Home Improvement

If you’ve ever had that worst of experiences (a contractor who takes forever to complete your remodeling project, does shoddy work or doesn’t get around to completing the job!) you’ll find a wealth of ideas and tips in this 3 part series on finding the right contractor for your next home improvement, remodeling or home [...]

Like a cartoon character you go to open your closet one day and things spill out on top of you. If you’re like me, you have lots of clothes. And belts. And shoes. And coats. And sweaters and tops and … well, you get the idea!
However, when I bought my house I came to the [...]

Well, you have to be a die-hard do-it-yourselfer, but if you want to try laying your own carpet, we’ve outlined the basic steps, along with videos on how it’s done!

Renovating your kitchen on a budget means making trade-offs. But smart homeowners are finding great deals on appliances, materials and labor these days, making kitchen remodeling a smart long term investment.

Warm and natural, terracotta tile is a great choice for flooring. Learn how to lay out, cut and set terracotta flooring tiles in our how to guide for do-it-yourselfers.

Part 2 in our DIY tile flooring series shows you how to lay, set and grout your own ceramic tile flooring.

With these tips you can learn to plan and layout a tile floor yourself. Whether you want to install ceramic, terracotta or natural stone tile flooring our guide will teach you how to measure, estimate materials, lay out and cut tile for your home flooring project.

Home Sweet Home
It has been a little over a year now since we developed the current RafterTales home improvement and decorating blog, we have posted almost 400 articles during that time. Looking back at the content we have published, it is fun to look back and see which articles have been most popular with our readers; it [...]

Preventive plumbing tips; what to do if a water pipe bursts, the toilet or sink drain clogs, how to prevent frozen water pipes and more do-it-yourself problem solving tips in honor of Joe the Plumber.

During these tough economic times, does it make sense to do home improvements? We think it does; read on to learn why your home is still one of the best places to invest and how you can be prepared to sell your home when things start to rebound!

Having your home heating system inspected once a year by an HVAC contractor will extend its useful life and save money on your heating bill. But there are some home furnace and heating system maintenance items you can complete yourself.

Regular cleaning of your home\’s air ducts helps prevent major maintenance issues, promotes good health for your family and reduces your home energy expenses.

If you are designing a new fireplace or replacing a fireplace in your older home, you’ll find hundreds of ideas, tips and images of fireplace designs, mantels, surrounds and more in our Fireplace Design Photo Gallery.

Keeping things neat and orderly can be a challenge in any bathroom. Follow these ideas and tips to get your bathroom organized and ready for battle action!

See how the pros turn ordinary bathrooms into designer masterpieces. Free, comprehensive, no-nonsense, practical Guide to Bathroom Decorating shows you how!