Know the Difference between a “Classic Car” and an “Old Car”

Classic cars often need so much attention, you can end up spending more time maintaining it than actually driving it. First-time buyers will generally be better off buying a car that needs little or no work, since buying a vehicle for restoration requires a great deal of expertise-and a much higher budget.

Some so-called classics are simply old cars, particularly if they are not rare models yet still need a lot of money spending on them. Always make sure you go for something that isn’t going to plummet in value as soon as you pull it out of the shop.

On the fourth episode of the At Home with Family Handyman series The Outdoor Show, we got an up-close look at two projects that transformed a pair of homes. At one location, we see the addition of two gazebos, giving that backyard dual shady spots for relaxing outdoors. The other project was a pool and deck combination that turned a basic backyard into something closer to Club Med.

A gazebo is a great addition to any yard because it gives you a little oasis for kicking back when the weather’s warm. Building a gazebo is a multi-day project, depending on the complexity of the design. But it’s still something most people can DIY. There are also gazebo kits that save you some time, too.

If a gazebo isn’t your speed, you could build a pergola, another way to add a shady nook in your backyard. They’re great for covering a paver patio or spot in your garden. Another option is the classic screened-in porch, a simple way to enclose your outdoor space so you can relax outdoors without being bothered by flies or mosquitoes.

When it’s hot outside, a pool really makes a terrific addition to any backyard. But to really improve the look and feel, it’s best to surround it with a deck. There are a few options for decking materials go, so make sure to choose something that’s durable and fits the look you want.

Building a deck is one of the most common large DIY projects. While there’s a lot that goes into it, there’s no reason to be intimidated by the task.

Whatever you choose to make your backyard a little more comfortable, be sure to check out The Outdoor Show, streaming on At Home with Family Handyman, for guidance and inspiration. And while you’re on the At Home with Family Handyman app, check out the library of instructional videos for step-by-step instructions for building the perfect outdoor oasis.

The Outdoor Show can be found on the At Home With Family Handyman streaming channel. At Home is streaming now on XUMO, The Roku Channel, LG Channels, Plex, fuboTV, Sling Free and the Family Handyman app. It’s also available on iOS, Apple TV, Android, AndroidTV, FireTV and Roku devices.

As you might have guessed, we’re big fans of DIY projects to upgrade your home that can be done before lunch on a weekend day. Whether you’re improving the landscaping around your front step or adding a coat of a paint to the front door, these projects are the true spirit of DIY. Best of all, they’re things even a novice can tackle.

Surprise guests are a mixed bag at best. It’s nice to have company, but if only there was a little more time to ready your space for visitors. If you do find yourself in this situation, take some inspiration from the folks at Saturday Morning Builds, who recommend a few easy DIY projects that are sure to impress your guests — even the in-laws!

Here are some more easy, practical things you can do to give your house a little pop before company arrives.

One of the easiest, most cost-effective improvements you can make is giving your front door a new coat of paint. Done correctly, it adds real pop to the front of your home. There’s no way your incoming guests will miss your house. A fresh coat of paint on the front door also boosts the curb appeal if you’re looking to sell your home.

Painting a front door is an easy weekend project, and you’ll be finished before lunch. You can even paint it without removing it from the hinges, saving even more time.

These solar-powered house numbers are another cool idea that can really set your home apart from everyone else on the block. It’s another way to help guests to find your house more easily, and it’s an easy Saturday morning project, too.

Need inspiration for more outstanding weekend projects? Be sure to check out Saturday Morning Projects, streaming now on At Home with Family Handyman.

Where to Watch Saturday Morning Builds

Saturday Morning Projects is part of  At Home with Family Handyman, streaming now on XUMO, The Roku Channel, LG Channels, Plex, fuboTV and Sling Free. At Home is also available through the Family Handyman app on iOS, Apple TV, Android, AndroidTV, FireTV and Roku devices.

Learn the Anatomy of a Central Home Air Conditioner

Central home air conditioner service systems consist of two major components: a condenser that sits outside your house and the evaporator coil (often referred to as an A-coil) that sits in the plenum of your furnace or air handler. The refrigerant in the A-coil picks up the heat from your home and moves it to the outdoor condensing unit. The condensing unit fan blows outside air through the condensing coil to remove the heat. The condensing unit houses the three parts replaceable by a DIYer: the AC contactor, the start/run capacitor(s) and the condenser fan motor. The condensing unit also houses the compressor, but only a pro can replace that. The A-coil has no parts that can be serviced by a DIYer.

Project Overview

Leg Detail

Cutting List

Choosing wood

Although pressure-treated lumber no longer contains arsenic, I still avoid using it where I’m growing food. Decay-resistant woods such as redwood and red cedar are alternatives that look great and last for years.

Adjustable Moving Straps

Moving and lifting straps (“hump straps”) make lifting heavy furniture and other objects easier on your back by relying on stronger muscle groups like your legs and shoulders. They also leave your hands free to maneuver awkward items like mattresses. However, they can be tricky to use on stairs because the weight shifts completely to the downhill mover.

Look for moving straps that can be adjusted for different length objects as well as for different-sized movers. Be careful not to trip on any slack from the straps.

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Create a Schedule for Cleaning

Nobody wants to spend their time cleaning, but if you can carve out a routine for yourself, it will help save time in the long run as you’re already on top of cleaning.  Set it up a regular checklist based on how often things need to be cleaned. For example, take time to vacuum twice a week, especially if you have pets. When it comes time for an annual top-to-bottom housecleaning, create a schedule that spreads out the cleaning over a week, rather than turning it into two, 16-hour days.

Do Spark Plug Wires Wear Out?

Do spark plug wires wear out? You bet. That’s because spark plug wires aren’t actually made of wire. They’re made of delicate carbon fibres.

Over time, the carbon breaks down and the fibres separate, causing high electrical resistance. High resistance degrades the spark, resulting in poor combustion, misfires, lousy gas mileage and ultimately a glowing “Check Engine” light. If you let that condition go on too long, the wires can start to leak voltage to nearby engine parts, causing arcing, severe performance problems, and even ignition component failures.

That’s why it pays to replace your spark plug wires before they wear out. We recommend doing it when you change the spark plugs (whenever your owner’s manual recommends, or between 100,000 and 160,000 kilometres).

Here, we’ll show you which materials and tools you’ll need and all the steps required to do a quality job of your own. You’ll save at least an hour of shop labour charges and ensure that you won’t be in for the costly diagnostic fees associated with worn spark plug wires. The whole job is pretty easy and will only take about an hour.

Mr. Build It

Everyman and dad Alex Mazhukhin (YouTube’s Mr. Build It) DIYs his way through the everyday projects any homeowner is likely to encounter.

Mazhukhin has more than 700,000 followers on his YouTube channel. He started in DIY in 2015 when he and his wife Irina, an interior designer, bought a house in Boise, Idaho. “The house was a fixer-upper in need of a lot of work, and the budget to do it was nonexistent,” he says.

Following other social media accounts for project inspiration, Mazhukhin says he began watching other people and then practicing on his house.

In the new series, Mazhukhin says we can expect projects like building a giant open kitchen, replacing a brown stone fireplace and building a real Swedish sauna in an old unused shed.

No one yet has found the magic that’ll make dust disappear, particularly airborne dust. Hardware improvements such as vacuums with better filtration and whole-house air cleaners can make the job a bit easier, but dusting is still a weekly chore. And frankly, we don’t have any revolutionary ideas either.

The basic solution is pretty much the same as grandma taught—clean, clean, clean. But it’s important to know whether you should dust or vacuum first.

However, if you target the key places where dust collects and deal with it before it goes airborne, you can at least put a damper on dust. In this article, we’ll tell you where dust originates and where it builds up, so you can focus your cleaning efforts on those spots.

What Is Dust Made Of?

For practical purposes, household dust fits into two categories: small stuff and really small stuff. It’s the small stuff that we’re most familiar with, the stuff that you see collecting in the corners or accumulating on bookshelves.

It’s made up of a variety of stuff. Tiny particles of dirt from outside makes up a significant portion of it. Dirt particles come from shoes, clothing or pets when you come inside. The wind can blow it in through open windows and doors.

Household dust also contains fabric fiber (from rugs and clothing), pet dander, hair, pollen, microscopic plastic particles, dust mites, dead insect parts, etc.

The fabric fibers are also small, the same lint that you collect on the dryer screen. These particles range in size from 10 to 300 microns (1 micron equals 1/1000th of a millimeter). If you have sharp eyes, you can just barely see a 20-micron fabric filament floating in a shaft of sunlight that’s streaming through the window. In comparison, the typical hair caught in your hairbrush is about 100 microns thick.

You can’t see the really small stuff, particles smaller than 10 microns, unless they collect in high concentrations. So even though your home contains millions of these particles, they’re so small that they won’t contribute much to the visible dust invasion.

If you have a dust-related health problem, don’t try expensive home remedies until you’ve consulted a physician. Dust control strategies for really small particles are difficult and can be costly if you have to replace carpeting with a different floor covering or buy a special vacuum cleaner. Your physician will help you discover the particular offender so you can target your control strategies, rather than attack all types of dust.

Does Dust Contain Dead Skin Cells?

It does, but not as much as we’ve been lead to believe. Most of our dead skin falls off in the shower or while washing our hands. Make no mistake, there’s dead skin in that ball of dust under your couch, but it’s an urban myth that it makes up the majority of the dust in your home.

How to Get Rid of Dust

You really can’t prevent dust from accumulating in your home, but you can take some steps so that it doesn’t get out of hand.

Start at the top

Clean walls and the ceiling first. If you don’t, if you start with the floor or the stuff closer to the floor, dust will resettle in areas you’ve already cleaned. By tackling the heights first, you’ll be cleaning up the stuff that falls downward as you clean.

Vacuum the ceilings and walls with a dust attachment, slowly working your way down. Don’t forget ceiling fans. The blades can accumulate a thick layer of dust that gets blown around the room whenever you turn it on.

Vacuum carpets and shake out rugs weekly

Carpeting is a world-class dust-collector, and it launches particles back into the air every time you walk across it. It’s virtually impossible to clean. Vacuuming helps, but it’s like trying to suck up all the leaves from a forest. It’s easier to clean area rugs, because you can shake or beat them outside or periodically send them to the cleaners.

Frequent vacuuming of busy pathways won’t eliminate dust, but it’ll cut down the volume. And it will reduce the sand particles that abrade the carpet fibers and cause them to break down.

Don’t forget to vacuum furniture cushions and wash pillows regularly. Like carpeting, they create, collect and spew dust into the air whenever you sit down on them.

Clean bedrooms and vacuum closets weekly

Fibers from your clothing build up in the bedroom. Flakes of skin are another factor here too, as they can collect in bedding. Regular laundering will help keep the dust down.

If you suffer from allergies, bedrooms rank at the top of the list for dust control.

Closets collect dust too. Every time you pull out clothing and shoes from the closet, dust from fabric fibers and dirt get launched into the air. Dust particles work their way downward, so it’s good to declutter your closet for quick, more effective vacuuming.

Clean hidden dust collection spots

Some of the worst spots for collecting dust are the places you can’t see: under beds and furniture, behind the stove and refrigerator, etc. Once dust settles in those spots, it usually sits there undisturbed, with more and more dust accumulating. Clean them regularly, however, if you have allergies, because dust mites can thrive there.

Dusting hard surfaces

A damp cloth is all you need to pick up dust from hard, smooth surfaces. (Not wet, because water left behind carries dirt and can ruin the finish on fine furniture.) The dust sticks to the cloth rather than flying around and spreading.

Microfiber cloths or electrostatic dusters charges work well. Plus, you can often find these products with long handles to get into hard-to-reach areas.

You don’t need a spray like Pledge for dusting surfaces, especially wood. Those products contain silicone that can cause buildup on surfaces. It can leave a waxy film on your wood too.

Declutter your house

Dust loves clutter. Clutter demoralizes even a veteran housecleaner by increasing the time and effort involved. Store stuff you’re not using, and enclose knickknacks in showcases.

What Are Dust Mites?

Mites are tiny arachnoids. Like spiders, they have eight legs and no antennas. Dust mites can live in bedding, upholstered furniture and other soft surfaces in your home, such as carpets and curtains.

Dust mites live in almost every home, because they like a warm, humid environment with lots of skin flakes to eat. They’d be disgusting if they weren’t so tiny, an almost invisible speck 250 microns in size.

The good news is that they don’t bite or burrow under skin. Dust mites  scoop up dead skin flakes with an opening on their body, and secrete an enzyme to break down their food.

The biggest problem with dust mites is that they are one of the most common triggers for indoor allergic reactions in people, causing asthma and allergic rhinitis.

How to Get Rid of Dust Mites

In most cases they aren’t a problem and are easily controlled by laundering bedding and vacuuming regularly. Pay special attention to furniture, vacuuming anything with soft fabric where people and pets might sit.

Another option is to invest in an air purifier with a HEPA filter removes animal dander and dust, which helps control dust mites. A dehumidifier can help too by making the environment in your home harder to sustain dust mites.

The dryer repair fixes we show in this article correct about 90 percent of dryer breakdowns. Most repairs take about an hour, but set aside extra time to locate replacement parts.  Aside from basic tools like a socket set and screwdrivers, you may need a continuity tester or multimeter to diagnose the problem.

Unplug Your Dryer Before Repairing It

The first step in any appliance repair is to make sure it’s getting electricity. Unplugged cords and tripped breakers are a leading cause of appliance “breakdowns.”

How to Disassemble a Dryer

Most dryer repairs require some disassembly of the outer cabinet so you can get at the parts inside and you might not even need a dryer repairman. Dryer disassembly is slightly different depending on where the lint filter is located. For gas dryers, most repairs require that you remove the top and front (not the back or sides) to access the parts.

If your dryer’s lint filter is inside the front door, disassemble it this way: First, remove the screws at each corner of the control panel. Flip the panel up and back to expose the screws in the top panel. Remove the screws, then pull the top toward you and lift it off. To open the bottom panel, release the spring catches by shoving a putty knife into the slot just above them. With the bottom panel open, you can remove the front panel by removing two screws at the top and two at the bottom.

If your filter slides into the top of the dryer, remove the screws alongside the filter slot. Using a putty knife, release the two spring catches located under the top panel at the front. Tilt the top panel up like a car hood and remove the screws that hold the front panel in place.

How to Fix a Dryer That Won’t Start

If your dryer seems absolutely dead when you turn it on, chances are the door switch is bad or the plunger is broken or bent. Door switches wear out from normal use, but repeatedly slamming the door can speed up their demise.

Start by checking the plunger located on the door for dryer troubleshooting. If it’s missing or bent, replace it. If the plunger checks out, the next step of dryer troubleshooting is to remove the top cabinet panel to gain access to the door switch. See the disassembly instructions.

Test the switch for continuity. If the switch is good, test the thermal fuse mounted on the blower housing. If you have a gas dryer with the lint filter in the door, access the thermal fuse by opening the bottom panel. If the filter slides into the top of the machine, remove the entire front panel. On an electric dryer, remove the rear service panel.

If you don’t get a continuity reading from the thermal fuse, do NOT simply replace it. A blown thermal fuse is a warning that you have other serious problems—either a malfunctioning thermostat or a clogged vent. Fix those before replacing the fuse.

What to Do if Your Dryer Is Making Noises

If your dryer is making thumping or rumbling sounds, the most likely culprit is worn out drum support rollers. Replace all of them. If the noise continues, replace the tensioner roller (see below). Since it takes longer to disassemble the machine than to actually replace the rollers and belts, we recommend replacing both of them at the same time.

Dryer Isn’t Heating

If you’re dryer isn’t drying clothes, the first thing to do is check the airflow from the dryer vent tube. It gets clogged with lint, preventing airflow and causing it to take a long time to dry clothes, if it’ll dry them at all. If that’s not it, there are a few other common fixes for a dryer that isn’t drying, everything from checking the breaker box to cleaning the lint filter.

However, there are other problems that could cause a dryer to tumble but not heat. If that’s the case, check the thermal fuse for continuity. If the thermal fuse checks out, move on to the radiant sensor, if you have a gas dryer. It monitors the igniter and powers up the gas valve coils when the igniter reaches peak temperature. A bum sensor will stop the whole show. Test it for continuity and replace it if it fails. If the sensor is good, disconnect the electrical connector to the igniter and check it for continuity. Again, replace it if it fails the continuity test.

If both the radiant sensor and the igniter pass the test, replace the gas valve coils. To replace them, remove the retaining plate, unplug the sensors and pull them off the gas valve.

If the thermal fuse on your electric dryer checks out, test the heater element for continuity. Replace the element if you don’t get continuity.

Dryer Doesn’t Rotate

It might be a broken belt. To replace the belt, remove the front cabinet panel and lift the entire drum out of the cabinet. Then, fire up your shop vacuum and suck out all the lint. Then spin the tensioner roller by hand to see if it runs smoothly and examine it for cracks. Replace the tensioner if it fails either test.

Reinstall the drum and wrap the new belt around it (ribs facing the drum). Some tensioners are mounted behind the motor, so they’re difficult to see from the front access panel. You’ll have to do this by feel. Reach your hands around the blower housing and lift the tensioner up while you route the belt around the motor pulley.

Dryer Door Won’t Stay Shut

If your dryer door won’t stay closed, chances are the latch is either bent or missing, or the strike is worn. The fix is cheap and easy. Buy the parts from any appliance parts store. Then grab pliers, a couple of small, straight-slot screwdrivers and a roll of masking tape.

Grab the bent or broken latch and yank it out. Then install the new one, pushing in firmly until the locking tabs seat. Next, protect the door’s finish with tape and remove the old strike. Jam a small screwdriver into the strike and bend the metal locking tab inward. Pry upward with a second screwdriver to pop it out (Photo 2). Snap in the new strike and you’re back in the laundry business.

The Benefits of Infloor Heat

Once you shed your fuzzy slippers and discover the comfort of warm floors, you’ll be sold. Heated floors, often called radiant floors or a radiant heat system, offer benefits beyond foot comfort. They keep entry and bathroom floors dry and provide space heating in cold rooms. You can even turn down the thermostat for your central heating system and still keep some rooms warmer.

In this article, we’ll walk you through the types of radiant floor systems you can install in your home. We’ll tell you the pros and cons, and show you key installation techniques. This will help you decide whether to take on the project yourself or hire a professional. These heating systems are most often installed under ceramic tile in bathrooms, but keep in mind that you can add heat under any type of flooring material. All floor heating systems warm the floor with either electricity or hot water.

Electric Systems are Simple and Affordable

Electric floor systems work just like an electric blanket: Electricity runs through “resistance” cable and creates heat. Because electricity is fairly expensive, relatively few homes are entirely heated by in-floor electric systems. However, these systems are great for making especially cold floors foot-friendly. They also boost the temperature in an otherwise chilly room by a few degrees. The warm floor in a bathroom makes getting out of the shower a cozier prospect on a cold day. That’s the payoff.

Electric systems have three components: heat cable, a thermostat and a temperature sensor. The thermostat is connected to the home’s power supply and turns the heat on and off according to the floor’s (not the room’s) temperature. A sensor installed in the floor along with the cable tells the thermostat how warm the floor is. (Most people prefer a floor temperature of 80 to 90 degrees F.) The thermostat and sensor are packaged together; cable is usually sold separately. Don’t use a thermostat from one manufacturer with cable from another.

The electrical connections require only basic wiring know-how, and laying the floor cable is a DIY-friendly project. Because of this easy installation—and the lower cost of materials—an electric system is usually the best choice for small-scale projects like heating a kitchen floor or warming up a cold bathroom. Adding electric heat to a typical bathroom when you install a new floor adds only $200 to $300 to the cost of the project. Operating costs are typically about a half cent per square foot per day.

Often the biggest challenge is “fishing” electrical cable through finished walls to the thermostat and cable. Since these systems generally draw only 10 to 15 watts per sq. ft., you can usually connect them to an existing circuit to heat a typical bathroom. For a larger room, you may have to run a new cable to the main panel and pay an electrician about $120 to connect the new circuit there.

If you’re installing heat over a wood-framed floor, place fiberglass insulation between the joists to drive the heat upward. The system will work fine without insulation but will be more efficient with it. Before you install an electric system over a concrete floor, check the manufacturer’s instructions— they may require a layer of foam insulation over the concrete before the heat cable is installed.

Tip: When you estimate the square footage of a room, include only the areas where you can walk; it makes no sense to heat the floor under appliances or behind the toilet.

Electric system #1: Loose cables

The cable comes on a spool, just like any other wire. Loose cable is by far the cheapest way to heat a floor and it’s just as effective as the other systems. The drawback of loose cable is installation time; you have to position the cable in a serpentine pattern, fasten it with lots of hot glue or staples, and then “embed” it.

Most loose cable systems include end channels that guide spacing. You can place cables close together to make the floor heat up faster and reach a higher temperature or farther apart to use less cable. Manufacturers offer various cable lengths to suit the floor’s square footage. You can’t splice sections of cable together to serve a larger room or repair damaged cable (this is true of all electric systems). Fasten the cable every 6 in. so it can’t shift or float while you embed the cable.

Caution: Work carefully with your trowel. If you nick the cable, the entire system won’t work.

There are two ways to embed cable: You can install the cable over tile backer board and then cover it with “thin-set,” the mortar adhesive used for ceramic tile. The thin-set shrinks as it cures, so you may have to add a second layer after the first hardens to level it out. But creating a perfectly flat, smooth surface with thin-set is difficult. You can make it smooth enough for ceramic tile or a floating floor but probably not smooth enough for vinyl flooring. For a faster, smoother surface, install the cable without backer board and pour on “self-leveling compound,” or SLC. SLC is a cement-based powder that you mix with water and then pour over the cable. It becomes rock hard in a few hours. Reinforce the SLC with plastic lath; metal lath can cut the cable. Covering your floor with a 1/2-in.-thick layer of SLC costs about $2 per sq. ft., including the lath. You can then lay tile, carpet, vinyl or a floating floor directly over the SLC.

Electric System #2: Mesh Mats

The cable comes already woven into a plastic net. The pre-positioned cable installs quickly—in less than half the time for loose cable. You simply staple or hot glue the mesh to the floor. As with loose cable, you then embed the cable and mesh.

Mats are available in lots of different dimensions. You can cut the mesh into sections to cover your floor or fit around corners. But you can’t cut or splice the cable itself. Some manufacturers recommend combing thin-set directly over the mesh and setting tile all in one operation. But this is difficult. Most tile setters prefer to embed the mesh first with thin-set or SLC just as with loose wire. The mesh tends to “float” as you embed it, so fasten it to the floor every 6 in.— even if the instructions recommend less fastening. After embedding it, you can lay tile, carpet, vinyl or a floating floor.

Electric system #3: Solid mats

Solid mats are often the most expensive electric system, but they’re also the easiest to install. The cable is completely enclosed in synthetic fabric, plastic sheeting or metal foil. The big advantage is that you don’t have to embed it as you do loose cable or mesh mats. With some versions, you simply smooth the mat onto a bed of thin-set. Then you spread more thin-set over the mat and set ceramic or stone tile as you normally would. Some solid mat systems are even easier to install; you just roll out the mats, tape them together and you’re done. You can then lay a floating wood or laminate floor directly over it.

Mats are available in various dimensions, and you can combine mats of different sizes to cover your floor. Some mats are sized to fit between joists, so you can heat the floor from below — a big advantage if you don’t want to replace an existing floor. However, don’t install electric heat under a subfloor unless the system is specifically intended for that method.

Floor Coverings and Heated Floors

Any flooring material can cover a heated floor, but some work better than others.

• Ceramic and stone tile are the most common. Heat doesn’t harm them and they hold and conduct heat best.
• Solid wood floors can develop gaps if they dry and shrink when heated. If you opt for solid wood, leave the installation to an experienced pro who will test the moisture content of the wood to avoid shrinkage.
• Floating floors made from wood or plastic laminate don’t develop gaps because they’re not fastened directly to the subfloor. But you’ll have to limit the floor temperature. Flooring warranties often limit the temperature to 85 degrees F.
• Vinyl floors have similar temperature restrictions, whether they’re sheet vinyl or tile.
• Carpets or rugs can go over a heated floor, but they act as insulators and reduce heat flow to your feet and to the room as a whole. If you choose electric heat under hard flooring and plan to use an area rug, consider installing the cables only under the flooring that won’t be covered by the rug.

Hydronic systems heat space as well as your toes

Hydronic radiant floor heating installation:

In a hydronic system, heated water from a boiler or a water heater runs through loops of flexible plastic tubing called “PEX.” (PEX can be used for household water supply lines too.) The hot tubes then heat the floor. The main advantage of hydronic systems is that they generally deliver more heat at a lower operating cost than electric systems. That’s why hydronic heat is usually a better option than electric systems to heat large floor areas or even an entire house. However, because they usually involve a boiler, a pump and gas lines, hydronic systems are more complex than electric systems. You can install hydronic floor heat yourself, but you need basic electrical and plumbing know-how as well as professional design help.

Hydronic radiant floor heating installation cost:

The materials for a small-scale hydronic project will cost at least $600.

The easiest—and least expensive—way to install PEX is to run it under a subfloor between joists using transfer plates and insulation. This method costs less than $2 per sq. ft. for tubing, plates and insulation. To install PEX on top of a wood-framed or concrete floor, you need to lay a grooved channel system over the floor or embed the tubing in self-leveling compound. Covering PEX requires more SLC than you can mix yourself; leave that to pros who have special mixing and pumping equipment (at least $2 per sq. ft. for the SLC only). With a concrete floor, you may have to lay foam insulation over the slab before installing PEX. In new construction, the tubing is often installed over insulation and the concrete slab is poured over it.

A hydronic system requires several expensive components. But several rooms share the components, so the more area you heat, the lower the cost per square foot. If you want to heat 200 sq. ft. or more of floor, a hydronic system may cost less to install than electric heat.

The heat source for a hydronic system can be a boiler or a standard water heater. If your home is already heated by hot water radiators or baseboard units, there’s a good chance that your existing boiler can handle the hydronic system as well. If you don’t have a boiler, a water heater can heat one room or several, depending on the size of the water heater. If you’re building an addition, you may find that installing a water heater–powered hydronic floor is less expensive than extending your existing central heating system.

Aside from PEX, a heat source and a pump, a hydronic system may require components such as electric zone valves. It may also require additional pumps. You can install these components yourself, but don’t try to design a system yourself. Look for a company that specializes in helping homeowners plan and install hydronic systems. Before you choose to install a system yourself, get bids from professionals. It will help you decide whether the money saved is worth your time and effort.

Use a Closet Organizer System

Are your closets and garage overflowing with stuff? Are your kitchen cabinets stuffed to capacity? You don’t need to spend a lot of money to find new storage space in your home. You just need these decluttering strategies from our organizational gurus to organize every room of your house.

For economy and quick installation, you can’t beat wire-shelving systems; you can outfit a typical closet in an afternoon. You easily build your own closet organizer, adapting the plans to your specific needs and DIY skill level. You can also buy a pre-made system, but before you go shopping, go online to check out the options, accessories and installation steps.

Assess Your Closet Space

To start, pull everything out – yes, everything. Even the shirt you just wore last week. Part of decluttering and cutting down is knowing exactly how much you have to begin with. This will give you a fresh start in your newly organized closet.

Next, assess the setup of the closet for the clothing you own. Does it fit your wardrobe? Do you need more space for hanging clothes, or do you have more casual items that can be folded? With the closet empty, think about structural changes that might need to be addressed. Would you benefit from adding another hanging rod, cubby organizers, or shelving?

Finally, before you put anything back into the closet, use this opportunity to clean and vacuum it.

Sort Your Clothing

Sort clothing into four piles – keep, try on, give and seasonal. Everything you own should fit into one of these four categories, and breaking the bulk into smaller piles will make the task friendlier. You can use a few empty laundry baskets or other storage containers to help make the process easier. If you don’t have four baskets, that’s fine, just use your bed, the couch, the floor, etc. to sort clothing.

• Keep – Before putting an item back in your closet, ask yourself this: Does this fit? Have I worn it in the last year? Is it still in good, clean condition? Do I feel good wearing it? If the answer is no to any of these questions, consider redirecting it to another pile. Hang or fold any keep clothes and put them back in the closet.
• Try On – Trying on all undecided clothing at once is much easier than each piece as you sort through it. Keep any clothing that fits and you still enjoy. Put the clothes on a hanger or fold them neatly and put them back in the closet. Anything else should filter down to the Give pile. If necessary, keep a small pile of undecided items and return to them at the very end where you might have an easier time making a decision.
• Give – Unwanted and unworn clothing clutters up your closet for no reason. Considering donating used clothing or hosting a clothing swap with friends. Remember, just because it’s a great shirt, it doesn’t mean you’re ever going to wear it – but someone else might love to.
• Seasonal – Clothing specific to one season has no need to be in your closet the rest of the year. Store these items away until the right season in storage bins, under bed boxes, garment racks or spare closets. Make sure when you take your seasonal clothing back out, you remove any past-season clothes from your closet, always keeping some in seasonal storage.

Don’t forget to go through your clothing storage outside of the closet – follow the same process with dressers, trunks and coat closets. If dresser drawers have become cluttered, use fabric or spring-action drawer dividers to keep smaller items organized.

Create Space for Clothing That Doesn’t Need to Be Washed

Clothing that you’ve worn that doesn’t need to be washed just yet can create clutter. To prevent that, use decorative baskets, bins or robe hooks to store those items before washing. Not only will that help keep clutter from building up, it’ll keep those clothes from wrinkling in a pile on the floor.

Repeat the Decluttering Process Regularly

It’s best to accept the fact that your closet is going to get cluttered again. But to help manage the problem, it’s useful to do this again on a regular basis. The easiest way is to set a calendar reminder to revisit this process once or twice a year, but if you have another system for making regular reminders to yourself, just plug in closet decluttering to the list.

Categories

Best Holiday Gift

This can be something you built for a loved one or something a loved one built for you. Cash prize: $500.

Best Holiday DIY Decor

This can include any type of holiday decoration, indoor or outdoor, made with any type of materials. Cash prize: $500.

Editor’s Choice

This will be awarded to one lucky entrant whose work catches our eye. Cash prize: $500.

How to Enter

Send us at least two photos of your project along with a short description about it. You’re welcome to submit videos as well, though it’s not a requirement. Just follow the submission instructions at the link below.

Deadline for submissions is December 31, 2022.

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If you’re a gardener, you’ll love this 12 x 16-ft. shed. (And even if you don’t garden, I bet you could put all this space to work.) There’s plenty of room for all your tools and a planting bench under the windows. You can easily drive your riding mower through the huge sliding doors, or just open them wide for plenty of light and ventilation. Dormer windows provide overhead light, and a bank of end wall windows opens for even more fresh air. To reduce maintenance, we used solid PVC to trim the shed and build the sliding doors, and we covered the walls with fiber cement siding. The custom-size aluminum combination windows won’t require anything but occasional cleaning.

Long-Lasting and Low-Maintenance

We chose exterior materials that’ll keep this shed looking great for decades. First, we covered the walls with 4 x 8 sheets of 5/16-in.-thick fiber cement. If you plan ahead, you can order this James Hardie stucco-look HardiePanel prefinished. We chose to paint ours on-site. Fiber cement is known for its superior paint-holding ability, so we expect the paint job to last a long time.

All the exterior trim, as well as the door frames, are solid PVC by Azek. The 18-ft. lengths mean you don’t have to splice the fascia boards. And you don’t have to search through the lumber for straight, good-looking pieces—all of it is straight and good looking. PVC trim is a little spendy, but you’ll never have to replace it.

Money, time and tools

You can find most of the materials for this shed at home centers or lumberyards. However, the solid PVC trim boards may have to be special-ordered. We spent about $4,800 on the materials for this shed (not including the concrete slab), and the PVC trim accounts for a big chunk of that cost. If you substitute wood or composite trim, you could save about $1,000.

To build this shed, you’ll need standard carpentry tools, including a circular saw and drill. A framing nail gun, miter saw and table saw will save you some time and effort but aren’t necessary. We used a special Ridgid dust-collecting saw to cut the fiber cement siding, but a circular saw will also work.

If you’ve built a deck or other large construction project, you shouldn’t have any trouble with this shed. The framing is straightforward, and with a few helpers you should be able to get the shell up in a weekend. Then expect to spend three or four busy weekends completing the project.

Growing Gardeners

Tom Benson, principal of Pilot Knob Elementary School in Eagan, MN, couldn’t be happier. His magnet school for science, technology, engineering and math just started a raised bed gardening project for the kids and community. We were so impressed with the school’s program that we donated this shed to the cause.

Getting Started

In most areas, you’ll need a building permit for a shed of this size. Check with your local building department to find out what’s required. You’ll probably have to locate the side and back lot lines so you can mark the spot for the new shed. For this you’ll need a survey or plot plan. Ask at city hall—there may be a plot plan on file. To avoid delays, start this process at least a month before you plan to build. After the plans are approved, take them, along with a materials list, to the lumberyard or home center to order materials and work out a delivery schedule.

When you’ve staked out the location of the shed on your lot, you’re ready to pour the concrete slab. We hired a contractor for this, but if you want to do it yourself, go to familyhandyman.com and search for “concrete slab” for complete instructions. A few days before you plan to dig, call 811 for instructions on how to locate buried utility lines.

How to Build a Shed on the Cheap

From impressive builds and designs to household tips and tricks, At Home with Family Handyman provides expert advice, stunning transformations and helpful hints from everyday DIY enthusiasts to discover your next home project.

At Home with Family Handyman Series

Available Now

• Best Builds Countdown: Join us for the most impressive building adventure ever seen, as our host counts down the best builds from DIYers around the globe. We showcase the best indoor and outdoor spaces, from room makeovers and additions to furniture do-overs to full home renovations.
• Saturday Morning Projects: Looking to DIY your way through the weekend? For our busiest DIYers, this new series is your one-stop shop for small workshopping at its best.
• The Before & After Show: For our home enthusiasts who crave nearly instant gratification, this is the eye candy and quick payoff you’ve always dreamed about. We will go from wrecks to decks, big bores to awesome floors and kitchen disaster pieces to kitchen masterpieces.
• The Outdoor Show: If you build it, they will come. Your neighbors, that is! The Outdoor Show covers everything outdoors through a celebration of intricately designed patios and pergolas, decks and outdoor sanctuaries.
• Leave It To Bryan: Homeowners turn their keys over to well-known expert contractor Bryan Baeumler to solve their home renovation woes. With the house and budget under his control, it’s up to Bryan to make the final decisions and give the homeowners the renovation of their dreams.
• Open House Overhaul: Interior designer Samantha Pynn and her crew ambush an unsuspecting seller with the offer to overhaul their home and increase its value in time for their next open house.
• Money for Nothing: Well-known television host, designer and upcycler, Sarah Moore lets us in on her process for turning trash to treasure to dollars!
• Backyard Builds: When indoor space isn’t enough, Backyard Builds showcases the endless opportunities outdoor areas can provide. The series stars contractor and designer Brian McCourt and design expert Sarah Keenleyside who work with homeowners to maximize their backyard’s potential by creating tailored, one-of-a-kind structures.
• Save My Reno: Cash-conscious homeowners finally catch a break when Sebastian Clovis, a savvy contractor with contagious energy, and resourceful DIY designers toss out overpriced reno quotes and slash budgets by putting homeowners to work and hunting for salvaged goods.
• Worst to First: Everyone wants a move-in ready dream home, but it’s just not possible for most homeowners. Professional contractors Mickey and Sebastian thrive on the challenge of transforming the ugliest house on the block, into the envy of the neighborhood.

Coming Soon

• Pet Palaces: Celebrate two things we love the most — animals and building awesome habitats! We’ve mashed the two together to showcase the builds behind the most amazing indoor and outdoor dog houses, cat quarters, lizard lairs and all-around pet palaces ever, hosted by Luke Barr.
• Mr. Build It: Mr. Build It, Alex Mazhukhin, started DIY when he purchased a fixer-upper in Boise, Idaho. Follow along as he and his wife, an interior designer, build their dream home together and learn valuable skills, including everything from demolition and converting spaces to woodworking and welding.

Where to Watch

At Home with Family Handyman is streaming now on XUMO, The Roku Channel, LG Channels, Plex, fuboTV, Sling Free, and the Family Handyman app, available on iOS, Apple TV, Android, AndroidTV, FireTV, and Roku devices. More streaming platforms will be announced in the coming months.

More About the Family Handyman App

The Family Handyman app launched earlier this year. Besides original and syndicated streaming shows, the app gathers our best digital content and videos in one place for easy, on-the-go access to all your favorite DIY tips and tricks. Content themes include Skill Building, Safe & Easy Living, Tips, Handy Hacks & Hints, Projects and Let’s Decorate.

Family Handyman is the most trusted resource for American homeowners and home improvement enthusiasts who seek ideas for making home life better. Offering a multitude of digital resources for do-it-yourself homeowners, the Family Handyman app is the DIYer’s best friend.

Click here to download the app.

The Hack

Good news: You don’t need a grill brush or any other special grilling tools to clean your charcoal grill. Simply ball up a sheet of sturdy aluminum foil and use it to scrub your grill grates. Once you clean the grates, sweep out any debris in the bottom of the grill. Empty the ash catcher if you have one. (Always check your ash catcher before you grill to make sure it’s not at capacity.) You can use a putty knife to dislodge any stubborn gunk.

John Williamson is a licensed master electrician and certified building official who spent 45 years as an electrician, inspector, instructor and administrator. He also spent three decades consulting on and writing about electrical DIY projects for book, magazine and digital publishers.

After retiring as Chief Electrical Inspector for the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry in 2021, John has thoroughly enjoyed working on his never-ending list of workshop and DIY projects.

Read John’s Work

Susan Martin is a lifelong gardener who enjoys sharing her passion for plants, gardening and the business of horticulture with fellow plant enthusiasts across North America. She spent more than two decades working in the horticulture industry on new plant development, garden design, sales, marketing and consulting.

Susan has received visitors from around the world in her home garden, which has been featured in numerous gardening publications. Her goal is to inspire and educate people every day about how to garden.

Read Susan’s Work

Katie Dohman is an award-winning freelance writer who has covered home, design and lifestyle topics for more than 15 years. She loves sharing home products and trends with readers, as well as putting her extensive mental design catalog to work.

Katie and her architect husband are gutting and renovating their beloved 1921 French Revival home and property, with a goal to take it from Grey Gardens to a gothy Wes Anderson domicile. She’s off to a good start with a trio of gargoyles guarding the yard.

Read Katie’s Work

After graduating from the University of Western Ontario with a physics degree, Chris Deziel thought he was going to be a scientist. Instead, he found a different calling. He spent more than thirty years in the remodeling and landscaping trades, specializing in carpentry, cabinetry and furniture refinishing. He earned most of his building chops during the construction of a small city in the Oregon desert.

Chris parlayed his fascination with building and maintaining houses into a writing career, publishing or consulting on thousands of articles since 2010. He is currently turning his off-grid California property into a dedicated solar homestead.

Read Chris’ Work

Dan Stout is a former residential remodeler, commercial site supervisor and maintenance manager turned freelance writer and author. He has worked on nearly all aspects of building and DIY, including project planning and permitting, plumbing, basic electric, drywall, carpentry, tiling and painting. Dan also publishes noir fantasy thrillers, including The Carter Archives, from Penguin imprint DAW Books.

Read Dan’s Work

Joe Churchill is a Turf Specialist who collaborates with people who grow grass for a living, from lawn care providers to professional sports turf managers. His idea of a perfect workday is walking a baseball field or taking a soil sample for a client. He’s always happy to coach beleaguered lawn owners, whether through his FH content or in the grass seed aisle of his local garden center.

When Joe doesn’t have his grass-growing cap on, he likes to spend time outdoors, especially climbing rocks along Lake Superior’s North Shore.

Read Joe’s Work

A writer and indie film producer, Karuna Eberl covers the outdoors and nature side of DIY, exploring wildlife, green living, travel and gardening. She also writes FH’s Eleven Percent column, about dynamic women in the construction workforce.

Karuna and her husband are on the final stretch of renovating an abandoned house in a near-ghost town in rural Colorado. When they’re not working, you can find them hiking and traveling the backroads, camping in their self-converted van.

Read Karuna’s Work

An ASE Master Automotive Technician since 1978, Bob Lacivita was a General Motors Master Technician for 21 years before moving into technical and career education. As an automotive teacher and later an administrator, he helped prepare the next generation of automotive service and trade professionals. He put those mechanical skills into practice as a homeowner, too, teaming with his wife of 49 years on three extensive home renovations.

Bob has been part of the Family Handyman team since the 1990s, first as a contributing editor to the magazine and the bestselling Simple Car Care & Repair, and now as a regular digital contributor.

Read Bob’s Work

Scott Flint, AKA The Fix-It Guy, is a professional appliance repair technician with more than 30 years experience. He enjoys empowering homeowners to confidently complete appliance repairs through his popular YouTube Channel and his content on FH.com.

A 9th Degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate and longtime martial arts teacher and author, Scott’s calm manner and straightforward style makes complex repairs understandable. He was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he still lives with his wife. Their two children and two granddaughters live nearby.

Read Scott’s Work

No-Mess Refills for Sink Soap

Crawling under a kitchen sink to refill the soap dispenser was a hassle, so I tried filling it from above. But when I did, the soap formed an air-lock bubble and overflowed, creating a mess.

That’s when I came up with the idea of inserting a drinking straw in the bottle to relieve “bubble block.” Now when I refill the dispenser, the air escapes through the straw and the soap stays where it belongs. — Paul Snyder.

FH is a trusted source for DIY home improvement information and advice. We cover topics including home maintenance and repairs, painting, carpentry, plumbing, electrical work, pest control, tool and appliance selection, organizing, cleaning, décor, automotive, gardening, lawn care, outdoor living and more. We have a variety of content dedicated to construction pros, as well.

Our Content Creators

Some of our contributors are subject matter pros. Others are excellent researchers and interviewers who track down pros to inform their words. It’s essential that our content comes from a place of expertise.

No matter which camp they’re in, all of our content creators are committed to providing straightforward, easy-to-read information that empowers readers to create the home they love.

Interested in creating original content for FH?

Send an email to submissions@familyhandyman.com including:

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NOTE: We do not accept link requests or “unpaid” content. For advertising and other contact information, visit our Contact Us page.

Build a Baseball Organizer

If you have baseball and/or softball enthusiasts in your family, build this bat and ball holder with four-inch PVC pipe and caps to keep their equipment organized. — Randy A. Michel.

Be one of the first readers to try out our app and let us know what you think! Your feedback will be crucial in helping us build a product that meets your needs. Just send an email to support@familyhandyman.com to give us your feedback.

What’s on the App?

The Family Handyman app gathers our best digital content and videos in one place for easy, on-the-go access to all your favorite DIY tips and tricks. Content themes include Skill Building, Safe & Easy Living, Tips, Handy Hacks & Hints, Projects, and Let’s Decorate.

Download the app here and let us know your thoughts!

Family Handyman is the most trusted resource for American homeowners & home improvement enthusiasts who seek ideas for making home life better. Offering a variety of digital resources for do-it-yourself homeowners, the Family Handyman app is the DIYer’s best friend.

Super-Stable Plywood Base

A “must do” with any new portable table saw (when you’re not using a leg set) is to attach a 3/4-in. plywood base with a hole cut in the center. This simple base allows you to clamp or screw the table saw to sawhorses, which provide a wide foundation for added stability. This also raises the saw off the ground to a comfortable working height. The hole in the bottom lets the sawdust fall through and helps keep the saw running cool. But that’s not all the base has to offer. Drill a couple of 1/2-in. holes on one side so you can hang the saw from hooks fastened to the workshop or garage wall when you’re finished using it.

Cut the plywood base a few inches wider and longer than the base of your saw, and then cut a 1-sq.-ft. hole in the center. Center your saw on the plywood and mark the mounting holes. Drill a 1/8-in. hole through the plywood at each mark. Flip the piece over and drill 1-in. dia. holes about 1/4 in. deep to recess the carriage bolt heads. Next, drill 5/16-in. holes in the center of the recesses. Pound in the carriage bolts, slip the saw over the bolts (use spacers if they come with the saw) and fasten the saw to the base with washers and nuts.

CAUTION:  Every table saw user has horror stories about near misses and not-so-near misses. No doubt about it: Table saw blades can be dangerous. Always approach them with respect. Use your blade guard whenever possible and always wear safety glasses and hearing protection. Read your owner’s manual and make sure your saw is properly adjusted.

Types of Christmas Lights

All Kinds of Choices

Whether you’re going for practicality or a high-end look, there are lots of great plants for your window boxes. Here are the best options depending on your needs.

When your HVAC system isn’t functioning properly, it’s tempting to panic. Resist the urge. Whether it’s just not operating as it should or it’s not working at all, take these steps to try to identify the problem. The issue might be a simple fix. If it isn’t and you need to bring in a professional, your sleuthing hasn’t been wasted. It may help the service pro identify the problem and repair it quicker, potentially reducing your cost and returning you to comfort faster.

1. Inspect the thermostat. If your HVAC system isn’t working at all or working erratically, make sure the thermostat is at the proper setting for heating or cooling and programmed correctly to turn on and off at the appropriate times. If it has batteries or is rechargeable, replace the batteries or check the charge level.

2. Check the electrical panel. If your HVAC system isn’t working at all, make sure the power switch at the unit is on, and check the breaker at the electrical panel. If it’s in the on position, flip it off and then on again. If it’s in the off position, flip it on.

3. Look at the vents. If airflow is obstructed, you’ll have cold or hot spots in your house. Make sure each vent is fully open. Clean them regularly with a broom or a cloth so they aren’t clogged with dirt or debris. Move furniture or other objects that might be blocking them and preventing air from circulating in a room.

4. Clean or replace filters. Your HVAC air filter keeps dust and other impurities from entering your home. Maintaining it helps keep indoor air cleaner, lets your system run more efficiently, lengthens the system’s life and reduces the chances of costly repairs. Use filters recommended by the manufacturer, and set a reminder to change or clean your filter every 30 to 90 days. If you have pets or a lot of dust in your home, clean or change the filter on the shorter end—every 30 days or so. Periodically replace washable filters.

5. Inspect ductwork. Leaks in air ducts affect how much conditioned air gets to where it needs to go. It’s common for leaks to occur at duct joints. You can detect those with your hand when the system is running. Seal air leaks with aluminum foil tape.

6. Clear the area around the unit. Check the area surrounding your HVAC unit. For proper airflow, outdoor units should have several feet around them clear of plants and debris. Indoors, clear away any boxes or clutter near a unit that could obstruct airflow and access.

7. Look for air leaks and drafts. If your doors and windows aren’t properly sealed, or if you don’t have adequate insulation, you’ll have cold or hot spots in your home. This means your HVAC system will have to work harder. Check the attic to see if you should increase insulation. Remove trim around doors and windows, and seal any gaps with foam insulation; when you reinstall the trim, caulk around it. Check exterior doors for adequate weatherstripping, and make sure thresholds seal properly.

8. Check the AC’s coils and fan blades. Debris and dirt on the condenser coils and blades can prevent the unit from operating properly. To clean them, first shut off power to the condenser at the nearby electrical box and confirm that it’s off. Then, using a hose and nozzle, spray water at the coils and blades. Prevent future problems by doing this task every spring, just before the cooling season begins.

Can You Roof a House Yourself?

Make no bones about it—roofing is hard work. There’s no hiding from the elements. You can’t be afraid of heights and you need to be pretty fit. Before committing to a roofing project, try this: Get out a ladder and climb up onto your roof. If you can’t walk around on it comfortably, hire a pro. If you passed this first test, go to the lumberyard or home center and throw a bundle of shingles onto your shoulder. Imagine yourself carrying that load up a ladder…many, many times.

If you’re still feeling positive about roofing at this point, why not give it a shot? You can skip a lot of heavy lifting by having your roofing supplier hoist the shingles onto the roof. Be sure you spread the load evenly across the length of the roof’s peak. However, don’t have the shingles delivered to the roof if you still have two layers of old shingles to tear off—it could be too much weight for your trusses.

After you’ve obtained a permit (if needed) and safely stripped the roof clean, nail drip edge flashing flush along the eave.

Windblown heavy rain and/or snow can force water up and under even properly installed shingles. Even worse are ice dams (frozen water/snow that builds up on roof edges), which can wreak havoc by allowing water to seep up under lower shingles and then drip into your house. To guard against such seepage, apply self-adhesive waterproof underlayment (“ice barrier”), which adheres tightly to bare roof sheathing and seals around nails driven through it. Buy it at roofing supply companies or home centers. In severe climate regions, most building codes require applying it 3 to 6 ft. up from the eave (minimum of 2 ft. past the exterior wall). Call your building inspector for local details.

Cover the rest of the roof with No. 15 asphalt-saturated felt underlayment (some codes may require No. 30). Each layer overlaps the lower one by at least 2 in. Follow this step by nailing drip edge along rakes (sides of roof), on top of the underlayment. As you did with the flashing, always lap upper pieces over lower pieces. The felt keeps the roof deck dry before shingles go on, protects against wind-driven rain as shingles fail and increases fire resistance.

Next, find the center of the roof at the top and the eave, then snap a vertical chalk line. Most pros use this line to begin shingling, working left and right toward the rakes. Shingle manufacturers may recommend starting at the left rake edge, so check package recommendations.

For the first row of shingles, called a starter course or strip, you cut the tabs off three-tab shingles and apply them with the self-sealing adhesive strip facing up along the eave. Make sure this row has a slight overhang (1/4 to 3/8 in.) beyond the drip edge. The starter course protects the roof by filling in the spaces under the cutouts and joints of the next row (first course) of shingles. The adhesive on the starter course seals the tabs of the first full course.

Finally, nail the first course of shingles directly on top of and flush with the starter course. Use four roofing nails per shingle, as indicated on package instructions (six nails in high-wind areas). Once this course is laid, you can begin snapping horizontal chalk lines up the roof to ensure straight rows. Make sure to expose 5 in. of the shingle tabs where the bottom edge of the tab meets the top of the cutout.

Prevent Ice Dams

Tear Off the Old Shingles

It’s impossible to properly install new flashing and underlayment if you don’t tear off the old roof beforehand. When tearing off the existing shingles, be sure to remove all the old nails or pound them flat. Protruding nails will tear holes in your new shingles. If you have movable items near your house and you’re worried they might get damaged, relocate them. Invest in a few large tarps to protect your plants and landscaping and to catch the thousands of nails that will rain down off the roof. It can be downright impossible to remove old self-stick ice-and-water underlayment, but it’s OK if you have to leave it in place. And if at all possible, have the rented trash bin parked close to the house so you can toss in the old shingles right from the roof.

Figure A: Roofing Overview

This cutaway drawing shows the steps involved in roofing a house.

Install the drip edge

Metal drip edge isn’t usually required (check with a local building official), but it gives roof edges a nice finished look, prevents shingles from curling over the edge, and keeps water from running directly down your fascia boards.

Before you install the underlayment, fasten the drip edge that covers the fascia on the eaves. The whole length of the fascia is probably not perfectly straight, so don’t snap a line; just hold the drip edge snug against the fascia and fasten it through the top into the decking with roofing nails. Nail it every couple of feet.

Install the drip edge on the gable ends of the roof after you finish installing your underlayment. Start at the bottom side of the gable, and overlap the sections of drip edge a few inches as you work your way up the roof (see Figure A). Use a tin snips to cut the drip edge to size.

Stay Safe

When it comes to roofs, even the best safety equipment is no substitute for common sense and good judgment. Here are some tips for working safely on a roof:

• Leave steep and/or high roof work to the pros. No amount of money you could save is worth the risk of death or a lifelong disability from a fall.
• A fall protection kit (harness, rope and hook) only costs about $100 at home centers.
• Wet roofs are slippery. Wear shoes with soft rubber soles for extra traction.
• Keep the roof swept clean of dirt and debris.
• Everyone on the ground should wear a hard hat—even the most careful worker can drop a tool off the roof.
• Always look and call out before tossing anything down.
• Carefully position ropes and extension cords so they’re not underfoot.
• Check the weight rating on your ladder—it needs to hold you plus 80 lbs.
• Extend the top of the ladder at least 3 ft. above the roof edge so you’ll have something to hang on to as you step onto and off the roof.
• Never step on any of the ladder rungs above the roof.
• Set up scaffolding to install the drip edge and first few courses.

Stick On the Underlayment

Protect the roof against ice dams and windblown rain with self-stick ice-and-water underlayment. Peel off the top half of the plastic backing as you unroll the underlayment.