What We Help You Fix, Build and Renovate

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Plumbing, Electrical and HVAC Fixes

Stop a running toilet, fix a water heater, wire a 3-way switch or bring a dead air conditioner back to life. Every guide starts with the safety steps and says plainly when a job needs a licensed pro.

Plumbing guides Learn More
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Kitchen, Bath and Interior Remodels

Plan a bathroom or kitchen remodel, tile a floor, hang drywall and paint like a pro. Layouts, materials and real costs, then the steps in order.

Bathroom guides Learn More
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Roofing, Siding, Doors and Windows

Find and fix a roof leak, clean gutters safely, seal a draft or fix a garage door opener that stopped working. The outside of the house, from the ridge to the driveway.

Exterior guides Learn More
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Lawns, Plants and Outdoor Living

Seed a lawn, build a deck, set pavers and grow plants that actually thrive where you live. Yard projects with the materials list up front.

Garden guides Learn More
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Appliances, Pests and Maintenance

Fix a washer that will not drain, clean a dryer vent before it becomes a fire risk, get rid of fruit flies and keep the house in shape season by season.

Appliance guides Learn More
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Tools, Planning and Free Calculators

Pick the right tool, plan a budget and measure once. Our free calculators turn your measurements into bags of concrete, gallons of paint, squares of shingles and sheets of drywall.

Open the calculators Learn More
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Browse every section

Step-by-step guides for every part of the house, inside and out.

HVAC & Air Quality illustration: a furnace and a heat pump outdoor unit, a wall thermostat, ductwork with a vent register, a pleated air filter being slid inHome systems

HVAC & Air Quality

Heating, cooling and indoor air: AC repair, furnaces, heat pumps, thermostats, ductwork, dehumidifiers…4 guidesPlumbing illustration: a sink with the cabinet doors open showing a P-trap, a pipe wrench, a toilet with its tank lid off, a tank water heater, a plungerHome systems

Plumbing

Fix leaks, clogs, toilets, faucets and water heaters yourself, and know when a…4 guidesElectrical illustration: an open breaker panel, a wall outlet and light switch with cover plates, a voltage tester, wire strippers, a coil of electrical cableHome systems

Electrical

Outlets, switches, lighting, ceiling fans, breakers and generators, with the safety steps that…4 guidesKitchen Remodeling illustration: a bright kitchen with shaker cabinets, a countertop with a sink and faucet, a range hood, a tape measure and a sample door on the counterRemodeling

Kitchen Remodeling

Cabinets, countertops, layouts, sinks and appliances: plan a kitchen remodel and do the…4 guidesBathroom Remodeling illustration: a walk-in shower with subway tile, a floating vanity with a vessel sink, a mirror, a tile trowel and grout floatRemodeling

Bathroom Remodeling

Showers, tubs, vanities, tile and ventilation: bathroom remodels and repairs from planning to…4 guidesFlooring, Walls & Paint illustration: planks of wood-look flooring being clicked together, a paint roller and tray, a drywall sheet with a taping knife, a levelRemodeling

Flooring, Walls & Paint

Hardwood, vinyl, laminate, tile and carpet, plus drywall, painting, wallpaper and trim.4 guidesBasements & Attics illustration: a cutaway house showing an attic with insulation batts above and a finished basement with a sump pump belowRemodeling

Basements & Attics

Waterproofing, finishing, insulation, crawl spaces and additions that turn unused space into living…4 guidesRoofing & Exterior illustration: a house roofline with shingles being laid, a ladder against the gutter, a roofing hammer and a bundle of shinglesExterior

Roofing & Exterior

Roofs, siding, gutters, masonry, foundations and driveways: inspect, repair and know what replacement…4 guidesDoors & Windows illustration: a front door with sidelights, a double-hung window, a caulk gun, weatherstripping and a garage door openerExterior

Doors & Windows

Garage doors and openers, entry doors, windows, locks and home security upgrades.4 guidesOutdoor Living illustration: a wooden deck with railings, a paver patio, a fire pit, a string of patio lights and a cordless drillExterior

Outdoor Living

Decks, patios, fences, pools, lawn care and landscaping projects for your yard.4 guidesGarden illustration: raised garden beds with vegetables, a lawn being seeded, a wheelbarrow, a watering can, pruning shears and potted plantsGarden

Garden

Flowers, trees, shrubs, vegetables and houseplants: what to plant, when, and how to…4 guidesAppliances illustration: a washing machine, a dryer with its vent hose, a dishwasher with the door open, a refrigerator and a multimeterHome care

Appliances

Diagnose and fix washers, dryers, refrigerators, dishwashers and ovens before you pay for…4 guidesPest Control & Mold illustration: a clean house corner with a sealed gap, a magnifying glass over an ant trail, a mouse trap, a dehumidifier and a spray bottleHome care

Pest Control & Mold

Identify and get rid of insects, rodents and mold, and keep them from…4 guidesCleaning & Maintenance illustration: a seasonal maintenance scene: a gutter scoop, a dryer vent brush, a smoke detector on a ceiling, a bucket with sponges and a checklist clipboardHome care

Cleaning & Maintenance

Seasonal maintenance checklists, deep cleaning methods and the jobs that keep a house…4 guidesTools & DIY illustration: a pegboard tool wall with a hammer, cordless drill, circular saw, level, tape measure and a tool box on a workbenchDIY & planning

Tools & DIY

Choose and use the right tools and materials, from drills and saws to…4 guidesPlanning & Costs illustration: a blueprint floor plan unrolled on a table, a calculator, a tape measure, paint swatches, tile samples and a pencilDIY & planning

Planning & Costs

Budgets, contractors, permits, inspections and design decisions for renovations of any size.4 guides

Free project calculators

Turn your measurements into what you actually buy: bags, cubic yards, gallons, squares and sheets.

Concrete CalculatorSquare Footage CalculatorPaint CalculatorRoofing CalculatorGravel CalculatorMulch CalculatorDrywall CalculatorDeck CalculatorFlooring CalculatorFence CalculatorBTU CalculatorTile Calculator

See all 25 calculators

Home improvement calculators illustration: a calculator, a long tape measure, a bag of concrete, a paint can, a stack of pavers, a roll of blueprint and a wheelbarrow of gravel

Latest guides

Roofing & Exterior

How to find and fix a leaking roof

Most roof leaks come from a cracked pipe boot, a popped nail, or failed flashing, not the shingles…Tools & DIY

How to use a post hole digger

A post hole digger (the clamshell “post digger” with two long handles) digs a clean, narrow hole by…Pest Control & Mold

How to remove mold safely yourself

You can handle mold removal yourself when the patch covers less than about 10 square feet (roughly a…Planning & Costs

How to measure the square footage of a room

To get the square footage of a room, measure the length and width in feet, then multiply the…Roofing & Exterior

How to clean your gutters safely

Clean gutters from a properly set extension ladder, not from the roof: scoop the debris by hand, flush…Tools & DIY

How to use a caulking gun

A caulking gun works best when you cut the nozzle small, load the tube square, and pull the…