Home & Garden: How to Kill Orange Wasps With Black Wings

How to Kill Orange Wasps With Black Wings

The common paper wasp is about three-fourths of an inch long, orange and black in color, with wings that are a dark, smokey hue. Though paper wasps are helpful by preying upon caterpillars and other insects, they can also be dangerous. Unlike honey bees, which can only sting once before dying, wasp

Home & Garden: DIY Vinyl Windows

DIY Vinyl Windows

Looking for ways to reduce energy bills while raising the value of your home? Vinyl replacement windows can provide the answers. They protect against energy waste by sealing in temperatures you've set, while preventing the exterior climate from entering the home. This means that you won't have to co

Home & Garden: Can I Use All-Purpose Gold Bond Joint Compound Outside?

Can I Use All-Purpose Gold Bond Joint Compound Outside?

Gold Bond Joint compound, often referred to as "drywall mud," combines with drywall tape to seal joints between sheets of drywall. You can use different types of joint compound on ceilings and walls, each designed for specific applications.

Home & Garden: Should You Install Vinyl Floors in an Unheated Area?

Should You Install Vinyl Floors in an Unheated Area?

Vinyl floors are essentially fiberboard layers that have been covered with plastic resin for durability and protection. There is typically an appearance coating that makes the vinyl look like another material, such as wood or ceramic, as well as a protective coating on top to prevent impact damage.

Home & Garden: How to Fix a Tar & Gravel Roof From Leaking

How to Fix a Tar & Gravel Roof From Leaking

Tar and gravel are the materials most often used on flat or nearly flat roofs. The process for applying these types of roofs is to layer tar paper and tar and then cover it with small stones to protect it from climate changes. Some of the stones get imbedded in the tar and some lay on top. These roo

Home & Garden: How to Draw a Room Layout

How to Draw a Room Layout

If your career or hobby involves interior design, you need to know how to sketch a floor plan. Fortunately, drawing the layout of a room is a fairly simple undertaking, and can be mastered even by those lacking in artistic abilities. With just a bit of math, some elementary sketching skills and some

Home & Garden: Video: How to Landscape With Stones

Video: How to Landscape With Stones

Video Transcript Hi, I'm Tom with Stout Landscape Design, and today I'm going to show you how to place some boulders in the landscape to help with the contrast, to help play off the plants and create a bit of a more natural feel. These boulders are really great because they have some...

Home & Garden: How to Block Basement Leaks

How to Block Basement Leaks

Wet basements pose a major problem to homeowners. Because basements are underground they are prone to leaks, particularly as a home ages and a its waterproofing systems fall into disrepair. Some wet basement problems are simply annoying while others can be disastrous--either way, it's important to a

Home & Garden: How to 1/4 Turn Carpet Tiles

How to 1/4 Turn Carpet Tiles

Carpet tiles are known for being easy to install. Of course, if you are trying to do something more complicated, like installing your tiles with a quarter turn to make a particular pattern, things can get slightly more complicated. You just need to plan ahead and take a little more time during insta

Home & Garden: Interesting Artistic Ceramic Tile Ideas

Interesting Artistic Ceramic Tile Ideas

Many ceramic tiles have colorful patterns which can be combined for a mosaic.ceramic tile floor or wall texture image by Ana de Sousa from Fotolia.comCeramic tile can be used on counter tops and walls in both kitchens and bathrooms. There is a wide variety of artistic things to be done...

Home & Garden: Installation Instructions for Emtek Cortina

Installation Instructions for Emtek Cortina

The Emtek Cortina is a line of door lock offered in various styles and models. These locks are decorative and come in a variety of colors and finishes. They are considered a two-point lock with a single cylinder and come in one single piece with both a deadbolt and handle on one cylinder. Installing

Home & Garden: How to Repair Cracked Resin on a Bathroom Vanity Sink Basin

How to Repair Cracked Resin on a Bathroom Vanity Sink Basin

Cracked resin (solid surface) sinks should be repaired right away to prevent leaks. Cracks can also spread out and further damage the sink. You may be able to use a two-part epoxy to fix some cracks. Solid surface repair kits are also available, but some deep cracks require a professional to fix the

Home & Garden: Woodworking Projects: Wine Racks

Woodworking Projects: Wine Racks

A wine rack is an attractive and useful piece of furniture for your kitchen or dining room. It is also relatively easy to construct on your own time once you know what materials you need and how to do it.

Home & Garden: What Is the Most Durable Kind of Shingles?

What Is the Most Durable Kind of Shingles?

Roofing materials are estimated to last from 20 to 50 years. Experts say the most durable kinds are architectural asphalt shingles, clay tile, metal shingles and panels and slate shingles. They suggest that consumers estimate how long they will own a building before selecting a roofing product.

Home & Garden: How to Build a Platform for a Front Load Washer Dryer

How to Build a Platform for a Front Load Washer Dryer

A platform for your front-loading washer-dryer can make your life much easier by simply reducing the amount of bending you do with each load. Although the process is simple and relatively inexpensive, you should still take care. Appliances like a washer-dryer are heavy. Don't raise one up more than

Home & Garden: How to Make Cabinets From Vintage Windows

How to Make Cabinets From Vintage Windows

Fashioning cabinet doors from vintage windows can create a breezy cottage feel to your kitchen. This is becoming a popular design trend. Executing the task with positive results will take some research time, a moderate to high skill level and some imagination. How much time it takes depends on how a

Home & Garden: How to Calculate the Amount of Hardie Plank Siding

How to Calculate the Amount of Hardie Plank Siding

Hardie Plank siding is a fiber cement-based siding product produced by the James Hardie Corp. When purchasing Hardie Plank siding, it's important to choose the correct amount for your project, plus a bit of extra material to account for installation errors and future repairs. At the same time, you d

Home & Garden: How to Cut Out a Sink Hole in Laminate Countertops

How to Cut Out a Sink Hole in Laminate Countertops

Laminate is a great material to install in a new kitchen or during a remodel. It comes in a variety of styles and is durable, heat resistant and easy to clean. Cutting laminate, such as making a hole for a sink, can be difficult because laminate has a tendency to crack during cutting, ruining an oth

Home & Garden: Ways to Debark & Skin Logs for a Cabin

Ways to Debark & Skin Logs for a Cabin

Skinned logs must be used to build a cabin.Jupiterimages/Brand X Pictures/Getty ImagesLog cabins must be built out of logs that have had their outer and inner layers of bark removed. Leaving the bark on the logs can lead to insect infestations, mold growth from trapped moisture and...

Home & Garden: Wood & Floor Wax Removal Tips

Wood & Floor Wax Removal Tips

Use a homemade or commercial cleaner to remove wax from your wood or other flooring.Modern asian inspired hallway with bamboo floors image by MAXFX from Fotolia.comWood and floor wax helps protect your flooring from scratches, spills, dust and dirt buildup. The substance is removable and,...