HowToDoThings.com Recent Interiors Articles

How To Install Ceramic Tile

fester1 — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:12:47 -0500

How To Repair Ceramic Tile

bronwyn — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:08:11 -0500

Ceramic tiles are durable by nature, but homeowners will find that there are some common problems with this material. Tiles can frequently break and grout will eventually need to be replaced. Luckily, problems with ceramic tiling are actually quite easy to fix, as long as the tile was installed after 1960. If your tile predates 1960, it may have been set in a masonry base and you will need a contractor to repair it.

How To Install a Chair Rail

Larado — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 13:01:11 -0600

Chair rails can be a fun and rewarding item to install in your home. They can range from simple to highly extravagant but either way it adds a touch of class to any room or living space, and is also really fun to install.

Tools:

Pneumatic Finish Nailer, 15 gauge
Air compressor and air hose
Miter box and saw
Tape Measure
Level
Caulk
Caulking Gun
Sandpaper
Primer
Paint
Pencil
A buddy

Instructions:

How To Keep a Fireplace Clean

bronwyn — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 16:34:06 -0600

There's no better place in your house on a chilly winter night than in front of your fireplace - but is your fireplace safe? Do the soot stains bother you? The good news is that cleaning your fireplace and keeping it safe go hand in hand, and are even fairly easy!

Have a chimney sweeper come every year. This part is essential for fireplace safety, and you can't do it alone. You need a professional to clear any obstructions in the chimney and remove all extra creosote and other buildup. This flammable material in your chimney is a risk factor for house fires, so don't delay!

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How To Make Your Home a Resort

Youshouldown — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 23:53:38 -0500

In today’s world of home channel popularity and all things fashionable, making your home magazine-perfect and envied by all isn’t such a hard or expensive thing to do. Even the smallest changes and additions can make a huge difference for less than a weekend getaway. After all, you live in your home before and after the getaway.

How To Get Rid of Cockroaches

Brian263 — Wed, 02 May 2007 14:20:00 -0500

Sometimes a description just can't ever capture the sheer horror of a particular event. For example, if I were to describe what it's like to step on a cockroach barefoot on the bathroom floor in the middle of the night - the unexpected crunch as the smooth exoskeleton shatters against your soft skin, the tiny little legs perhaps barely perceptible, antennae quivering, bits of the body stuck to the roach goo on your heel - anyone with a cockroach problem could tell me that it pales in comparison to the real event.

How To Survive a Kitchen Remodel

Staff468 — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 12:06:00 -0500

You think the in-laws can be tough on a marriage? Try a kitchen remodel. Or better yet, ask the in-laws for advice on your kitchen remodel. Though rumor has it that home renovation is one of the leading causes of divorce, there are ways to minimize the effects of a kitchen remodel. Here they are:

Set up a temporary kitchen. I know you have visions of eating out regularly, sushi one night and Thai the next. You see your kitchen remodel as an opportunity to sample the international cuisines you've been hankering for. Let's get real. Remember those days when you come home from work exhausted and all you want to do is crawl into bed? Or those days that the term "PMS" do not quite do justice? Your temporary kitchen is for those days, not to mention for breakfast, lunch and the sake of the kids.

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How To Clean Up Cat Urine

Staff468 — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 19:10:00 -0500

As any cat owner will tell you, cat urine has a particularly intolerable - not to mention resilient - odor. On top of that, cat urine can stain carpet and hardwood floor alike. There are many reasons why cats might urinate in improper places - stinky litter boxes, stress, age and illness being among the common reasons. You'll be able to clean up stubborn cat urine using the following techniques.

How To Take Care of a Fireplace

Staff468 — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 16:22:00 -0500

How often do you take the time to thank your fireplace for all the times it kept you warm during power outages? How about those nights where its flickering flames sparked an evening of romance, or those times when its unmistakable smell brought comfort and calm to your life?

There's a great way to thank your fireplace - take good care of it!

Encourage good draft up your chimney. You can do this by keeping a window open while you burn a fire. The air entering your room will get sucked up the chimney. Opening a window also ensures that your indoor air quality stays good while you burn the fire.
Open glass doors when you use the fireplace. If you have glass fireplace doors, invest in a screen to block the fire instead of using glass. Doing so will also aid in ventilating the fire and encouraging airflow through the flue.

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How To Care for Hardwood Floors

Grace170 — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 08:50:00 -0500

Many homeowners believe that installing hardwood floors is ideal because of the low maintenance attached to the product. This can be the case, but hardwood floors do require care. Here are some tips on how to care for your hardwood floors.

Prevention. As with any flooring, preventing dirt and grime from entering in the first place is the best plan. Place floor mats at your home's entrances to collect any dirt, mud or debris that may be walking in your door.
Dirt and Grime. Dirt and grime can be removed from hardwood floors with some elbow grease. Brooms with fine ends are ideal for removing dirt from the surface. Wood cleaners like Murphy's Oil, which combine cleaning agents with a small amount of wax, will keep your floors looking clean.

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How To Choose a Wood Floor

Grace170 — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 14:06:00 -0600

What is in a floor? Well, a lot, actually. If you have decided to put new hardwood flooring into your home, there is much to consider. What type of look do you want to create? How much wear and tear do you expect on the floors? How much do you want to spend? What about color matching and quality of woods? Here are some guidelines and tips for homeowners exploring the hardwood option.

Window Shop. Before creating a budget, and before making a bulk purchase, do some window shopping for flooring. Head to lumber yards and stores that specialize in hardwood floor supply and installation for examples. See what your neighbors, friends and family have in their homes as well. Get samples and decide on a look that you want. Consider the shade, finish, and hardness of the wood.

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How To Grout Tile

Grace170 — Sun, 10 Dec 2006 05:27:00 -0600

Grouting is the second to last step in the process of do-it-yourself tiling. It is also the messiest part of the job. Grout is the material that is visible between tiles on a floor, backsplash, in a bathroom, etc. It fills the space between the tiles and supports them-almost like glue. Here are some tips on how to grout your tiling project.

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How To Buy Kitchen and Bathroom Tile

Grace170 — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 05:06:00 -0500

Tiling-to many in the profession, is an art. While there is certainly a learning curve for advanced tiling techniques, an average Joe can lay tiles if he knows how to do it, but perhaps more importantly, what to buy. If you are thinking of embarking on a tiling project in your kitchen or bath, here are some tips on what kind of products you should buy.

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How To Patch Holes in Walls

Grace170 — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 08:06:00 -0500

You have a son or daughter with anger management problems. Your overambitious husband has successfully hammered a hole large enough for twenty nails to fill. You bought a house and discovered there WAS a reason why the sellers left the couch against the wall until the final walk-through. Whatever the scenario-you have a hole in your wall that needs patching. Here are some ways to remedy this eyesore.

How big? How large is the hole? If it is, say, smaller than a fist, you can use a quick method of repair. If it is a little larger (knee or foot size), you will need to do some more prep work before filling the hole.

What material? What is your wall made of? It is unlikely that you've punched through brick, so your choices are usually drywall, plaster, or some sort of paneling.

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How To Find and Install a Door Stop

Grace170 — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 06:09:00 -0500

You have just purchased a new stainless steel refrigerator. It looks great nestled between classy cherry cabinets and the door to your roof deck with the city view. It looks perfect now, but it will only take one overzealous or over-intoxicated house guest to swing the door too wide and dent the façade of your new purchase. It is for situations like these that the door stop was invented. Read below for the different kinds of door stops available and how to install them:

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How To Puppy Proof Your House

Staff468 — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 15:26:00 -0500

When a baby develops the ability to crawl and explore a house, we naturally baby-proof the house to keep the curious youngster out of harm's way. The same should be done for a puppy in a new home, but a puppy can do far more damage to your belongings than a baby ever could. Puppy-proofing your house ensures that both your puppy and your belongings stay safe during this early stage when it's only natural for the inquisitive puppy to explore and play.

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How To Use a Sump Pump

Staff468 — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 16:23:00 -0500

Sump pumps really aren't very complicated devices compared to some of the other things you have in your home. And yet their service can save you thousands in water damage, should flooding occur. Yes, the sump pump is the unsung hero of our basements.

Sump pumps generally fall into two categories: submersible and pedestal. Both of these models serve to pump water out of the sump and away from where it can harm your property. Both kinds of sump pump sit at the bottom of your sump and activate based on a float switch that tells them when the water level has risen to a certain height. In fact, the parts of a sump pump are pretty much standardized these days. The main difference is that the pedestal sump pump has a motor that sits atop a pedestal, which stretches out of the pit and in plain view. This motor is supposed to remain dry, and the visibility can make repair a bit easier.

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How To Buy Concrete Countertops

Grace170 — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 15:29:00 -0500

One of the most important elements in a kitchen renovation project is choosing countertops that complement your cabinets, appliances, and wall colors. There are several choices to consider: Granite, soapstone, marble, slate, butcher-block, and concrete being a few. If you decide on concrete countertops, expect a product that is thick, pigmented and smooth. Concrete countertops have a low sheen and can be cut to match the layout of your kitchen. Here are some tips on how and where to purchase your new concrete countertops.

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How To Do Interior Decorating for Cat Owners

Wed, 24 Aug 2005 09:31:00 -0500

Part 1: Protecting your possessions

The first thing a cat owner should know about home décor is to keep it simple. Cats are completely convinced that they are in charge, that the house and its possessions belong to them, and that they have every right to break rip or shred anything they like. Even a well trained cat (a possible oxymoron) will occasionally get overzealous, and with an inadvertent sweep of their tail will knock your favorite decoration from its place to a pile on the floor.

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How To Hammer Without Numbing Your Fingers

Peter5 — Sat, 06 Oct 2001 23:00:00 -0500

Hitting your fingers more often than the nail ?

Push the nail through a piece of card, hold the card instead of the nail. Once the nail is firmly in place simply rip the card to remove it.