KnowRemodeling

The archive

Every guide, one shelf.

Interior refinishes, exterior maintenance, and the tips we wish someone had told us first. Browse by where the work happens.

A steel tape measure stretched across the inside of an old white double-hung window with a notepad on the sill
ExteriorReplacement Windows8 min read

Measure for Replacement Windows the Way Installers Do

A step-by-step guide to measuring for pocket replacement windows: three-point width and height, checking square and sill slope, deductions, and writing a clean order.
Gloved hands setting a low-voltage path light into a mulched bed at dusk beside a stone walkway and cable spool
ExteriorExterior Lighting10 min read

Install Low-Voltage Landscape Lighting That Looks Designed, Not Decorated

A step-by-step guide to low-voltage landscape lighting: sizing the transformer, planning wire runs, burying cable, and aiming fixtures after dark.
A new white vinyl insert window being set into an old wood frame with shims and a level on the sill
ExteriorReplacement Windows11 min read

Install an Insert Replacement Window That Stays Square for Decades

A step-by-step guide to installing an insert replacement window: stripping the old sash, setting it square, shimming, foaming, and refitting stops.
Hands smoothing a strip of patterned peel-and-stick wallpaper down a wall with a plastic smoothing tool
InteriorWallpaper & Wall Treatments8 min read

Hang Peel-and-Stick Wallpaper Straight, Seamless, and Bubble-Free

A step-by-step guide to hanging peel-and-stick wallpaper: wall prep, striking a plumb line, pattern matching, smoothing, and trimming clean edges.
Cedar lap siding half coated in warm semi-transparent stain and half weathered gray, brush applying stain from a ladder
ExteriorWood & Composite Siding10 min read

Stain Wood Siding Before It Grays and Starts to Split

A step-by-step guide to washing, brightening, and staining cedar or pine lap siding, plus how to choose between semi-transparent and solid stain.
Gloved hands sliding a primed replacement clapboard into a gap in weathered wood lap siding beside repair tools
ExteriorWood & Composite Siding9 min read

Replace Damaged Lap Siding Boards So the Patch Disappears

A step-by-step guide to swapping rotted lap siding boards: zip-cutting hidden nails, freeing the course above, priming all six sides, and matching nail lines.
A stainless steel grab bar being mounted onto white tile beside a bathtub with a drill nearby
InteriorBathroom Safety Upgrades9 min read

Install Grab Bars That Actually Hold 250 Pounds

A safety-first guide to mounting bathroom grab bars: finding studs behind tile, drilling porcelain without cracking it, rated anchors, and placement heights that work.
Gloved hands pressing fresh gray mortar into raked joints of a red brick wall with a pointing trowel and hawk
ExteriorStucco & Brick Veneer10 min read

Repoint Crumbling Mortar Joints Before Water Gets Behind Them

A step-by-step guide to repointing brick: raking joints to full depth, matching mortar strength and color, packing in layers, and striking the finish.
A roller spreading glossy gray epoxy across a clean garage slab, decorative color flakes scattered on the wet coating
ExteriorDetached Garages & Carports12 min read

Epoxy-Coat a Garage Floor That Won’t Peel Under Tires

A step-by-step guide to a garage epoxy coating that lasts: moisture testing, etching or grinding, oil-spot prep, flake broadcast, and a urethane topcoat.
Hands lifting the lid off a toilet tank to inspect the flapper and fill valve inside
InteriorPlumbing Repairs & Upgrades7 min read

Fix a Running Toilet for Good in One Hour

A step-by-step guide to diagnosing and fixing a running toilet: dye-testing the flapper, replacing the fill valve, and knowing when the flush valve seat is the culprit.