When it comes to kitchen flooring, you have tens of options, including hardwood, natural stone, ceramic tile, laminate, vinyl, linoleum, and cork. Most homeowners end up narrowing down to tile and hardwood, but then, deciding between the two is often difficult. This decision will only be easy if you understand the  benefits and drawbacks of the two flooring materials.

Your air conditioner is a real savior in the hottest months. One AC unit can turn a completely unbearable sunrise into a pleasant morning in bed under the covers. There is so much to be thankful for when it comes to having the modern convenience of temperature and humidity control. But sometimes air conditioners are very loud. In fact, an AC unit can get so loud, it is hard to concentrate on anything else. But how do you quiet a noisy air conditioner?

For eco-conscious buyers, bamboo toilet paper is a fantastic alternative to normal toilet paper. It’s made from a renewable material that is still soft and strong, making it virtually the same as regular toilet paper but with even more benefits! This begs the question: can bamboo toilet paper block drains?

A recliner can be the ultimate relaxation destination within one’s own home. Unlike a couch or a standard chair, which remains stationary, a recliner does just that: reclines. From time to time, however, the recliner footrest may stop working. Instead of tossing it away when it stops working, there is a fix that can be implemented. 

Repairing or installing water lines within your home typically requires that you use crimpers, adhesives, or solder. However, adhesives can smell awful and be a very messy undertaking. Also, crimpers are pricey, can be challenging to install in smaller areas, and solder requires that you use an open flame to heat the pipes.

Asbestos is the great boogeyman of building materials. Once seen in almost every home as a siding material, it’s now regarded as “blue death.” Builders do not want to touch it unless they absolutely have to, and rightfully so. It’s cancer-causing. But, when you have asbestos siding, it feels like you need to work with it. Can you place siding over asbestos?

Leaking is not a strange phenomenon in any home. Faucets, pipes, and water tanks are among the household fixtures that are prone to leaking.

It seems like life keeps getting busier and busier, with growing to-do lists and neverending responsibilities. With so much stress, it’s more important than ever to find ways to relax and unwind after a busy day. Make every day a spa day by creating a calm, peaceful bathroom to ease tension and help you recharge.

Baths are a great way to unwind and relax after a long, stressful day. However, there’s one thing that can spoil the mood: funky colored water. Why is your bath water blue?

Home enthusiasts (and self-proclaimed designers) alike are constantly looking for new ways to spruce up both the interiors and exteriors of their homes. If your house is suffering from old, worn-looking brick, can you put siding over the top to give it a refresh?

The question is less about pivot vs. hinged shower doors and more about the preference of each type of shower door hinge. Those preferences are also going to be determined by considerations such as the shower layout, the shower design, and other practical and aesthetic aspects.

When you’re laying out a nice, new layer of porcelain tile, there are certain things you expect. For example, you expect your tiling to stay put. The problem is, using the wrong bonding agent can make it hard to keep your tiles in place. That’s why there’s an ongoing debate between using Versabond versus using Flexbond thinset mortars when you’re laying out tiling. So, what’s the difference between the two? Is one better than the other?

It’s no secret that heating your home with electricity can be expensive. Because of that, it may have crossed your mind to share the burden with a neighbor instead of paying for everything on your own. That begs the question: is this even possible?

Whether you live in an apartment, condo, or single-family home, there’s a good chance you have a laundry area. Laundry areas come in many forms, including a utility room, laundry closet, or a shared laundry area. For example, many people have their laundry set up in a garage or a bathroom. 

Insulation is an important part of every home. It keeps your house warm during the winter and cool during the summer.  But insulation also reduces noise, thus increasing privacy.

For anyone working with concrete, being familiar with the cure time is an absolute must. Concrete is a building material that is not structurally sound until it is cured. The curing process depends on many factors outside of your control.

Are you planning a DIY project to remove linoleum flooring and glue from a concrete subfloor? If you are, is the issue of extracting stubborn glue buildup making you procrastinate? You can actually forget your worries and complete this task with confidence by using some simple steps for glue removal.

LED floodlights are some of the brightest lights on the market right now. A properly functioning LED floodlight will illuminate a significantly wide area, and this is why these lights have “flood” in their name. They essentially flood a space with light, as opposed to spotlights and downlights that usually only illuminate a small area.

The addition of a wrap around front porch can be one of the greatest ways to enhance the exterior of your home and increase your living space. They provide an excellent location for entertaining guests, enjoying gorgeous views, lounging in a rocking chair and sipping on lemonade.

Nothing is nicer than having a hot, steamy shower that hits you in a powerful, massaging way. Unfortunately, today, your shower decided not to give you that. Rather than give you the usual high pressure that you’re used to, your shower just puts out a little trickle of water. After annoyedly trying to huddle under the showerhead, you give up. What’s going on with this crazy thing?

Do you own land in a residential or rural area? If you do, there’s a chance that a utility easement runs through your property. While the land still belongs to you, utility companies might have special rights to a specific patch of land on your property.

Nothing is more frustrating than toilet and plumbing problems, especially when you don’t know the cause. Toilet flush power can vary, but you should always be able to count on your toilet draining properly. That’s not always the case, however, so why is your toilet filling up with water and draining slowly?

Light switch covers are wall plates that cover the switch mechanism and electrical wiring that operate the installed electrical fixtures. Their primary function is to protect the wiring and prevent electrocution, and most have a plain design that blends in. However, there are lots of different designs, types, and combinations that combine form, function, and even fashion.

Rainshower heads transform an ordinary bathroom into an extraordinary spa experience. The fixtures have an aesthetic and functional appeal that is hard to resist.

Have you noticed that the water in your toilet takes a while to fill after you’ve flushed? You’re not alone. In fact, this is a common issue among homeowners and there are several reasons why this problem can occur. The time that it takes for a toilet tank to fill will vary based on the design and size of the tank, which may be from 1.6 to over 7 gallons.

With the right layout and design, your backyard can be a personal oasis, entertainment space, or extension of your living area. A popular addition to the landscape is a gazebo, whether for a dining or seating area or a secret getaway. But where should you put a gazebo in your backyard?

PVC pipe has become an extremely popular material in the home improvement space. It has expanded far beyond its original use in underground wiring, plumbing, and sewer systems. Today, you can create all sorts of unique and functional elements using PVC pipe, from cord collectors to wine racks and even furniture!

When you are ready to enjoy more living or storage space in your home, there are a few options that are available to you. You can either build up, sideways, or down. Building an additional story onto the top of a house or an extra room off to the side can certainly improve a home. Adding a basement, however, can be one of the best things that you can do to a home, if you do it correctly.

Many homeowners dream of someday building a swimming pool, but it’s not always an option. Whether it’s due to cost or a lack of space, building a new pool may simply not be feasible for them. Before you give up on your dream of having a pool at home, you should first consider installing a plunge pool.

It’s easy for things to slip your mind after you take a nice, hot shower. Taking a shower is quite relaxing before or after a long day, but they aren’t necessarily harmless. Hot showers can lead to mold, mildew, and stains in your bathroom if you aren’t careful. Many homeowners understandably struggle with how long to leave a bathroom fan on after a shower.

Vinyl plank flooring is an excellent way to get the look of hardwood floors at an affordable price. They’re also durable, many types of vinyl floors are waterproof, and they’re easy to maintain. But if you don’t take care of them, they can get dull over time. Luckily, it’s easy to make vinyl plank floors shine like new.

Digging a basement deeper can be a perfect solution for some. The popular renovation project can be costly, but it can also raise property value considerably when done correctly.

Recessed lights are a visually appealing and modern way to add depth to a room. You can change the aesthetic of a room completely when you install recessed lights, that is when they work. So, what does it mean when my recessed lights are not working?

Purchasing a TV mount and the necessary screws can be an exciting decision. But getting your mount without screws can be an annoying discovery!

It can be difficult to know which basement type to go for with your new home. Whether it be a crawlspace, cellar, full or partial basement, they all differ in cost and functionality. You’ve probably heard of a full basement but might be wondering: what is a partial basement?

It is tempting for any homeowner to maximize sunlight and keep pests away. The two most common ways for a homeowner to allow natural light into the house are with screen doors and storm doors. So, let’s settle a common debate amongst homeowners: screen door vs. storm door.

An average human person has 100,000 hairs on their head. The average person has an estimated hair loss of 50 to 100 hairs a day. Most of us would find hair clumps on our shower floor. Those of us who cut and shave our hair from our heads to our armpits do so in the bathroom for hygiene and disposal purposes. Some of us would be tempted to dispose of it in the toilet but can you flush hair down the toilet? 

You want an update do your bathroom. But will that new tub surround fit into your existing space? Here’s what you need to know.

It’s stressful when a strong storm carrying heavy rains and flash flooding passes through, especially when you are a homeowner. The significant wind and rainfall has a tendency of highlighting all the vulnerabilities of your home’s exterior.

When it comes to tiling a shower wall, many have the first impression that the job will be a significant hassle. The truth is, tiling a shower doesn’t have to be hard at all. In fact, if you follow a simple set of rules, the job can be both speedy and efficient!

Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters, or GFCIs, are a necessary safety measure in modern times. They can prevent harmful ground faults that can cause dangerous and expensive electrical problems. So, why does my GFCI trip when I turn on the light switch?

Incinerating toilets are a clean and efficient way to eliminate waste. Whether incorporating an incinerating toilet for eco-friendly reasons or you don’t have access to sewage lines, they are incredibly useful. If you’re looking into adding an incinerating toilet to your home, research the pros and cons before making your decision.

If you spent time in your grandpa’s garage, you probably noticed all those cans lining the shelf above his workbench. Those old often dented cans had labels like mineral spirits, acetone, polyurethane, lacquer thinner, spar urethane, latex, and oil-based. The list of painting products is endless.

Electrical service is a hallmark of modern civilization. Having electrical service is so common we tend to take it for granted. However, there are times when electricity becomes a problem. An arc or short circuit in an electrical system can quickly start a fire you our home. Many people wonder if an electrical fire can be extinguished with water?

Houses come in all different shapes and sizes and styles, each with its own stand-out features. You can typically recognize Dutch Colonial homes from their familiar and classic barn roof design. However, many things have changed inside these homes since their beginnings in the mid-1600s.

When it comes to plumbing problems around the home, fixing them usually involves disassembling mostly everything, including the bathroom fixtures. While a large majority of them can be removed easily, the tub spout is one such fixture that gets stuck often and can be very frustrating to release.

A water hammer occurs when there is a sudden increase in a pipe’s water pressure when the water is suddenly forced to stop. This occurrence often creates a loud banging sound. Water hammers do more than create an annoying level of noise. These abrupt changes can severely damage a piping system.

Have you ever traveled to another country and discovered that you couldn’t charge your phone with your charger? Or maybe you purchased an appliance from another country, and had no way to plug it in?

Have you ever looked at your basement floor drain and wondered just where exactly it goes? It is easy to forget that they are so important upon looking at them because their purpose is not immediately clear. So, where does your basement floor drain go?

Are you planning to renovate your home sometime soon? If so, the time may be right for you to consider removing some old or outdated fixtures. The placement of your chimney and fireplace, in particular, may require some further consideration.

Many people in recent years shifted toward a significant lifestyle change when they drastically downsized to 400 sqft or less. Undoubtedly, living tiny has its pros and cons, but is it for you? 

For many years, laminate flooring has been one of the most popular alternatives for hardwood used by homeowners. It is designed to mimic real wood, but is more affordable, DIY friendly, relatively easy to clean and maintain, and scratch-resistant than traditional hardwood.

The purpose of light switches and dimmers is to open and close electrical circuits, which control the light fixture. Before installing or replacing a light switch, it’s important to ensure that the switch you choose matches the amperage rating and voltage of where it’s going to be mounted. For this reason, you may find yourself asking: What amp light switch do I need?

You spend a lot of time modeling your kitchen. You have decided on natural hickory cabinets, but now you are wondering what color floor would go well with them. 

When dealing with electricity, it is often a question of where you live as to whether you need a permit or not. Just as with this question about installing a subpanel, it will depend on your particular state and city. It can also be dependent on the building codes in your specific community or subdivision.

Updating your home’s tile flooring can cost a pretty penny, even if you can lay your new floor over existing tile. On top of the costs of the new floors, you also have to pay for installation. If your tile floor is in good shape, painting tile floors can give you the fresh look you want.

Back in the 1940s and 1950s, vinyl was not really used as a type of siding. It was just beginning to gain a following in home improvement. During this time, aluminum was the number one modern siding type. The thing is, aluminum can rust. It’s also kind of hard to deal with when compared to vinyl siding. People began to make the switch. This led to a major question: can you put vinyl siding over aluminum siding?

Basements can be used for so many “extras”—extra storage space, extra living space, extra office space. They are one of those added bonuses in a house.

Sump pumps are critical pieces of machinery that can save your home from flooding disasters. Nearly all homes with basements or any homes susceptible to flooding should have one (or more) sump pumps. It is also important to maintain these pumps to ensure they are working properly. When you inspect your sump pump, you might wonder if it is normal for there to be some water in the sump pit. 

Upon seeing yellow water in your toilet, your first instinct will probably be to flush (and be mildly annoyed at whoever forgot to flush). So, imagine your surprise when the toilet bowl fills back up and it’s still yellow! The good news is you don’t have to panic. The real reason behind your yellow toilet water is actually a lot less gross