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Welcome to the site. We have developed this site to provide you with instructional articles and videos on how to do common and not so common DIY home improvement projects as well as articles on various other topics that are important to any property owner or renter. Whenever possible we provide photos, illustrations and videos to help make things easier for you.

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New Feature: Complete article and video series on building a shed

Dust Collection
Anyone have a good setup for dust collection for a mitre saw? I cannot seem to find a fitting that will attach to this 1 5/8 diameter opening (Dewalt 12 Double Bevel Mitre Saw) to a shop vac hose. The dust collection bag that is sold for it doesn’t …

Allowing old homes to breathe
I have a 1940s home which has no insulation around the outer walls of the house.
I was planning on adding some insulation in between all of the studs but then I came across an article that talks about how this can really damage an old home.
I was p…

Rotted exterior window trim
Hi Shannon! Long time youtube viewer, first time poster, and patreon subscriber 😉 And a big hello from the other side of Canada (aka Buffalo, NY) 😎
I have a few odds and ends exterior siding and trim jobs I’d like to tackle this summer and I’v…

LVP for entire floor plan
I love your videos. Super helpful. On LVP, planning on doing it throughout the entire house (ranch style). Is there a way to install the LVP throughout the house without transitions? Or do I need to do each room as a separate space and transition goi…

Advice for an Exterior Accent Wall
Hello,
I would like to add some sort of accent to a wall on the side of our deck. This would allow me to use the vinyl siding on other parts of the house. The problem is that I’m not much of a creative designer.
Can anyone give me some good design …

Replacing Old Aluminum Windows on Porch
Hello,
I’m considering replacing some or all of our aluminum windows on our porch (depends on budget).
These are what look to be very old exterior aluminum storm windows. This porch is unheated, and is only used in the spring/summer/fall. I’m loo…

Weep Holes in single story slabbed house
I recently purchased a single story slabbed house and the previous owner filled all of the weep holes with mortar. I have remodeled both bathrooms and there was notable water damage but I did not think at the time to drill out the weep holes since I …

Exterior stone colored material on top of mortar
I’m hoping someone can help me identify what this is and also help me to safely remove it. Some of it is loose and falling off, most of it is rock solid. Thanks in advance….

Help with my ground level deck with deck blocks
Hello,
I am planning to build a ground level picture frame free floating deck using deck blocks. The deck will be 32′ x 12′ and include guard rails. I have created a design for the frame, but a bit concerned if the frame is sturdy enough or need mor…

wiring issue prevention
Hi… hope all is safe in these crazy times..
Trying to use some old led solar post lamps on a 20 x64 foot deck. The solar part of the lamos dont work. However its still is clear and more importantly dry. So i ordered so waterproof out led lights. …

I need help with switch rewiring in basement
How To Wire A 3 Way Light
How To Wire A Switched Receptacle
How To Wire Multiple Receptacles
I followed these videos, but my question lies in the middle
I need to replace 2 single pole light switches to 2 separate ceiling light fixtures in the basem…

Quarentine ground level deck
Well I have time on my hand with the whole pandemic
Felt like maybe I could build a ground level deck that I would put a table on etc.
Heres my semi plan .
Size ~24×24
Material used : around 110x pressure treated 5/4 x12’x6″ (standard board siz…

Exterior cardboard/particle sheathing on house!? Have you guys seen this before?
I was fixing my siding the other day because it was sticking out and removed the siding and underneath was this foiled face cardboard stuff!? No plywood sheathing just this stuff. It didn’t seem real that my house was made out of cardboard so I check…

Extension
I’m currently building an addition to a century old home. I’ve done some work, but have never done renovations to this extent before. I’m fairly far into the job so there’s no turning back at this point, but I’m wondering if my methods were correct. …

Issue with moist, wall peeling off, need help.
Me and bathroom share the same wall. The one on which shower is laying. In the corner of bathroom is dirty laundry which tends to be wet also. Making the bathroom incredibly wet most of the time I guess, walls absorb everything. I don’t have a window…

Corner braces
Hi all, recently we purchased a new home that had a garage repurposed as a family room. The previous owner installed corner braces in the large opening into this room. I don’t think that they bear any weight, I think they were decorative at one time….

Vinyl siding starter strip above porch
I need to know how to start vinyl siding above a porch area where a starter strip would show at the bottom looking up at it. Do I put a starter strip inside of a j channel?…

Clean Out Cap Ideas
Looking for some ideas to cap this clean out pipe in my yard so I can cover with dirt and plant grass As it is pretty unsightly….

Washer draining with Kitchen Sink?
I’m back again with the laughable mess underneath my kitchen sink of the recent purchase. I’ve attached a photo with captions to give you the lay of the land and even I can spot several things wrong here that I’ve noted below:
– Dishwasher drain ho…

Outdoor Projects. DIY Water Well.
Hello,
Has anyone digged/water blasted a shallow well? (20-30 ft)
This is not meant for house use. Only for watering plants and trees.
There are lots of videos and successful stories. Maybe there are people here who’s done this or planing to….

Recent Articles

LED Lighting
So as your incandescent bulbs burn out, you are thinking it may be a good time to switch to LED (light emitting diode) 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…

Types of common roofing materials

Information on the common types of roofing materials (shingles) found in North America

How to fix a leaky crack in your basement or pool
So you have a crack or old snap tie hole in your basement wall that is leaking water, or maybe it is leaking around the conduit coming through the basement wall to the electrical panel, what should you do?

Keeping A Clean, Organized Work Space
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.

FAQ: Bathtub Answers
FAQ: Flooring Questions & Answers
Shannon answers many of the frequently asked questions…

How To Connect Multiple Light Fixtures To One Switch
I have a video showing how to conect a recessed light (pot light) to a switch but usually most people want more than one light on a switch. So this article will explain the easiest way to connect multiple light fixtures to one switch. But you may want to watch the video as well.

How To Replace a Razor Plug with a GFCI Receptacle
In the bathrooms of many of our homes that are Pre-1980’s you will probably have a plugin in the wall with a large front cover and a small single plugin the middle. These where for razors most of them are so large because there is a small transformer behind there that reduces the voltage so it can be used by razors that did not need 120 volts of electricity.

How To Refinish Hardwood Floors
Just about anyone who has older hardwood floors in their home or has discovered they have them under their carpet has thought about refinishing them. It is true you could hire someone to do this task, but if you have ever gotten it priced out you were probably surprised by the cost.

How To Construct an Arched Opening
Many times people will create an opening through a wall between two rooms similar to a large window opening to try to make their home feel more open or bigger. These openings really can make a big difference but adding an extra feature to them like an arched top makes them more appealing to the eye…

How To Install Hardwood Flooring
Installing hardwood flooring can make a dramatic improvement to any room in your home! Installing the hardwood is not that difficult but does require a couple of specialty tools to do the job right. Most importantly you need an air compressor and hose as well as a flooring nailer/stapler.

Dishwasher Buying Guide
So its finally time to replace that old inefficient dishwasher with a new energy efficient model. The choices seem endless when you start to look around. Every manufacturer has many different models and all different price ranges. How do you decide?…

How To Install Bifold Closet Doors
Installing a bifold closet door is a fairly quick and easy DIY project as long as the door opening you are trying to install it into is the correct size and fairly square.Measuring your opening first will help you determine if…

How To Insulate An Attached Garage
Insulating an attached garage has some special considerations that you must address differently then a unattached garage. The most important issue is that attached garages must have a system in place, to keep carbon monoxide (CO2) from a running vehicle inside the garage, from filtering through the walls and ceiling into the house.

How To Install Insulation In Your Walls
To insulate a wall cavity you have pretty much two different ways to do it. You can either have someone spray foam it or you yourself can install batt style insulation. In this article I will explain to you how to install batt insulation or as sometimes referred to as fiberglass insulation.

DIY New Home Construction
So you think you want to take on building your own home as a
D.I.Y.er ! Or at the very least you want to act as your own general contractor
and as well do what you are comfortable with tackling yourself. Well this can
be a very rewarding but also risky undertaking.

How To Install Poly Vapor Barrier
Installing polyethylene (poly) to the warm side of a exterior wall is very important. This is generally referred to as installing vapour barrier because the main function is to stop the warm moist air in your home from entering the cold interior space inside of your wall cavity.

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