A butcher block table (or counter) is a solid, wooden table. Originating in butcher shops (hence the name), this has become a popular household item. Butcher block tables and counters are durable and attractive looking. The downside of butcher block is that the wood is so poro ...more
Wood can be refinished by sanding off the old stain or paint but sanding runs the risk of removing fine details on the wood. Chemical strippers are the best to remove paint, varnish and shellac. Prepare the area on and around the project, strip, scrape and scrub. You might enc ...more
You can have a beautiful, finished deck even when it has been exposed to the elements. Learn how to refinish a deck with this step by step tutorial. You will have to sand the wood in order reveal the natural wood color of your deck. Watch this how to video and you will have a ...more
Pixel Perfect is the "perfect" show to help you with your Photoshop skills. Be amazed and learn as master digital artist Bert Monroy takes a stylus and a digital pad and treats it as Monet and Picasso do with oil and canvas. Learn the tips and tricks you need to whip those dig ...more
Linoleum asphalt mosaics, also called Toynbee Tiles, are artworks permanently embedded in pavement. In this video I'll show you how to construct your own from inexpensive materials. You can get real linoleum (don't use vinyl flooring) for this project by ordering free samples ...more
Watch this "Grease On Your Hands" video tutorial from the Washington Post to see how to install a short-throw shifter on your car properly. When servicing any automobile, you should always wear appropriate eye-protection as well as ensure your working environment is properly ...more
Installing Laminate Flooring on Stairs Laminate flooring can be installed on a flight of stairs, and this process can also be used when installing laminate on a floor and having to drop down a step to a sunken room. I will describe how to prepare and install laminate floorin ...more
Get the look of a pricey kitchen renovation—without the cost. All it takes is a few smart upgrades. Check out this Howcast video tutorial on how to remodel your kitchen without spending a fortune. You Will Need * Paint * Stainless steel contact paper * New appliance doors * ...more
Sanding sealers, also called first-coat sealers by some manufacturers, are recommended when refinishing furniture. Although using a sanding sealer is a good step to take regardless of the type of stain you are using, it is especially necessary when using water-based stains. Ap ...more
Prefer a clear, hand-rubbed, "antique" finish to the shiny or satin sheen of varnishes? Then you will want to use a tung oil-based topcoat applied over an oil-based stain when you are staining or refinishing your special piece of furniture. Tung oil is an easy-to-use transpar ...more
Restoring wood furniture takes time and patience, but the results of your labor can be enjoyed for years, even generations. The restoration process usually involves stripping off old finishes, bleaching, staining and then varnishing. Two-Part Hydrogen Peroxide is a strong blea ...more
There's no reason to waste a perfectly good Cheeto just because it dropped on the kitchen floor, right? The "5-second-rule" makes it fair game if you can swipe it up fast enough (this doesn't apply for liquids or foods with floor fuzz stuck to them.) But, is that errant piece ...more
There are fewer things finer in a home than a hardwood flooring. For the do-it-yourselfer, however, it can be a fun, yet daunting task. Installing a hardwood floor can best be described as a combination of rough and fine carpentry. Pounding the nails home and bending warped fl ...more
Tired of slipping on hard wood floors, but too cold to go barefoot? Make some of your favorite socks slip-proof. This how-to video project is an easy way to revamp your socks into a safer non-skid style. Your injury-free joints will thank you.
I'm starting a laminate tile installation next Thursday. I thought I will show what is involved from start to finish. It's going in a kitchen and two bathrooms. There is ceramic tile in these rooms now and I'm installing the laminate tile right over the ceramic tile. The probl ...more
If building an underground fortress/tunnel system in Minecraft is one of the strategies that you're undertaking, going back up top side to grab wood is a big pain. Wouldn't it be great if you could harvest wood underground!? Well, in this video, you will learn how and it's onl ...more
In this tutorial, we learn how to spot bed bugs in your hotel room. Take the headboard off of the bed to see if you can spot the bedbugs and black flecks, which are blood specks from the bugs. You should also be able to see the bugs walking around, although they will be very s ...more
One of the distinguishing aspects of Trafficmaster Allure vinyl flooring is that it requires very little effort to cut the pieces to whatever length you need. All you do is score a line across the piece, then fold it in half! It snaps cleanly into two new pieces. This quick vi ...more
The next time you hit a dance floor, show that crowd what you're made of with an impressive head spin! Head spins are dance moves that should be done under the supervision of an instructor, and a beanie or skull cap should be worn to avoid injury. Discover why wood flooring is ...more
Halloween is by far the most fun holiday we have all year. When else can you dress up in crazy costumes, run around the neighborhood and be given candy for it? The key to a great Halloween costume is to make it as scary as possible, and nothing is scarier than bloody flesh wou ...more
This video tutorial shows you the proper way to prepare for the installation of laminate flooring. One thing you need to do is maintain a temperature of a minimum of 65 degrees. You can install it practically anywhere, as long as there is no moisture or dampness. Concrete, cer ...more
The Wood Whisperer takes you through the appropriate steps to evaluate an antique wooden table and refinish it properly. Part 1 of 6 - How to Refinish an antique wooden table. Refinish an antique wooden table - Part 2 of 6. Click through to watch this video on blip.tv Refinish ...more
Hey everybody, here is my entry for the medieval building contest. I don't actually care if I win, it was just fun to think about. I have this great book series called The History of Private Life which goes into wonderful detail about how people did everyday things throughout ...more
What do you do when you desperately need to put a parking garage into the bottom floor of your Victorian apartment building, but the city's Department of Planning says "No". The simple and expensive answer: Create an elaborate secret garage door. If you own a pretty building, ...more
This laminate flooring is very impressive as far as the surface is concerned. My client actually used a sharp screw and tried to scratch it, and we could not see anything. It is rated as a AC3 which is mid grade as the grading system is from AC1 to AC 5, 5 being the best. I h ...more
Home accidents. It's up to you to protect your family… your children… from accidents in the home. And there's one place that seems to get the most attention when dealing with safety concerns… The kitchen is one of the busiest, most accident-prone rooms in the house. Design a k ...more
This video shows you how to make a tech deck quarter pipe. You will need the following materials: wood pieces, cardboard, a small metal bar, glue, and scissors. The first thing you will need to do is cut out the base, this requires cutting out three equal parts (as seen in the ...more
Some homes are more prone to dust than others and just dusting doesn't always work. Arm yourself with these proven strategies in the battle to banish dust from your home. You Will Need: • A mattress and pillow covers • A vacuum cleaner • A damp mop • Product to spray rags ...more
Driven creatures undermining the very structure of your life – it might sound like a sci-fi flick, but it's all too real when these pests go after your home. Watch this video to learn how to deal with termites. You Will Need * Elastomeric caulk * 6-mil polyethylene plastic s ...more
Learn how to remove stains from wood furniture. Make your wood furniture look like new again by getting out rings and spots. You Will Need * Clean, white cloths * Baking soda * Plain white toothpaste * White sponges or cloths * White vinegar * Hydrogen peroxide * A clean to ...more
Watch this video from This Old House to learn how to install a towel warmer. Steps: 1. Drain hot-water heating system; turn off water supply to the old radiator. 2. Use reciprocating saw to cut hot-water supply and return lines from old radiator; remove radiator. 3. Cut open ...more
Part 2 Welcome back! In my last post I talked about the exterior aspects and techniques of building a great looking house, and now we shall focus on the interiors. Interiors There are a few important prerequisites to look at before starting the interiors of a house: The ge ...more
If you want to install laminate flooring on your stairs I would recommend that you do a lot of research and find the information you will need to do it correctly. Installing laminate flooring on stairs can be tedious and time consuming and is a lot different than installing la ...more
Everyone's been in the following situation. You're sitting there at a nice bar, chatting up a smoking hot member of the opposite sex when all of a sudden they drop this bomb: "Can you engrave on wood in Photoshop?" The next thing you know, the night spirals into blackness and ...more
Looking back on Alan Wake, more than a year and a half after its release, it's still one of my favorite games. The graphics and ambience have held up well in comparison to any other story driven game, and it's still the best third-person horror game out there, in terms of game ...more
I know it seems a little redundant to post this when I've already posted a video, but it is kind of hard to get more than a vague idea from the video alone. I hope this sheds a little more light on the subject. I'm sure it also seems like I'm beating this idea to death, but th ...more
Like theme music, I always feel that I need more fog in my life. Fog can be useful for many reasons—warding off smaller siblings from your bedroom, keeping curious hands out of your cupboard, and tricking your friends into thinking there's something horribly wrong with their v ...more
Walls don’t last forever, be prepared. Building a house from scratch, a room add on or if it’s just time to turn one room into two you will need to make a sturdy wall frame to ensure the proper construction of your new wall. Reinvent your living space by installing a new wall ...more
This instructional flooring video demonstrates how to prevent moisture damage on hardwood floors. Make sure your wood is delivered 48 hours in advance. Keep humidity levels at 30-50 percent.
You are great at throwing a party but how are you at hiding the evidence? All you have to do is be good and thorough at house cleaning with maybe a knack for stain removal. The trick is to dispose of party trash far away. After a night of partying, cleaning up wells takes tim ...more
Ironing is a serious chore: hot, unpleasant, and frustrating all in one, but necessary if you don't want to look like you crawled out of bed just before work. While you might only turn to your flatiron when faced with wrinkled clothing, this little appliance packs the power to ...more
This video is an overview of all the videos in our DIY Shed Videos Series. Henry briefly goes over what you will learn in all 15 of our shed building videos. Video: . To get started, check out the following guides for building your shed. Part 1: Ground Preparation Part 2: Sel ...more
Whoa, presenting the world's hugest, tallest, largest Treehouse built by Horace Burgess of Crossville, Tennessee. According to USA Today, "It rises 97 feet into the sky, the support provided by a live, 80-foot-tall white oak 12 feet in diameter at its base. Six other trees b ...more
The sky is the limit when it comes to augmented reality, but Snapchat's latest innovation is keeping its AR platform grounded. On Thursday, the company published a pair of new Lenses that highlight its new ground transformation technology. Don't Miss: This Viral Instagram Au ...more
Pottery Barn has teamed up with Google to create 3D Room View, a new mobile app to allow all wannabe interior designers (like me) to pick out the perfect couch, table, or whatever, and then overlay it onto a spot in his or her house. I used to obsess over the Pottery Barn Tee ...more
How to install concrete anchors.How to attach timber / wood to concrete or any other SOLID masonry surface using masonry anchors / DynaBolts. DynaBolts (that's the name for this particular anchor in Australia. They are know by other names in other countries) are the ideal anch ...more
How to easily build a raised garden bed out of wooden pallets for free! …Well almost free. Building a raised vegetable garden with pallets or reclaimed wood is a really rewarding experience. The garden bed idea out of pallets came about from the fact that l wanted to build a r ...more
Keeping your home clean is an endless battle with time, motivation, and the easy availability of cleaning supplies. That's where the Hard Surface Floor Cleaning Robot Vacuum comes in. This magical device will save you time by automatically keeping your floors clean, never requ ...more
While it is easy to create and maintain your compost pile, you can enjoy it more knowing a few basic tips. International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW) is May 7 through May 13, 2017. First launched in 1995, ICAW is a great opportunity to share enthusiasm and awareness of the b ...more
I'm starting to wonder if the people at Boston Dynamics have ever watched a Terminator movie. Not just because the robotics company with the oxymoronic name develops machines that are able to move around environments with animal- and human-like agility, but because the people ...more
In the past, to see a pre-constructed state of the house that you would one day live in, you had to be able to read blueprints or hire an artist to sketch it out. Later came the ability to have a 3D rendering of that house on a screen, but you'd still have to work hard to envi ...more
If you want to make clothes for your cat, you're on your own. As I recently said in this article, cats will just totally flip out if you make them wear things. Your dog may also flip out, but I've found them to be more tolerant, personally. Anyway, here are the pictures of th ...more
In the first part of this two-part guide, I covered cutting, grooving, beveling, making holes, and stamping/tooling. I hope you enjoyed that part, because we're pushing the accelerator to the floor and moving ahead at full speed! Covered in this section will be: Burnishing D ...more
Say whatever you want, but Steampunk is primarily a maker culture. Consider that Steampunk has existed since the 1960s and yet more or less languished in obscurity until approximately 2005, which is when it made the leap to costuming. That costuming was what provided the leap ...more
When setting up your home office or giving it a makeover, the desk is the key to making the room a functional workspace. And if you're in there all day, it also has a significant impact on your health. Standing desks can help offset some of the adverse health risks associated ...more