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Some people set the pavers in concrete, but there’s no need if you make a proper dry bed. That means digging down past the loamy topsoil to prevent frost heave from disrupting the bricks come winter; once you do, laying a bed of compacted paver base and stone dust gives the bricks a solid foundation and provides drainage while preventing weeds or roots from coming up. Follow along as This Old House senior technical editor Mark Powers guides you through the installation of this functional yard accent....

Steps for making a tall, tapered planter: Step 1: Cut the boards Using out cut list above and a miter saw or circular saw, cut the 2×6 boards to size. Step 2: Prep the boards Using a drill/driver and a pocket hole jig, drill two pocket holes into one edge of 4 of the 5 boards of each wall. Step 3: Assemble the boards Apply glue to the adjoining edges of the boards....

Door Glass Replacement in 9 Steps More: How to Replace Glass Fireplace Doors; How to Install a Sliding Glass Door Tools

Several companies make these mats. We like the products made by NuHeat and here’s why: They warranty their products to be free from defects in material and workmanship effective on the date of the purchase by the original purchaser, effective for a period of twenty-five (25) years under tile, stone, laminate, and engineered wood floors. That’s hard to beat.

To help you find a fireplace insert for your home, the This Old House Reviews team researched the best fireplace inserts on the market. Here are our top nine recommendations. Top 7 Fireplace Inserts Best For Logs: Ashley Hearth Wood Stove Insert Best Thin Design: R.W. Flame 36-Inch Electric Fireplace Insert Best Candle Insert: Home Decorations Candle Electric Fireplace Insert Most Versatile: The Outdoor GreatRoom Electric Fireplace Insert Best Frame: PuraFlame 33-Inch Western Electric Fireplace Insert Best Flame: Colo Fireplace Insert Best Lightweight: Valuxhome 36-Inch Electric Fireplace Insert...

But getting to that point is probably the most technically challenging part of any residential construction project. For starters, you want maximum efficiency, a fact made all the more acute by rising fuel prices. Heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) consume almost half of a home’s energy bill, so every percentage of improvement makes a significant difference. You also want your HVAC pro to consider all the factors that influence comfort—including humidity, air velocity, air quality, and radiant energy—and to choose equipment based on its ease of maintenance and expected longevity....

Bats are underrated. Besides being the only mammal that flies, most North American bats are nocturnal insectivores, which means they feed on night-flying insects—especially mosquitoes. In fact, a small bat can devour more than 600 mosquitoes in a single hour. They also eat beetles, wasps, and moths. So encouraging bats to nest near your house is a natural way to keep your yard bug-free. This bat house is easy to make in an afternoon....

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It turns out that I’m far from the only one with this habit. A Mattress Advisor survey of more than 1,000 Americans found that, on average, people go 24.4 days before swapping their dirty sheets for fresh ones. Some of the other highlights from the survey: Men are more likely to wait longer between sheet changes than women (29.6 days vs. 19.4 days). On average, single people go 37 days before changing their sheets, while those in relationships go 21....

How to Make a Ghost Out of Chicken Wire in 9 Steps 1. Start by Forming the Head Center the wire piece over your wig form, bowl, or vase to form the head. Using your hands, press and pinch the wire into a convex shape for the top of the head. All pieces are cut from a 36-inch wide, 25-foot-long roll of chicken wire. Head and shoulders: one at 36 inches by 36 inches Torso and thighs: one at 36 inches by cut to fit (circumference of the shoulders, plus 3 inches) Left arm: one at 12 inches by 36 inches Right arm and calves: four at 12 inches by 18 inches Ax and feet: three at 12 inches by 12 inches...

Read on to learn the basics of building a home sauna plus factors to consider before you begin. How To Build a Sauna: The Need-to-Knows Before building this luxury typically reserved for spas and health clubs, there are a few things to think about. Inside or Out? The most important decision to make when planning to build a home sauna is whether it should be located indoors or outdoors. An indoor sauna can be built in a closet, basement, or bathroom if the proper precautions are taken....

When it comes to buying wall-to-wall carpeting, what you don’t know can definitely hurt you. Consider that covering a 300-sq.-ft. room will cost $650 to $3,400. And just because you spend a lot of money doesn’t guarantee that you’re getting the best carpet for your needs. How Can You Tell a Quality Carpet? When shopping, think function before form. “A lot of people look at the fiber as a measure of a carpet’s durability,” says Jim Allen, of carpet retailer Einstein-Moomjy in New York....

Moist conditions can contribute to tarnishing, but considering that copper is commonly used in pipes, sinks, gutters, and pots and pans, there’s little chance of reducing its exposure to water. Read on for bright ideas to clean all the copper in your home. Copper Cleaning: General Rules and Caveats Some folks appreciate the patina copper obtains with time, while others prefer that shiny-as-new appeal. But even if you like the look of a bit of age, some of what accumulates is just plain dirt....

Dan’s pond attracts birds, frogs, butterflies, and crickets (no mosquitoes, though, thanks to the moving water). It also attracts Dan and Gloria. The couple often sip their coffees there while watching the sunrise, and lounge by the gurgling water after dark. “My wife is actually really glad I did this,” says Dan. “And so am I—it’s so relaxing.” Now, we figure if a retired schoolteacher can build a pond in a weekend, so can you....

In wide rotation since the late 1800s and early 1900s, when the Victorian, Craftsman, and Art Deco styles reigned in succession, these fixtures and finishes look so good and function so well that they’ve left little room for improvement, even after all these years. For help pinpointing even more design elements to guide your own classic bathroom revamp project, the editors of This Old House created the following primer on the three most influential and enduring styles of the past....

Steps for creating zones in a forced-air HVAC system Material Foam-rubber blocks Tools