Blog – Page 3 – Home Repair Tutor

Rotten Wood Repair

Have you ever encountered rotten wood and had that sinking feeling at the bottom of your stomach? Queasiness and the sound of the register cha chinging ensued after I inspected the bottom of our wood porch columns. They stood the…
Plaster Wall Fixes

Have you ever tried to make minor changes in your bathroom that unfortunately led to a huge headache? Well, this happened to me when I decided to swap out a towel holder from 1985 (circa Back to the Future). What…
Make Porch Column Bases from Pressure Treated Lumber

I decided to give it a shot and build our own porch column bases out of pressure-treated lumber. It’s amazing how cheap you can construct stuff with a little know-how and some tools. Plus, the big upside is affordability. Wood…
Inspect Your Front Porch Columns

Do you have a front porch on your house? Have you ever inspected the columns or supports that hold up the porch roof? If the answer is no then this post might persuade you to do so!! The first rental…
Dishwasher Still Not Cleaning?

Why do my “clean” dishes still look dirty? Is this dishwasher even working? If you’ve asked yourself these questions then we’re in the same boat. A few posts ago I discussed how I cleaned our dishwasher and changed from a…
Stone Patio Care

Every spring or summer we all go through the same thing: cleaning the patio because it looks embarrassingly hideous, like something from a zombie movie. In fact, it looks like the zombies would enjoy having lunch on it and reflect…
The Maestro Motion Sensor Light Switch

Being a busy person is tough and that’s one of the reasons you’ll love a motion sensor light switch. Does this sound familiar: you walk into the laundry room carrying all your clothes and can’t turn on the light. Or,…
Repair Prehung Interior Doors

Do your prehung interior doors stick to the jamb, rub the floor, or just don’t lock anymore? You’re not alone. This past weekend I fixed our bathroom door that was scraping the floor tile and rubbing the jamb. The door…
How to Remove Silicone Caulk

Believe it or not, removing silicone caulk with a liquid chemical remover isn’t as straightforward as you think. But first, let me explain why I had to remove the silicone caulk on the exterior side of our living room window.…
Easily Fix Squeaky Floors

Do you ever day-dream about how to fix your squeaky floors? Both the Mrs. and I wake up at 5 a.m. We try not to disturb our daughters while getting ready for work. But the squeaky floors in our bedroom…
Fix a Door that Closes or Opens by Itself

Do you have a door that closes or opens by itself? This is a project that doesn’t take long and will make your life a whole lot better. You’ll be kicking yourself for not doing it sooner. Before this fix,…
Wet and Forget Shower

Eleven weeks of using Wet and Forget Shower has boiled down to this moment. If you read my original post on this product you know that I decided to conduct an 8 week experiment. It’s tough to keep a shower clean…
Concrete Expansion Joints

Concrete expansion joints are important for your sidewalk or driveway. Keeping your joints watertight will prevent moisture from seeping under concrete pads and causing them to heave or sink. This post shares how to accomplish this task. The purpose of…
Epoxy Grout

How awesome would it be to never have to seal your shower tile grout or worry about it staining? This is what I was thinking after repetitively trying to clean our shower floor tile grout with no luck. So I…
The Best Grout Removal Tools for Tile Shower Floors

What’s the best grout removal tool for your tile shower floor? Hands down it’s Bosch’s oscillating multi-tool because removing grout won’t take you 7 days and you’ll still have most of your hair at the end of this project. With…
Dryer Duct Cleaning

Is having your home catch on fire one of your worst fears? It is for me. Over 15,500 dryer fires occur per year due to faulty dryer ducts. But there only has to be one fire (in your house) for this statistic…
Delta In2ition Shower Heads

Do you dread stepping into the shower on Monday morning? It’s tough being an adult. My wife has hated our shower head for quite some time. The pitiful water pressure and lack of portability drive her crazy. While on my routine…
Dishwasher Not Cleaning Properly?

Have you ever looked at a newly washed glass and seen gunk at the bottom? My wife has noticed this on multiple occasions and even though our dishwasher is a few years old its cleaning efficiency has dropped off significantly.…
How to Season Replacement Cast Iron Grill Grates

Replacement cast iron grill grates are not cheap. So how do you prevent them from rusting and turning into a pile of scrap metal? This was a question I had after realizing our 10-year-old gas grill needed new replacement cast…
Wet and Forget Shower: The Intro to My 8 Week Experiment

Does anyone else get tired of cleaning the shower only to see soap scum or mold & mildew return over and over again? Oh my word, I can’t take it anymore!!! And since I’m super busy I’m always on the…
Frost-Free Sillcocks

A frozen outdoor water faucet or hose bib could be your worst nightmare. Frozen pipes are like blood clots. Very dangerous. And when they rupture your house and your wallet will suffer enormously. I don’t regularly check my outside faucets…
Outdoor GFCI Electrical Outlet Installation

If you use outdoor electrical outlets for holiday lights or other things that need a plug (karaoke machine anyone) then a GFCI outlet is a must. House electrical wiring needs GFCIs in kitchens, bathrooms, and anywhere outside. Ground-fault circuit interrupters…
Need to Fix a Leaking Toilet Bowl?

Have you ever had your toilet move when you sit on it? Has your toilet ever leaked down into the living room, kitchen, or garage? All of these things have happened to me and needless to say it’s not how…
How to Fix a Leaky Faucet

Wanna learn how to fix a leaky faucet? Specifically a leaky Delta faucet? You’re in the right place. A bathroom faucet leak can be one of the most frustrating things about being a homeowner. But don’t fear this common problem.…
Replacing Copper Pipes & Fittings With Push Fit Plumbing Pipe Connectors

How do you replace old copper pipes and fittings without soldering? More importantly, can you do this without having a ton of money, time, or plumbing experience? These questions came to me after noticing an old corroding copper shut-off valve…
How to Clean Ceramic Tile & Grout

How on earth do you clean ceramic tile and grout…and what products work best? This was a question I was pondering while taking a shower the other day. Primarily because the grout on our shower’s ceramic floor wasn’t looking so…
How to Install Custom Window Screens in Old Window Frames

How do you install custom window screens that you make from screen repair kits? I showed you how to make the window screens in a prior post. And this skill comes in handy when your screens are blown away or…
How to Clean Shower Doors

How do you remove soap scum off shower doors? And keep it from coming back? Soap scum is a problem for most showers. But fortunately, it’s not too terrible to remedy if you catch it early And if you use…
Build Custom Window Screens

You don’t need to call the local handyman to get custom window screens built. In keeping with the theme of Home Repair Tutor this project is well worth your time and only takes 15 minutes, even if you’re not particularly…
American Standard Cadet 3

How much does it cost to replace a toilet? If you’re paying a good plumber it could be upwards of $300-$400 (which includes the cost of a low price toilet). Today’s toilets are easy to assemble and require at most…
Repairing Cracks in Concrete

This time of year I start to notice all the flaws in my driveway, steps, and walkways. While doing a routine fall preventive maintenance check at one of our rental houses I noticed a sizable gap on the walkway between…
Sliding Screen Doors

How frustrating is it when your sliding screen door just won’t budge? This drives me nutty and we don’t even use our screen door that much. My wife hates how cobwebs and bugs seem to like congregating between the sliding…
Sliding Glass Door Hardware

Our sliding glass door hardware looked TERRIBLE. The door itself is in good shape but the sunlight & rain over the years definitely aged the hardware pretty badly. So I decided to be doctor for an afternoon and perform a facelift…
Vanities for Small Bathrooms

Updated sinks and faucets add a modern look to any bathroom. My prior post shared how we replaced my sister’s 1970s vanity cabinet with a new one from Allen and Roth. Installing the faucet and sink took us less time…
Vanities for Small Bathrooms

New vanities for small bathrooms add style and increase a home’s property value, no matter how tight the space. A lot of people think they can’t install a bathroom vanity but it’s not that hard and doesn’t require any expensive…
How to Adjust a Sliding Glass Door

Does your sliding glass door open slowly? Mine was tough to move and our young daughters could barely budge it. I decided enough was enough and I had to figure out this problem. So today I’m going to share 5…
Water Leaks: 3 Priceless Plumbing Tips

My neighbor Pat recently discovered his house had high water pressure. Why is this such an issue? While you may like strong showers in the morning your house’s internal plumbing doesn’t. Water pressure over 80 psi (pounds per square inch)…
How to Install Bathroom Floor Tile: Part 4

In the last three posts of this series, we shared how to prepare a wood subfloor for HardieBacker. You’re going to cross the finish line today. By the end of this tutorial, you’ll know the proper thin-set consistency to set…
How to Install Bathroom Floor Tile: Part 3

Cracked floor tiles are unsightly nuisances that unfortunately make bathrooms look crazy bad. Our last post shared why we sometimes use HardieBacker on top of bathroom wood subfloors. Today you’ll see the ins and outs of how to dry-fit HardieBacker…
How to Install Bathroom Floor Tile: Part 2

Do you want to change how your bathroom looks but don’t know whether you can do it yourself? The last post described how we prepped my brother-in-law’s wood subfloor for porcelain tile. Today we’re going to share how and why…
How to Install Bathroom Floor Tile: Part 1

We’ve all seen beautiful ceramic tile floors and admired their character. Who wouldn’t want a resilient surface that can stand the test of time? We prefer ceramic or porcelain tile in bathrooms. The floor can get wet and you don’t…
How to Repair a Squeaky Door Hinge

I’m an early riser but the rest of my family needs their rest. It makes me feel terrible to know that I’m disturbing my wife’s sleep when I open our squeaky bedroom door at 5:00 am. This weekend I decided…
RedGard Waterproofing for Cement Board Shower Walls

RedGard waterproofing is an affordable way to waterproof shower walls. But the problem is that many people use it the wrong way. And sadly, that can cause mold and mildew problems inside shower walls. In this tutorial, you’ll see how…
Permabase Cement Board Shower Wall Tips for Beginners

In this tutorial, you’ll see tips for how to use Permabase cement board inside showers. My previous tutorial gave tips for attaching cement board to shower stud walls. Since cement board panels come in 3 ft x 5 ft sections…
How to Install Cement Board for Shower Walls

Cement board for shower walls can be daunting. Especially if you’ve never done it! My previous tutorial shared how to choose the right bathroom wall materials. Cement board is an option because it’s inorganic and not prone to mold or…
DIY Bathroom Remodeling Part 3: Cement Board and Drywall Materials

Bathroom wall materials can make or break your bathroom remodel. And the shower area is normally where it starts. So it makes sense to protect the shower walls and ceiling. But what materials should you use? You’ll find out in…
DIY Bathroom Remodeling Part 2 : How to Fix Shower Walls

Learning how to fix shower walls is important. Yet unfortunately a lot of folks ignore shower wall framing. Remember this – tile work begins with plumb and even stud walls. If the backer board is placed on top of uneven…
DIY Bathroom Remodeling Part 1: Bathtub Installation

This is the first post in a series on the remodeling process of a bathroom. I’m helping my brother-in-law Rob remodel a second bathroom in their house. So if you’re interested in seeing how we do it, stay tuned!! The…
How to Fix a Leaky Faucet

Does anyone else get irritated when the bathroom faucet drips constantly? It drives me completely nuts to see water just being wasted day in and day out. And apparently my youngest daughter feels the same way: she came to me…
Savvy Garage Door Maintenance

Garage door maintenance isn’t sexy but it can save you from hearing that screeching sound every time you hit the door opener. Since on average we open and close our garage doors 6 times every day you can only imagine…
Hardwired LED Night Lights

It definitely is more convenient to install a hardwired night light than it is to visit the emergency room. I decided to install one because our kids tend to need the bathroom around 2:00 am. Unfortunately our bathroom upstairs is…
How to Perform a Bathtub Drain Repair for Under $20

One of the worst feelings you can get as a homeowner is when you see a watermark on the ceiling below a bathroom. The next thought that crosses my mind is how much this little water issue will cost. This…