done upon planting them but also when you dead head later in the summer.
How To: Dry & perserve flowers
Preserve the beauty of your flowers by pressing them. One of the simplest ways in doing that is to press between pages of a book. It's wood, over cardboard, over absorbent paper. The flowers are placed between the paper and then held and pressed down by the cardboard and wood. It's then going to dry over time to preserve your flower. Now some flowers don't dry as well as others. What you can do is purchase some silica sand and burn the flower within it. It usually takes a couple weeks this wa...
How To: Build a platform storage bed for under $200
Following are the steps to describe how-to build a platform storage bed at a low cost: 1. All you need are the following materials: (Say a bed size of 16. 5 inch)4 sheets of plywood, 3 (1x4x8) plywood, 20 2-inch corner braces, 1 (1/4-inch) drywall screw, few nails.
How To: Design an asian quince design for your home
TheFlowergod teaches you how to design an Asian quince design for your home. You start with an empty vase for this flower arrangement. You will need four types of plants for this: one with lots of small leaves and no flowers, one with red or pink flowers, one with only one large leave and one with a long stem and only branches. For the design to work, you have to layer the plants according to length. Add the plant with the long leaves, then the one with lots of small ones. Below that make you...
How To: Assemble a kitchen flat pack
This video demonstrates how to assemble a kitchen flat pack. Everything needed comes packed flat, plus cupboard doors and bench tops are included. The flat pack is a pre-cut custom designed kitchen that can be assembled by yourself. First assemble the cabinets according to the instructions that are provided. The holes are pre-drilled making assembly quick and easy. After you have completed the assembly of your cabinets, attach the adjustable feet to the base so you can level the cabinets with...
How To: Organize your home office if you are visually impaired
This video tutorial demonstrates tips for how to organize your home office when you are visually impaired. Here a rehabilitation specialist is helping a visually impaired person. The person who is visually impaired should know what is visually important to him/her. Mostly these people obviously need to know where every thing is because they don’t have their eyes to depend anymore. Here visually impaired person is 66 year old Deanne Jackson. She has wet macular degeneration. In order to set up...
How To: Use a Breville Juice Fountain Plus 850 Watt
This video fully explains how to correctly use the Breville Juice Fountain. The product is 850 watts and has both a high and low setting for your convenience. Everything, except the motor itself, is dishwasher safe. One container collects all the juice, and another container on the opposite side collects all the skin from whatever it is you are juicing. Using a whole apple (with a sticker still on it) as an example, our demonstrator inserts an apple into the top of the machine, pushes down wi...
How To: Build makeshift outdoor stairs
In this video, Andy Bell shows different ways of how to build temporary makeshift stairs for use during construction or remodeling projects. He will teach you how you can easily measure your own stringers (the sides of the stairs, that the steps rest on to cut them on your own, or, as he tells viewers, you can also build stair building kits that come with the stringers precut and ready for use. Learn about the variations of precut stringers, as well as their affordability! Then, the procedure...
How To: Sew a blind hem stitch to make Roman shades
This video demonstrates how to sew a blind hem stitch to make Roman shades. This stitch is very easy to do. You need a sewing machine that has a blind hem stitch already programmed in it and a blind hem foot. The video shows two different kinds of blind hem foot for two different sewing machines. The one for Viking machines is used here. Fold and pin a one inch hem on your panel, making sure that the pins are pointing off the edge of the panel. Lay your panel on the machine with the hem side ...
How To: Use sushi rollers to make a Japanese-style flower vase
In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to make a Japanese-style sushi roller flower vase. This flower vase uses recycled items. The materials required to makes this vase are: a newspaper, scissors, raffia, sushi roller, acrylic paint, brush, tin foil, tape (or glue gun) and an empty bottle (300 ml). Cut the newspaper to about 3" x 12". Paint the newspaper to your preferred color. Cut the top part of the bottle. Roll the bottle in the sushi roller. Wrap the newspaper around it and tape it. ...
How To: Unclog your shower drain
In this video from prohandymanlv we learn how to unclog a shower drain. Often people with long hair will have this problem as it falls out and combines with oils and shampoos to form a ball of blockage in the drain. Use gloves when working with drains. First remove the shower strainer. If you don't have the tools to grab the clog, use long screwdrivers. If it's deeper, a zippet will work. Stick it down the drain and it will grab the clog. He actually can see the clog when he unclogs this drai...
How To: Maintain and troubleshoot your home garbage disposal
In this video tutorial from RenaissanceRentals you will learn how to maintain and troubleshoot your home garbage disposal. First thing to do is to keep the water running during garbage disposal. Ensure that the leftovers are cut into small pieces and you put only small quantities for disposal at a time. Things like plastics, glass pieces, rocks and food items like egg shells, starchy foods like pasta or rice should not be put into the garbage disposal system. If you follow these simple tips, ...
How To: Make a soil sifter with hardware cloth and wood
Danny Lipford shows us how to filter rocky soil in a flower bed in this informative video. By stapling 2 pieces of 2x2 to a hardware cloth, a mesh is produced that can be clipped onto a wheelbarrow. A home-made sifter of this variety, without a solid frame has the distinct advantage that you can pick it up and toss the filtered out rocks to the side after use. The sifter could also be used to filter the clumps that appear in fertilizer bags, or even masonry sand. The resulting filtered soil i...
How To: Organize your bathroom
Counter space is a tough thing to find in the bathroom. Follow along as Linda Gemal gives us hints on how to organize our bathrooms.
How To: Get more color in the garden
Danny Lipford shows how to grow a more colorful flower garden in early spring when there is not a lot of overall growth. He displays how he plants tulips and daffodils in the fall so that they bloom in the spring. He digs a troth about 6 feet long and 6 inches deep. After sprinkling bulb food in the troth, Lipford plants the tulip and daffodil bulbs, arranging them so each uniquely appears every other bulb. Lipford's assistant advises that he re-plants the tulips every year, since while they ...
How To: Plant corn
The video demonstrates the process of planting corn in a small soil-patch in your garden. The lady presenting you the video uses a 75g packet of Corn Honey & Cream Bicolor seeds from Heritage Gardens. Be aware that the corn cross pollinates very easily and hence you have to separate the different types of corn by planting time or by distance. The video says that 150 feet distance between different corn types is recommended but in smaller gardens, spacing can be achieved by different planting ...
How To: Build a fire with a Duraflame firestarter
Build a fire with a Duraflame firestarter. This video is going to show you how to do this. Crystal Whole from Duraflame is demonstrating the process in this video. First get your chimney cleaned and inspected. Keep all inflammable material at least 3 feet away from the hearth. Use dry wood that has been seasoned for at least six months. Or you can use stax logs in lieu of wood. Three stax logs are sufficient to keep the fire burning all evening. Open the flue of the chimney, put two stax logs...
How To: Extend the life of your carpet
This video shooting taken at Pacific Home Furnishings explains the way to extend the life of your carpet. The lady presenting the video explains us the ways that can help extend your carpet's life. She says that when you go shopping for the carpet, after thinking about your budget, the next important thing to consider is the underlayment. She presents us with some samples of underlayment ranging in quality and pricing. First she about the least expensive one which she calls the after thought ...
How To: Design an elegant bride's maid flower bouquet
In this video tutorial from The Flower God, learn how to design a flower bouquet for a bridesmaid. You will need two colors of roses (or whatever flower you are using, fern, and baby's breath. This tutorial uses red and white roses. Take a lighted candle and hold the flame close to the bud to speed up the budding process. Take one of the red roses and surround it by about four of the white roses. Then, add additional red roses in between each white rose. Frame this arrangement with the ferns ...
How To: Fold a fitted sheet like an expert
This video explains how to properly fold fitted sheets. The first step is hold the sheet with the pattern, outer side closest to you and put your left hand into the first pocket and your right hand to the second pocket. Put your right hand over your left hand and flip the sheet on top of itself. Keep your hand on the top sheet and follow the edge all the way down to the third pocket. Place your hand on the underside (non-patterned part) and match it to the first two pockets, and then flip it ...
How To: Give old furniture a modern makeover
Rather than throwing out your old furniture, learn how to give your old dresser a modern makeover by following this video tutorial. To begin, pull off all of the old drawers and other pieces that do not work. You will need to sand down the frame of the dresser and then replace all of the problematic parts. You may also need to rebuild the center supports so that your dresser drawers slide in and out easily. Wipe down the dresser with a cloth and then coat it with a latex primer. The primer is...