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Are Solar Water Heaters Right For You?

September 19, 2012

This a guest post from Diane Kuehl. You see the headline. But, be honest… when is the last time you thought about your water heater? Probably never, unless you are a particularly attentive home owner. Let’s imagine for a moment that you are thinking about your home’s hot water heater right now. Do you know [...]

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DIY Home Security Systems

December 8, 2011

A lot of people don’t seem to understand exactly what installing a home security system entails. There are a lot of factors to consider, and a lot of comparisons that you should make between security products or companies. Of course, one simple way to go about this is to visit a relevant website such as [...]

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How to Approach Your First Paint Job

October 12, 2011

Many of the posts on our blog are aimed at those who have painted before:  do-it-yourselfers who understand the basics of painting and have at least a few projects under their belts. This post is different.  It’s written for the first-time painter who has never picked up a brush or roller. If that describes you, [...]

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Asbestos, Mesothelioma and DIY Projects

June 6, 2011

Today is a guest post from Lydia Miller. Recently we purchased a hundred year old farmhouse, complete with lead paint, shag green carpet from the seventies and new safety challenges. I regularly adhere to the common sense safety precautions: wear the Mr. Wizard glasses, use a respirator, and turn the right breaker off before replacing light [...]

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Earth4Energy Review

June 15, 2010

Down there on the list of “recommended guides” you’ll find “Build Your Own Solar Panels” listed as an option.  I’ve had some questions about this item, recently, so I wanted to address what it was, how much it costs, why I recommend it, and so on. Earth4Energy is a video tutorial series and guide that [...]

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Air Filter Problems

May 24, 2010

Recently, a reader had a question about their home air filter: Good day. I’ve been using the Dupont Filtrete filters for about five years and since we run a landscaping business and track alot of dirt in with us at the end of the day, I change out our filters about every three weeks. Within [...]

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Spring Cleaning Tips: Roof

May 17, 2010

I’ll be putting together some spring cleaning tips for your home, starting with today’s post on your roof.  Your roof provides the primary protection of your home from the elements — “A roof over your head” — and needs to be maintained, just like all major systems in your home. Primarily, you need to keep [...]

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Replacing an Outlet

May 14, 2010
Wiring Outlet

Although this is a pretty simple home improvement project, many people leave it to the professionals, because it’s an electrical project.  As long as you take the necessary precautions, you can safely and easily replace an old, worn-out electrical outlet on your own, DIY-style! As with any electrical home project, you always start by shutting [...]

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The Truth About CFLs: Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

April 22, 2010
Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb CFL Photo by mattbjrs

In 2014, the only lightbulb choice we’ll have is those little, coiled compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) that everyone’s selling, now.  I posted a video, last week, that detailed the clean-up procedure for these CFLs.  In honor of Earth Day, I thought I’d post about the hazards, energy implications, and truth about these CFL bulbs. [...]

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Compact Fluorescent Bulb Clean Up Procedure

April 16, 2010
DIY Home Improvement CFL Photo by mattbjrs

While I poke a little fun at the procedure in our video, I followed the EPAs instructions for cleaning up a compact fluorescent lightbulb (cfl) break on a hard surface.  DISCLAIMER: I used an incandescent bulb in the video, because I frankly did not want to break a CFL inside a home, if I could [...]

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