Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

Most Popular

more tags
1500 questions
12
votes
3 answers

What are some of the best books/resources on home inspection for first time home buyers?

I'm looking at buying my first home. Considering the amount of money involved, it seems logical to make sense the inspection is solid. (I've seen a few "Holmes Inspection"s to have the reinforced.) I know "Holmes Inspection—Everything you Need…
Bill
  • 407
  • 1
  • 5
  • 9
12
votes
10 answers

Is it safe to use an angle grinder with wood cutting blades?

Being a newbie to DIY and trying to get more and more jobs done myself, safety is a concern to me. I recently bought a Makita 5" angle grinder to cut some metal balustrades, job done. I considered buying some wood cutting discs for it, which I have…
Ray_Hack
  • 255
  • 1
  • 3
  • 6
12
votes
3 answers

Are CAT 5 sockets compatible with CAT 7 cable?

I am planning to add Ethernet wiring to my house (semi-detached three-storey town house). I will be using this network to connect several (4-6) computers together in a typical (geek) home setting. I have worked out the topology and most of the…
Lightsider
  • 223
  • 1
  • 2
  • 6
12
votes
4 answers

Is this gravel stabilizing underlament an effective product?

Does anyone have any experience with a gravel stabilizing product? I'll say, somehow I've never seen this before, but it looks genius; especially if you could create a reasonable driveway out of this stuff that wouldn't buckle under a car's load.…
TFK
  • 3,714
  • 6
  • 21
  • 44
12
votes
5 answers

How can I fix a door that doesn't close because it doesn't fit the frame?

Two closet doors in my house won't close all the way. When they are about 85% closed, it stops because the top of the door is rubbing up against the frames. It looks like I need to move the door down about 3-6 inches a half inch. The doors are…
Mike Sherov
  • 1,479
  • 7
  • 22
  • 26
12
votes
3 answers

Is it required for effectiveness to stretch interior window film?

Short version: I am using a Frost King window insulation kit on a window. Can I skip the hairdryer step and still get a good amount of insulating effect? Long version: I am using a Frost King window insulation kit on a window. The way these work is…
capet
  • 471
  • 3
  • 16
12
votes
4 answers

Is it ok to screw into a steel door?

I am looking to hang some blinds over the window on my front door. Is ok to screw the mounting hardware directly into the door?
Adam B
  • 223
  • 1
  • 2
  • 4
12
votes
3 answers

Are all rectangular outlets, switches, and plates the same dimensions and interchangeable?

Do I need to make sure my switches, plates, and outlets are from the same manufacturer or can I mix and match? I'm referring to the rectangular decora-style and wasn't sure if there'd be slight differences in size between brands. Some…
Ben McCann
  • 251
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
12
votes
1 answer

Why does a USA/Canada surge-protected extension lead (110V) trip my circuit breakers in the UK (220V)?

I moved from Canada to the UK and for convenience I would like to use some of my Canadian aquired extension leads (for light power items such as ethernet switches). Problem is that the surge-protected extension leads seem to always trip my circuit…
asoundmove
  • 285
  • 1
  • 2
  • 6
12
votes
6 answers

Toilet paper to the left or right?

I just repainted my bathroom, and at the same time decided to replace the toilet paper dispenser. I patched the holes from the previous TP holder, so I'm starting with a clean slate. I'm at the point where I'm ready to install the new dispenser,…
Tester101
  • 131,097
  • 78
  • 316
  • 608
12
votes
5 answers

Why did my installer install 1/4 round corners like this and how can I fix it?

We had a guy come by to finish some previous tile work we had done. The morning of finishing the tile, he called and said he couldn't get the grout to stick along the edges, and it was just going under the baseboards and not setting up. He suggested…
ctote
  • 710
  • 5
  • 19
  • 30
12
votes
2 answers

How do I sound-proof a bathroom?

I think most people would agree that sound proofing a bathroom is a swell idea. Since bathrooms are special rooms (high humidity), what are some tips and techniques you can use to sound proof one without running into water/mold problems down the…
Joe Phillips
  • 2,246
  • 11
  • 41
  • 59
12
votes
5 answers

Are there any restrictions on using crimped connections to electrical devices (receptacles, switches)?

As the title states, are there any code restrictions in general on using crimped spade and ring terminal connectors when wiring household electrical circuits? I've actually been doing this for a while, using 600V rated spade connectors from Home…
William S.
  • 1,031
  • 1
  • 10
  • 21
12
votes
6 answers

What wireless temperature monitoring systems should I look into?

I'd like to monitor and log temperature on few locations in my home. Wireless monitoring with normal consumer batteries etc would be preferable for the sensors. I have an Mac OSX server running at my home where I could log the temperatures and…
Mikko Tapionlinna
  • 223
  • 2
  • 6
12
votes
8 answers

Can't replace hardwood floors, what are my options?

My house was built in 1929 and still has the original hardwood floors. And now some 85 years later they are in terrible shape. They squeak like crazy, many boards are broken and splintered, there are gaps, they are uneven, and there are several…
hokiewalrus
  • 223
  • 1
  • 2
  • 5
1 2 3
…
99 100