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Welcome to House-Improvements.com

Welcome to the site. We have developed this site to provide you with instructional articles and videos on how to do common and not so common DIY home improvement projects as well as articles on various other topics that are important to any property owner or renter. Whenever possible we provide photos, illustrations and videos to help make things easier for you.

We are always adding new articles and videos, so be sure to add us on your favorites and keep checking back to see what's new. We are also on facebook if you want to check out our fan page.

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We've recently launched a new Home Improvement Forum where you can ask Shannon questions pertaining to your home improvement or repair issues. It's totally free, just click the Forums link in the top navigation bar.

Recent Home Improvement Forum Discussions

Bath tub refinishing.
I am looking into getting an old cast iron bath tub refinished. I was just wondering if you have any advice to give on this. I am trying to figure out which would be the best route to go one person says to use an epoxy finish and another says that the acrylic is the best? what would you recommend?...

Masonite siding repair
Hi, In an effort to do some minimal repairs to my house before putting it on the market, I found several pieces of siding that have rotten all the way through. I have a garage with the same siding on the back side that I can remove and use to replace the bad pieces. My question is, what is the best way to remove the damage...

Tools to frame
Figured ...showing some of the tools that I am using will help some of you get the job done --this is NOT a hurry and get it done project.. I will take my time.. like most DIY'ers - I put in 2 to 3 hrs per week Do it at a pace were I see results but still feed my family (bit by bit) Cheers Please share whats used for ...

Cracked Basement wall
Hey Shannon - I have been in my home for approx 8 years now Few months in- we had a water problem in the basement - (cement crack in foundation ) Builder came and fixed..no water issues , or wetness since that - Here is what is left in the pic , what do I do with this - Use a cement file and smooth it out , What about...

Reflooring old house.
I am in the process of remodeling an old family house and I am getting ready to lay plywood floor then place Oak laminate floor with underlayment. I was told that if I was going to put that type of floor down that I should put R19 insulation in under the plywood. Anyone have any thoughts on this? The house is 35 years old. ...

Drywall question
Hello Shannon! Wow! Your videos are amazing and the help my husband and I have found with your site it awesome! Keep up the awesome work! Anyhow, we are your average DIY'ers and we just gutted out our bathroom down to the studs. In this process we also moved the bathroom door about 3 feet down and took out a closet that was...

Laser Leveler ?
Shannon I am looking at a laser lever. fiqured this will help obtain to some accurate measurements and cuts.. Looking to really help with making sure the frame is plumb as well .. Do you are anyone else have any recommendations for good laser leveler ? thx...

Water arrestor
Hi: I want to install a dishwasher in my 2 bedroom upstairs apartment. I have to plumb the sink and drain, doing that myself, am wondering, do you think it best to install a water hammer arrestor under the kitchen sink cabinet, the dishwasher is just to the left of the sink? If so where is the best place to insta...

condensation inside basement moisture barrier.
here goes... I am insulating a basement room. I started by putting up a moisture barrier. I attached it with acoustic sealant to the foundation wall at 1 foot above grade. I built my framing and ran the moisture barrier under the bottom of my framing . I had to leave an inch or so gap between the framing and concrete wal...

drywall
Here's my scenario: I am a DIY'er. I have gutted my bathroom down to the studs, installed a new tub and began to tile the tub surround. I wanted to get my drywall hung so I could make sure the joint between the drywall and concrete backerboard was good before I tiled the sides of the surround. When I gutted the bathroom...

replacing a missing siding underlayment
Hi Shannon, Just saw your video on youtube.com, it explain very well, but I have a missing siding near the underlayment area, that wall is join with another angled roof so the shape is strangle. I took a photo at this site, http://www.flickr.com/photos/11431726@N02/6656164985/ Thanks frank3.frank@gmail.com...

Starting off my Basement Project - Framing
First off Happy New Year Thanks for the effort and time you put into sharing your knowledge.. it is appreciated by many DIY - many just dont take the time to say thanks So on to my questions - I am starting the Project and trying finishing my basement as I live in Markham , Ontario - home is 7 years old with unfinish...

Unfinished basement - questions after talking to township
I am about to start on finishing my basement. I live in Southern Ontario and have a basement with half cement and half framed w/ insulation, like the basement in the youtube videos. I had watched shannon's helpful videos on youtube. So I went to the township to get a permit and talk to someone to make sure everything tha...

Vinyl Siding
I currently have Cedar Siding on my house 1" x 12" boards that are not lapped. I am wanting to install Vinyl Siding, do I leave the Cedar Siding on the house or take them off? Thank you Eric...

Exhaust fan venting
Would there be any issues if I tie my exhaust fan vent into the sewer vent up in the attic going through the roof? Or another option I was thinking about was just running it into a roof vent. Basically Im trying to run this vent w/o having to cut a "new" hole in my roof....

Recent Articles

How To Connect Multiple Light Fixtures To One Switch
I have a video showing how to conect a recessed light (pot light) to a switch but usually most people want more than one light on a switch. So this article will explain the easiest way to connect multiple light fixtures to one switch. But you may want to watch the video as well.

How To Replace a Razor Plug with a GFCI Receptacle
In the bathrooms of many of our homes that are Pre-1980's you will probably have a plugin in the wall with a large front cover and a small single plugin the middle. These where for razors most of them are so large because there is a small transformer behind there that reduces the voltage so it can be used by razors that did not need 120 volts of electricity.

How To Refinish Hardwood Floors
Just about anyone who has older hardwood floors in their home or has discovered they have them under their carpet has thought about refinishing them. It is true you could hire someone to do this task, but if you have ever gotten it priced out you were probably surprised by the cost.

How To Construct an Arched Opening
Many times people will create an opening through a wall between two rooms similar to a large window opening to try to make their home feel more open or bigger. These openings really can make a big difference but adding an extra feature to them like an arched top makes them more appealing to the eye...

How To Install Hardwood Flooring
Installing hardwood flooring can make a dramatic improvement to any room in your home! Installing the hardwood is not that difficult but does require a couple of specialty tools to do the job right. Most importantly you need an air compressor and hose as well as a flooring nailer/stapler.

Dishwasher Buying Guide
So its finally time to replace that old inefficient dishwasher with a new energy efficient model. The choices seem endless when you start to look around. Every manufacturer has many different models and all different price ranges. How do you decide?...

How To Install Bifold Closet Doors
Installing a bifold closet door is a fairly quick and easy DIY project as long as the door opening you are trying to install it into is the correct size and fairly square.Measuring your opening first will help you determine if...

How To Insulate An Attached Garage
Insulating an attached garage has some special considerations that you must address differently then a unattached garage. The most important issue is that attached garages must have a system in place, to keep carbon monoxide (CO2) from a running vehicle inside the garage, from filtering through the walls and ceiling into the house.

How To Install Insulation In Your Walls
To insulate a wall cavity you have pretty much two different ways to do it. You can either have someone spray foam it or you yourself can install batt style insulation. In this article I will explain to you how to install batt insulation or as sometimes referred to as fiberglass insulation.

DIY New Home Construction
So you think you want to take on building your own home as a D.I.Y.er ! Or at the very least you want to act as your own general contractor and as well do what you are comfortable with tackling yourself. Well this can be a very rewarding but also risky undertaking.

How To Install Poly Vapor Barrier
Installing polyethylene (poly) to the warm side of a exterior wall is very important. This is generally referred to as installing vapour barrier because the main function is to stop the warm moist air in your home from entering the cold interior space inside of your wall cavity.