The human eye can distinguish about 7 million different colors -- how to find just the right color scheme for your home?The objective of any interior design coloring project is to create a layered loo...Full Article
Safe Rooms Click image to enlarge.Q I live in “Tornado Alley” in the panhandle of Texas. So far we haven’t been hit...Full Article
Q I want to finish a portion of my basement to use as a family room. Should I fur out the foundation walls and use foam insulation or build secondary fiberglass-insulated 2x4 stud walls aga...Full Article
Insulation -- silently hidden in yourwalls, no moving parts to fix -- is a material you probably spend preciouslittle time thinking about. Then along comes subzero (or sweltering!) weather,a three-dig...Full Article
Attaching wood to concrete is one of the most basic,time-consuming and iffy tasks in construction. Whether you’re anchoringwall sill plates (Photo 1) or attaching furring strips to concretewalls...Full Article
Q Tests have shown that our house has a radon gas problem. After speaking with a few radon mitigation contractors, we think the process seems easy enough to do ourselves. Do you know of an...Full Article
Click image to enlarge.Q I’m considering installing a wood basement under my new addition instead of the poured concrete type under my house, mostly because I can do it myself. Do woo...Full Article
Love wood floors? It’s nowonder. Wood is rich-looking, warm, durable and easy to keep clean. It’s stillthe most seductive and charming type of floor in ahome.But it’s also a big inve...Full Article
Click image to enlarge.Q. I was thinking of buying an air-powered nail gun or a palm nailer, but I’m not familiar with how palm nailers work. Are they reliable and do they work well? ...Full Article
Q The ceramic tile in my house was installed over a concrete slab. Several areas of 1/8-in. to 1/4-in. wide cracks have developed right through the tiles. They seem to follow cracks in the underlying ...Full Article
Click image to enlarge.Q. This spot appeared overa year ago in the northeast corner of my garage ceiling. It has stayed the samesize and hasn’t changed at all. What is it, and what should I do a...Full Article
Click image to enlarge.Q I enjoyed your magazine’s article about solid pine floors (Feb. ’02), but my house is built on a concrete slab. What can I do?A It’s ...Full Article
Q My husband wants to finish our basement with carpet and padding directly on the concrete. I feel there should be a wood subfloor to make it warmer on the feet. Which is the preferred met...Full Article
Introduction Step-by-step instructions for laying 12-in. cork tiles, for a hassle-free, natural and comfortable floor. With some basic tools an...Full Article
Click image to enlarge. Q. I have annoying floor squeaks in my second-floor hall and bedrooms. Are there ways to eliminate these squeaks without tearing off the drywall on the ceiling below...Full Article
Floor Prep and Working With Vinyl When it comes time to put in a new floor, carpet, wood, tileand stone all have their advantages. For areas exp...Full Article
Introduction It’s hard to beat the natural beauty, warmth anddurability of a hardwood floor. A well-laid floor will last for a century orm...Full Article
If wax spills on your carpet, don’t panic!! Let the wax harden, and afterward follow the steps shown in Photos 1 and 2 for a successful cleanup. NOTE: Not all candle stains will come out comple...Full Article
Squeaky floors are one of those irritants that homeowners endure for a long time before undertaking the repair. There’s a whole hardware doodad industry devoted to solving this problem. Each set...Full Article
Q You guys are always specifying “d” sizes for nails such as 16d, 8d, etc. What in the world does “d” mean? How about giving us the nail lengths along with the ̶...Full Article
