Gardening In Great Big Flowerpots
To lighten the load, use a lightweight planting mix, not garden soil. But instead of filling the whole pot with the growing mix, fill the bottom with the plastic styrofoam "peanuts" that everything shipped in the mail comes packed in. Then put ... [... more]
Bob Vila |
Sounds In The Garden
While on the subject of safety, always look behind and all around you when using power equipment, especially where there are children. With the loud noise, and especially when you have on ear protection, you can't see when a little one has ... [... more]
Bob Vila |
Finding The Right Contractor
A contractor calls or knocks on your door and offers to install a new roof or remodel your kitchen at a price that sounds reasonable. You tell him you're interested, but can't afford it. He tells you it's no problem - he can arrange financing ... [... more]
Bob Vila |
Faux Paint Finishes: Bagging
Looking for a change of scenery? Tired of staring at those same old four walls (or floors or cabinet doors, etc.)? Take the plunge and experiment withone of the many faux finishes you've seen in magazines and on TV. There are a myriad of ... [... more]
Bob Vila |
Structural Insulated Panels
When the house is "dried in", meaning closed in from the weather, other people begin the process of finishing the panels with wiring and plumbing. Wiring is a simple task for the electrician because virtually all SIP makers preform wire ... [... more]
Bob Vila |
Winter Safety: Handling Ice And Protecting Plants
Here's the chemistry: Plain water freezes at 32 degrees F or 0 degrees C. When anything is dissolved in water, that lowers water's freezing temperature. The more concentrated the solution, the lower the temperature before it freezes and turns to ... [... more]
Bob Vila |
Grand Tour
The kitchen is the first space along the curved wall and is 18" higher from the living space. Raising the floor was advantageous for us because it gives the sense of being a separate space without having to build walls. The smaller scale also ... [... more]
Bob Vila |
Crowe's Authentic Roof 2000 Roofing
Crowe Building Product's rubber-like "Authentic 2000" is another option. Made from Baljen TPO (thermoplastic olefin), a composite material most commonly used in automobiles and household goods, it is approximately the same weight as standard ... [... more]
Bob Vila |
Energywise House: Using Windows To Beat The Heat
For a hot-climate home, battling the sun and controlling cooling costs are the critical focus for design and energy calculations. In some areas of the country, design reviews and approvals focus on a building's ability to control solar heat gain. ... [... more]
Bob Vila |
Plumbing, Waste Removal, And Basement Bathrooms
Belowground sewage-ejector systems are the least expensive option, but are complicated to install. These tank-and-pump units are designed to sit in a hole in the basement floor, allowing floor fixtures to gravity-drain into the tank. These units ... [... more]
Bob Vila |
Selecting A Water Heater
Tankless Coil and Indirect Water Heaters - A home's space-heating system can also be used to heat water. Two types of water heaters that use this system are tankless coil and indirect. No separate storage tank is needed in the tankless coil water ... [... more]
Bob Vila |
Framing A Garage Workshop
Framing with steel studs is as straightforward as building with stick lumber. Steel 2x4s are simply substituted for wood. Instead of nailing the framing materials together, steel studs are screwed together with fasteners. If the garage ever needs ... [... more]
Bob Vila |
