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The editors here at Popular Mechanics would like you to know that we’re not perfect. Whether tackling home improvements or making automotive repairs, we’ve all made our fair share of mistakes. Here are some of the worst. If you’ve got some that you’d like to share, send them to pmwebmaster@hearst.com, along with any lessons that might have been gleaned from the experience.
Sliding doors are generally not common. However, this is the common door style o design in Japan and neighboring countries. Hailed as the Japanese Shoji Screens andsliding doors , this stylish Japanese door will not only serve its function but also, it can be your elegant décor at home as well. If you like, you can have these doors as your room divider, cupboard, curtains and the like. Other than being the wall and décor in one, the Japanese sliding door particularly those that are installed to be as the home’s curtain, the sliding door helps regulate room temperature, which is essential particularly to those in cold countries.
Converting a plain entryway into a curved arch is a great way to give a room a new look and feel. In this article, we’ll show you the best way to do it. This technique will work on any interior entryway. Whether you’re remodeling a room or just looking for a weekend improvement, this project adds interest and character.
Fit drywall into the curve
To reduce time spent soaking a drywall strip into a curve, buy 1/4-in. drywall that’s designed to bend.
The holidays are right around the corner and now is the time to take care of the improvements you’ve been procrastinating about all year long. From dead doorbells and jammed doors, to caulking the bath and replacing broken tiles, here are our top quick fixes, and all the information you need to get the job done right.
A patio door that incorporates a screen is a popular feature in many homes. This type of door allows fresh air in which adds to the comfort of the patio. However, with time the screen is likely to undergo the usual wear and tear because of exposure to the elements. You may be able to put up with a worn out door for some time. However, it becomes necessary to repair it at some point. If your screen has tears or holes, this is a perfect entry point for airborne pests and rodents. Once they raid your home, you’ll not be able to rest in peace. This calls for replacement of the screen. Below is a guide that shows you how to proceed.
Do you want your old trim to look fresh, smooth and crisp after you’ve painted it? These tips show you how the pros do it. They’re DIY friendly, so you can prep your trim yourself and still get professional-looking results.
You’ve been hanging around the lumber yards lately because you need wood for one of your do-it-yourself projects. You haven’t settled on one type of wood yet, but in talking to experts and other homeowners, something has stuck in your ear. OSB. You’ve heard this acronym around town. What is it, you ask? While it is a widely used acronym, specifically for ocean groups and religious organizations, for our purposes OSB stands for oriented strand board.
We know, we know: The economy’s iffy, jobs are tight, housing values aren’t what they once were. But if there were ever a perfect time to invest in your place by adding more insulation or replacing a creaky old water heater, it’s now. The economic stimulus package passed by Congress last February included a federal tax credit—not just a deduction, but a full-on credit—of 30 percent of the cost of all sorts of energy-saving systems, with a cap of $1,500 per house, if installed by the end of 2010. These upgrades pack the double benefit of slashing your utility bills while increasing your house’s long-term value, too.
1. Build a clothesline
Next to your refrigerator, your dryer is likely the biggest energy-guzzling appliance in your house. And while we wouldn’t ask you to store your food in a vintage icebox, an old-fashioned clothesline is actually a pretty good idea. (If that sounds too retro, think of it as a “solar dryer” instead.)
You can buy a pulley kit like the one pictured here at the hardware store. Or you can order the components online. But it’s easy to make a traditional clothesline yourself, using 4×4 or 6×6 pressure-treated posts for the uprights and 2x8s for the cross arms (which don’t need to be pressure-treated). Simply notch the posts to receive the cross arms, set them in concrete, and run the lines on eye hooks between them. A 4- or 5-foot cross arm should give you enough room for five lengths of line, nicely spaced.
Lumber: $42
Hardware: $10
100 feet of line + 100 wood clothespins: $17
Total: $69
Everything always comes back into fashion. Whether its retro clothing, vintage cars, or designer antiques, 
people love it when the past catches up to the present again. But bringing a little history into the home isn’t just limited to decorative knick-knacks and old-fashioned furniture. It can extend to the actual construction of the house as well. Reclaimed wood has become a popular way to recycle pre-existing wooden structures by incorporating them into newer homes.
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