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Home Improvement 411

V-NOTCHED TROWEL

A mason’s trowel used to apply adhesive to surfaces that will receive tile.

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PAINTING

The Homeowner’s Field Guide To Paint
Casting A Light On Sheen
The Color Wheel
Choosing A Color Scheme
The Painter's Tool Kit
Brushes And Rollers
Protecting Yourself: Gloves, Goggles, and Respirators
Protecting Surfaces
Priming Is Essential

Preparation For Painting

* Removing Gloss
* Treating Stains And Mildew
* Removing Wallpaper

Painting Over Wallpaper
Priming And Painting Walls
Painting Doors And Trim
Window Painting Basics
Staining Windows
Staining Trim
Painting Interior Brick
Painting Interior Concrete
Paint Disposal
Sponging On And Sponging Off
Ragging On And Ragging Off
Stippling
Creating Textured Effects

Painting Exteriors

Getting Ready To Paint
Painting Exterior Walls
Painting Windows
Priming And Painting Trim

WALLPAPER

Wallpaper Basics
The Paperhanger’s Toolkit
Measuring And Estimating Wallpaper

Wallpapering Walls
Wallpapering The Wall
Wallpapering Inside And Outside Corners
Wallpapering Around Windows And Doors
Wallpapering A Recessed Window
Wallpapering Inside An Archway

Wallpapering Around Obstacles
Wallpapering Ceilings
Finishing Touches
Repair And Maintenance
Hanging Borders On Painted Walls
Combining A Border With Wallpaper
Combining Wallpapers

PLUMBING

How The Plumbing System Works
Qualify Yourself For Plumbing Projects
The Plumber’s Tool Kit

Connecting Rigid Plastic Pipes

Connecting PVC
Connecting CPVC
Connecting ABS

Soldering Copper Wires
Quick Fixes For Frozen Or Leaking Pipes
Running New Supply Lines
Installing Shutoff Valves And Supply Tubes
Repairing Or Replacing A Sink Strainer
Installing A Single-Bowl PVC P-trap

Unclogging The Clogs

Unclogging Drains And Waste Lines
Unclogging Sink Drains
Unclogging Jammed Disposers
Unclogging Bathtub And Shower Drains
Unclogging A Toilet

Repairing Faucets

Repairing A Compression Faucet
Replacing A Worn Valve Seat
Repairing A Ceramic Disk Faucet
Replacing A Cartridge Faucet
Repairing A Rotary Ball Faucet
Repairing A Two-Handle Tub And Shower Faucet
Repairing A Tub Diverter Valve
Installing A Tub Spout
Cleaning A Showerhead

Repairing Toilets

Adjusting The Tank Handle And Water Level
Repairing A Leaking Tank
Replacing A Toilet Fill Valve
Replacing A Flapper

Installing And Removing Sinks
Installing A Countertop Sink
Installing A Self-Rimming Sink
Removing An Old Sink
Installing Wall-Hung And Pedestal Sinks
Installing Faucets
Installing A Pop-Up Drain
Removing An Old Bathtub
Installing A Bathtub In An Alcove
Installing A Shower Surround
Removing An Old Toilet
Installing A New Toilet
Installing A Garbage Disposer
Replacing A Dishwasher

Installing Water Heaters

Water Heater Installation Basics
Wiring An Electric Water Heater
Gas Water Heater Installation
Installing An On-Demand Water Heater

ELECTRICAL

How The Electrical System Works
Electrical Safety
The Electrician’s Tool Kit
Wires And Cables
Wire Nuts And Tape
Receptacles And Switches
How A Circuit Works
Grounding And Polarization
Using Testers
Stripping And Splicing Wire
Joining Wire To A Terminal
Receptacle And Switch Wiring
Installing And Replacing A Receptacle
Installing GFCI Receptacles
Installing An Outdoor Receptacle
Adding A Wall Switch To A Ceiling Fixture
Controlling A Single Outlet With A Switch

Replacing A Three-Way Switch
Replacing A Dimmer Switch
Choosing Electrical Boxes

Installing Electrical Boxes

Installing Remodeling Boxes
Installing Ceiling Boxes
Installing A Junction Box

Installing NM cables in new walls
Working With NM cable
Fishing And Running Cable
Working With Armored Cable
Running Conduit
Adding A Circuit
Planning Kitchen Lighting
Lighting A Bathroom
Lighting Living Areas
Planning For Can Lighting
Choosing Ceiling Fixtures
Selecting Bulbs And Tubes
Installing Or Replacing Wall Lights
Installing A Hanging Fixture
Installing Recessed Lighting
Installing Halogen Lighting
Installing Fluorescent Lighting
Installing Track Lighting
Installing Motion-Sensor Lights
Hanging A Ceiling Fan
Installing An Attic Fan
Installing A Whole-House Fan
Installing A Bathroom Vent
Installing A Range Hood
Installing Telephone And CAT 5 Wiring
Installing Coaxial Cable
Troubleshooting A Door Chime
Troubleshooting A Thermostat
Adding Surge Protection

WALLS AND CEILINGS

Wall And Ceiling Basics
The Wall And Ceiling Tool Kit
Repairing Drywall
Repairing Plaster Walls
Installing Ceiling Tile

Installing A Suspended Ceiling

Hanging A Suspended Ceiling
Lighting A Suspended Ceiling

Removing A Wall

Building A Partition Wall

Attaching New Walls To Existing Joists
Framing A Partition Wall On The Floor

Installing Drywall

Drywall Cutting And Screwing
Drywalling A Ceiling
Hanging Drywall On Walls
Finishing Drywall

Installing Paneling
Tiling A Wall
Installing Chair And Picture Rails
Coping A Chair Rail
Creating Custom Moldings
Installing Crown Molding
Mitering Outside Corners
Installing No-Miter/ No Cope Crown Molding
Installing Beaded-Board Wainscoting
Hanging And Arranging Pictures

FLOORING

Flooring Materials
The Flooring Tool Kit
Stopping Squeaks
Patching Concrete Walls
Measuring For Flooring

Removing Existing Flooring

Preparing For Removal
Removing Carpet
Removing ceramic tile
Removing Wood Flooring

Replacing Underlayment

Installing Sheet Vinyl

Making A Flooring Template
Cutting And Installing Sheet Vinyl
Laying Vinyl Floors With Seams
Installing Resilient Vinyl Tile

Laying A Tile Floor

Laying Backerboard
Laying Out The Floor
Setting The Tile
Marking Special Cuts
Cutting Tile
Grouting Tile

Installing Parquet Tile
Sanding And Refinishing A Floor
Installing A Strip-Wood Floor
Installing A Decorative Border
Installing A Decorative Inlay
Installing Wide-Plank Flooring

Installing Laminate And Engineered Flooring

Installing Laminate Flooring
Installing A Glued-Down Engineered Floor
Installing Carpeting And Carpet Pad
Installing Baseboard
Thresholds

DOORS

Door Basics
The Door Hanger’s Tool Kit
Locksets And Latches
Solving Door Latch Problems
Freeing A Sticky Door
Installing A Door Lock
Removing An Entry Door
Making An Opening For A Door or Window
Making Headers
Installing A Prehung Interior Door
Installing Split-Jamb Interior Door
Installing Molding For Interior Doors
Installing A Prehung Entry Doors
Installing A Storm Door
Installing A Hinged Patio Door
Installing A Garage Door
Adjusting An Out-Of-Balance Garage Door
Installing A Garage Door Opener
Safety Testing A Garage Door Opener

WINDOWS

Window Basics
Window Maintenance Tips
Replacing Broken Sash Cords
The Window Tool Kit

Repairing A Broken Window Pane

Cutting Glass
Installing New Glass

Replacing A Screen
Window And Glass Door Security
Removing A Window
Installing A Window
Installing A Storm Window
Installing A Skylight

CABINETS, COUNTERTOPS, SHELVING AND STORAGE

Cabinet And Countertop Basics
The Cabinetmaker’s Tool Kit
Replacing Cabinet Hardware
Replacing Cabinet Doors And Drawers
Cabinet Refacing

Getting Ready To Install Cabinets

Removing Old Cabinets
Removing Countertops

Installing Kitchen Cabinets

Installing Wall Cabinets
Installing Base Cabinets
Installing A Kitchen Island

Countertop Basics
Installing Countertops
Tiling A Countertop
Adding A Closet
Making Bookshelves
Installing Wire Shelf Storage Systems

INSULATION AND WEATHER PROOFING

Insulation And Weatherproofing Basics
The Insulation And Weatherproofing Tool Kit
Evaluating Your Home’s Energy Efficiency

Weatherproofing Your Home

Weatherproofing An Entry Door
Weatherproofing An Entry Door Threshold
Weatherproofing Other Door Types
Weatherproofing Windows
Weatherproofing Other Window Types

Installing Soffit And Roof Vents

Installing A Soffit Vent
Installing A Roof Vent

Insulating An Attic
Installing Loose-fill Insulation
Insulating Basement Walls

EXTERIOR

Exterior Maintenance Basics
The Exterior Maintenance Tool Kit
Preventing Water Infiltration Problems

Repairing Gutters

Fixing Sagging Gutters
Repairing Leaky Metal Gutters
Repairing Leaky Joints
Replacing A Section Of Metal Gutter

Installing A Vinyl Gutter System

Repairing Siding

Repairing Wood Siding
Repairing Vinyl And Metal Siding
Repairing Stucco

Repairing Fascia And Soffits

Replacing A Section Of Fascia
Replacing Plywood Soffits
Repairing Length-run Tongue-and-groove Soffits
Repairing Width-run Soffits

Roofing Basics
The Roofer’s Tool Kit
Getting Ready For A Roofing Project
Identifying Roofing Problems
Protecting Yourself And Your House
Repairing Damaged Roofs
Roof Tear-Off And Repair
Applying Underlayment

Installing Flashing

Valley Flashing Options
Installing Flashing Around A Chimney
Installing Flashing Around Vent Pipes
Installing Step Flashing Around A Dormer

Roofing With Asphalt Shingles

Asphalt Shingle Basics
Shingling Hips And Ridges
Laying A Valley With Architectural Shingles
Laying A Metal Open Valley
Roofing A Dormer
Reroofing Over An Existing
Installing Roll Roofing

HEATING, VENTILATION, AND AIR-CONDITIONING

How An Oil Furnace Works
How A Gas Furnace Works
How A Forced-Air System Works
How A Hot-Water Heat System Works
How A Heat Pump Works
Window Air-Conditioner Maintenance
Installing A Window Air Conditioner
Installing An Evaporative Cooloer

Maintaining An Oil Furnace

Replacing The Oil Filter
Cleaning And Oiling The Fan
Removing The Firing Assembly
Cleaning The Strainer
Maintaining The Fire Assembly

Maintaining A Gas Burner

Checking For Leaks
Lighting The Pilot
Cleaning The Pilot
Checking The Thermocouple
Cleaning The Burner
Checking And Replacing The Igniter

Maintaining A Forced-Air Furnace

Understanding Furnace Filters
Removing And Cleaning A Filter
Maintaining The Fan Motor
Tracking Fan Or Motor Problems
Diagnosing Fan And Motor Problems
Replacing The Fan Motor

Maintaining A Hot-Water Heat System

Bleeding Baseboards And Radiators
Repairing A Waterlogged Expansion Tank
Replacing An Expansion Tank
Testing And Fixing An Aquastat
Testing And Replacing The Pump Motor

Maintaining A Heat Pump

Outdoor Maintenance
Indoor Maintenance
Diagnosing A Pump That Won’t Start
Diagnosing Ice Buildup On Outside Coils
Installing An Electric Baseboard Heater
Adding A Hot-Water Baseboard Heater
Adding A Forced-Air Heat Run
Installing Auxiliary Gas Heaters
Installing A Vent-Free Gas Heater
Installing A Vented Heater
Installing A Direct-Vent Heater