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Home Renovations: Most Popular Articles

These articles are the most popular over the last month.
Pre-Fab Shower Stall or Custom
When renovating your bathroom, you'll need to decide whether to install a prefabricated shower stall or construct a tiled shower stall. Let this guide help you decide.
Refinishing Your Bathtub
Got a yucky, chipped, and scratched bathtub? Learn how you can refinish instead of replace - the process, quality, cost, and more.
Kitchen Design Layouts
Learn about kitchen design layouts for your kitchen remodel.
Bathroom Flooring Options
Style, durability, and resistence to moisture are three main considerations when looking for bathroom flooring. Let's look at all of your options--carpet, solid hardwood, laminate flooring, engineered wood, stone, vinyl, and ceramic tile.
Remodel Your Bathroom
Follow these bathroom remodeling steps to transform an ugly, barely-functional bathroom into a thing of beauty!
Engineered Wood Flooring
For many homeowners, engineered wood flooring just might be the perfect compromise between solid hardwood flooring and laminate flooring. Learn the basics about this great wood flooring product.
Laminate Flooring Basics
What is laminate flooring? Do you want it in your living room or kitchen?
How to Tile a Shower
A tiled shower is the holy grail of bathrooms - clean, neat, and custom-made. But can you tile a shower yourself? Yes.
How Much Does Granite Cost?
How much does granite cost for kitchen counters? Is the cost of granite within reach for your kitchen countertops? Find out...
Bathtub and Shower Liners
If your bathtub or shower are scratched beyond repair or just generally falling apart, but you don't want to replace, reliners may be your best option.
How to Renovate a Kitchen
A tutorial to help when you undertake kitchen remodeling. Start here and learn how to remodel a kitchen from beginning to end.
Kitchen Design Software
Let's look at kitchen design software - especially the free kitchen design software - to help you design your kitchen without spending money on professionals.
Bathroom Paint Colors
Want some great bathroom paint colors ideas? Follow our quick walk-through of tried-and-true bathroom paint colors, and just copy them for your own bathroom!
Corridor Kitchen Design Basics
One of the better kitchen designs is the corridor-shaped kitchen. Learn the basics of designing a corridor style kitchen and maximizing space and efficiency.
Renovation Process
When you renovate a house, what comes first? Then second, then third, and so on? While not set in stone, the process of renovating does have a few key concepts.
What is Romex?
When discussing electrical part, you often hear the word "romex" or "nm." What is romex?
Install New Electrical Outlet
Are your old electrical outlets old, worn, and loose? Replace them with new, safer electrical outlets. This is one of the easier quick-fixes you can do, and it'll make your house look a lot spiffier!
Top 6 Kitchen Countertops
You have a host of countertop options for the kitchen. No longer limited to Formica, countertops now are being made of stone, concrete, granite, engineered stone, stainless steel and, yes, good old laminate.
Kitchen Backsplash Ideas
Get great kitchen backsplash ideas. Kitchen backsplash design can be easy if you know a few simple tricks.
Small Bathroom Ideas
Get the fast-track to a new bathroom: small bathroom ideas you can copy and use for yourself. Find small bathroom ideas, pictures, and plans.
Electrical Conduit Basics
Learn some basics about electrical conduit.
Convert Dryer Cord
When moving a newer dryer into an older house, one common problem is that the dryer has a 4 prong plug yet the outlet has 3 prongs. How do you convert?
Roof Replacement Basics
Your roof is your "umbrella" against everything the world dishes out to you. It also protects your valuable inside home repairs. Replace your roof, and keep the rest of your house intact.
HardiPlank Siding
Is HardiPlank right for your home? Find out if the higher costs associated with HardiPlank are worth it.
Install Metal Roofing
Install metal roofing? You may have seen this in architectural magazines, but how about on your house?
The Basics of Wood Flooring
Learn all the basics of wood flooring--from solid hardwood floor to laminate flooring.
The Laws of Tiling
Keep these 4 basic rules of tiling in mind when setting tiles in your bathroom or kitchen.
Should You Build an Addition
Debating the various aspects--good and bad--of building an addition to your house.
Easy Kitchen Paint Colors
Sit back and relax - enjoy and learn from these 10 top kitchen paint colors to copy for your own kitchen from name-brands like Valspar, Sherwin Williams, Martha Stewart, and more.
Bathroom Plans
Check out our bathroom plans. Free bathroom floor plans for your next remodeling project - for you master bathroom, 2nd bathroom, or powder/guest bathroom.
Bathroom Tile Ideas
Check out our picture gallery of great bathroom tile ideas you can install.
Install Cement Board
Learn how to install cement backer board and make your tiling work go a lot faster and smoother.
Which Kind of Tile Mortar to U
Which kind of tile mortar to use?
Pre-Hung vs. Slab Doors
What's the difference between a prehung and a slab door? Why would you use one over the other?
What is Cement Board?
Cement board is one of home renovation's greatest inventions - find out how to use cement backer board to make your tiling work go faster.
What is a Prefab Shower Stall?
The prefab shower is, in my opinion, one of the better home improvement items to come along in the last several decades. The prefabricated shower stall allows you to install a shower much quicker than building a tiled shower unit.
Drywall Sizing
Learn some of the basics of drywall sizes and thicknesses.
Interior Home Painting Tips
Interior house painting is a potentially messy, time-consuming job. Follow these rules and I guarantee your project will go faster and be cleaner.
Fix Sagging, Sloping Floors
Sagging, sloping, and out-of-level floors are common in old houses. What causes this, how to fix it, and how much to fix?
Replacing Your Windows
Even though most window companies don't want you to know this, it is possible to replace your own windows.
What is Grout Sealer?
"Do I really need to use grout sealer on my tile grout? If so, how do I apply grout sealer?"
Greenboard Drywall
Learn more about where greenboard drywall should be used. Contrary to what some people may think, greenboard drywall is not used in shower stalls.
Save on Bathroom Remodel
Identify aspects of bathroom remodeling that drive up costs--and find solutions for lowering those costs.
How to Rent a Container
A dumpster (otherwise known as a container or rolloff) is essential for demolition work related to home renovation. How do you go about renting one?
Basic Drywall Layout
The most basic way to install drywall on wall studs.
Small Kitchen Remodeling
Yes, small kitchen remodeling is different from other types of kitchen remodeling. Learn how a small kitchen remodel works, and how you can do it for the lowest possible cost.
Bathroom Wall Surface Choices
Wall coverings for bathrooms - consider space and moisture. It's not always the easiest choice to make. Learn which kind of wall covering - wallpaper, tile, paint? - you want to use in your bathroom.
Small Bathroom Remodel
Find out how a small bathroom remodel works. Small bathroom remodeling can greatly improve your property value and beautify your home, in the process. Learn how here.
Shower Repair with Filler
The spectrum of shower repair ranges from ignoring the ugly thing (zero cost) to ripping it out and starting again (high cost). Showers can be repaired in other ways, though. Take a look.
Remodel Cost Estimates
Want an estimated figured for remodeling costs for kitchen, bathroom, exterior, and more? Looking for basic renovation costs? Look no further.
Tile Patterns
Get ready-made tile patterns you can duplicate for your own floor.
Bathtub Refinish Cost, Quality
How much does it cost to refinish your bathtub? We give some ballpark estimates of the price to refinish your bathtub.
Bathroom Tile Pictures
View bathroom tile pictures you can copy for your own bathroom.
Bathroom Remodeling Cost
You want to know one thing: How much will it cost to renovate your bathroom? In this simple guide, we give you "ballpark" bathroom remodeling estimates.
Painting Cabinets
Painting your kitchen or bathroom cabinets is an easy, inexpensive way to improve their appearance. Find out how to paint your kitchen or bathroom cabinets.
3 Ways to Fix a Failed Window
If the view on your double-pane window is foggy, chances are the seal has failed. Find out 3 easier ways to fix this rather than replacing the whole window.
Fiberglass Pan in Tile Shower
Q: Is it Possible to Install a Fiberglass Shower Pan in a Tile Shower? A: Our Advice...
Casement Window Downsides
Double-hung and slider windows are the most popular. Why aren't casement windows more popular? Here are some reasons why casements may not be the greatest window replacement choice.
Laminate Floor Pros and Cons
Laminate flooring is great stuff. Looks super and it's easy to install. But there are problems, as well. Let's look at both sides of this popular flooring choice.
Steel Studs FAQs
Is it easier and cheaper to build an interior wall from steel rather than wood studs? Steel studs may be cheaper but not always easier.
Floating Floor Installation
The term "floating floor" is a misnomer, as floating floor is actually an installation method. Why then would you install a floor using the floating floor method?
Miracle Method Company Profile
Find out how the leader in the bathtub refinishing industry, Miracle Method, got there--and what their plans are for the future of tub refinishing and surface restoration.
Replacement Windows Basics
Learn a few basics of replacement windows - materials, cost, process, etc. - before you make the big leap and call a replacment window company.
Miter Box and Saw Basics
Why do you need a miter box and saw? And why, in the age of cheap power miter saws, would you need a manual miter box and saw?
Electrical Service Panel Basic
Many home renovators may perform some electrical repairs on their own, but they often avoid the electrical service panel. Here are some basics of this oft-ignored but highly essential part of the electrical system.
Kitchen Triangle
The Classic Kitchen Triangle
Kitchen Design - 1 Wall Design
The most basic of all kitchen designs is the one-wall design. Find out the advantages and the many limitations of the one wall kitchen design.
Save Money
Hiring windows installers is expensive. Can you put in your own replacement windows.
Kitchen Electrical Code Basics
Electrical code basics and highly recommended practices for kitchen renovation.
Romex or Conduit Wiring
When dealing with exposed locations such as the masonry walls of a basement, there are certain rules governing the use of Romex or conduit.
Should I Use Bathroom Paint?
Do I really need to use special bathroom paint? How does bathroom paint differ from regular interior house paint?
Cut In Interior Trim Paint
"Cutting in" interior paint is a technique mainly reserved for professional painters. Find out their basic techniques.
Fast, Cheap Bathroom Remodel
With "easy, fast, and cheap" bathroom remodeling, you're turning a lousy and ugly bathroom into a minimally functional one. It will not win any interior design awards - but you'll always be able to brush your teeth and take a shower or bath.
Cement Asbestos Siding
You own a house built before 1950 and it has cement asbestos siding. What should you do with this potentially dangerous siding product?
Mold Remediation Basics
Mold remediation has become big business in recent years. But is mold remediation worthwhile or is it all just a big witch-hunt?
Finding Cheap Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are expensive. How hard can it be to find cheap kitchen cabinets. By being creative, you can find cheap kitchen cabinets.
Wood Floor Hardness Rating
Check out the Janka rating for the type of wood floor you want to buy.
Floor Sander Basics
Educate yourself on the basics of floor sanders--drum sanders, vibrating sanders, and edge sanders.
Roof Pitch and Shingle Choices
Not all shingles can be used for every type of roof pitch. Learn how your roof pitch determines the type of shingles you can use.
How to Build an Addition
What steps do you take to build an addition on your house? Is addition building really as painful as people claim? Find out here.
Kitchen Islands Overview
Want more counter space? Place the cooktop (stove) on the kitchen island. Kitchen islands are great places to centralize your cooking operations!
Floating Floor - Definition
The term "floating floor" is used often when discussing laminate and engineered flooring. What does floating floor mean?
Bathroom Layout Spacing
Space considerations when planning your bathroom remodeling layout.
How to Test Electrical Current
Learn the safe and fast way to test an electric outlet with a voltage tester.
Install Fiber-Cement Siding?
Fiber-cement siding is a great alternative to vinyl siding for many homeowners.
Tile Shower and Poly Pan
Combining a poly shower stall pan with tile gives you the best of both worlds: beauty and strength. It's worth investigating installing tile over a poly shower stall pan.
Remove Load Bearing Wall
Removing load bearing walls is serious business. Consider all the factors before undertaking this important step.
3 Types of Tile Materials
Tile is one of the most favorite design materials for kitchens and bathrooms. It has been used since Roman times, and even though excellent manmade materials have become popular in recent years, tile is still valued for its beauty and cost-saving potential. All tile can be classed into three different types: ceramic, quarry, and stone.
Wonderboard - The Basics
Wonderboard is the brand name for a cement backer board for wet applications, mostly under tile? What is Wonderboard, and is it any good?
Accent Wall
It's easy and cheap to add an accent wall to charge up your room.
Do I Need a Permit?
It's often difficult to know when you need a permit.
What's a Microlam?
What's a microlam and how does it fit into your home renovation?
Roofing Materials Basics
Asphalt, asphalt composition, shake, rubber, metal, ceramic tile - what type of roofing material is best, cheapest, and lasts longest? Learn about roof materials here.
Pro Window Install Process
Installing replacement windows is a process that few homeowners have experienced before. Learn what happens when the replacement window installers descend on your house!
Bellawood Wood Flooring Review
It seems like Bellawood wood flooring is everywhere nowadays. Is Bellawood any good? Find out in our product review.
Basics of Trim and Molding
What are the different types of trim and molding for walls, doors, and windows?
Plastic / Metal Electrical Box
Learn when to use the plastic electrical box or the metal electrical box for home renovation.
What is BX or Armored Cable?
What is BX or armored wire and how would you use it when renovating a house?
Backwire an Electric Outlet
When installing an electric outlet, backwiring is one of the essential skills you need to know.
Reduce Airflow, Reduce Sound
There is one little surprising trick you can use to soundproof a room. Find out how to soundproof a room considerably by doing just one thing that doesn’t cost much money.
Sandpaper Grit Basics
Choosing the wrong grit - or "grade" - of sandpaper can either result in destruction of your project, or at the very least, extreme frustration. Everything hinges on choosing the correct grit of sandpaper.
Install Asphalt Paving
You've decided to take the big leap and install new asphalt paving on your driveway. Here are the steps you'll take.
Install Cabinet Hardware
A few tried-and-true steps for installing your cabinet and drawer knobs and drawers with a minimum of fuss...and zero damage to your cabinet's finish.
How to Fix Big Hole in Drywall
Eliminate that large hole in your drywall that has been staring at you for months. Do this easy drywall repair, and have solid, "hole-free" walls once again.
Jacking Up House Yourself
It's your not already convinced that jacking up your house by yourself is a bad idea, read this cautionary tale about the woes of DIY house jacking.
Sheet or Tile Vinyl Flooring?
Q: "I want to install vinyl flooring in my bathroom (8"x10") on a do it yourself basis. Which should I use - sheet or tile vinyl?"
How to Paint a Ceiling
Ceiling painting is no fun. Learn the best way to paint a ceiling.
Side Wire an Electrical Outlet
If you already know how to back wire an electrical outlet, then you need to know how to side wire an electrical outlet, too.
Installing a New Toilet
Installing a toilet is one of those "looks hard but isn't" home renovation projects. Save money on the plumber and learn how to do it yourself.
Vapor Barrier in Attic
How do you install insulation in an attic - with the vapor barrier up or down? Or do you even need a vapor barrier in an attic?
Stained Concrete
One way to spiff up an otherwise ugly or bland slab of concrete is to stain it. Find out about stained concrete.
Permaglaze Profile
Get insider information on Permaglaze and whether Permaglaze is the right company to refinish your bathtub.
Install New Cabinet Handles
Great tips on dealing with a home remodeling project that, on the face of it, should be very simple - new handles or pulls for cabinets.
Time to Install Asphalt Drive
You can't just install an asphalt driveway whenever you feel like it. Asphalt paving specifications have to do with air and surface temperature. Find out the best times to install your asphalt driveway.
Reduce Drywall Dust
Drywall dust is terrible. Here are suggestions for ways to reduce drywall dust: barrier, wet sanding, and drywall sanding vacuum.
Online Calculators Remodeling
Need a roof calculator, siding calculator, or tiling calculator? Check out our online calculator round-up!
Sister a Joist or Stud
Sister a bad wall stud or floor joist rather than tearing out and replacing it.
How to Adjust Cabinet Hinges
If your cabinet doors bump into each other, hang unevenly or don’t close properly, the hinges may need adjusting. Here's the easy way to do it.
Galley Kitchen
While the galley kitchen is (nearly) the most basic kitchen design out there, it's also one of the best. Learn how to work with galley kitchens and to design the galley that works for you.
Install Mosaic Tile Sheets
Find out great tips on how to install mosaic tile. Mosaic tile sheets make the process far easier than individual tile installation.
Bathrooms: Switch Toilet/Sink
Your toilet faces the bathroom door, but your sink is nicely secluded in a corner of the bathroom. Seems backwards, doesn't it? How hard is it to switch toilet and sink locations?
Corian Price
Want to know the price of Corian? Corian price is difficult to nail down, but I think I can help you here with a list of some Corian prices.
Replacement Windows Guide
Learn how to negotiate the sometimes tricky world of replacement windows with our Replacement Windows Definitive Guide.
Masking a Room Before Painting
How to mask a room before painting.
Room Paint Colors
Get 6 great tips about room paint colors. Find out how room paint colors can change your house, without busting your budget.
Roofing with Asphalt Shingles
What are the basics of laying down a roof with asphalt shingles?
Remove Interior Wall
Look at structural issues first before you remove any interior walls - whether you believe those walls bear loads or not.
What is the Electrical Code?
The electrical code--properly called the National Electrical Code, published by the U.S. National Fire Protection Association--is one of the most important documents a home renovator can have. Here are the basics of the electrical code.
Cheap Countertops
Cheap countertops? Are cheap countertops even possible? We explore the relative range of prices for kitchen and bathroom counters.
Kitchen Cabinet Door Ideas
Looking for ideas for kitchen cabinet doors? Trying rejuvenate your kitchen cabinets by replacing cabinet doors? Then check out our product review guide.
How to Install a Bi-Fold Door
Installing a bi-fold door is simple--but you need to get the hardware in place before you put up the bifold door, and that's a bit tricky. Here's how to install a bifold door.
Wet Sponge Drywall Joint Compo
Drywall dust is very fine and invasive. To reduce the amount of dust in your house, consider wet-sponging instead of dry sanding.
The Small Kitchen
The small kitchen is the perfect "canvas" for a redesign. One of the great things about having a small kitchen is that it's easier, cheaper, and faster to renovate a small kitchen.
The Tile Estimator
Recently, I found the best tile calculator that I have seen in a long time. Tile calculators are a dime a dozen, but this Flash-based calculator gives you a good "visual" of what's going on.
Renovation Resale Value
What is the Resale Value of Your Home Renovation?
Plaster Wall Repair
Plaster walls look great--until the moment they start developing cracks. What can you do about cracked plaster?
Prevent Crawlspace Moisture
Preventing moisture--and thus, invasive mold--in your crawlspace is very easy to do with the application of ground plastic.
Retro Wallpaper
Find out about how to snazz up your house period-style with retro wallpaper.
Kitchen Plumbing Basics
Kitchen plumbing is complex. After we break down this complicated project, you'll see that kitchen plumbing is quite managable.
Heated Tile Floor Basics
Anybody whose bare foot has met a cold tile on a winter's day has considered radiant or heated tile floors. Learn some of the basics first before ripping up your existing tile.
Modular Granite Basics
Modular granite countertops - budget-saver or just another ploy to separate you from your money? Modular granite is one of the newer ways to install real granite in your kitchen, avoiding high installer charges.
Kitchen Ceiling Lighting
What kinds of kitchen ceiling lighting do you need. Get the best kitchen ceiling light for all of your general and specialized work areas.
Granite for Kitchen, Bathroom
Granite is a wonderful but not necessarily perfect material for bathrooms and kitchens. Find out why.
Bamboo Flooring Basics
Bamboo flooring has become so wildly popular of late that it deserves a special look.
Bathroom Decorating Ideas
Get great bathroom decorating ideas with our picture gallery. Renovating your bathroom? Then get bathroom design ideas right here.
Glass Tile Backsplash
A glass tile backsplash means instant style for your kitchen, bath, or laundry room. But is it worth installing a glass tile backsplash?
Make Your Own Wood Putty
Making your own wood putty is not so much a money saver but a way to (nearly) perfectly match your existing wood. Find out how.
Drum Floor Sander Tips
Drum floor sanders are monsters. Learn how to tame a drum sander - with beautifully sanded floors as a result.
Best Laminate Floor Cleaner?
Find out which is the best laminate floor cleaner for your flooring. Not all laminate floor cleaners are created equally.
How to Choose Kitchen Cabinets
When renovating your house, learn about your kitchen cabinet options before heading for the home improvement store or custom cabinetmaker. Kitchen cabinets are so expensive, you definitely want to make sure you get this right before placing your order.
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