Install a Ceiling Fan Where a Light Fixture Used to Be
I installed a ceiling fan in my bedroom last summer. The first attempt took six hours. The second attempt — […]
Replace a Light Switch Without Getting Electrocuted
Turn off the breaker. Not the light switch — the breaker in your electrical panel. Then go back to the […]
Build Floating Shelves from a Single Board
Floating shelves at the home store cost sixty dollars each. I needed four. That was two hundred and forty dollars […]
Install Peel and Stick Backsplash Without Losing Your Mind
I peeled the backing off the first tile, positioned it carefully, pressed it against the wall, and it immediately stuck […]
Fix a Door That Won’t Latch Properly
The bathroom door in our hallway had not latched properly since we moved in. You had to pull it closed, […]
Paint a Room Without Taping the Edges
Taping a room for painting takes almost as long as the painting itself. I spent two hours once taping every […]
Tighten Loose Chair Legs for Good
Every dining chair in my house wobbled. Not dramatically — just enough that guests would shift in their seats and […]
Unclog a Sink Drain Without Calling a Plumber
The kitchen sink backed up on a Sunday night. Of course it did. Water sat there, gray and still, with […]
Fix a Wobbly Banister Without Replacing It
Our staircase banister had been loose for so long that everyone in the house had learned to compensate. You grab […]
Hang Pictures Straight Without a Level
I own a level. Somewhere. I have not seen it since we moved into this house. Every time I needed […]