Calling a contractor to repair or improve every single thing gets expensive fast. What if there were a way to know what they know about home improvement? Here are 17 of the best time and money-saving home improvement and care hacks that only a contractor would know about. Grab bars are one of the simplest ways to make an existing bathroom more accessible. Stylish designs can be found at your local home improvement center.
- Give outdated floors a refresh with our step-by-step guide to painting and stenciling ceramic tile.
- Look for windows labeled low-emissivity (low-E) or spectrally selective—they have a coating that reduces thermal heat transfer.
- Earlier, we talked about repairing your own plumbing.
- With flagstone or cement pavers, you can easily make an outdoor patio in a weekend, no mortar required.
- Not every clogged drain or drippy faucet needs professional plumbing help.
For larger holes, place an adhesive patch over the area and spread an all-purpose drywall compound over it with a trowel. Depending on the size of the wall hole, the compound may need to dry overnight. Select the perfect self-adhesive wallpaper to create an accent that’s easy to apply, remove, and reuse. Like a giant sticker, peel the decorative paper off the backing and adhere it to a primed and painted wall. To create a curvy top edge, use your mirror to inspire the outline of your design.
DIY Home Improvement Projects Under $50
Your choice should balance aesthetics with practicality. Choose a low-flow showerhead and you’ll get virtually the same sensation of water flow while saving money on your water bill. If your showerhead flow is already low (and shouldn’t be), check to see if hard-water deposits are clogging the holes. Many new showerheads provide more options for control—multiple spray styles, pivoting angles, temperature settings—and they’re more efficient. Try replacing your showerhead with a newer model so you can achieve a spa-worthy bathing experience in the comfort of your home.
How to Make Kitchen Cabinet Doors
Stripping and staining cabinets will give your space a major facelift. Sealing cabinets with polyurethane will also increase durability. Begin by removing cabinet doors and hardware, then wipe cabinet fronts and doors with mineral spirits to remove any dirt, dust, and grease. Apply a gel-type stripper per manufacturer’s instructions, and then remove the stripper with a plastic putty knife.
Blue is as calming as the sky, silver reflects light, jewel tones are bravely bold — and just might work. Get the latest This Old House news, trusted tips, tricks, and DIY Smarts projects from our experts–straight to your inbox. Season 44 starts with restoring the first black postmaster’s house in Atlanta, then the crew heads to Newburyport, MA, to remodel a classic New England-style home. Later, we start work on a 1720s Cape Ann Gambrel in Ipswich, MA. This means that a $5,000 bathroom renovation would yield a bump in home price of $8,550, perhaps more. The cost of a mid-range bathroom remodel averages between $3,000-$12,000 according to Zillow.