Home Improvement

Looking to add some light between two drab, dark rooms? Or maybe you like the openness of your patio doors but want something with more style than a basic sliding glass door? French door installation might be the perfect choice for your renovation.

By Sarah Siddons

The house is looking a bit drab these days. So, you're thinking about sprucing it up. A new coat of paint, or hey, a whole new color might do the trick. But how can you make the best decision possible when choosing that new color?

By Vivien Bullen

You'd love to quit climbing up on your rickety ladder to clean your gutters. Are gutter guards the answer?

By Rosalind Jackson

It used to be easy to decide how to construct a deck. You could make it out of wood -- or wood. Nowadays, some decking material doesn't even have a trace of wood in it.

By Richard Winter

If you've ever wondered about the Formica countertops in your kitchen or bath -- or the laminate that tops tables and furniture -- this article is for you.

By Simon Shadow

OSB stands for oriented strand board -- it's a competitor for plywood. So how do the two products stack up?

By Rosalind Jackson

Investing in a newly built home is a large undertaking, both emotionally and financially. When dealing with a project of this magnitude, one of the first tasks you'll come across is creating the home's floor plan.

By Vivien Bullen

When you think of a metal roof, you think of a dilapidated lean-to with a corrugated tin roof. Today roofs are usually made of an asphalt/fiberglass combination or wood shingles.

By Sarah Siddons

Stamped concrete is a form of decorative concrete that looks like other materials like brick, tile and wood. You can do it DIY, but it takes some skill.

By Mitch Ryan

Whether you're repairing concrete structures or coating surfaces, Quikrete products can be a simple and inexpensive solution.

By Vivien Bullen

Blazing fireplaces make things cozy and warm - but they're not very energy-efficient. Fireplace inserts will save you money and time.

By Richard Winter

If you've ever wanted an exotic wood for your floors -- but worried about the price -- you've probably thought about buying laminate floors. What makes laminates look so much like the surfaces they mimic?

By Jennifer Hollowell

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, tasteless, odorless gas - and it can kill you. A carbon monoxide detector can help protect your family, but how does it know when CO is in the air?

By Angela Black

To most house hunters, granite means luxury and elegance. Concrete, on the other hand, is edgy, trendy and infinitely adaptable. So in terms of looks, durability and safety, which countertop is better?

By Julia Layton

Granite countertops don't come in the delightfully unnatural colors of 1960s orange or candy apple red, which is why many homeowners opt to install quartz in their kitchens. What else does quartz offer?

By Charles W. Bryant

Hiring a contractor can be similar to acquiring a brother in-law, except that when it comes to a contractor, you're the one who gets to do the choosing -- not your wayward little sister. What do you need to know before you hire one?

By Jessika Toothman & Kate Kershner

Fluorescent lighting uses less energy than incandescent bulbs, but there's no replacing the sun for efficiency and for lifting your spirits. Is it possible to bring natural sunlight indoors?

By Jonathan Strickland

There are many tools that builders find useful, but only a few of them are absolutely critical. What tools are essential to get the job done?

By Jonathan Strickland

Ceramic tile may spruce up your kitchen, but this material is more than just a pretty face. How does clay get transformed into something so strong and useful?

By Molly Edmonds

Most people spend the bulk of their home renovation time working inside. But with a little know-how, you can easily extend your living space to the outdoors, too.

By John Fuller & Mark Boyer

You need to make a snap decision to stay or leave when a hurricane hits. Building a hurricane shelter near (or inside) your home would make your choice much easier to make.

By Kathy Price-Robinson

Concrete is the bedrock of urban civilization. You drive on it, walk on it, park on it and probably work inside of it. Your house stands on it. And you no doubt hurt yourself on it as a kid. But did you ever imagine a concrete countertop?

By Heather Kolich

So you want to make your home as environmentally friendly as possible. You set up your compost bin, install low-flow toilets and buy energy-efficient appliances. But when it comes to your floor, is bamboo the greenest you can go?

By Tiffany Connors

New products pop up on store shelves every day, but did you ever wonder what went into getting the latest and greatest invention slotted into place? Chances are there was a lengthy product evolution, most likely beginning with a prototype.

By Jessika Toothman

Here's the classic definition of boredom -- sitting around and watching paint dry. But if you knew exactly what happens during those minutes and hours when paint morphs from a sloshing liquid into a thin, glossy film, you'd be fascinated.

By Kathy Price-Robinson