If you want an attractive yard minus the hassle, consider planting some ornamental grass. These grasses require very little maintenance and less watering than most plants. They also look gorgeous, blooming into various colors and textures and growing in clumps or mounds. Additionally, they prevent soil erosion and provide windbreaks on your property. This guide will introduce you to the most popular, low-maintenance varieties and how to take care of them so that they thrive with very little help....

Steps: Close the water shut-off valve located behind the toilet. Remove the cover from the toilet tank. Slide the new flush valve over the vertical overflow tube inside the toilet. Remove the existing flush lever from the toilet tank. Disassemble the pushbutton actuator and fasten it to the toilet tank. Reconnect the dual-flush mechanism to the back of the actuator. Tighten the cable tie to secure the new flush valve to the overflow tube....

Before: A Desolate Yard The yard was desolate when we moved in: neglected, weedy, with just some leggy rhododendrons, Norway maples, and a lone purple coneflower still standing. The previous owner, who’d been there for 30 years, hadn’t been able to keep up the place. Not only did my husband and I need plantings to bring the yard back to life, we also needed to build in privacy from neighbors on both sides, mask traffic noise, and fence in our dog....

How to Repair a Frozen Air Conditioner Resources Air filters on HVAC equipment should be changed or cleaned periodically. Replacement air filters come in many sizes and can be purchased at home centers. Reusable filters should be cleaned at least once per season, more regularly in homes with pets. Outdoor units should be cleaned with a vaccum brush attachment and kept clear of bushes and other obstructions. A professional HVAC contractor can help assess if a system may be oversized and need replacement or if the refrigerant is recharged incorrectly....

Has more time at home given you ambitions for upgrading your surroundings? Maybe you’re yearning for a “sanity shed” where you can take undisturbed work calls in the backyard. Or you have visions of a family room refresh that also creates space for a family study hall. Ways to Pay for a Home Remodel Once you’ve talked to contractors and worked up a remodeling budget—with room for unexpected expenses, of course—the next step is finding the funds....

How to Prevent Wood Rot For the most part, rotting wood is preventable, but it requires keeping water away from the house as much as possible. This means installing gutters and maintaining them, preventing the wood from coming in contact with the ground, and adequately flashing any openings that water could sneak into. Also, seal any outdoor wood surfaces like fascia, window sills, and trim with a sealer or primer—don’t forget the backs!...

Steps: Mark the location of a start collar on both the return- and supply-side duct. Cut holes in each duct using a sheet metal duct cutter attached to a drill/driver. Screw a start collar to the return-side and supply-side ducts. Install elbows to each end of a bypass damper. Attach the bypass damper between the two start collars, effectively connecting the return duct to the supply duct. Shopping list: Bypass damper, used to quiet a noisy duct Start collars, for attaching bypass damper to existing duct...

Hooking up the wiring to the main box and adding a switch - for that, you should hire a licensed electrician, but there’s no reason you can’t install the post and run the wiring yourself. There’s even some added satisfaction for your effort: Your guests will thank you for your hospitality that much more when they can actually see their way to your front door. How to Replace a Lamppost [VIDEO] Step 1: Lamppost Overview You don’t want a lamp that leans like a prizefighter in the 12th round—it must stand tall and straight....

With customizable speeds and closing power, this system is worth the upgrade. But, it’s not as easy to install as a spring-loaded hinge. Here is everything you need to know about how to install an automatic door closer. How to Install an Electronic Dead Bolt Tools and Materials for Door Closer Installation Utility knife Painter’s tape A pencil Tape measure Speed square Safety glasses Gloves Drill driver Drill bits #3 Phillips bit or screwdriver Hex keys...

What Smells Do Mice Hate? “Some smells repel mice for a short period of time, like cigarette smoke and certain colognes,” says Ron Harrison of Orkin Pest Control in Atlanta. “But mice are extremely curious. A strange odor isn’t going to keep them away when they’re looking for food or a place to nest.” Do Dryer Sheets Keep Mice Out? Don’t expect your box of Bounce to work any pest-control miracles....

How to Make an Open Shelving Unit Cut List for Building an Open Shelving Unit 1x12 shelves: 5 @ 5 feet spindles: 16 @ 17 inches (Cut equal lengths off each end.) ⅝-inch dowels: 12 @ 2 inches 1x2 nailing strips: 1 @ 60 inches, 2 @ 10 inches 1x4 base: 3 (Custom miter to length.) crown molding: 3 (Custom miter to length.) base supports: 2 @ 10¾L x 2¾H (Make from shelf cutoff....

But if you have brick walls in your home you may feel the wall-mounted TV ship has sailed. Luckily that’s not the case. We’ll go over the tools you’ll need and how to drill into your brick wall to mount your TV securely. Supplies for Mounting a TV on a Brick Wall Hanging a TV on a brick wall is well within the capabilities of a DIYer; you’ll just need certain tools and supplies:...

TOH Landscape Contractor Roger Cook replies: When a lawn is more than 50 percent dead—whether it’s due to soil compaction, not getting enough water, being cut too short, or some other problem—it’s easiest to remove all the grass and start over with fresh seed. The first step is to have the soil tested by a local extension service to see if it needs amending. Once the test results are in, order the recommended soil amendments and compost....

Practice Safety When Testing for Lead Before you begin, test the railing paint for lead with a kit such as 3M LeadCheck, which is sold at paint stores and home centers. If you find a lead layer, don’t proceed until you’ve read the EPA’s online guide “Steps to Lead Safe Renovation, Repair, and Painting” and have put into place the protections it stipulates for safeguarding yourself and your home. Before You Get Started If the railing is lead-free (like the one I’m working on above), spread drop cloths over the stairs and nearby areas to capture the paint chips....

How to Find a Roof Leak If you have an accessible attic, that’s the place to start to look for the leak. As most roofs are pitched, where the leak appeared on your ceiling and where it entered the roof are probably two different places. Look for Wet Spots on Sheathing or Rafters Bring a flashlight and use it to detect any shiny or wet spots on the underside of the roof sheathing or rafters....

Toilet Seat Standards Toilet seats come in two standard varieties: oval and round. All oval toilet seats will fit oval toilets, and all-round seats fit round toilets. The spacing of the bolts that hold these seats to the toilet are also standard, so the only consideration to think of is the shape of the toilet. How to Replace a Toilet Seat How to Remove Corroded Toilet Seat Bolts Resources Richard demonstrates how to replace an old or damaged toilet seat....

Expert assistance for this project was provided by Kelstrom Landscape, Inc. of West Roxbury, MA and Nawada Landscape Design. Tools:

In this video, This Old House’s electrician Scott Caron shows us how he does the job. Steps to Run Power to a Shed: When the job is complete, the shed has both interior and exterior lighting, outlets, and is set up to add a future electric car charging station. Tools: Note: If you have a lot of earth to move, and a shovel is too small for the job, consider renting a gas-powered trenching machine from Home Depot....

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, radon contamination causes nearly 20,000 deaths a year. Thing is, you can test for and “fix” this very serious problem quite easily. Here’s what you do. How Do You Test for Radon? All homes should test for radon, regardless of geographic location; homes with elevated radon levels have been identified across the country. If you haven’t checked for radon in the past two years, or if you’ve done some remodeling since the last time you did, pick up an Accu-Star certified radon test from your local home center....