DIY Home Improvement Rules
Updated: Sep. 26, 2017With so much DIY expertise and experience here at The Family Handyman, our editors decided to write down their top tips for how to get the best results from your home improvement projects. From plumbing to drywall, our editors weigh in with their favorite hints for DIYers.
Start with level, plumb and flat walls
Add new studs beside the old studs
Old walls are often crooked and out of plumb. One good method to fix the problem is to add new studs alongside the old ones, making sure the new ones are plumb and aligned. You'll be glad you did when it comes time to install cabinets and trim.
Got bowed studs? Here's how you can fix them.
Be positive the power's off
Always check before doing electrical work
When you're doing electrical work, don't assume that because you flicked a switch or flipped a circuit breaker the power is off? always double-check. Buy a noncontact voltage tester and check all the wires in the box before you do any work.
Keep a beater chisel in your tool belt
It's a four-in-one tool
Aside from a hammer, a 'beater' chisel is the most useful tool to carry in your tool belt. It's a scraper, a pry bar and a putty knife all in one. Sometimes you can even use it as a chisel for crude work.
Buy extra plumbing parts
Buy more than you need to save extra trips
No matter how carefully you plan, it seems like you always need another elbow or extra length of pipe. Save yourself a trip to the store and buy extra the first time. Then return what you don't use.
Beware of drywall dust
Confine the dust no matter what
No matter how small your drywall job, take the time to carefully confine the dust. While the actual sanding might only take you about 10 minutes, cleaning the fine layer of dust from everything in sight will take you the rest of the afternoon.
If you're planning a large remodeling project, check out this collection of tips on how to protect your home during the process.
Plan around the weather
Anticipate how weather will affect a project
Learn a lesson from one of our editors who poured a garage slab late one fall day. It was cool outside, and he didn't realize how long the concrete would take to set up. He didn't finish troweling until about 2 a.m.
Leave 'reveals' on windows and doors
Don't try to get the trim flush with jambs
Leave a space (reveal) alongside moldings. It'll give you a little fudge factor and looks better than trying to get trim flush with jambs.
Interested in tricks and tips for getting tight-fitting trim joints on door and window casings and base moldings? Check out our complete guide.
Have a tarp for roof tear-offs
Anticipate bad weather to prevent leaks
What will you do if you tear off the shingles and a storm pops up? At least if you have a plastic tarp that's large enough to cover the roof, you'll have a fighting chance of keeping your house dry.