Home improvement, made simple

Get it right the first time.

Clear, step-by-step guides and product picks for every job around the house, from plumbing and painting to floors, doors, and the tools that get them done.

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Painting & Finishing 153 guides Water Heating 86 guides Toilets 78 guides Showers 72 guides Doors & Windows 69 guides Sawing 56 guides Water Filters & Dispensers 43 guides Drilling 40 guides

Painting & Finishing

close up of a White stucco wall

How to Apply and Remove Orange Peel TextureFlat walls looking dull? A few passes of orange peel can hide the flaws.

Paint cans with spilling paint

How to Remove Latex PaintThat drip on the floor is not permanent, and water-based paint is on your side.

Varnishing a wooden deck using paintbrush

How to Paint a DeckTired of a gray, weathered deck? Good prep makes the paint actually last.

Painter painting the interior door white in a new house

Cost to Paint Interior DoorsTired doors dragging down the room? Here's what a fresh coat really runs.

Doors & Windows

Wooden interior

How to Block Heat from WindowsYour windows are letting the summer in. Here's how to shut it out.

Man installing window blinds in a house

How to Remove Window BlindsNearly every blind lifts off its brackets, no drill required.

Garden shed

How to Build a Shed DoorSick of a warped door that drags and sticks? Make one that hangs true for years.

Close-up elements of the interior of the apartment

How to Stop a Door From Slamming ShutSlam once, jump every time? Here's how to quiet a door for good.

Water Heating

Water sputtering from faucet to a glass

How to Fix Air in a Hot Water LineOne spitting faucet or all of them? The answer changes the fix.

Boiler repair, replacement of broken water heating element

How to Clean a Water HeaterPops and rumbles from the tank? That is sediment. Here is how to flush it out.

Male technician servicing the gas boiler for hot water and heating

Water Heater Facts and StatisticsEver wonder how much your hot water really costs you each year?

Setting the central heating level in gas furnace panel

How to Turn Up a Hot Water HeaterStuck with a lukewarm shower? The fix is usually one dial away.

Showers

Plumber hands fixing shower mixer on modern water tap.

How to Remove a Shower HandleStuck, screwless, or seized on? Here is how the handle finally comes off.

Remove flow restrictor from shower head

How to Remove a Flow Restrictor From a Shower HeadTired of a trickle? One little plastic disk is usually the culprit.

Close-up of a shower rod with hanging curtain

Best Shower RodsTired of curtains hitting the floor? Find a rod that actually stays put.

View of glass door shower with tile wall and floor.

How to Waterproof a Window in a ShowerLove the light but hate the leaks? Here's how to keep it dry.

Toilets

Home construction with new white toilet in bathtub renovation house

How to Remove a Toilet SeatWobbly seat or seized bolts? Here's how to get any toilet seat off.

Person flushing toilet

Types of Toilet Flush SystemsEver wonder what actually happens when you press the handle?

Plumber removing toilet in bathroom

How to Remove a ToiletTwo bolts and a water line stand between you and a clear bathroom floor.

Man cutting gypsum drywall on using angle hand electric power tools

How to Remove DrywallSkip the sledgehammer chaos and take that wall down in clean, stackable sheets.

Woodworking

Special carpenter workshop

How to Find Your Ideal Workbench HeightThe wrong bench height wrecks your back. Here's how to nail the right one.

Carpenter hands at work with clamp

How to Join Two Boards LengthwiseTwo short boards, one long one. Here's how to make the joint last.

Open can of pink paint with white brush over it

Types of Paint for WoodPeeling, yellowing, tacky? It usually traces back to the wrong can.

A man joiner at work

How to Fix Warped WoodBefore you toss that twisted board, try heat, moisture, and a few clamps.

Welding

Man in a protective mask welding metal construction outside

66 Welding Project IdeasTurn a few sticks of steel into furniture, art, or a side hustle.

Welding copper

How to Weld CopperCopper drinks heat like a sponge. Here's how to keep your puddle alive.

A young man in welding shirt welding metal

Best Welding Shirts for Spark and Arc ProtectionStop a stray spark before it finds skin: the FR shirts worth wearing.

Man wearing welding work boots

Best Welding Work BootsSparks, slag, hot steel: boots that protect your feet all shift.

Water Filters & Dispensers

Uses of distilled water

10 Uses of Distilled WaterYour steam iron is just the start of what pure water can do.

Pouring alkaline water for drinking

How to Make Alkaline Water at HomeThose pricey bottles? You can raise your water's pH at home for pennies.

Woman filling cup at best hot water dispenser

Best Hot Water DispensersWhy wait on the kettle when near-boiling water is one button away?

Best Water Filtration System

Best Water FiltersNot all filters do the same job. Find the one that fits your water.