A small golden retriever races out of the den and into the kitchen, leaving a little girl squealing with delight. We just got a puppy, says her father, padding barefoot after the dog. Its been exciting. Its moments like these that make this dad, Alex Mazhukhin, stop and appreciate the life he has built, literally and figuratively. Alexs new home in a quiet suburb of Boise, Idaho, is the sixth that he has completely renovated. And hes invited America to watch along the way. Moving on up For those uninitiated with Alexs special brand of relatable DIY savvy, know this: Hes a true self-made succe ..read more

Reinforce Flat-Pack Furniture During Assembly Add wood glue todowels Manyflat-packunits, including mostRTA kitchen cabinets, call for dowels to connect sections or pieces.Dowels expand and contract dependingon the time of the year or theamount of humidity in the environment. This movement leads to dowel connections falling apart and loosening over time. To ensure dowels do their job for a long time and stay in place, add a few drops of glue into the hole and around the dowel before itis inserted.You wanta little bit ofglue to squeeze out, as this guarantees you have enough in the hole. Use a w ..read more

Choosing a sink is a crucial part of any kitchen design plan. Not only does it need to match your design style and lifestyle needs, but it can also determine cabinet and countertop decisions. During my last kitchen renovation, I wanted a functional yet beautiful sink. With that front of mind I was instantly drawn to apron and farmhouse sinks. Attractive focal points that can keep up with the demands of a busy kitchen, apron and farmhouse sinks instantly elevate the look of any kitchen. While the terms are often used interchangeably, some subtle differences are worth exploring. Here to break do ..read more

One of the more complex wood-restoration projects we’ve taken on has been a sorely neglected Victorian-era loveseat and rocking chair combo. We even had to partly rebuild the winged cougars on the arms (we figure a bored dog had been chewing on them for some years). When it finally came time to stain them, we were faced with a dilemma: polycrylic or polyurethane? Given the uniqueness of the furniture, we didn’t want to mess it up the finish. So we took a deep dive into the subject. “The most common misconception about these products is that they are interchangeable,” says Brandon Walker, Super ..read more

Our neighbors tested their house for radon and discovered they didn’t have elevated levels, so we just assumed our house was safe as well. We procrastinated testing for about a decade and when we finally did radon testing, we were shocked to discover that we were living with unsafe levels. Today we’re optimistic that we’re okay because we tend to keep our windows open and the house circulates fresh air well, though only time will tell. Radon’s health dangers come from its cumulative effect over years. We’ve since installed a radon mitigation system and now encourage others to actively monitor ..read more

Sheet vinyl resilient flooring is so easy to clean that it may never require anything beyond damp mopping with a cleaner intended for vinyl floors. But if your floor has marks or stains that still won’t come off, you can use stronger stuff. Although the methods described here won’t harm most vinyl floors, we strongly recommend that you test them in a closet or on a section of flooring that’s hidden by furniture. Use white rags only; chemicals that dissolve stains can also make fabric colors bleed and stain your floor. Learn to clean luxury vinyl plank flooring. Remove Stains with Isopropyl Al ..read more

Cut Wire Lath the Easy Way Wire lath can be unruly, and the cut edges are sharp. So anything you can do to keep the stuff under control while youre cutting it is a big bonus. Heres a tip from Schilling on how to make long cuts. Lay the wire lath on some long boards. Measure from the edge of the lath to the edge of the board on each end so the desired cutting line is lined up with the edge of the board. Then secure the lath temporarily with a few staples. Now use the edge of the board as a guide to make the cut. Schilling uses cordless metal shears, but tin snips or aviation snips will also ..read more

Weve tested a range of coolers, comparing the classic Yeti Roadie vs the Oyster Tempo and rounding up our all-time best coolers for camping. Now, weve tested the newest lightweight, soft cooler from BruMate, one of our favorite cooler brands. To cut to the chase, we love that the new BruMate MagPack Soft Cooler is made for easy carrying and travel. You can pack it in the backseat of your car or sling it over your shoulder for cold refreshments wherever, whenever. Above all, we love its second-to-none ice retention abilities. This sleek, portable cooler will be your favorite cooling accessory f ..read more

Most of my homes out west have included a large outdoor living space in the backyard perfect for barbecues, fire pits and social gatherings. But when I moved to Florida, where mosquitoes and rainstorms are prevalent, I soon came to appreciate the perks of fresh air combined with greater weather and pest protection. If you’re trying to decide whether to build a porch vs. a patio, here’s how to figure out which is right for your home. What is a Porch? By definition, porches are architectural structures connected directly to a home and accessible through a door. They are almost always covered b ..read more

VIA MERCHANT Shop on Home Depot Bosch Shop on Home Depot Pros: Highly-rated and reliable dishwasher Energy efficient CrystalDry function won't melt plastics Two handle options Cons: One-year warranty Along with being recommended by every appliance expert we spoke to, Bosch was also the top brand in a Consumer Reports survey of more than 75,000 people, according to consumer trends analyst Nguyen Huy. “Bosch emerged as a leader, earning top marks for predicted reliability over five years,” Huy says. “This aligns with Bosch’s reputation for quality engineering and thoughtful des ..read more