Help with home improvements

Big or small one of the biggest challenges of keeping your reno project on time and budget is having a plan and a organized work space that is safe. So as your incandescent bulbs burn out, you are thinking it may be a good time to switch to LED bulbs. LEDs have been around for a few years now and we all know basically 3 things about them. They are pricey, they last much longer than incandescent or CFLs and they are more energy efficient… Hi all, we have a 1960s cottage that we are finally updating. I am at a loss as to how to go about finishing the window that is located in the shower.

  • Apply a gel-type stripper per manufacturer’s instructions, and then remove the stripper with a plastic putty knife.
  • If you intend to carry out the work yourself, you won’t be able to claim for the cost of your labour.
  • For more information about a landlord’s responsibility to do repairs, see Repairs in rented housing.
  • Spice up your cabinets and drawers by replacing factory-issue handles and pulls with designs that reflect your personal taste.
  • These days “home improvement” spans a gamut of possibilities.

Built-in shelves require very little work and are endlessly customizable to your space. America’s no. 1 hardware store, Home Depot, offers this guide for custom building built-ins in your home. Select affordable brick, concrete, or clay pavers to create a livable patio space. The key to perfecting this DIY project is making sure that the ground is level, then follow Oregon State’s detailed tutorial on how to lay down pavers in your yard. New carpet in your room will cost on average between $980 – $1,680.

The income test

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’s even easier to add a new light fixture into ceilings connected to attic space, says Daryl Berg, a journeyman electrician in Longview, Washington. “Just cut the hole for the fixture and run the wires through the ceiling joists to a new circuit.” A sliding barn door adds dimension to any home with a farmhouse flair.

We are always adding new articles and videos, so be sure to add us on your favorites and keep checking back to see what’s new. We are also on facebook if you want to check out our fan page. Home improvement was popularized on television in 1979 with the premiere of This Old House starring Bob Vila on PBS. American cable channel HGTV features many do-it-yourself shows, as does sister channel DIY Network.Danny Lipford hosts and produces the nationally syndicated Today’s Homeowner with Danny Lipford. Tom Kraeutler and Leslie Segrete co-host the nationally syndicated The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show.

Housing Perspectives

The Taylor residence is filled with the typical odds and ends that you would expect from a series firmly entrenched in the 1990s. The set designers brought those pieces in from two specific sources. Boost curb-appeal in one day.Invest in a garage door made from solid wood and decked in stunning hardware — especially if it sits at the front of your house.

Choose a fringe-style curtain for a boho look, go bold with large, moody florals or opt for a soft, modern ombre like designer Kerra Michele Huerta did here. We also love how she upped the drama by installing a shower curtain on each side of the tub. Make a small bedroom look larger by adding mirrors to plain closet doors or the back of a bedroom door. Simply pick up a couple of cheap, framed floor-length mirrors for less than $10 at your local big-box store, then paint the frame to match your space.

However, to remove a wall safely, it needs to be non-load-bearing, meaning a wall that isn’t integral to the structure of your home. Laminate flooring comes in a variety of shades, and costs between $3 – $8 per square foot. You can pay, on average, $2,352 for a professional installation, or measure precisely and DIY it on your own. Instead, for the interior walls of your small home, opt for cool colors that give rooms an open and airy look.

It seems like a small detail, and it is, but it’s also an important one. This happens as kids break dishes and you pick up new ones, slowly leaving you with a strange melange of plates, bowls and such. Having these mismatched dish sets around was a key step in making the Taylor house feel like a home. There are a lot of objects around the Taylor home that scream Tim “The Toolman” Taylor but only a few touches that appear to be Jill’s. One of the most obvious Jill related objects is her Michigan Opera mug. Given the amount of sports memorabilia and model cars around the house, it’s important for Jill to assert her presence, too.

The HGTV show’s popularity allowed Chip and Joanna to launch a home decor and media empire, including the upcoming Magnolia Network, which will be home to a reboot of the “Fixer Upper” series. Another of Canada’s preeminent designers, Candice Olson hosted HGTV’s “Divine Designs” for all of its 16 seasons. Rather than flipping an entire house, Olson focuses on renovating and refurbishing single rooms and bringing the owners’ visions for interior decor to life. Since the show’s cancellation, Olson has devoted much of her energy to writing and publishing design books aimed at folks who want a little bit of her sparkle in their own homes.