Expert Advice on Home Improvement

With the feel of fall in the air, it’s time to think about getting your home ready for colder weather. Much of the routine maintenance that needs to be done this time of year will not only help keep you cozy this winter, it will also save money on your heating bill and protect your biggest investment—your home. Read in full.

Walk down the hardware aisle of any home center, and you’ll find an overpowering array of wall anchors and picture hangers. While it’s easy enough to drive a nail or screw into a stud, you may not know how to secure items to the wall between studs or in hard surfaces like brick or concrete. Read on to find out about using wall anchors and picture hangers in your home. Read in full.

Painting a room is a common do-it-yourself project around the home. While it’s not that difficult to do, it’s important to know the tricks of the trade on how to go about it before you break out a roller or brush. Read on to find out more. Read in full.

Better Homes and Gardens received over 3,000 entries in their 2009 Home Improvement Challenge. A number of impressive home improvement projects competed for more than $60,000 in prize money in categories that ranged from kitchens and baths to renovation and decorating. Read in full.

If you’re tired of your old plastic laminate kitchen countertops but don’t want the expense of replacing them with stone, this faux granite painting kit might be just the answer. The DIY friendly kit can make almost any surface—from plastic laminate and solid surface countertops to mantels and tabletops—look like the real thing. Read in full.

Performing a bit of simple, routine maintenance on your lawn mower will make it last longer, and keep it running smoothly all summer long. From changing the oil and spark plug to cleaning the air filter and sharpening the blade, here’s what you need to know to keep your mower running its best. Read in full.

As if homeowners didn’t have enough to worry about, they can now add toxic gas emitted by imported Chinese drywall to the list. Increasing evidence indicates that some of the over 500 million pounds of drywall shipped to the U.S. from China during the housing boom following Hurricane Katrina contained potentially toxic materials that can release gas believed responsible for damaging homes and causing health problems. Read in full.

Cleaning and repairing the outside of your home doesn’t have to be a spring project, though it is nice to get outside and enjoy the warm weather after a long, cold winter inside. Here are some often neglected outdoor maintenance projects you might want to consider. Read in full.

You don’t have to empty your bank account to reduce your energy and water bills. In fact, adopting these simple tips will actually save you money while helping the environment at the same time. So whether you’re interested in going green to reduce your carbon footprint, or gaining green in your wallet, it makes sense to save energy. Read in full.

Fewer people are buying new homes, but everyone wants to improve what they have. With money tight right now, how can remodeling be done more reasonably without the results looking cheap? Here are a few ideas . . . Read in full.