Hot Home & Garden How-Tos

How To: Solder and prep copper pipes

To solder copper pipes, start by using a sharp blade and scrape the end of the pipe you are going to solder. This will get all the burrs off of the pipe. Next, take some steel wool and clean the pipe so that it is nice and clean and shiny. The next step is to apply some flux. Use a rag to apply the flux to the end of the pipe. You want to make sure that the flux goes all the way around the pipe. After putting flux on the two pieces of pipe, put them together using the fitting. Take the blowto...

How To: Clean dirty old coins

Meta Cafe offers fast and easy tips on how to clean filthy and old coins. All you need is: baking powder, a small, empty bowl, and a glass of water. Start by putting some baking powder into the small bowl. Next put some of your filthy, old coins into the small bowl, laying them on top of the baking powder. Then layer the remaining baking powder over the coins in the small bowl. Finally, pour the water into the bowl and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Remove the coins and dry them using a paper ...

How To: Choose a pavement right for your purpose

The experts at Bunning's have come up with a few tips for the consumer to consider when they are next in the market for paving equipment. Find out if the job needs a solid block paver or a thinner grade paver. Preserving the tools once they leave the store is in your hands. Last, but not least, watch the weight!

How To: Renew your deck with composite materials with Lowe's

As your home ages, so does your deck in the backyard, but there are ways to resolve this issue. If that wooden deck is looking weathered or worn, you can simply replace the components with composite materials without a complete rebuild. Composite doesn't splinter or have knots, and it's low maintenance. This two-part video, brought to you by Lowe's, will show you exactly how to renew your deck with composite decking.

How To: Tile large & natural stone tiles

To tile with large format and natural stone tiles onto walls you must first make sure the walls are flat, clean, dry, and free of any dust, dirt, oil, grease, and any other loose material. Ensure that surfaces are suitable and prepared as advised. Then use the Dunlop Universal Bonding Agent where you will be applying the tile. For gypsum plaster and gypsum plasterboard, apply two coats of Dunlop Universal Bonding Agent, diluted with one part bonding agent, two parts water. Then allow primer t...

How To: Remove ink stains

Ink stains are a very common stain that people get from an accidental pen mark on the clothing or when an ink pen bursts in a pocket or a purse. Start by putting a little cloth in between the ink stain and another part of the clothing. Get some glycerin and dab some of it on the stain using a cotton swab. Gently rub the glycerin on the stain. Rub it around a little bit and then let it set. Next take some gentle laundry detergent and pour a little bit into a bowl with some water in it. Stir th...

How To: Create a worm farm

Don't know what to do with your your dinner scrapes or garbage? This video shows you how to create and care for your very own worm farm. Using coya fiber, a proper bin to help maintain about two thousand worms, dirt, and your garbage you'll have your very own worm farm in no time. This is a quick and easy to follow tutorial from a worm farm expert. Remember, to water your worms, and cover there home for strong, healthy worms.

How To: Understand & use gutter guard

In this video you'll learn everything you need to have and how to use and understand your gutter guard. Tracy shows you all the different type of gutter guards, plastic, powder coated metal, galvanized mesh, the ridged mesh, and your hechhog piping. It takes you from everything you need to check for, and how to properly install your mesh. As well as being cautious of safety to achieve the best result. This is a great video to watch when looking to protect your homes gutter system.

How To: Remove microwave odor

Many foods that you cook in the microwave create a very strong odor. That odor can last for a period of several hours or days. To remove the odor take a bowl and wet a paper towel and fold it in half and then in half again and put the towel in the bowl. Put the bowl in the microwave and heat the bowl and paper towel for one minute. Heating it will create steam and the paper towel will absorb the odor.

How To: Choose the right garden mulch

This video will show you how to choose the right mulch for your garden. The first thing to learn is that you have a lot of choices when it comes to selecting a garden mulch. The first type is organic mulch. Organic mulch is a kind of mulch that will break down into the soil over a period of time. Wood chip is an example of organic mulch. You can put a weed mat down under the mulch to keep the weeds from growing up. A second way to mulch the garden is with a decorative pebble. They come a wide...

How To: Wallpaper

This video tutorial shows you how to wallpaper. 1. Set the mood: To wallpaper a room you need caffeine and music, it's best to get that first. 2. Prepare the space: Basically this step is set to gathering tools, patching holes, cleaning and sanding the walls, moving furniture and removing outlet and switch face plates. The tools are as follows: level, pencil, tape measure, step stool, wallpaper paste, paint tray, paint rollers and brushes, wall paper, squeegee, water bucket, sponge. utility k...

How To: Hang a picture with no holes

You use a bike rack that extends from floor to ceiling. Pick where you want to put your picture and place the bike rack there. Adjust the bike rack so that it is at the level you want the picture. Then take a clamp light and clamp it to the pole of the bike rack. If the light slips on the pole, you can wrap some duct tape on the pole to create a surface that the light will stay on. Point the light toward where the back of the picture is going to be. If the picture you want to hang does not ha...

How To: Remove rust

Rust can form anywhere and happens on all types of metal objects, no matter how old they are. You can get rust quickly if something metallic gets into contact with water. If some of your beloved tools have gotten rusty, check out this tutorial and learn how to remove some of that dredded reddish layer. This video will show you how to remove the rust naturally, without caustic chemicals and keep your home healthy and earth-friendly while remaining rust-free!

How To: Cement stones around your pond

To cement the stones around your pond, start by mixing up half of an 80 pound bag of Quick Crete. Pour the 40 pounds of concrete into a metal container, add water and mix it together. Add just enough water so that it is not too runny. Put down a base of cement around the pond where you will lay the stones. Lay the stones in the cement, then put some cement in between the stones, and smooth it out.

How To: Fix a collapsed volcano vaporizer

This video tutorial shows you how to fix a collapsed volcano vaporizer. Replace vaporizer tubes with new ones. Trim them to fit with fingernail clippers. Use zip ties to secure tubes to vaporizer and other tubes to prevent future collapse. In the end, you want the square tube to jab into the side.

How To: Blow-up and remove a large rock from the ground

Is there a rock in your yard that's bothering you? This video will show you how to get rid of it. First you dig around the rock to figure out where you want to drill your holes. Then you drill holes into the sides of the rock. It’s important to clean the dust out of the holes because you might have a misfire. Put two cartridges in each hole (the number of cartridges depends on the size of the rock). Extent the hoses about 25 ft away and attach the hoses to the air source. Make sure the area i...

How To: Install a garden edge

Installing a garden edge is an easy and effective way to ensure that your garden stays orderly and that your lawn doesn't creep over. A garden edge can also be a big help in keeping weeds from getting into your garden and ruining your beautiful plants. You will need to measure around the perimeter you want to enclose and buy a corresponding amount of edging. After that, it's as easy as digging around the area with a spade and putting the edging into the ground. Then you just fill in dirt arou...

How To: Install a glass vessel sink or countertop

This video tutorial shows you how to install a glass vessel sink or countertop. First you need to make sure that the glass vessel sink or countertop has all of the pieces needed and that none of the pieces are scratched or broken. You then need to place the mouthing ring on the countertop where the sink is going to go. Make sure that the rubber side is facing down. Then carefully set the sink on the mouthing ring. You must then take off the tail piece of the pop up drain. Take off the ridge a...

How To: Plant banana trees

This video shows you how to plant banana trees. There is a kind of banana tree that is winter hardy. It's called an Orinoco Banana Tree. Use a pitchfork to loosen the soil where the banana tree is going to be planted. Just poke the dirt with the pitchfork until the area that the tree will be planted in is loose. It should be about 2 times the size of the pot the tree is in. Take a shovel and shovel the dirt out of the hole. Take the tree out of the pot and put it in the hole. Center the tree ...

How To: Use a Hydroponic Seed Starter to produce seedlings

Learn how to make and use a hydroponic seed starter to produce seedlings with this video tutorial. This is a very easy setup to make. Start with a basic metal shelving unit. Hang florescent lights above each of the shelves on the shelving unit. Make sure the lights are balanced for day time. Put a plastic container on each shelf that is about the size of the shelf and tall enough for the rim to sit just below the florescent light tubes. You will need some pecks tubing and some plastic clamps....

How To: Solder copper pipes the right way

Soldering is a handy skill to have at your disposal. You probably don't want to jump right into it without practice on some scraps, but you can learn how to solder copper pipes together. You will need to make sure that all of the pieces you are working with are clean and dry first. You then need to apply flux to the end piece and slide the joint piece onto the pipe and hold it in place. Now you are ready to solder your pipes. This video will show you everything you need to know.