Home DIY

Heat pumps use a small amount of energy to move heat from one place to another. But is one right for your home?

By Laura Cowan & Talon Homer

Nobody ever expects accidents to happen, but a slip down the stairs or a kitchen grease fire can occur in the blink of an eye -- even with careful homeowners. So where are you most likely to get hurt?

By Emilie Sennebogen

Off-peak cooling is a new innovation that uses electricity to produce blocks of ice at night when demand is low. But how does the air stay cool enough to provide relief at the hottest time of day?

By Sara Elliott

If you'd like to change the look of your kitchen, but the price tag is too high to contemplate, there may be a less expensive solution. Now, you can cover your appliances completely, or even paint them for a new look.

By Sara Elliott

Lipstick-stained carpet. Orange shag carpet. Carpet that's seen one too many instances of puppy incontinence. It seems a shame to toss it out, but can you recycle it?

By Cristen Conger

If you haven't heard of exterior insulation before, chances are you've seen it without knowing it. But what makes it different from interior insulation (besides where it's located)? And what does it have to do with post-World War II Germany?

By Echo Surina

The kitchen is arguably the most popular room in the house. It could also yield the most amount of money of any home improvement project. But what could have your profits headed down the drain?

By Sara Elliott

Floods are the most common natural disaster in the United States. But with a little foresight and planning, you can safeguard your home against floodwaters.

By Cristen Conger

This decoupage lampshade lighting project adds a unique element to your home's decor. Learn to make a decoupage lampshade at HowStuffWorks.

Making hardwood flooring decisions can be intimidating. Explore hardwood flooring tips and options at HowStuffWorks.

With the Internet as our guide, it seems as though no job is too large for our capable hands. But there are five jobs you should step away from and call a professional.

By Emilie Sennebogen

It may seem like one of the more boring aspects of home maintenance, but putting a good roof on your home can save you loads of money down the road. What's the best way to save on energy costs?

By Stephanie Watson

Replacing a drain trap is easy if you follow the proper steps.

You rely on your chimney to channel smoke up and out of your house. Therefore, when the outside or inside walls of your chimney crack, you could encounter some serious problems.

By Chris Marlowe

If you have a garage so cluttered that you dread the thought of trying to squeeze an automobile into it, you just might need a storage shed.

By Andrew Aguecheek

As with most utilities around the house, the cost of heating a home is getting more expensive. But an old staple can be used to heat your home -- for less money than more modern heating options.

By Elizabeth Abbess

If you use electricity to heat and cool your home, some of your money probably goes right out the windows when you pay your bill. Insulated curtains help you costs down by keeping heat in -- or out.

By Elizabeth Abbess

The idea of a chimney sweep might conjure up romantic notions of the film, "Mary Poppins." But chimney maintenance is serious business. Keeping your chimney clean is important in preventing chimney fires -- and potential house fires.

By Sarah Siddons

It's a lot glossier than your home's hardwoods. But there's more to it than that. How does sports flooring go easy on athletes' knees?

By Charles W. Bryant

Infrared light isn't visible because it's beyond the spectrum we can see. That's the gist of an infrared heater -- the heat is a product of light that is invisible to our eyes.

By Rosalind Jackson

As the weather gets colder, you might notice a draft entering your house from the windowsills. Placing a hand near the window on a windy night can reveal the source of the draft. Learn how to insulate your windows to save on energy.

By Andrew Aguecheek

Basements are by nature cool and damp. They can also account for significant heat loss from a home, so a good insulation job could end up saving you a lot of money.

By Richard Winter

If you've been taking apart your vacuum cleaner on the kitchen table or cutting 2x4s balanced across the arms of your Adirondack chair on the patio, it's time to build a workbench.

By Elizabeth Abbess

In the 1970s and 1980s the bar stool was relegated to basement recreational rooms and rec-room bars. But these days, you'll find bar stools front and center in the heart of the home -- the kitchen.

By Sarah Siddons

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