Skills & Techniques(Page 2)

Latest in Skills & Techniques

wooden board laying flat, using paintbrush and white paint.
DIY

How to Paint Laminate

By Jenna Burger @ SAS Interiors

Woman wearing safety glasses attaches a smoke detector to the wall above a door.
DIY

How to Install a Smoke Detector

By Tom Scalisi, Bob Vila

A young woman wearing a white shirt and a hair bun paints a brick wall white.
DIY

How to Paint Brick, According to a Pro Painter

By Bob Vila, Tony Carrick

Wood stain and materials needed to stain pressure treated wood.
DIY

How to Stain Pressure-Treated Wood

By Bob Vila

Woman wearing safety glasses spray paints a small metal table outdoors.
DIY

How to Spray Paint Metal

By Jennifer Noonan

A piece of pressure-treated wood, along with the materials needed to prime and paint it.
DIY

How to Paint Pressure-Treated Wood

By Teresa Odle, Bob Vila

Man and woman in furniture store sitting in chairs to test them out.
DIY

The Red Flags of Low-Quality Furniture (and What to Look for Instead)

By Sandi Schwartz

Woman in navy polo shirt uses a paint roller to paint a sheet of MDF green.
DIY

How to Paint MDF Furniture and Cabinets

By Jennifer Noonan, Bob Vila

A person wearing a white glove is using a red pipe cutter to cut a copper pipe.
DIY

How to Cut Copper Pipe

By Steffani Cameron, Bob Vila

sawhorse plans
DIY

9 Sawhorse Plans You Can Build This Weekend

By Timothy Dale

A hen leaves a wooden chicken coop using a ramp while a farmer feeds the flock in the background.
DIY

How to Build a Chicken Coop: The Basics Every Backyard Keeper Should Know

By Lori Lovely

A light wood colored laminate flooring has a scratch that was caused by the chair on top of it.
DIY

How to Repair Laminate Flooring: 5 Problems, Solved

By Bob Beacham

how to etch glass
DIY

How to Etch Glass—and How to Fake the Look Using Spray Paint

By Kat Hodgins, Ama Ryllis

how to stain a concrete floor
DIY

How to Stain Concrete

By Joe Provey

tools for grouting on a white ceramic tile wall, on top there is a place for your inscription
DIY

How to Grout Tile on Floors and Walls

By Kit Stansley, Gretchen Heber

how to recover a chair
DIY

How to Recover a Chair

By Kat Hodgins, Jennifer Noonan

how to make a tire swing
Lawn & Garden

How To: Make a Tire Swing

By Leslie Grimmett

Woman nails the front of a birdhouse onto the rest of the structure.
DIY

How to Build a Birdhouse

By Chris Gardner, Tom Scalisi

Older man in jeans and cap coats asphalt driveway with a seal using proper equipment.
Exterior

How to Seal a Driveway

By Larry Bilotti, Bob Vila

A person is repairing a white plaster wall with a plaster trowel.
Interior

How to Patch Plaster Walls

By Bob Vila

A backyard brick patio with tables under green umbrellas and potted plants.
Exterior

How to Build a Brick Patio

By Steve Bernstein

A broken window and decayed wall.
DIY

How to Fix a Crack in Glass

By Michelle Ullman

Grill on the garden, close-up.
Lawn & Garden

How to Start a Charcoal Grill

By Kat Hodgins, Tom Scalisi

DIY sawhorses set up and folded with a graphic overlay that says downloadable project plans.
DIY

You Can’t Buy These Versatile Sawhorses—But You Can Make a Set for Less Than $100

By Matt Boley

Woman uses needle-nose pliers to pull weather stripping off from around a door.
DIY

How to Weatherstrip a Door the Right Way

By Michael Franco, Bob Vila

Close up view of a woman holding a drywall anchor between her fingers, with a screwdriver in the anchor.
DIY

How to Use Drywall Anchors

By Tony Carrick, Kathleen Corlett, Bob Vila

White shoes, detergent, stain remover, and other cleaning materials on top of a washing machine.
DIY

How to Wash Shoes in a Washing Machine

By Nicole Shein, Margaret Foley

A person nailing roof sheathing on a kids playhouse.
DIY

11 Old-School DIY Methods for Modern Home Projects

By Theresa Clement

Person dips a paintbrush into a can of deck stain, with some stained and unstained boards underneath.
Exterior

How to Stain a Wood Deck

By Larry Bilotti

Woman uses a paintbrush to apply Danish oil to a wood board to waterproof it.
DIY

How to Waterproof Wood: 3 Ways That Work

By Bob Vila

Woman wearing dust mask uses a sander to sand a wood drawer.
DIY

How to Sand Wood

By Timothy Dale, Chris Gardner

Woman pours a cup of water into a large bucket, a can of white paint next to the bucket.
DIY

How to Thin Latex Paint

By Bob Vila

View of one tire on car, along with tire pressure gauge and inflating apparatus.
DIY

How to Use a Tire Pressure Gauge

By Timothy Dale

A view of a worker fixing an electrical component.
DIY

The U.S. Desperately Needs Skilled Workers

By Evelyn Auer, Catherine Hiles

A close up of hands holding home improvement tools.
DIY

Skilled Trade Workers Love Their Jobs—Here Are 7 Reasons Why

By Evelyn Auer, Catherine Hiles

17 Clever Ways to Use Toothpaste Around the House
DIY

17 Clever Ways to Use Toothpaste Around the House

By Cody Calamaio, Savannah Sher

The 13 Painting Mistakes Almost Everyone Makes
DIY

The 13 Painting Mistakes Almost Everyone Makes

By Marie Proeller Hueston, Margaret Foley

Person holding in their hand a variety of sandpapers in various grits and colors.
DIY

How to Choose the Right Sandpaper Grit and Type for Your Project

By Theresa Clement, Kelly Weimert

A person demonstrating three cleaning hacks for the home.
Cleaning & Organizing

I Tried 3 Spring Cleaning Tricks—and I’ll Be Using Them From Now On

By Jenny Stanley

A person using the best pressure washer for cars to wash a rugged-looking grey jeep.
Reviews

Keep Your Sedan Shiny With the Best Pressure Washers for Cars

By Tony Carrick

An-N95-respirator-mask-sits-on-a-black-tabletop.
DIY

9 Times an N95 Mask Can Save Your Life During DIY

By Jahleen Turnbull-Sousa

Woman using green spray paint in cardboard box.
DIY

How to Paint Plastic

Written by Bob Vila, Theresa Clement, Photography by Tom Fenenga

Woman extrudes hot glue onto a wooden surface from a red glue gun.
DIY

How to Use a Glue Gun for Crafting and Home DIY

By Kristen Mosier

Woman mixes DIY toilet cleaner ingredients, including baking soda and essential oil, in glass bowl.
DIY

How to Make a DIY Toilet Bowl Cleaner

By Tony Carrick, Donna Boyle Schwartz, Steffani Cameron

A bunch of glue tips.
DIY

How to Revive Dried Elmer’s, Gorilla, and Other Glue

By Deirdre Mundorf

How to Stretch Carpet - Carpeted Living Room
DIY

How to Stretch Carpet

By Timothy Dale

A woman rolling out a large high-pile area rug out on the floor of her home.
DIY

This Is the Best (and Cheapest) Way to Flatten a New Area Rug

By Deirdre Mundorf

Woman holding lit white candle in hands.
DIY

You’re Probably Burning Candles Wrong—Here’s How to Do it Safely

By Sandi Schwartz

A person fixing a bathroom sink drain for DIY plumbing repair with graphic overlay that says New Year, New Skill.
Interior

How to Be Your Own Plumber

By Timothy Dale

Woman tracing a poster board template onto a piece of foam.
DIY

How to Cut Foam in 3 Easy Steps

By Bob Beacham

Paint stripping DIY
DIY

How to Remove Paint From Wood

By Bob Vila, Teresa Odle

A person creating a macrame wall hanging in a living room.
DIY

How to Craft Fiber Accessories for Your Home

By Jasmine Harding

Nails vs. Screws: Which to Use in Your Project
DIY

Nails vs. Screws: Which Fasteners Are Right for My Project?

By Andreana Lefton, Bob Vila, Theresa Clement

Bucket of concrete with dry cement powder.
DIY

How to Mix Concrete Properly

By Bob Vila, Theresa Clement

Woman lighting candle at wooden table in living room.
DIY

5 Tricks to Fix a Broken Candle Wick

By Savannah Sher

Woman hanging wallpaper.
DIY

How to Measure for Wallpaper in 6 Quick Steps

By Emily Benda Gaylord

Man holding open beer bottle.
DIY

How to Open a Bottle Without a Bottle Opener: 10 Easy Methods

By Tom Scalisi

Garbage disposal installed under sink.
DIY

How to Install a Garbage Disposal

By Tony Carrick

Beadboard wall in a beautiful home office
DIY

How to Install Beadboard

By Theresa Clement, Mark Clement, Bob Vila Staff

young woman squatting in kitchen and loading a dishwasher
DIY

How to Load a Dishwasher the Right Way

By Michael Franco, Gretchen Heber

How to Remove Paint from Concrete
DIY

How to Remove Paint from Concrete

By Bob Vila

Herbs air drying
Lawn & Garden

How to Dry Herbs

By Jennifer Noonan

13 Top Tips to Make Any Paint Job Go Faster
DIY

13 Top Tips to Make Any Paint Job Go Faster

By Theresa Clement

Wiping away rust from a metal saucepan over a kitchen sink
DIY

5 Ways to Remove Rust From Metal Using Kitchen Ingredients

By Bob Vila