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Home improvement and renovation tips

How to fix a sagging floor 2

Last time, we looked at how sister joists can help firm up a bouncy or sagging floor by providing support where the original joist has sagged. Here's how to install the joist youâ€™ve cut. We'll assume the simplest situation, that is, with no jacking up of the floor involved. First off, get a friend to ...

How to fix a sagging floor

Just like people, older houses can tend to sag here and there. If your house is showing its age in creaking, springy floors, it may be because one or more of the joists below it are starting to sag. Here's something you can do to strengthen your floors and rejuvenate your poor old house. A ...

How to build a basement floor

This time, we'll look at another option for your basement floor. If you have the headspace, a raised floor is your ideal choice. It provides some "spring", which translates into an easier stroll around the room, it allows for insulation, and it raises it above the potential dampness. Count on needing at least a couple ...

Worry-free basement carpeting tips

Last time, we talked about painting your concrete basement floor. This time, on to the next most economical basement floor treatment: carpeting. Carpet provides some resilience, making the concrete more comfortable to walk on. And it will make the floor a little warmer in winter. However, as we mentioned before, in order to apply carpet ...

How to paint your basement floor

Last time, we listed three ways you could finish your basement floor and covered the pros and cons of each. Let's get into the how-to. Paint is by far the most inexpensive -- and the simplest -- of basement floor coverings. Here's how to do it right. If the concrete is brand new, it needs ...

Basement floor finishing options

Your unfinished basement is bonus space just waiting to be discovered. A cozy home theater, a spare bedroom or a workshop are hiding there in the shadows cast by the bare light bulbs, ready for your handy skills to bring them to light. And if you start from the ground up, the first thing you'll ...

All about kitchen floors (Part II)

Last time we looked at vinyl. Here are some other choices.Hardwood is more expensive than vinyl, but the look more than compensates. It's warm, it goes great with most cabinets, and it can be quite durable and easy to maintain.Traditional planking is a bit of work to install, and then you need to sand, stain ...

All about kitchen floors (Part I)

Choosing floors for your kitchen might take a little more attention than you'd spend on other rooms. This is because kitchen floors must do a number of things well. They should complement your cabinets and appliances. They need to be tough enough to handle a lot of traffic and the inevitable spills. And they must ...

More squeaky floor tips

Creaks and squeaks can drive you nuts, and ever on the lookout for a new way to tackle an old problem, we've come up with some more ideas.In the past, we've talked about some standard fixes -- gluing and screwing, or installing cleats or shims against loose boards from below, countersinking and filling screwholes from ...

Install a fine-fitting floor

You've bought just the right amount of fine, dry, perfect, straight tongue and groove flooring, and you're ready to start nailing it in. Wait just a minute. Is the room square? Many an amateur floorer has discovered too late that the distance between two opposite walls varies from one end of the room to the ...