Articles in: Restore Home

Places: Converted Sheds

Posted by: Jae Warren on April 5th, 2012 | 8 Comments

Image of the Shed of the Year Winner 2011

Image via Reader Sheds

History does not recall when or where early man constructed the first single family home. But what is fairly certain, whoever this first Homo sapiens home owner was, he built the first backyard shed shortly after moving in. Mankind has been building sheds in one form or another ever since to store and organize the stuff that we need to live civilized lives.

For many of us, they are the spooky wooden shacks that haunted the back corners of Grandpa’s yard, filled with cobwebs and old paint cans. While for others, the shed was a favorite hiding place, or the place they watched and learned how to make and repair things with a parent or relative. Nowadays, sheds can fill so many different functions, are easy to construct, and can be an enhancement to the home, not only functionally, but also aesthetically.

Take a look at the many different converted sheds we found – like the one above from the UK site Reader Sheds– the prize-winning pick for Shed of the Year 2011– to the creative shed redo’s that give outdoor living spaces new life.

Never thought you’d need or want a shed in your backyard? Just take a look …

Backyard Sheds, DIY, Do-it-yourself, Garden Shed, Home Depot, Home Improvement, Inspiration, Outdoor Sheds, places, Restore Home, Shed, Shed Kits, Sheds, Storage Shed, Storage Sheds, Tool Shed, Utility Shed, Wood Shed, Wood Sheds, Wooden Sheds

YouTube Thursday: Deck Cleaning & Maintenance Tips

Posted by: Shaina Oliphant on April 5th, 2012 | 2 Comments

The weather’s warming up and it’s time to start extending your living space into the great outdoors. Decks are great for dining, entertaining or just relaxing with family. So take care of your deck by protecting it from the elements with just a few simple cleaning and maintenance tips.

This video offers detailed instructions on how to properly get your deck ready for regular use. It walks you through all of the necessary steps including, sanding to remove loose wood or finish, safely applying a cleaner, using a pressure washer to rinse, and applying a stain or sealer. It also includes helpful tips about wearing protective gloves and safety glasses, and how to choose between the different types of cleaners. Our expert associates on The Home Depot How-To Community Forum can also answer any other DIY questions you may have. And be sure to visit our Garden Center to get everything you need to beautify your outdoor space all season long.

Want more videos? Catch up with YouTube Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Deck, Deck Maintenance, Deck Stain, DIY, Do-it-yourself, Home Depot, Home Improvement, outdoor, Outdoor Living, Restore Home, Spring, The Home Depot, Video, Videos, youtube

Painting Metal to Save Money On a Bathroom Update

Posted by: Shaina Oliphant on March 30th, 2012 | 3 Comments

Painting metal (and lots of other surfaces) is easy with Rust-Oleum

Home Depot Community member fourkoals is faced with a common bathroom dilemma – mismatched bath metal finishes. He wants to unify and update the look of his bathroom without the cost of totally replacing his shower door frame. That’s where Forum associate PaintPro steps in to help with advice on painting metal. Read on for PaintPro’s practical and cost-effective solution to this problem.

Bathroom, DIY, Do-it-yourself, From the Forum, From the Forums, Home Depot, Home Improvement, painting metal, Restore Home, Rust-Oleum, Rustoleum, The Home Depot

YouTube Tuesday: How To Prepare For A Painting Project

Posted by: Shaina Oliphant on March 27th, 2012 | Make A Comment

Freshening up the home with paint is a very popular indoor spring project. This is an easy and inexpensive way to spruce things up – unless you don’t properly prepare! So it makes sense to take the time to do things right the first time to save yourself time, energy and money.

Take a look at this video for a comprehensive look at all of the steps you should take to best prepare for your indoor painting project. It covers everything from clearing the room and selecting the proper drop cloth to protect floors and furniture, to filling holes with caulk and using primer to ensure just the right paint coverage on your walls. The video also offers tricks of the trade like using a solution of bleach and water to treat mildew and using TSP to clean greasy wall sections. Don’t forget you can catch up with our expert associates for more DIY tips on the How-To Community Forum.

[Editor’s Note: Want more videos? Catch up with YouTube Tuesdays and Thursdays!]

DIY, Do-it-yourself, Home Depot, Home Improvement, Paint, Restore Home, The Home Depot, Video, Videos, youtube

How to Remove Moss, How to Encourage It: Two Views of a Rootless Plant

Posted by: Craig Allen on March 23rd, 2012 | 4 Comments

So is moss a good thing? Or a bad thing?

There’s been a little back and forth on this recently on The Home Depot’s Community Forums, with some handy tips not only on how to remove moss, but also how to encourage the growth of moss.

It started when Forum associate LawnRanger mentioned in his post, Get the Moss Out, that he’d been getting questions from Community members about how to get rid of moss from lawns and patios. “Moss is nice and green, but as with all weeds, if it is in the wrong place, it has to be removed,” LawnRanger astutely pointed out.

Moss is nice, but if it's in the wrong place, it has to be removed.

From the Forums, Gardening Ideas, Home Depot, how to encourage moss, how to remove moss, lawn care, plant care, Restore Home

Unclogging a Kitchen Sink: Could It be the Garbage Disposal?

Posted by: Ayana Glaze on March 16th, 2012 | Make A Comment

Could it be the garbage disposal?

Kitchen sink clogged for no reason? Have you tried to unclog your kitchen sink with a plunger, pipe snake or drain solutions? If baking soda, liquid pipe snake or a plunger aren’t working, the culprit may be your garbage disposal.

Home Depot community member Leandrohailey brought such a problem to The Home Depot’s online Forums in his thread, “How do you get kitchen sink to drain without always having to turn on the garbage disposal?“ This community member recently installed a new garbage disposal and now the kitchen sink won’t drain without the garbage disposal being turned on. The dishwasher then overflows into the kitchen sink.

“I don’t feel like standing at the sink anymore and turning on the disposal every time we need to wash dishes,” Leandrohailey writes.

Forums associate HDAnswerman felt Leandrohailey’s pain and chimed in with a few possible solutions to this problem unclogging a kitchen sink.

DIY, Do-it-yourself, From the Forums, garbage disposal, Home Depot, Home Improvement, Kitchen Sink, Restore Home, The Home Depot, unclogging a kitchen sink

Spring Forward This Weekend And Check Smoke Alarms, Thermostats And Security Lights

Posted by: Thomas Chismar on March 10th, 2012 | Make A Comment

This weekend signals the beginning of daylight saving time in much of the U.S. Here’s a friendly reminder about a few things you’ll want to do beyond just setting all the clocks forward one hour…

1. Check all batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors

Make sure all detectors in your home have sufficient battery power. Twice a year, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors need their batteries tested. So this weekend, push the test button on your detectors. If they respond with a loud siren or flashing light, they’re good to go. If not, replace with fresh batteries and retest. Or just go ahead and replace them to be extra sure.

2. Adjust the time forward one hour on your programmable thermostats, appliances and clocks

It’s important to adjust the time on these household products to ensure energy savings. If you don’t adjust the time on your thermostat, your heater will kick on one hour late. If you forget this step, you may wake up to a cold house. Likewise, adjust the timer on your kitchen appliances and clocks to make sure your alarms and programmable cooking timers are correct.

3. Adjust the time forward one hour on your sprinklers and security lights

Don’t forget your outdoor timers! Make sure your security lights turn on at dusk, which arrives an hour later this Sunday. Also, adjust your irrigation sprinklers to ensure they turn on at the correct time of day.

Appliances, Batteries, carbon monoxide detectors, clocks, CO detectors, home security, irrigation sprinklers, Kitchen Appliances, programmable thermostats, replacement batteries, Restore Home, security lights, Smoke Detectors, Sprinklers, thermostats

How to Use Upcycled Cabinets for Organizing

Posted by: Caroline Inge on February 17th, 2012 | 5 Comments

There’s really no better time to tackle some organizing and decluttering around your house than these last few weeks of Winter before Spring arrives. Once the sun comes out and trees start to bloom, indoor projects will hit the back burner. While you’re neatening and tidying your nest, consider these helpful tips from organizing extraordinaire, Jen of iHeartOrganizing. See how she repurposes old, used cabinet doors and keeps her busy family-of-five organized.

Read on for her easy, how-tos and organizational tips. Take it away, Jen!

Any cabinet door can be transformed to be a fabulous organizational tool. It may seem hard to believe that something so simple can be a total game changer, but here are a couple of ways that we use them in our home to stay organized.

31 days 31 ways, cabinet door, Cabinets, DIY, Do-it-yourself, family organization, Home Maintenance, How-To, Ideas, iheartorganizing, Inspiration, kids artwork display, menu planning, organize artwork, playroom, Projects, Restore Home, Storage, Storage Solutions, toy organization

Top 5 Blizzard Safety Tips

Posted by: Shaina Oliphant on February 8th, 2012 | 2 Comments

Who doesn’t love a snowy winter day filled with snow angels, warm cups of cocoa and cozy nights by the fireplace? But those of you who’ve ever been stuck in the middle of a blizzard know that there really can be too much of a good thing! So make sure you’re prepared for when these serious winter storms blow into town with our blizzard survival safety tips:

1. Stay inside! Blizzard survival is all about staying safe and warm. That means seeking shelter and staying there until the dangerous conditions have passed. If you’re outside during a blizzard you run a very real risk of suffering from frostbite and/or hypothermia. And even if you are sufficiently bundled up to hold off these dangers, you’re still not out of the woods yet. Very low visibility and icy roads make for treacherous driving conditions. It’s also very easy to get lost in a total white-out or big snow drifts, whether you’re in your car or on foot.

2. Keep heating options open. Downed power lines are common during severe weather so it’s important to have a back-up plan to stay warm when the electricity is out. If you have a wood burning or gas fireplace you’re in luck. Just be sure to always have all of the necessary fireplace accessories on hand in preparation for blizzard conditions. Kerosene heaters and generators are also great heating alternatives. Just be sure to maintain proper ventilation when in use and keep pets and children away.

blizzard, blizzard safety, DIY, Do-it-yourself, emergency kit, emergency kits, Home Depot, Home Improvement, Restore Home, Safety Tips, Severe Weather, The Home Depot, winter preparation tips, Winter Safety Tips

YouTube Tuesday: Installing A Bath Fan

Posted by: Shaina Oliphant on January 31st, 2012 | Make A Comment

Sufficient airflow is extremely important to maintaining a healthy home, especially in the bathroom. The proper flow of air can prevent harmful mold and mildew from growing as a result of water and humidity. Airflow also has the added benefit of keeping your bathroom beautiful by preventing warped doors and peeling paint and wallpaper.

Watch this video for great tips on how to easily install a bath fan so you can keep that air moving and your bathroom safe. You will learn about important issues like whether you need to fully replace your fan or whether it just needs an upgrade, as well as how to calculate the proper cubic foot per minute for sufficient airflow. Visit homedepot.com where you can find everything you need for your bathroom, including bath fans, vanities, tubs and showere, and much more!

If you have any questions about product selection, installation, or anything home improvement-related for that matter, be sure to ask our expert associates at The Home Depot How-To Community Forum.

Editor’s Note: Want more videos? Catch up with YouTube Tuesdays and Thursdays!

Bath, bath fan, Bath Project, Bathroom, bathroom fan, DIY, Do-it-yourself, Home Depot, Home Improvement, Restore Home, The Home Depot, Video, Videos, youtube

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