After buying a 1920s bungalow in Newton, Mass., architect Todd Sloane and his wife, Elizabeth, considered replacing the narrow porch entry off the kitchen with a mudroom addition, but property setbacks wouldn’t allow it, and neither would their modest budget. Instead, they put their money into a family room addition and simply enclosed half the back porch, turning it into a mini-mudroom. When you get right down to it, a smaller mudroom does everything a larger one would have done, only better, because it doesn’t take up the whole porch and thus cut off the kitchen from the backyard.

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.

Some home security systems are complex and should be installed by a professional. However, there are many good home security systems sold in kit forms that can be installed by any do-it-yourselfer. Most simple systems use a bell, loud buzzer, or other sound source to note intrusion.

According to our grandmothers’ wisdom (and verified on thenewhomemaker.com), Monday is Wash Day. After Sunday’s day of rest, homemakers traditionally took on one of the week’s most difficult tasks: the laundry. Whether you’re disciplined enough to schedule your laundry days or you just do a load or two when you’ve run out of socks and underwear, the following recipe for simple washing powder will make the task more fun. This laundry detergent is simple to make, saves you money and smells heavenly.

A heat pump filter is a vital component of your heat pump. It helps to keep dirt and debris from being discharged into your home. Heat pumps draw cool air into the device and distribute warm air within the house. Before the cool air is drawn into the pump, it is filtered to remove dust and debris. This helps to maintain cleaner air indoors. With time, the pump filter accumulates a lot of dirt and debris. This reduces efficiency of your heater. It is best to change the filters regularly for better performance of the heat pump. This is a simple job that doesn’t take much time or effort, as outlined below.

Bargain-basement prices on home renovations are the silver lining of today’s horrible real estate market. According to the National Association of Home Builders, contractors’ bids are coming in at 10 percent to 40 percent below what they were during the housing boom. And smart consumers have apparently taken notice.

An American Express survey found 62 percent of homeowners planned a home improvement project for 2010. They focused on do-it-yourself, or DIY, projects, like indoor cosmetic work, and planned to spend an average of $6,200.

With remodeling, your best tool is neither a saw nor a hammer; it’s knowledge.

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For years, there have been three ways to get a shed: Build it yourself, hire someone to build it or buy a prefab model. A new method—constructing a shed from a kit—combines the sweat equity of building from scratch with the simplicity of using factory-cut components. All that’s required are basic tools and novice-level carpentry skills. It’s like doing a jigsaw puzzle with instructions: Fasten the parts together in the right sequence, and voilà—a shed is born.

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.

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.

One of the best ways to embellish a fireplace in your home is by installing an oak fireplace mantel. The mantle also offers a place where you can place ornaments and treasured family photos as well as plants or anything else. A fireplace is often the central feature of any living room or dining room and having a good frame and mantle around it is essential lest it look stark and unwelcoming. If you are building a new fireplace or replacing an existing mantle, this article will give you some steps on how to do the job yourself without having to pay for a tradesman. With a basic set of carpentry skills and a trip down to your local hardware store, you should be able to do this yourself without much of a problem.