Expert Advice on Home Improvement TV Host of Today's Homeowner^® and home expert for The Weather Channel

Solid surface countertops are a popular choice with homeowners since they are durable and scratches can easily be sanded out. Another advantage of this type of material is that seams are glued together in such as way as to make them practically invisible.

Sylvia asks, “Is it difficult to replace an existing telephone jack? Does the electricity need to be turned off to replace it?” Replacing a phone jack in not difficult and typically just requires transferring the color coded wires from the old jack to the matching terminals on the new one. While telephone lines do have 48 volts of electricity running through them, it’s usually not enough to cause a shock, though it may affect a pacemaker.

From vaulted to tray to coffered, it seems like the sky’s the limit for ceilings these days. Specialty ceilings can add a distinctive design element to a room and make it feel larger than it really is. And when it’s time to sell your home, custom ceilings might be just the thing to make your house stand out from the crowd.

Whether it’s a priceless work of art or a collection of family photographs, it’s important that what you hang on your walls stays put. While attaching directly to studs provides the most security, they are often not located in the ideal spot, and screws and nails provide little support in drywall alone.

Yolunda asks, “I patched a big hole in my wall with drywall and put spackling over the drywall. Was this wrong?” While similar in nature, spackling is usually used to fill nail holes and other minor imperfections while joint compound is the best choice for finishing drywall.

You don’t have to hire a contractor and spend a fortune remodeling your kitchen. With a little creativity and by doing much of the work yourself, you can end up with the kitchen of your dreams without breaking the bank.

Whether it’s sealing around the tub, keeping a winter chill at bay, or hiding unsightly cracks in crown molding, caulking plays an important and often overlooked role in your home. Used to bridge gaps where materials meet, caulking performs the essential function of keeping water and outside air where they belong, which can prevent mold and rot from forming in your walls and save money on energy bills. In addition, caulking can make your house look better and paint jobs last longer. While today’s high-tech caulk is very durable, it won’t last forever. When it begins to fail, repair the joint as soon as possible to prevent damage to your home.

Plaster walls in older homes are often plagued by cracks and other defects such as pitting and uneven texture. If cracks are simply filled with spackling or joint compound, they have a tendency to telegraph back through. To solve this problem, apply self-adhesive fiberglass mesh drywall tape over the crack for reinforcement.

Framed paintings and photographs add a splash of color to a room and give it a unique personal touch, but some homeowners are reluctant to tackle the job for fear their walls will end up resembling aged Swiss cheese. With the right hardware and know-how, you can approach your next picture hanging project with confidence.

In this episode we’ll give a whole new look to a vintage 1970s house that is in need of some serious updating. Not only is the kitchen to be completely remodeled, but the wall between the den and living room will be removed to open up the living space.