DIY in Home & Garage

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GuideRay Okonkwo7 Oct 20266 min

Why the 45-minute faucet job takes an afternoon

The plumber's quote looks like robbery until you add up the three hardware store trips, the seized valve and the wrench you'll use twice in a decade.

Mow High, Water Deep, Skip the Chemical Program

The cheapest weed control you own is your mower deck height, and most lawns are cut two inches too short.

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

The Repairs Worth Doing Before You Sell, and the Ones to Skip

Buyers forgive an old kitchen. They don't forgive a wet basement, a dead outlet, or a handrail that wobbles.

Ask BRO

Build me a revision plan that I will actually stick to

Ask it

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Winterize the House in One Weekend, Starting With the Water

Cold weather doesn't wreck houses. Water does. Two days of work, in the order that actually protects the place.

Delicious.com — Nine thousand recipes and a plan for tonight

PartnerDelicious.com

6 min read

Build a Home Office in a Spare Corner That Actually Works

Power you can trust, light that doesn't fry your eyes, and enough quiet to take a call without apologizing for your house.

Poll

Where does your best time with your kids happen?

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Stop the Squeaky Floor and the Door That Won't Shut

Most squeaks are one loose nail and most sticky doors are one loose hinge. Both are an afternoon's work, and both tell you something if they aren't.

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Your Bathroom Fan Is Cheap Insurance Against Rot

Black stains on the attic sheathing above the bathroom mean the fan lost. Here's how to size it, duct it, and stop feeding moisture into your own house.

Coconut.com — Tell us when. We find where the sun is.

PartnerCoconut.com

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

The Weekend Vinyl Plank Floor That Still Looks Right in Year Five

Most of this job happens before you click the first plank together. Skip that part and the floor tells on you by August.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

Five questions, honestly answered, and a plan for the next fortnight.

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20265 min

Build a Mudroom That Survives Six People and a Dog

Hooks at the wrong height, a bench too deep, and no place for wet boots is why your entry still looks like a yard sale at 7:40 a.m.

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20265 min

What a Kitchen Renovation Really Costs and Where It Goes

Cabinets eat a third of the budget before anyone swings a hammer. Know the rest of the map before you sign a thing.

Ask BRO

What should I wear to this?

Ask it

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20267 min

Mice, Ants and Wasps You Can Handle Without a Contract

Three pests, three different jobs, and the exact point where you should stop and hand it to somebody licensed.

PartnerWhackAWoke.com

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20265 min

Pull a floor vent before you price a new hardwood floor

Most tired oak has one more refinish left in it, and ten minutes with a screwdriver tells you whether yours does.

Poll

How often do you see your closest friends?

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

Fitting Seven People Into Twelve Hundred Square Feet

The fix isn't more house. It's giving every coat, shoe and cereal box an address it can't wander off from.

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

The Smoke Alarm On Your Ceiling Might Already Be Expired

Flip one off its base tonight and read the date on the back. If it starts with a 2 and a 0 and a number under 16, it's done working the way you think it is.

Dude.com — 16 advisers who listen, talk and pray with you

PartnerDude.com

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

The Water Heater Job You Can Do and the Part You Can't

Most of a tank swap is plumbing you already understand. Then it turns into gas, venting and carbon monoxide, and that's a different job.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

Six questions. No email required, no sales pitch at the end.

6 min

Your Wet Basement Starts On The Roof

6 min

The Mold You Can Scrub and the Mold That Needs a Pro

Ask BRO

Pressure-test my business idea

Ask it

GuideWes Dunbar23 Sept 20266 min

A Weekend of Work That Shows Up on Your Energy Bill

Two days, a caulk gun, and a short list of jobs that actually move the needle — plus the four that belong to a professional.

Shirts.com — Design it with AI. Wear it this week.

PartnerShirts.com

6 min read

The backyard kids stay in until dark

Nine inches of wood chips, a hose they're allowed to touch, and a pile of junk that moves. Most of what makes a yard stick has nothing to do with the playset.

Poll

When did you last ask for a raise?

Older articles

DIY in Home & Garage

Why the 45-minute faucet job takes an afternoon

Nobody walks into the plumbing aisle on purpose

Getting the lights on the roof and yourself back off it

Hanging a heavy picture straight on the first try

Caulk a tub and a window so nobody can tell you did it

If Your House Predates 1978, Test Before You Sand

Mow High, Water Deep, Skip the Chemical Program

The Repairs Worth Doing Before You Sell, and the Ones to Skip

Winterize the House in One Weekend, Starting With the Water

Build a Home Office in a Spare Corner That Actually Works

Stop the Squeaky Floor and the Door That Won't Shut

Your Bathroom Fan Is Cheap Insurance Against Rot

The Weekend Vinyl Plank Floor That Still Looks Right in Year Five

Build a Mudroom That Survives Six People and a Dog

What a Kitchen Renovation Really Costs and Where It Goes

Mice, Ants and Wasps You Can Handle Without a Contract

Pull a floor vent before you price a new hardwood floor

Fitting Seven People Into Twelve Hundred Square Feet

The Smoke Alarm On Your Ceiling Might Already Be Expired

The Water Heater Job You Can Do and the Part You Can't

Your Wet Basement Starts On The Roof

The Mold You Can Scrub and the Mold That Needs a Pro

A Weekend of Work That Shows Up on Your Energy Bill

The backyard kids stay in until dark