How to Make and Mix Concrete Step 1: Gather Your Tools and Materials Here’s what you’ll need to mix your own concrete: A bag of portland cement Bulk coarse gravel or crushed stone Bulk sand Wheelbarrow Bucket (1- or 2-gallon) Bucket (5-gallon) Shovel Small cup or container Note: Concrete and cement are not the same things. Concrete is a mix of stone, sand, and cement. Cement is an aggregate used in concrete to act as the adhesive in the mix....
How do you wire an extension cord plug? For about five bucks, you can attach a replacement plug. So, you don’t have to throw away that old extension cord, even if one of its prongs is broken. Steps on How to Replace and Wire a Plug: Step 1: Cut the Old Plug and Slice the Jacket First, cut off the damaged plug. Then use a utility knife to split and slice off the jacket about 3/4 inch from the end of the cord....
Modern master bath The dreamy master bath was designed with a personal spa in mind—a soothing neutral palette, abundant light, a freestanding soaking tub, and a fully appointed steam shower perfect for unwinding. Electric floor warming throughout the space means there’s no stepping out onto a chilly tile floor. Floor Warming: Schluter-DITRA-HEAT Electric Floor Warming Built-in bench A floating bench is a perfect place to sit back, relax, and breathe in the healing benefits of steam....
Choosing the right countertop is a tough task, because of the vast variety of materials available, appearance and durability details, and a square foot price range that starts around $20 and stretches up to $250. Consider Countertop Space Requirements Before the fun part of exploring materials, consider how much space you’ll devote to countertops and where you’ll put them. While this may depend on the size of your cook space, the National Kitchen and Bath Association recommends a total of 158 inches of countertop frontage, 24 inches deep—ideally including an uninterrupted 36-inch-wide section adjacent to the sink....
What is Modern Wood Wall Paneling? Wood wall paneling is a building material that covers a wall’s surface in wood boards or sheets. It can be made from hardwoods, softwoods, faux woods, or even wood byproducts. Popular in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, wood paneling found its home within Mid-century design, providing the clean, simple lines that the style embraces. It also offered a warm, rustic look for masculine dens and an affordable wall-covering option that was neutral and subtle, unlike the boldly patterned wallpapers of the era....
title: “Pets Best Pet Insurance Review 2022 " ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-13” author: “Rosemary Guadian”
“We walked through the front door and were taken back in time by the leaded glass, intricately carved balusters on the staircase, and dark hardwood floors,” he says. It was the coziness of the well-laid-out rooms, on the other hand, that attracted his wife, Molly. “The way the house is positioned, warm light just pours in,” she says. Project Overview THE HOMEOWNERS : John and Molly and their daughter, Caroline, 3....
In this episode: Tom Silva travels to Nashville Tennessee to help a homeowner convert her door into a Dutch door. While the easy thing to do would be to buy and install a dutch door, her door is nicely made and seems like an original to the house. Tom agrees that it’s a door worth saving and demonstrates how to make an exterior door into a Dutch door. Afterward, Richard Trethewey teaches the process of installing a garbage disposal where there was not one originally with Kevin O’Connor....
In this episode: Host Kevin O’Connor travels to Billings, Montana to meet Bo Reichenbach, a Navy SEAL veteran who was injured during the war in Afghanistan. Bo shares the story of his service with Kevin and discusses the home he built with help from Building for America’s Bravest. Bo is also an American ice sled hockey player, but training to be an olympic athlete in rural Montana can be tough. He has to travel 45 minutes each way to train at a gym in town....
In this episode: It’s Summertime on Ask This Old House and the team is here to help with some fun outdoor projects! First, general contractor Tom Silva travels to Colorado to help a family build a DIY swing set for their young son, Charlie. The boy has outgrown his plastic playset and his birthday is coming up so his parents were hoping to give him a much-needed upgrade. They’ve run into a couple of problems—for one, the yard has a slope to it....
In this episode: Jenn Nawada teaches us all about groundcover plants, offering a creative alternative to mulch and rocks. Jenn points out that many different plants can grow in places where mowing or erosion are issues and can add some interest throughout the yard. She teaches about juniper, microbiota, pachysandra, sedum John Creech, lilyturf, and other ground-covering plants. Jenn explains how she likes to use each of these plants, highlighting where and how they perform best....
In this episode: For over 100 years the doors leading to the living room in our Cape Ann Shingle Style have been hidden in pockets, sliding out only when needed. But somewhere along the line, one of them stopped sliding. Kevin O’Connor finds Tom Silva doing some detective work trying to restore the antique door. Our homeowners like the idea of generating their own power for the house. Kevin finds solar expert Daniel McLaughlin installing a small panel on the roof....
In this episode: Concord, Massachusetts, is where the Revolutionary War started, but the town’s fame has continued with the literary celebrities who lived there. Kevin O’Connor meets with a local historian to talk about the home of the most recent project. With the cost of building supplies skyrocketing, contractors are doing what they can to save demoed material. At this project, the appliances ship to a family in Haiti; the hardwood flooring gets resold by a charity; Tom and Charlie Silva will salvage the glass sliders; Richard Trethewey and Tom will repurpose cast iron baseboard radiators in other locations in the house....
It’s a labor-intensive method, and screens installed this way typically develop noticeable sags after just a few months. Plus, when it’s necessary to replace a damaged screen or fix a sagging one, you must remove several battens and yank out about a million fasteners. But there is a much better and easier way to install screens, and it doesn’t require a lot of experience. This project will show you how to rescreen an existing porch using the Screen Tight installation system....
An older house can be expensive to insure. If you want to be able to replace distinctive building materials and architectural features in the event of a loss, you may need to increase your policy limits for the structure or add optional coverages. “There definitely are concerns for older homes that often lead to higher costs,” says Karen Collins, assistant vice president of personal lines at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, a trade group....
Top 5 Board Games Best Mystery Game: Hasbro Clue Game Best Adventure Game: Z-Man Games Pandemic Board Game Best For Kids: Hasbro Chutes and Ladders Game Best For Families: Taboo Kids vs. Parents Family Board Game Best Trivia Game: Hasbro Trivial Pursuit Board Game Best Mystery Game: Hasbro Clue Game Key Features Requires two to six players Can be played by anyone who is at least eight years old Provides an hour or more of playtime...
Top 5 Drywall Hammers Best Design: Stanley 14-Ounce FatMax AntiVibe Drywall Hammer Best Anti-Vibration: Estwing 14-Ounce Drywall Hammer Best Grip: OX Tools 14-Ounce Drywall Hammer Best Value: Goldblatt 14-Ounce Drywall Hammer Most Durable: Stiletto Nine-Ounce Titanium Drywall Axe Best Design: Stanley 14-Ounce FatMax AntiVibe Drywall Hammer This 14-ounce drywall hammer from Stanley has a durable steel body wrapped in a comfortable and molded rubber grip. The tool has a nail-gripping milled face and a sharp cutting edge to help secure and trim drywall....
