Each house is different, and age doesn’t matter and can be found in new homes. Radon test kits are available at home centers and hardware stores for about $10. They usually involve setting a collector in your home for a week or so and then sending it to a lab for analysis.
Currently operating a home repair and DIY consulting service, he empowers his clients to be self-sufficient in their home repair and remodeling endeavors. Earlier, we talked about repairing your own plumbing. Part of the trick in plumbing is to avoid scratching fragile chrome or brushed nickel finishes on faucets or exposed drain parts. Plumbers use smooth-faced pliers and wrenches to achieve perfect results. You can avoid buying special tools for one-time use by wrapping your soft-leather work glove around the fitting and using your standard pliers or pipe wrench over the protective cover. It also comes with a long list of things to do to keep the home in working order or improve our surroundings.
- You might want to try standing in front of the model you’re considering and acting out your morning routine.
- But the living room has several models of classic cars around it, as well as an antique car poster above the mantle.
- Center your showstopping art on the wall, and take care to hang it 57 inches above the ground- — that’s where the average eye level sits.
Hang a wall-mount shelf above the table to keep keys, hats, and sunglasses within easy reach. Low maintenance, energy efficient with the best warranty in the business. With our computerized design process, you’ll be able to see the choices of siding on your home before the job starts from the comfort of your home.
Moving house: The ultimate checklist
Stand on the kerb and appraise your house like you’re seeing it for the first time – is there peeling paint or cracked gutters? If the answer’s yes, it’s time whip out the paint and ladder. Stripping and staining cabinets will give your space a major facelift. Sealing cabinets with polyurethane will also increase durability.
The set designers set out to make the home as normal as possible. It needed to be as middle of the road as possible to appear to be the house of a middle class family living in a suburb during that era. The Taylor house has a few personal details but it could easily be anyone’s home, a key part of making the series relatable to audiences. Find new homes for stuff during a reno.Donate luxury kitchen appliances, cabinetry, and bath fixtures to charity. Renovation Angel offers white-glove removal — plus you’ll get a nice tax deduction. Norm Abram, a regular fixture on “This Old House,” hosted his own home improvement series, “The New Yankee Workshop,” on PBS for two decades.
Home Improvement Ideas to Maximize the Space of Your Small House
Begin by removing cabinet doors and hardware, then wipe cabinet fronts and doors with mineral spirits to remove any dirt, dust, and grease. Apply a gel-type stripper per manufacturer’s instructions, and then remove the stripper with a plastic putty knife. Next, sand the wood with sandpaper, and you’ll be set to begin staining. Whether an art-arranging project went awry or you’re tired of looking at dings around the house, concealing wall blemishes is a weekend-worthy project. With a putty knife and surfacing compound, you can easily repair nail holes and other minor wall imperfections. For larger holes, place an adhesive patch over the area and spread an all-purpose drywall compound over it with a trowel.
Give the Kitchen a Simple Update
“The process is simple,” says Mike McAllister, owner of Riverside Kitchen Center in Mount Vernon, Washington. “Remove the small flange that holds the existing insert, then replace the insert with your material and add wood or metal stops to keep it in place.” If you’re looking for a quick way to change the look of your room, hanging a new light fixture is your best bet. A well-made light fixture looks better, lasts longer, and gives clearer light, so inspect your fixture’s construction the way you would a piece of furniture.
It should take less than an hour to replace the current fixture, to the tune of about $100 for installation. Blue is as calming as the sky, silver reflects light, jewel tones are bravely bold — and just might work. Get the latest This Old House news, trusted tips, tricks, and DIY Smarts projects from our experts–straight to your inbox.
Your choice should balance aesthetics with practicality. Dimmer switches quickly give your dining room the atmosphere of a swank restaurant. You can use fluorescent lights or special dimmable LED bulbs. A rotary dimmer switch is the most common type of dimmer switch. As you rotate the knob clockwise and counterclockwise, the intensity of the light changes. For an impactful weekend update, swap out the surface of your kitchen island.