Exterior Search Results

How To: Paint an exterior wall

In this DIY project on video, learn how to paint the exterior of your home. Our expert will show you everything you need to know to get the job done. Get tips on preparing the wall with a pressure washer, scraping off old paint, caulking, spackle, priming, and more. Learn the proper paint rolling techniques to get an even, professional result. Watch these videos carefully, and turn a potentially disastrous endeavor, both for you and your home, into a simple painting project. When you’re done,...

How To: Install fiber to the exterior cage of a Raku kiln

This intriguing video is part of a set by Simon Leach that teaches anyone at home to create a Raku kiln. In this video, he takes you in a simple, step by step guide from attaching in the fluffy fiber to the exterior cage with specialty buttons and wires. All the steps are very clear, and he even repeats them just in case so that even the most novice craftsman can follow along. It's both practical and educational, as he explains why things need to be done and what purpose they serve for the fi...

How To: Refinish exterior lights

Are your exterior lamps looking totally out of place? Bring them back into the fold with a simple spray paint face lift. As every fashion-conscious gal knows, accessories make all the difference. The same is true for your house: the decorative touches, accent pieces, and color schemes can make the difference between a house that looks all together or altogether tacky. Exterior lights are a perfect example: do your lamps match your home like the perfect pair of earrings match your outfit? If n...

How To: Apply exterior caulking

The purpose of exterior caulking is to apply a bead of flexible sealant to fill or cover cracks, seams and gaps where drafts or moisture might get into your house or conversely, where heated or air-conditioned air might leak out. Caulking helps keep your house weather-tight, lowers heating and cooling bills, and prevents damage to structural members. It can also help keep insects and other “critters” out of your house. When you caulk before painting, it eliminates edges where the paint may st...

How To: Select Home Exterior Paints

Find out if there are local restrictions on color Before you fall in love with “Brilliant Blue”, “Gauche Green”, or any other paint color, check to see if any local authority restricts the colors you can use. This is especially important if you live in an historic area, newer subdivision, or townhouse community. It’s not uncommon to find a list of “approved” colors in these types of neighborhoods.

News: The Green House - Vertical Gardening Exterior Walls

This is one concept that I would love to see sweep the urban world. One thing that strikes me every time I visit a major city is how far away they are from anything that is truly alive. Not only is the air dirty, but everyone must buy their produce from the grocery store. If those trucks were to stop coming for any reason, most people, if not everyone, would die of starvation. While this house is covered with ornamental plants, I would love to see this same concept applied to edible plants an...

How To: Paint exterior trim properly

By painting your exterior trim wih different colors than your siding you can create a dramatic yet attractive and complimentary look. Paint trim wth a higher sheen than the siding. Generally you should use eggshell or satin paint for siding and gloss or semi-gloss for windows and doors. Paint in sequence. Always paint from the top down. Paint exterior trim properly.

How To: Make and decorate a heart fireworks tiered cake

Wilton Cake Decorating demonstrates how to make and decorate a heart fireworks tiered cake. Roll out the pliable edible cake clay so that it is about 1/4 of an inch thick. Cut out heart shapes with cookie cutters. Let them dry for a few hours. Attach the hard hearts to wire with an icing adhesive. Create a bouquet out of the candy flowers by crooking the end of the wires and sealing the bases with floral tape. Create three-inch panels for the six-inch cake out of the cake clay. Cut out heart ...

How To: Make perfect BBQ ribs for summer with John Kass

John Kass from the Chicago Tribune and Gary Wiviott, author of Low & Slow, demonstrate how to make perfect ribs. The first step is to run them under cool water and rinse them with cider vinegar to clean them off. Second, coat them with mustard. This holds the rub on the rib. By holding the rub on, you will get more bark (the spicy, smokey, crusty exterior) on your rib. Gary's rub is a mix of 7 different toasted Mexican peppers, paprika, salt, black pepper. Make sure to place a good layer of r...

How To: Build a building in Google SketchUp

This video series takes you through every step of building a building in SketchUp and is taken from chapter 4 of "Google SketchUp for Dummies" in case you want to follow along. PART 1 explains how to switch to a 2D view to get you ready to build the floor plan. It's a good idea to have accurate measurements of everything you want to build before starting this project. PART 2 familiarizes you with the tools available in SketchUp to help you create your floorplan. PART 3 shows you how to draw t...

How To: Build your own bird house

Give a bird a home with help from this handyman tutorial! Learn step-by-step how to build a professional looking Bluebird nesting box bird house. To build this nesting box you will need the following tools & materials: rough cedar or pine, a tape measure, pencil, speed square, hand saw, compound miter saw (if possible), exterior wood glue, drill bits, screw gun or drill, paddle bit, coarse thread drywall screws, deck screws, galanized finished nails, and a hammer.

How To: Winterize an in-ground pool

Getting your pool ready for summer is very important as the water will not be circulating for a few months. This instructional how-to video shows you how to close down your in-ground pool for winter. Start by removing debris and properly cleaning the liner. Don't forget to remove any exterior accessories and equipment properly before winterizing the in ground pool.

How To: Craft a cute Christmas elf girl from polymer clay

Christmas means decorating trees with store-purchased ornaments and tinsel, decorating stairwells with store-purchased garlands, and decorating the exterior of your house with store-purchased lights. These days everything you need can be puchased pre-made somewhere, and while that saves us time, what happened to the good ol' days when we crafted ornaments out of popsicle sticks and strung cranberries on a string?

How To: Make a scalloped edge bobby pin accessory

In order to make a scalloped edged bobby pin accessory, you will need the following: wire, a bobby pin, small beads, a ruler, and scissors. Cut about 2 feet of wire. Fold the wire in half. Lace the wire through the bobby pin. Anchor it by wrapping it around the exterior. Then, repeat with the other end of wire. You will repeat this, in order to secure each bead. Begin sliding the beads on the wire. Group three at a time, remembering to anchor them. When you reach then end, begin scalloping. A...

How To: Prepare for a hurricane or typhoon

This video on typhoon preparedness comes from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, where typhoons are common. The key to surviving a typhoon or other disaster is preparation. Stock up on enough food and supplies to last your family for about a week. Routinely check expiration dates on food, water and batteries and rotate your stock. Be sure window screens are in place and in good condition in the event the power is off for several days.

How To: Increase car safety, reliability, and longevity

This video gives helpful information to increase your car safety, reliability and longevity and how you can do most of the checking yourself. Checking the tires is a safe way to start with safety maintenance. Check pressure while the tires are cold and the pressure correctly by using you owners manual or by the identification sticker inside of the door jam and not by just what's written on the side of the tire. Next is the tire condition such as the tread depth for regular ware and for the we...

How To: Install a kitchen garden window

Ron Hazelton shows a great way to bring the outdoors indoors with a garden window. First remove the existing window. Pry off the exterior trim and remove the old window framing. Build a new frame for the new window with 2x4's and shims. Trim away any exterior siding if necessary. Use waterproof flashing paper and caulk to make the new window watertight. Install the new window into the frame with rust-resistant screws. Add another run of caulk, then trim off the excess flashing paper. Use anot...

How To: Stain your concrete driveway

Need to match your driveway to your new exterior home paint job? In this video, learn step-by-step how to stain and seal a concrete driveway. Listen up because this method can be used for any exterior concrete surface and can come in handy in the future!

How To: Pressure or power wash home siding with Lowe's

Back again with another in their great informational series for do it yourselves at home, Lowe's presents this video hosted by Mike Kraft demonstrating how to pressure wash your home's exterior siding. Mike describes in detail the tools, supplies, and steps you will need to take to remove dirt, mildew and mold from your home's exterior. Experienced do it yourselves and beginners alike will appreciate the detail and tips provided in this video, as well as some useful safety tips on using your ...

How To: Repair a broken iPod LCD screen

This video teaches you how to replace a LCD screen for the 5th generation iPod. The tools you will need are a soft cloth, a mini screwdriver, a plastic or metal putty knife, and of course your iPod. First, pry your iPod open with your putty knife. Place the knife in between the metal base and white case and pull the knife around the iPod, to undo the clips holding the case together. Once open, lift up the hardware, remove the headphone assembly, and take out the screws on the side. Take the e...

How To: Set a custom white balance on the Canon 5D Mark II

Most DSLR's like the Canon 5D Mark II come with pre-programmed white balance settings: daylight, cloudy, tungsten, fluorescent. But what do you do when you're in a mixed lighting situation and you want to balance between exterior daylight and interior tungsten light? If you set it to daylight, your tungsten light will be too orange. If you set it to tungsten, your exterior light will be too blue. The solution: set a custom white balance to balance the disparate lighting situations.

How To: Deal with termites

Driven creatures undermining the very structure of your life – it might sound like a sci-fi flick, but it's all too real when these pests go after your home. Watch this video to learn how to deal with termites.