HowStuffWorks Newsletter
Home improvement is much easier when you are well-informed. Learn about home improvement, home safety and home maintenance.
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Painting the outside of your house can seem pretty daunting, but you can save a lot of money doing it yourself. This article will give you the tools to get started.
By Dave Roos
It takes more than a can of paint and a brush or roller to paint the outside of your house. Here are some other must-have tools to make the job look more professional.
Your home is your castle, but unlike a castle, it probably requires a couple of coats of paint now and again. How frequent should your paint jobs be, and why?
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Summer doesn't seem as fun when you have an endless exterior house-painting job looming over you. To make it more enjoyable, let's play a game where we predict the house-painting mistakes you're about to make.
The middle of an emergency is a lousy time to realize that fire extinguishers are more than a point-and-shoot proposition. Think you could manage one that you lob at the local inferno?
As you leave home on a winter morning, you may wonder whether to turn off your heat, turn it down or let it maintain a cozy temperature. Which will save the most energy and money? The answer might surprise you.
By Chris Opfer
If you live in an apartment building, you're sure to see a sign put up by management to keep your faucet dripping when the weather report forecasts freezing temperatures. But why is that? How does a dripping tap keep pipes from bursting?
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Most expensive home repairs come from items we don't pay attention to every day – like the roof or foundation. And yet, routine maintenance is often very cheap. Which items should you focus on most to avoid costly replacements and repairs later?
By Dave Roos
Keep your marble looking like new with these simple tips.
Keeping your water softener clean prevents costly repairs.
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Avoid the bacteria and soap scum in your bathtub jets with these simple cleaning tips.
Clean shower mold simply and effectively before it becomes a bigger problem than it needs to be.
Lime spots from hard water can show up on just about any surface in your bathroom. But getting rid of those ugly marks isn’t usually too difficult, especially if you make it part of your regular cleaning routine.
Keep your tub free of streaky lime and calcium deposits.
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Spend less time in the laundry room with these easy tips.
Add tile to your kitchen backsplash to make a big impact without spending a lot of time (or money!).
There’s a lot of hidden dirt in your home, but it’s not that hard to clean – if you know where to look.
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Keep your stainless appliances looking sleek with these cleaning tips.
Low-maintenance vinyl windows are easy to clean – if you know where to start.
Cleaning the windows is easier if you keep these supplies on hand.
This dreaded chore can be a breeze with a few simple tips.
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Teach your kids clean bathroom habits (and make your life easier!).
Understanding the required care of various countertop materials is an important part of deciding which one to purchase.