House Renovation Tips

Basic warm-ups
Maximize the effect of passive solar heat in winter. Keep all the curtains and shades open during the day on the side of the house where the sun comes in. (This is all day on the south side, morning on the east and afternoon on the west.) The warmth from the sun warms the [...]

 
If your wood stove is close to a wall, here’s an easy way to protect the wall from catching on fire. Attach a sheet of 1/4″-thick masonry board to the wall behind the stove. A 4′ x 4′ sheet will be adequate for any of the common wood stoves. Leave a 2″ air space between [...]

Patience, not force, is the key to breaking a paint bond cleanly. A sharp blow is likely to mess up the paint job. Instead, use a utility knife to score the joints between the sash and the vertical channels it rides in. Also score the horizontal joints between the sash, the sill (outside), and the [...]

Before you remove painted trim such as a window stop, use a utility knife to cut the paint at the joint. Prying without first cutting usually tears the paint and may even damage the trim.
Tips from Pros
When you need to pull finishing nails from trim you plan to re-use, don’t hammer the nails out. This [...]

Retaining walls of wood (shown in cross section, right) are probably the least expensive and easiest to build. Because the wood contacts the soil directly, you’ll need a rot-resistant type such as redwood, cypress or pressure-treated wood rated for ground contact (the longest lasting of the three).
Most walls have posts made from 4-by-4s, 4-by-6s or [...]

Holes and cracks in concrete only get worse if left alone, especially in colder climates with freeze/thaw cycles.
As long as you’re patching a hole, it’s a good idea to clean and seal the concrete too. Clean one section at a time, do your repairs, then apply a water seal. Since concrete’s worst enemy is water, [...]

The Perfect Fit
The first step in installing prefinished paneling is to place a piece against the wall and make sure it’s plumb (absolutely straight up and down). If it isn’t, you must scribe it to fit. To do that, hold the paneling with one side as close as possible to the corner of the wall [...]

See How It Stacks Up
Before installing paneling, stack it in the room where it’s to be used. Put boards between the layers of paneling to allow air to circulate. Leave the stack for at least 2 or 3 days a week or more is better to let the moisture in the paneling stabilize. This allows [...]

An easy way to color a room without painting it is to have the plasterer add a little lime-fast colored cement powder (available from hardware stores) to the plaster. This is faster and easier than painting, and the effect will last a long time on low-use areas such as ceilings. The technique is good for [...]

Tracking Basement Leaks
Traces of water on your basement floor could be caused by a leak or by condensation. To determine which, dry the area with a hair dryer and tape a 1-foot square piece of plastic wrap on the floor. Wait 24 hours. If moisture forms under the plastic wrap, then the source of your [...]