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Drywall Patching Secrets for Beginners
Knowing how to patch drywall is one of the smartest skill sets you can learn. In this tutorial, you’ll see how to patch a large hole and learn what materials make this project a breeze. In the end, you’ll be…
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Beginner’s Guide to Laundry Tub Faucet Installation
In this guide, you’ll see how to install a laundry tub faucet. We’ll discuss what tools to use, how to remove stubborn old faucets, and how to avoid water leaks. Here’s the bonus: All the tips apply to bathroom and…
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Best Way to Fix Open Miter Joints
In todayโs lesson, youโll learn the best way to fix open miter joints and see what wood fillers are the best. If youโre wondering, this project is super easy โ anyone can do it. And in the end, your baseboards…
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Repair Copper Pipe Leaks with SharkBites (Super EASY!)
Learning how to repair copper pipe leaks is important. Especially if you canโt get a plumber to your house and have no other option but to do it yourself. This tutorial is going to show how to repair copper pipe…
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Waterproofing Basement Walls with DRYLOK Paint
Waterproofing basement walls with DRYLOKยฎ paint is pretty darn easy. Recently I had to remodel one of my rental homes. And I was teetering with the idea of not touching the basement. But it became clear that the basement walls…
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How to Fix Drywall (Save $600…or MORE!)
True story: I paid my handyman $600 to fix a 4 x 4 foot section of ceiling. That was 9 years ago. Donโt get me wrong, my handyman is awesome. But sometimesย money is tight, REAL tight. And paying $600 or…
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How to Insulate Walls and Ceilings
Insulating walls is good. Insulatingย ceilings is good. But when you can do both? You should high five yourselfโฆ โฆbecause your home will be SUPER comfy. Today youโllย learn how to insulate walls and ceilings the right way. These tips instantly cut…
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How to Install an AFCI Outlet
Today youโll learn how to install an AFCI outlet. Do you have old electrical outlets? If so, theyโre a fire hazard. This little device isย way safer than a traditional outlet. Youโll see why. Getting Started Explosions are exciting. Especially when…
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How to Unclog a Kitchen Sink
Hereโs myย promise. After 5 minutes youโll likely never have to call a plumber for kitchen sink clogs. A few weeks ago my tenantโs kitchen sink stopped draining. My knee-jerk reaction was angst, but then I realized this was awesome! Because…
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Cutting Plywood and Breaking Down Sheet Goods
Cutting plywood and breaking down sheet goods is easyโฆ When you have the right tools. Sure, you could politely ask the nice people at the home store to do it. But cโmon, this is an excuse to whip out your…
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Black and Decker’s New Jigsaw with Curve Control
Iโm a tool junky. Anytime I can test something new and share it with you Iโm all in. A few years back I installed bamboo laminate in a living room for a rental home. The only saw I usedย was a…
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How to Find a Stud in the Wall
When I find cool tools I instantly share them. So last weekend I was doing some work in our bathroom. Installing a pedestal sink to be precise. I thought I found the stud locations but apparently my stud finder was…
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How to Wire an Electrical Outlet
The genesis of this tutorial began on Super Bowl Sunday. Two of my friends asked me to do a tutorial on wiring an outlet. So you should thank them, lol. This project isnโt hard but can be scary if youโve…
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How to Remove Hard Water Deposits
Hard water deposits are a pain in the butt. You typically see them on faucets or shower doors. Iโve used a cleaning process for years that removes this residue in less than 15 minutes. And for some reason I didnโt…
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How to Wire a Light Switch
It can be downright frustrating to do electrical work. But I found a light switch thatโs easy to install and looks awesome. I almost hadย my daughter wire this light switch but then imagined what my wife would say!! If your…
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DIY Spray Foam Insulation
When do you get your highest heating bill? Sometime in the near future, right. Cold air drafts are one reasonย you writeย checks for $300 or $400. PAINFUL. Donโt worry, Iโm in the same boat. Our front door leaks cold air all…
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Garage Door Opener Installation
Thereโs one reason youโre seeing this tutorial today. My wife. Her garage door opener died about 4 weeks ago. She told me that if I didnโt fix it Iโd, ahem.., be sleeping in garage. So, with that subtle hint I…
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How to Clean an Oven
Do you know how to clean an oven? This is probably one of the scariest kitchen cleaning tasks. A lot of us might have self-cleaning oven but are afraid to press the button. I donโt blame you because ovens get…
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How to Clean a Garbage Disposal
Do you have a stinky kitchen sink? If you do,ย there are several waysย to stop nasty odors. Just last week my good buddyย complained about his garbage disposal stinking to high heaven. Since the holidays are approaching I decided to put together…
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How to Stop Your Mirror From Fogging Up
Itโs time to whip out the long johns!!! Yesterday it was sunny and 68F in Pittsburgh. Today itโs hovering around 30F and snowing. Well, thatโs Pittsburgh for you, haha. I have to laugh a little becauseย Iโve lived here since I…
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How to Weatherize Windows with Plastic Film Insulation
Most homes need a little TLC before the temperature drops. And this tutorial is going to help you keep heating bills low by adding window insulation. Plastic film insulation kits costย 10-$20 and youโll be able to insulate multiple windows. One…
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How to Clean a Bathtub
How much time do you really have to clean?ย Not much. Thatโs why I try to come up with great ideas to make cleaning easy. I get inspiration from all over the place. One spot I love visiting is the automotive…
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Wire a Dimmer Light Switch
Instant home improvements are awesome!!! So this week I wanted to share how you can wire a dimmer light switchย in 15 minutes or less. Plus save at least $79 by DIYing it. Cathy, one of our sensational fans, asked me…
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How to Clean a Greasy Kitchen Hood
Have you ever tried to clean grease off your range hood and asked yourself, โIs there a better way to do this?โ. Well this week I discovered an amazing product you need to check out. Especially if you start to…
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How to Replace an Old Thermostat
Itโs remarkable how many ways you can lower utility bills. Add more insulation, install better windows, get a more efficient HVAC system, etc. Last week ran over to help my tenant because his thermostat was on the fritz. After 15…
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Ceiling Fan Light Repair
Do you like saving money? Of course you do, right!!! A few weeks back my awesome tenant called to say her ceiling fan light wasnโt working. At the time I was way too busy to fix it and tried calling…
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Repair Nail Pops and Holes in Sheetrock
Drywall repair can be aย headache. For me itโs the pain of waiting for the darn joint compound to dry. Iโve got two active kids who play sports andย attend more birthday parties than Ronald McDonald! So I canโt be messing around…
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How to Clean a Kitchen Sink
Are you frustrated by a dirty kitchen sink? For me the tough part was trying to clean the drains. Brown staining always persisted. This changed once I built my own cleaning brush for about $5. The brush combined with a…
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Modern Ceiling Lights
You want your house to look awesome, right? A good place to begin is with your lighting because it sets the tone for your room. Think about it, nobody will say your kitchen looks great if the lights are from…
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How to Paint a Straight Ceiling Line
My Mom cringed when she saw our orange dining room. She just isnโt used to strong colors but after a few years, she decided it was a great choice. Painting walls any color other than white can be a real…
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Best Way to Remove Wallpaper
The best way to remove wallpaper without chemicals is steam. We bought a Wagner steamer about 7 years ago to remove butt ugly wallpaper. After a few days of work, my wife declared the steamer was her favorite tool ever!!…
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Fix a Small Hole in the Wall
How do you fix small holes in the wall? Stuffing aluminum foil or toilet paper into the void isnโt exactly a good solution. And it probably wonโt go over so well with your spouse or landlord. Although the look on…
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Easily Remove Silicone Caulk without Chemicals
How can you remove silicone caulk without the use of a chemical caulk remover? This was the question on my mind since the caulk between our kitchen countertops and tile backsplash had more separations than Liz Taylor. The last thing…
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Garage Wall Storage Made Easy
Can garage wall storage be easy? Unfortunately, my garage kinda looks like the garbage pit from Star Wars Episode IV (you know โ the scene where Luke, Han, and Leia almost get crushed to death but then C3PO finally answers…
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Install GFCI Outlets in Bathrooms
I got shocked. It was over 10 years ago but I still remember the jolting feeling. If youโve seen Back to the Future you probably know how Doc Brown got his white hair. Well, I felt how he looked. Why…
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How to Replace Garage Door Extension Springs
So, you think your garage door is safe. I did too until an extension spring almost took my head off. Our garage door opens and closes over 1000 times per year.ย Thatโs probably a lowball estimate since the kids just learned…
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Fix Your Fluorescent Light Ballast
Two days before Thanksgiving I walked into our laundry to wash my underwear and noticed the light wasnโt working. After a short three-word phrase (use your imagination) I started to have flashbacks about what led to this moment in time.…
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One of the Greatest Garage Storage Ideas
Garage storage ideas that help organize clutter, thatโs what I need. How about you? But many of these solutions cost a lot of money and take a long time to build. I donโt necessarily want to spend a whole day…
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Wet and Forget Indoor: Stop Mold & Mildew
Iโve got a secret, our garage has mildew. And unfortunately, the solution will cost us thousands to fix. For now, we have to deal with the moisture that seeps through the cinderblock. Since my wife has bad asthma and allergies…
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How to Paint a Wall
Learning how to paint a wall is easy. But it can be frustrating when the results are less than stellar. Great paint jobs are especially noticeable when there are two opposing colors next to each other โ like a Halloween…
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Garage Organization Ideas
Today Iโm writing about a topic that gets as sticky as a kidโs fingers after visiting the ice cream shop! Answer this question: Have you ever gotten into an argument with your significant other about the mess that is your…
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How to Remove Old Carpet
How do you remove old carpet? This question is for all of us who bought a new house that has that crazy red shag carpet circa 1976. Which pretty much means anyone whoโs ever bought a house in Pittsburghโs city…
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Window Sash Replacement
Window sash replacement: how do you do it? This question came up recently because the glass in the lower sash of our double-hung window broke. What I discovered is that home window replacement should begin by finding the manufactureโs sticker.…
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The Nest Learning Thermostat Review and Installation
What is a Nest learning thermostat? This is a question Iโve had for some time and thought youโd be interested in what I found out. The Nest is a next-generation programmable thermostat that is also a wireless device. Programmable thermostats…
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Dishwasher Still Not Cleaning?
Why do my โcleanโ dishes still look dirty? Is this dishwasher even working? If youโve asked yourself these questions then weโre in the same boat. A few posts ago I discussed how I cleaned our dishwasher and changed from a…
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The Maestro Motion Sensor Light Switch
Being a busy person is tough and thatโs one of the reasons youโll love a motion sensor light switch. Does this sound familiar: you walk into the laundry room carrying all your clothes and canโt turn on the light. Or,…
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Repair Prehung Interior Doors
Do your prehung interior doors stick to the jamb, rub the floor, or just donโt lock anymore? Youโre not alone. This past weekend I fixed our bathroom door that was scraping the floor tile and rubbing the jamb. The door…
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How to Remove Silicone Caulk
Believe it or not, removing silicone caulk with a liquid chemical remover isnโt 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.…
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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…
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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 doesnโt take long and will make your life a whole lot better. ย Youโll be kicking yourself for not doing it sooner. Before this fix,…
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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 productย you know that I decided to conduct an 8 week experiment. Itโs tough to keep a shower clean…
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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.ย But there only has to be one fireย (in your house) for this statistic…
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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.…
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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 canโt take it anymore!!! And since Iโm super busy Iโm always on the…
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How to Repair a Squeaky Door Hinge
Iโm an early riser but the rest of my family needs their rest. It makes me feel terrible to know that Iโm disturbing my wifeโs sleep when I open our squeaky bedroom door at 5:00 am. This weekend I decided…
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Savvy Garage Door Maintenance
Garage door maintenance isnโt 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…
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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…