How to Install a Whole-House Fan

As the weather changes you might have occasions that the air inside your home is warmer than the air outside. You can harness that cooler air and bring it into your home by installing a whole-house fan. Ceiling fans are a great way to keep the air moving but not in all areas of your house.  The  kitchen and bathrooms are just two rooms that you don’t use ceiling fans, while you can use the exhaust fan to help eliminate the hot air from the bathroom that doesn’t fix the problem of bringing in the cooler air. The whole house fan is installed in the ceiling just below your attic, and it’s hidden by louvers so that it won’t look out of place.

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How to Install Windows

Replacing your windows can be a intimidating project, but it doesn’t have to be. The most difficult windows to replace will be your kitchen and bathroom but only because of the things in your way that you can’t move. With the right tools and materials you can cut a hole in your wall and let the sun shine through it with this two-day project!

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Weekend Project: How to Hang Picture Railing

If you are trying to spruce up your home installing picture railings can give your home a elegant touch and it is budget friendly. This new way of hanging pictures is trending, fun and perfect for every room from the kitchen and bathroom to the hallways and foyer.

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How to Build a Porch Swing Out of a Door

Have you ever longed for a swing on your porch right outside your kitchen window? Or maybe in your backyard around the fire-pit you built but think it is too complicated and you haven’t decided yet to purchase one? No fear we have you covered. These step by step instructions will walk you through setting up that swing!

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How to Repair Lawn Edges

We all take pride in our homes. While we spend thousands of dollars of remodeling our kitchen and bathrooms, choosing the exact colors of paint and floor design we sometimes let the exterior go. Our lawns are an extension of our home, our family…us so let’s spruce it up starting with the edging. If the edging is not repaired, damaged edges will continue to deteriorate, and like any bare patch, they also provide an open invitation for weeds to establish. Reseeding a damaged edge is rarely effective, so try tackling the problem using this simple technique.

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How To Build a Backyard Fire Pit

Spring is in the air and that means your backyard will soon get more action! Spending time with the family and friends outdoors is one of the best ways to pass your weekend and evening. Don’t let another year pass without creating that fire pit you have always wanted.

Choose a location. Select a location that’s away from any combustibles such as bushes, sheds, low-hanging branches, etc. If you want it to be an extension of your back deck or your outdoor kitchen consider replacing the wood from the deck with tile that looks like wood. With this concept you can extend your deck add a foot path and then the same flooring around the pit.

Lay out the fire pit. Starting at the center, paint a five-foot diameter circle using a string as a compass. Tie one end of the string around the can of spray paint, then the other around a stake at the center of the pit. You’ll also need to paint a three-foot diameter circle for the actual pit, and a 12-foot diameter circle for the seating area.

Dig the footer and pour concrete. With the location laid out, dig out the footer for the inner and outer walls of the fire pit, digging between the three-foot and five-foot circles, about five to six inches deep. Following the manufacturer’s instructions, mix the fast-set concrete in a wheelbarrow and fill the ring with concrete. Make sure the top is level and smooth. Wait for the concrete to set up.

Separate your stones while you wait. While the concrete is setting, you can use that time to separate your stones into face stones, and a few for cap stones. The cap stones will be used to make the top of the fire pit wall, so keep the flat, smooth stones for the caps. The rest of the stones will make the wall.

Start laying stone. Start laying the stone in a ring, following the outer edge of the footing. Once the first complete ring is done, lay a ring of fire brick (on their edge, so they stand three-inches high) around the inner ring of the pit.

Continue the stone. Continue laying rings of stone on top of others. Continue laying courses of fire brick, as well. Keep everything level by choosing stones that fit. If they don’t fit, cut them. Try to avoid laying diagonal and vertical stones, they look bad and cause instability in the wall.

Fill the wall. Once the stone and fire brick are at the height you need, fill the void between the fire brick and stone walls using scrap stone and mortar. You’ll want the wall to be totally solid before you cap it.

Place the cap stones. Lay the cap stones on the top of the wall, laying them out in dry-stack to make certain that everything fits. Cut individual stones to fit, if necessary. Once you’ve got a good fit, mortar the stones into place.

Seating Area. For the seating area, dig out the grass in the area inside the 12-foot circle you painted, and lay down landscape cloth. Fill the area with gravel. Enjoy.

 

How to Refurnish a Kitchen Table

Knowing how to refinish a kitchen table is great for taking an old piece of furniture and making it look new. You don’t have to have any special equipment and you can do it in a weekend.

Choose the color of stain based on the style of the table and the wood tones in the rest of your house. The table doesn’t have to be an exact match—most homes have a variety of wood colors, so don’t stress if your stain’s color is a little off.

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How to Install French Drains

 You have spent so much time, energy and money into improving your home, from the kitchen and bathroom remodels to landscaping. Good drainage is important to ensure that a home stays dry and free of mold. If groundwater collects in the basement, it is not only an inconvenient eyesore for the homeowner, it can also lead to wood rot and mold.

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How to Store Cleaning Supplies

Let’s face it: Cleaning isn’t most people’s idea of fun. And cleaning your kitchen and bathrooms can be equally painful. But there’s also no reason to make it harder than it has to be. Take some of the pain out of household chores with these tips for keeping cleaning supplies sorted and at the ready.

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