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Top 5 Solar Panels Most Portable: Jackery SolarSaga Portable Solar Panel Best Kit: Renogy Monocrystalline Solar Starter Kit Best Single Panel: Renogy Monocrystalline Solar Panel Best Value: HQST Monocrystalline Solar Panel Most Panels: PAXCESS RV Solar Panels Most Portable: Jackery SolarSaga Portable Solar Panel You can bring this solar panel with you on your camping or hiking trip. It’s lightweight at under 10 pounds and features a foldable design with carrying handles....

Master electrician Heath Eastman shows us the trade tricks for drilling holes through studs. Heath shows us the frequently used tools, including his drills, attachments, and drill bits that make drilling accurate and code-compliant holes a breeze. Drilling a Hole Isn’t Always as Easy as It Seems It might sound very easy to drill holes through wood, but it can be challenging when that wood is vertical and tightly spaced. And, with codes dictating where those holes can be, there’s more to it than simply drilling....

A fresh coat of paint can certainly do wonders for a home’s interior—it’s an inexpensive and impactful way to transform a room without taking on a major renovation. And, while selecting a new color palette is certainly part of the fun, choosing the right paint finish, or sheen, is key to achieving a polished, long-lasting result. A paint’s sheen indicates the level of gloss in the formula, and how light reflective the paint will be....

Say “gazebo” and what springs to most people’s mind is an octagonal white garden building at the end of a long sweep of lawn. Although many gazebos do fit this traditional gingerbread-trimmed image, today’s versions are just as likely to be square, rectangular, or round; have sleek lines; and sit close to the house, to encourage outdoor dining. They can even be built right into a porch or onto a deck, patio, or pool surround....

You can make a real statement about your style with the bathroom sink. There are so many looks, materials, and shapes to choose from, ranging from rustic farmhouse basins to sleek vessels. Before you settle on your sink of choice, however, remember that function matters just as much as form. How often will it be used? How much space will be allotted for it? How much work do you want to put into cleaning it?...

Installing rough electricity Running new electrical work usually requires a building permit. Consult with your local building department for more information. Electrical boxes should be mounted 18” to center off the floor for outlets. Secure the nails in the boxes directly to the studs. Code requires that from any point on the wall, an outlet should be within 6 feet. This is the minimum requirement. Drill a hole in the center of every stud for running wire....

Ask This Old House’s Mauro Henrique, who has been the painting contractor on about a dozen This Old House TV projects, decided to help newlywed Rebecca Brown paint the walls of her house, coaching her through the steps of refreshing her dining room. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time How do you professionally paint a room? Henrique and Rebecca went over everything that needs to happen before painting starts, including how to pick the right sheen, and the best way to mask window glass....

In this video, Tom Silva restores an antique door that is believed to be original to a 1918 home. The door has charm, but it is fading from the sun, chipping from the original veneer over the door, and has lots of issues with the current door hardware. The homeowners wanted to sand it down and refinish it on their own, but they were afraid that they would ruin the intricate detail in the moulding....

If you’re facing a financial hurdle in life, you may worry about your ability to keep up with mortgage payments. Once you fall behind and go into default, your lender can eventually foreclose on your home. Luckily, it’s not a speedy process so you have time to explore mortgage relief programs while you regain your financial footing. Start reaching out to your lender and these programs as soon as you know you won’t be able to make your mortgage payment....

Refresh or Remodel You can probably get away with DIYing cosmetic bedroom upgrades—a coat of paint and new furnishings—if your bedroom just looks a little tired, you are adding a guest room, or a child is ready to graduate from nursery to toddler room. But transforming a too-small or basic space into a luxurious master suite often means a significant renovation by a contractor that can cost five figures. Read on for inspired bedroom ideas, from budgeting and buying advice, to demolition, decor, and financing....

Top 5 Best Bug Zappers Most Lightweight Grid Zapper: ASPECTEK Electronic Bug Zapper Largest Grid: Lulu Home Electric Bug Zapper Best For Outdoor Use: GTOCS Bug Zapper Best Handheld Zapper: ZAP IT! Rechargeable Bug Zapper Racket Most Versatile: Boundery Bug Bulb Most Lightweight Grid Zapper: ASPECTEK Electronic Bug Zapper This 20-volt bug zapper from ASPECTEK has a powerful electrical grid surrounded by a protective mesh screen to safely eliminate flies, moths, mosquitoes, and other flying insects without shocking your children or pets....

As a proud member of America’s favorite home improvement team since 1986, general contractor Tom Silva has provided years of expert advice to home enthusiasts across the country on This Old House and Ask This Old House. Renovating houses since he was a child, Tom’s first major project, working alongside his dad and brother, was installing a basement fallout shelter underneath their 1787 Colonial in Lexington, Massachusetts. After digging out the 20x40x12-foot hole under the house, by hand, and hauling away all the boulders, they framed it and finished it off....

When you think of a shed, you might envision a bulky, gray plastic/prefab building that’s dropped unceremoniously onto your property, and quickly filled with bikes and lawn equipment that you won’t use until next spring. But advances in building materials (and ingenuity) have transformed sheds into everything from pool houses to chicken coops, from greenhouses to guest quarters. A great shed can expand your outdoor living space without the permanency of a deck or patio....

Steps: Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Determining whether or not a plastic tank water heater will work for you depends on a variety of factors: Time: Since plastic tank water heaters are significantly more expensive than traditional steel tank ones, you will need to live in the house for a longer period of time to see any cost savings. Energy Savings: If you’re looking to improve the energy efficiency of the water heater, the plastic water heater is pretty comparable to steel tanks in terms of efficiency, so there won’t be a significant improvement....

Wood Cat Swing These birch plywood swings are perfect for small pets, measuring at a height of 21.6 inches, a length of 22 inches, and width of 20.9 inches. Handcrafted with care, this pet accessory won’t be an eyesore in your living area. LURVIG Cat House This modern cat house can stand on legs or you can mount the box on a wall. Features a scratching surface on the door and pet cushion inside....

A loose butt hinge will cause a door to hang crooked and stick. Sometimes retightening the hinge screws is all it takes to fix the problem. But if the screws can’t be tightened because the holes are stripped, try this: Related Fixing Loose Hinge Holes How to Tighten Stripped Hinge Screws Open the door wide and insert a wedge under the bottom outside corner to level it. Remove the screws that hold the loose hinge leaf to the door jamb....

Steps: 1. Start by identifying an insert that’s the closest fit to the opening. Be sure that it is suited for zero clearance and no venting. 2. Fill in the rest of the opening with a fake hearth. Cut to size some 2x4” dimensional lumber and assemble a frame using pocket screws. 3. Secure the frame to the floor with more screws. 4. Cut a hole in the floor behind the frame for the wiring using a spade bit....

General contractor Tom Silva shows Kevin how to handle a common problem: crown molding around awkwardly angled walls. Tom explains that most folks cut returns that avoid the angle rather than wrapping the crown molding around, and that’s not necessarily the best solution. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Certain homes like capes and those with gambrel roofs can make installing crown molding very difficult. They often have angled walls (known as cheek walls) formed by roof rafters, and many homeowners don’t know how to install crown molding around these walls....

Baseboards, otherwise known as the wall trim or molding found along the floor of a room, can easily get dingy and scuffed up due to their proximity to the ground and all the grime that accumulates there. Best Paint to Use for Baseboards Start by selecting either oil-based or water-based paint. Oil-based (alkyd) paint tends to hold up well and requires only one coat, while water-based (latex) paint is less toxic and dries more quickly....

In this video, This Old House plumbing and heating contractor Richard Trethewey and host Kevin O’Connor cut threads for a new radiator air vent. Project details Skill Cost Estimated Time Steps for Repairing Radiator Air Vent Threads Enlarge the existing air-vent hole in the radiator with a 7/16-inch-diameter high-speed steel drill bit. Put a ¼-inch tapered tap onto a ratchet wrench and cut new threads into the 7/16-inch hole. Spread pipe dope onto the threads of a ⅛-inch to ¼-inch bushing, then thread the bushing into the hole and tighten with a ratchet wrench....