To take advantage of the space beneath a second-floor deck, consider installing an underdeck. As a ceiling to the underside of the deck it also protects the area from rain and snow. The vinyl material acts as a ceiling drainage system and creates a ground level outdoor room or useful found space for storing bicycles…
Make Old Tiles Look New by Regrouting
Dear James: The grout on the bathroom tiles is crumbling and looks dark even after using bleach. I don’t want to remove the tile and redo it. Can I just replace the grout myself? — Damon W. Dear Damon: You probably won’t have to remove any tiles in the discolored grout areas. Where the grout…
Tools 201: Expanding the Do-It-Yourself Tool Chest
Whether you’re a homeowner or apartment dweller, you’ve probably already discovered the sense of satisfaction that comes from something as simple as grabbing a nearby screwdriver and tightening a loose knob on a dresser drawer, or using pliers to fix a leak beneath the sink. Having the right tools and knowing how to use them…
How to Make Wild Yeast Water Bread
There’s a kind of magic to bread baking. The simplest of ingredients—grain and water—come together to form a stodgy but pliant dough, which, with the help of an invisible-to-us force that we now know to be yeast, rises and bakes into crusty loaves with an airy, delicate crumb. While some modern nutritionists and wellness influencers…
Match Stainless Steel Appliances With a New Sink
Dear James: I have installed all-new stainless appliances in my kitchen. I may have to install the stainless-steel sink myself to stay in budget. What are some selection and installation tips? — Lisa T. Dear Lisa: Many of today’s kitchen appliances are stainless steel or just less expensive stainless-steel fronts for easy cleaning. Actually, the…
Install a Standby Generator
A power outage can be a major inconvenience to any household and cause problems a generator is designed to solve. The job of a standby generator is to keep the appliances and systems of a house working when the power goes out. When a major power outage occurs, the lights go out, the food in…
A Few Personal Choices for a Personal Shower
By Ed Del Grande From Tribune News Service Q: Hi Ed: I want to install a personal shower with hose in our shower stall. I’m a handy person around the house, but can use a little help choosing a nice personal shower set up for our bathroom. Can you suggest some ideas to ponder? —…
Fall Is Around the Corner—Is Your Home Ready?
Soon, the leaves will be changing color. Shorter days, cooler weather, and the joys of the holiday season are the time to slow down and enjoy family and friends—not to be doing last-minute winterizing. Start the process now by doing a little each weekend, breaking that daunting to-do list down into manageable parts. For example,…
Remove Rust From Anything
Do you remember asking the classic question in high school chemistry class, “When will I ever use this?” I admit that I was one who posed this question loud enough that I was rewarded with an afternoon in detention. It was only years later that I came to appreciate how simple chemistry surrounds us in…
The Correct Wall Anchors Make Strong Shelves
Dear James: I need to install some shelving to get stuff off the garage and utility room floors. Some of it is pretty heavy. What types of wall anchors are strong and easy to install? — Alex C. Dear Alex: When you take a walk down the shelving aisle at your home center store, you…
US News
RSS Error: A feed could not be found at `https://www.theepochtimes.com/c-us/feed`; the status code is `200` and content-type is `text/html; charset=utf-8`