Home DIY

Sealer coats are used between finishing steps to ensure even penetration of stains and finishes, to prevent bleeding of stains and fillers, and to make the finished surface smoother. Learn how to seal wooden furniture.

By Editors of Consumer Guide

Wooden furniture can be spoiled by small damage to the surface. Some stains are easily removed, while more damaging spots may require refinishing. Learn simple methods to repair small stains quickly and effectively.

By Editors of Consumer Guide

Loose joints on wooden furniture can cause long-term damage to the rest of the frame by increasing stress on other joints. Learn how to repair joints and stop small structural problems from becoming big ones.

By Editors of Consumer Guide

Removing old finish from wooden furniture is a lengthy process, but knowing the proper techniques and professional shortcuts can save you time and money. Learn how to strip wooden furniture.

By Editors of Consumer Guide

Veneer is a thin layer of wood glued to wooden furniture. Veneer is very prone to blistering, cracking, or falling off. Learn how to fix damaged veneer and replace broken or missing sections of veneer.

By Editors of Consumer Guide

A well-designed pantry can hold much more than food, including dishes and cookware. But designing an efficient kitchen pantry space can be a challenge. Corner shelves and rolling baskets are a start, but learn what else to use.

By Debra K. Melchior

The fastest way to get a new ceiling is to install ceiling tiles directly to an existing drywall ceiling. If the ceiling surface isn't sound or has open joists, staple the tiles to furring strips. Here are extensive installation instructions.

By Editors of Consumer Guide

Stripping off the old wall covering is usually wiser than leaving it on. New coverings adhere better to stripped-down surfaces. There are several ways to approach the job. Learn how to remove wallpaper.

By Editors of Consumer Guide

A suspended ceiling can cover a lot of flaws and obstructions, including pipes, wiring, and ductwork. It works, however, only where you can afford to lose some ceiling height. Here are extensive installation instructions.

Installing ceramic tile is easy with modern fast-setting mastics, sealants, and grout. Whatever style or size you choose to install, the principles are the same. Learn how to install ceramic tile.

By Editors of Consumer Guide

Vinegar's chemical properties make it ideal for use in many common repair and maintenance jobs. Find out about vinegar's home-improvement benefits, from removing rust and wallpaper paste to eliminating paint odors.

By Christine Halvorson

Every home-dweller eventually has to contend with pests like insects, rodents, and raccoons. But don't fret: There are time-proven ways to deter and eradicate these little beasts. We've collected some in this article.

By Editors of Consumer Guide

They keep the contents of your school locker safe. They secure precious documents and monetary instruments. Some of them can even take a bullet. Learn about what's going on inside combination locks.

By Robert Valdes

This set of articles includes explanations of lockpicking and safecracking, as well as the mechanical workings of many of the most common types of locks.

By Marshall Brain

If you want a surefire way to improve the look, durability and value of your home, hardwood floors are the way to go. Besides being beautiful and hard-wearing, hardwood floors are environmentally friendly, too.

By Allison Klein

While there's a good chance that your fire extinguisher will sit on the wall for years, collecting dust, it could end up saving your property and even your life. Learn the correct way to use an extinguisher and see what sort of fire suppressant works best on different types of fires.

By Tom Harris

You probably don't spend too much time pondering the inner workings of a doorbell, but it's actually a pretty cool device once you get inside. Find out exactly what happens when someone rings your bell.

By Tom Harris

The super of our apartment building is always going into everyone's apartment when something needs to be fixed. There must be a hundred apartments, but he only carries one key around with him. How does he get into all those apartments?

Security systems can range from do-it-yourself kits for $10 to sophisticated whole-house networks installed by professionals. But most alarm systems are actually built around the same basic design concepts.

By Tom Harris

I have several smoke detectors in my house, and recently the battery went dead on one of them. It started chirping, so I took the battery out, only to have the others complain about it. My question is, how do all of the smoke detectors talk to one an

A friend told me that the bad smell coming from my toilet indicates that the seal under the toilet is broken and needs to be replaced. He also said that I could probably do the job myself. I'd like to try.

How can motion-sensing lights detect your presence, and what prevents them from seeing you when you're standing still? It all comes down to the movement of light.

What is this bumpy stuff on my ceiling that looks like popcorn or cottage cheese?

How do multi-class dry chemical fire extinguishers work? What is the dry chemical?

Each time you flush the toilet or wash something down the sink's drain, you create sewage (also known in polite society as wastewater). Find out where it goes and how it's treated before it flows into a river near you!

By Marshall Brain